Kona Steel Guitar Festival
Mark Gaponoff

Mark Gaponoff

Mark is a recent convert to the steel guitar. He has been practicing the steel for a year or so, and taking lessons, mainly by Skype, from Alan Akaka.

Mark's main instrument is the fiddle. He has been playing old-time fiddle for decades, and about five years ago became interested in applying the fiddle to Hawaiian music.

"I became interested in the lap steel as an instrument that the violin could partially emulate to get that "Hawaiian" sound, and thought I could steal steel licks and try them on the fiddle," says Mark.

After some study, it seems that the lap steel displaced his violin in Hawaiian music at the start of the 20th century.

Mark continues, "I am a random mainland resident — a retired software architect, from Wakinekona."

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