Bob Hoffnar Pedalsteel Guitar, Dobro, Composition

Education:

Private studies with Pandit Pran Nath Lamonte Young Private Pedal Steel lessons with Buddy Charleton ( Earnest Tubb’s steel player)

Graduated from Purchase Conservatory of Music in 1998 with a BFA in composition. While at Purchase my private composition teacher was Richard Cameron Wolf. At Purchase I ran a for credit workshop on improvisation with musicians in the dance dept.

Recent compositions include

Film

Soundtrack for Blue Productions full length independent film “ Nailed”.

Video Art piece “I Remember” in collaboration with Seougho Cho commissioned by the Sonic Circuits Music Festival with funds from the Jerome Foundation

Both of these projects were done using the pedalsteel as the primary or only sound source.

I am a full time working pedal steel player. Performance credits include:

New Music:

In this last year I have been playing with my New Music/Lounge Band “The Mood Illusion” around town at:
The Stone
Barbes
The Waterfront Ale House

“Pedalsteel Rediscovered” concert for 3 pedalsteel guitars at The Museum of Musical Instruments , Brussels

Duets for steel guitar and cello with Jane Scarpantoni performed at the New Music on Sixth street festival at Galapagoes, Brooklyn and “The Den” in Manhattan.

“These Are No Ordinary Mortals” compositions-improvisations by Michael Evans at Roulette NYC.

“New Music for Theremin” Compositions by David Simons at the Museum of Musical Instruments, Brussels.

“The Birth Of George” Opera by David Simons and Lisa Karrer performed at La Mama NYC. Currently being recorded for a CD release.

“A Bet on Transcendence Favors the House” by David First performed at Merkin Hall NYC

Numerous “Conductions” with Butch Morris

“ Cobra” by John Zorn at the Knitting Factory

I have worked with artists including:

Played on TV with Cyndi Lauper and Scott Weiland on VH1 Classic “Decades Rock Live”

Hem
Lloyd Cole
The Band
Rob Thomas
The Candybutchers
Debbie Davies
Guster
Amy Allison
Dawn Landes
The Moonlighters
Terry Reid
Matty Charles
Uptown Horns
Cornell Dupree
Chuck Rainey
Patsy Montana
Chris Wall
Hasil Atkins
The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash
The Ghostrockets
The Deadstring Brothers
The Lonely Samoans
Ryan Adams
Nora Jones
Judah Bauer (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
Martha Wainright
Stuffy Schmitt
Joe Gallant
Indoor Life
Tuxedo Moon
Mertz
Magma
Kyle Fischer (Rainer Maria)
Owen
Elk City
Scobee
Johnny Dowd

A few of the bands I am currently playing in with are The Mood Illusion, HEM and Shotgun Shack, Drazy Hoops, Queen Ester

My current Equipment

I play Franklin D10 pedal steels 8/7 with Jim Pitman pickups

I also play a 66 Emmons “bolt on” D10

My Dobro is made by Ivan Guernsey.

My lap steels are a beat up MOTS Supro, 1958 D8 Fender Stringmaster, 1946 8 string Richenbaker Bakelite Panda

My main amp is a 66 Fender Showman head through a THD 2/12” cab

For reverb I use an Electro Harmonix Holy Grail
For the rest of my FX I use an Adrenaline II

I use a Hilton Volume pedal