The Gift of Guitar

From performing at private parties for Bill Clinton to playing with artists like Eric Clapton, musician Jeff Peterson’s career has been anything but ordinary.Born on Maui, Jeff grew up on Haleakala Ranch listening to the traditional Hawaiian music his father, a paniolo, or Hawaiian cowboy, played for him. Initially, as a self-taught artist, Jeff learned mostly by ear. However, he has also been classically trained having earned a music degree in classical and jazz guitar from the University of Southern California.Due to the demands of music school, Jeff suffered an injury and had to take more than a year off on returning to O‘ahu. During this time he attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa where he earned his business degree. Since then, Jeff taught music classes at UH and is now touring with Hawaiian vocalist Amy Hanaiali‘i.This well-versed musician also grew up listening to and playing slack key guitar, a musical tradition in the Islands. When the paniolos (cowboys) first came to Hawai‘i they brought with them the practice of loosening the strings on their guitars, known as slack key. Although Jeff has been trained to play many types of guitar, he still feels a strong connection to his Hawaiian heritage. He says it is important to respect the tradition of kupuna, (elders). “If that is always in the back of my mind, I can grow in ways that have a connection to the past,” says Jeff.In 2005, Jeff performed on a CD, entitled Slack Key Volume II, which won the first Grammy Award for Hawaiian music. Jeff says the win was really a tribute to people like Gabby Pahinui who paved the way for the Hawaiian musicians of today. Every year since 2005, a CD featuring slack key guitar has won the Hawaiian music Grammy.Jeff currently lives in Manoa Valley with his wife Kahealani. In addition to playing and touring with Amy Hanaiali‘i, he is also part of a full orchestra in the company of Matt Catingub and is also collaborating with a string quartet from New York, called Ethel. In addition, his newest CD is set to come out in June, which is a tribute to Haleakala.On top of all of this, Jeff also has a private production company called Peterson Productions. It is an independent label that allows him to own his music, and have more say in what the music is, and how it is marketed. He laughs, and says, that to make it as a musician he “has to have about 10 different jobs.” Another of his jobs is playing at Michel’s restaurant in Waikiki, which he has been doing for the past nine years. You can listen to Jeff play at Michel’s, Thursday through Monday nights at 6:30 p.m.Living on O‘ahu where the music scene is very vibrant, offers Jeff many chances to collaborate with other artists. “A lot of different musicians come through here because Honolulu isn’t a big city, so there is a lot of opportunity to work, study, and learn from the musicians that play here,” adds Jeff. He contends that there is always more to learn when playing an instrument.Jeff has been able to maintain such a successful career because of his diverse background. “Everyday is an adventure,” he says. Jeff has played in Japan, Thailand, Australia, Europe, and up and down the East and West coasts of America. “I feel very fortunate with my music because I can explore what I love playing,” he says. Jeff mostly enjoys composing, playing, touring, and teaching music to others. He remarks that the best part of his job is seeing others’ reactions to his music. To purchase one of Jeff’s CDs or just to learn a little more about slack key guitar, visit jeffpetersonguitar.com.Jeff Peterson808.218.9496jeffkahea@mac.comjeffpetersonguitar.com