About
The day that I interviewed at Pixar, “A Bug’s Life” had been released two days earlier. Reporters from the New York Times were swarming the place. Weird day for an interview. Didn’t take the job, but saw Steve Jobs office (great thrill!), and had an amazing time. I was reading the Tao Te Ching which still has my Pixar pass stuck to it today.
Thank you Pixar!
At Apple late ‘90s.
First day on the job I wore a tie. My manager told me if I came back the next day wearing a tie he’d use scissors and cut it off. From that day forward, it was t-shirts and sweat pants. Working at Apple was a dream come true.
Thank you Apple!
Home Studio A as of 2016.
A nice little article about it can be found at osxdaily.com here.
iPad Pros interviews Steve Steele about his work with iPad based notation apps, such as Notion iOS and Staff Pad.
This is my VSL Certification, btw. Not sure why it’s so cryptic.
I was fortunate to have parents that surrounded me with music and technology at a young age. I started classical piano lessons at age five. A few years later, I got serious about guitar and bass, playing in club bands as a teen. I was so fortunate to play in one of the best high school jazz bands in my region, (thanks to a very intense band director!) but it was the introduction to music theory and composition that allowed me to find my musical purpose. For the first time, I learned to speak the language. It was at this time that I got into computing. Several of my friends had Apple Its or Commodore 64s. I soon commandeered a friend’s Apple II, and discovered my second passion. I started out as a Jazz Major during my freshman year of college at The University of North Texas, (studying with the great Dan Haerle), but after a chance encounter with a music theory professor, named Dr. Kevin Korsyn, I changed my major to a double major in Music Theory and Composition. I was nominated “Junior Student of the Year” by the music college, and was planning to go to the university of Surrey as a Foreign Exchange student, when after five years at UNT the technology bug bit hard. I was offered a position at Apple Computer, left school and never looked back. The convergence of music and technology truly began here as I spent a many years building a home studio, and more.
At the NAMM Show in January 2020, I introduced The Modular Template at the MOTU booth. The Modular Template incorporates many features and techniques I’ve learned over the last few years of template building for some of the industries top composers.
NAMM 2020
How the The Modular Template™ project began in 2019
The light bulb went off when three clients in a row wanted completely different templates. One wanted a 1000 track, all articulation-based MIDI track layout. Another wanted keystrokes or CCs only. Yet another wanted to start with a blank template. It occurred to me, why not have them all in the same template with a very easy way to switch between them? Could one step open and configure whatever type of template you want at any given time, and always work reliably? Yes, I think so. Could clients just download a .zip file, open it up and set up the template with very little work? Yes.
Other hobbies that are turning into part-time careers:
Conducting. I recently studied with Maestro Franz Krager of the University of Houston Symphony Orchestra. I’m really motivated to start picking up a few sub conducting gigs!
Music Theory lectures. This I’m already doing. I’ve got a YouTube series or documentary planned for next year. It will be better than one might think.
A friend of mine plays keys with Jeff Berlin, (my former bass teacher and the world’s greatest bassist!). Couldn’t believe it when he told me. I really want to put together a band now.
Composing. Of course. No big revelation there. A friend offered to include me in a sweet composing gig. I hope I have time to do it justice soon or I’ll go mad!
The Modular Template™ Social Media image
Performances
My former career is now my “hobby career” I book solo piano/vocal gigs, and every now and then play with different ensembles. I occasionally do shows as a guitarist or bassist, depending on the ensemble. I prefer rock and fusion guitar gigs, but gospel or R&B bass gigs.
The solo piano shows mix covers of Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Steely Dan with the occasional jazz standard, original tune or solo classical piece. In 2011 I was nominated Best Male Rock Singer for the Houston Press Music Awards. My 2009 album, The Expat was nominated for Best Rock Band. I don’t consider myself a classic rock singer. I’m a bit of a baritone crooner, in the modern sense. Here some samples below.
What People Are Saying
“Steve Steele teaches you what you need to become - not just to become a better player but to become a better musician. Steve taught me how to play smoothly and melodically, and I learned how to move effortlessly around the bass.”
— Marshall Mucasey