K K Stowe

K.K. Stowe Biography

Unlike many lucky young guitarists, I got off to a late start. At the age of 16, with the money I had saved from a fast food job, I bought my first guitar. I soon began learning licks off of records and stealing ideas from whomever I could. I lived in a small town and instructional materials were still pretty scarce, so I studied the styles of Hendrix, Clapton, Beck and Page as best I could. I spent my time working on things like phrasing, vibrato, and the endless search for "The Tone". I eventually worked my way into the West Texas music scene, cutting my teeth on Texas blues and rock-n-roll. Artists like B.B. King, Albert King, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters had a great influence on my playing at that time.
As I grew musically, I became increasingly interested in jazz. Realizing that my limited understanding could only take me so far, I enrolled in the music program at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. Immediately, I began to gain an understanding that enabled me to take my interests and abilities as a musician much further.
In 1993 I began teaching at South Plains College as a full time Commercial Music instructor. Since that time, I have performed and recorded a variety of musical styles ranging from jazz to country. I've recently performed on several local CD releases and currently gig around the West Texas area with the country band New West and rhythm and blues rockers The King Bees.
I also have the following guitar instructional videos available through Texas Music and Video: 1. Rock and Roll Guitar 2. 60 Hot Licks for Rock Guitar
Available through Mel Bay Publications: 1. Rock and Blues Slide Guitar 2. 60 Hardcore Blues Licks 3. Texas Blues Guitar 4. Super Electric Blues Picking Techniques.
My playing set up consists primarily of Fender Stratocaster guitars and an assortment of amplifiers and effects including Fender, Marshall and VHT.
Some of my favorite players currently include Robben Ford, Scott Henderson and Wes Montgomery.
Finally, I can't say enough about the importance of education in music. The music industry is one of constant change and progress and a musician must take advantage of all that he or she can in order to be successful. Learning to read, improvise, compose and perform are just some of the skills necessary to excel in music today. As a music instructor, I appreciate the opportunity to teach these things and more, to the budding professional or the part time enthusiast. If you should have any questions or just want to talk, please give me a call.
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