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my biography

Born in the Southern U.S.A., Ned Selfe grew up in an atmosphere filled with art & music. His eccentric mother was an avid art collector and played classical music for hours on end. He began playing acoustic guitar at an early age, until he heard Duane Allman playing electrified slide guitar and was mesmerized by the sound. He experimented with bottleneck, dobro, lap steel, and finally wound up focusing on pedal steel guitar. His love of music lead him across the country to attend Blue Bear School of Music in San Francisco. It was the early 70's, a great time for music in the Bay Area. The teachings at Blue Bear corresponded to the musical thought of the times; it doesn't matter what you call it as long as it's good music.

Since he began playing pedal steel, Ned has been striving to explore "...where no steel has gone before...." He played in blues, country and swing bands before putting steel at the forefront of the pop rock band Robin & The Rocks. In the early 90's he began experimenting with traditional slide instruments and MIDI technology. Inspired by a project for Stephen Hill of Hearts of Space, he composed his first solo effort, "Glaciers Come, Glaciers Go", a unique confluence of rock roots and new age instrumental ambience that surprised even the author. His work on "Glaciers..." earned Ned two second round Grammy nominations, for Best New Artist and Best Engineered Recording, as well as nationwide airplay on a wide spectrum of radio stations from NAC to NPR to cable networks.

His second CD, "Errands In Paradise", also earned Grammy nods for Production and Engineering, with even more radio play and critical acceptance. He has since journeyed even further West to Hawaii and is currently at work on completing his 3rd solo CD.

my sounds

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Title: Steel Pipes

Description: I had a chiffy little melodic groove and wanted to try juxtaposing it with some 'steel bagpipes' (aye, who does na' love a good drone....?) Next thing you know, we're off on the cosmic voyage.

Title: Robin's Song

Description: This a piece I had been toying with and really liked it, but I had no idea what to do with it. Stephen Hill, owner of the Hearts of Space label, called and said he was looking for someone to make a "new age pedal steel" record. That was a light bulb moment, and this song was the first step in exploring that concept.

Title: Souvenirs

Description: Life is often a long, strange journey, and you ineveitably accumulate things and thoughts and feelings along the way. Browsing through these souvenirs of the trip can sometimes illuminate the future with the light of where we've been.

Title: Far Down The Road

Description: This one started with the melodic idea and groove feel, and just sort of fell into place naturally. The bridge gives a nice respite into the guitar solo, and the credit for the ending's 'modulation round robin' goes to Pete Elman - I'm still not sure exactly how it works, but it does so nicely.

my tags

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my influences

Duane Allman, Lowell George, David Lindley, Peter Gabriel, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Crowded House, Pretenders, The Police.

nedleigh's weekly top artists courtesy of last.fm

my gear

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  Software Sequence...

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  Guitar

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my blog

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nedleigh has not written anything yet.

my friends

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  Lo Kivikas
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  Perkalars
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  Live Ull...
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  aeronaut
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  geof44000
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  rodney
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  Richard ...
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  flamingbess
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  mattreasor
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  Mindmovie
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  ING J
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  tc-n41079

my comments

view all comments (8)

Richard Thomas | 9 months ago

Hi Ned, just discovered I'd forgotten to vote for you. Shame on me, because I like your music really very much. Well: 3 tens from me.
Please give my songs a second listening and help to give them their right place in the contest.
Best wishes,
Richard

Mindmovie | 11 months ago

Hi Ned - 3 times 10 is just a question of honour for me.

Richard Thomas | 11 months ago

Hi Ned, how are you doing?
I've set out to vote for my Mi7 friends, but I noticed you haven't enrolled any of your compositions. They're fine instrumentals! Love 'Far Down the Road'. Hope you'll find some time to listen to my songs again and vote for me. Thanks…
Best wishes and bye for now,
Richard

Mindmovie | about 1 year ago

No time pressure Ned just have some fun - although I am curious !!! Hehehe

Mindmovie | about 1 year ago

Hi Ned, have you had some fun on the tracks already ?

Mindmovie | about 1 year ago

Thanks for your nice words about my music and thanks for accepting my friends request Ned. "For the ones we love" may be a bit more in your comfort zone than "The Caves.....". Would you be interrested to add some pedal steel or Dobro to a song of one of my bands ? we are about to release a new record later in 2007 and I am still looking for some highlights and friend artist to help us out. There are not too many Dobro or Pedal Steel players here in Germany - and you are a master !!!!

Mindmovie | about 1 year ago

Hi Ned, greetings from Duesseldorf Germany. I love your songs, the mood in all of them is so peaceful and as a guitar player I love your pedal steel stuff a lot. Good to have you here in this community. You're a big talent

Richard Thomas | about 1 year ago

Hi Ned,
I enjoyed your music. Will there be more of it later?

view all comments (8)