Today we’d like to introduce you to Casey Deeter.
I began playing guitar at age 11. I discovered the band The Who, and it was all over for me! I had to play music like my rock and roll idols and wow, what a journey it has been. When I was a young girl I began playing the violin in my school orchestra. While I loved it, I felt that I wasn’t able to express myself fully on that instrument. That is right around the time that I discovered classic rock music and my whole world flipped upside down. I quickly asked my parents for a guitar and lessons. I immersed myself in all things rock and roll and eventually started playing other instruments. I bought a Rickenbacker bass, a banjo, a mandolin, many other electric guitars, and a drum set.
When I was 15, I got a job teaching guitar at the School of Rock in Highwood, Illinois. I loved that job more than any job I have ever had. I was able to inspire kids and see them bloom into confident young musicians. It was truly incredible. Throughout college at DePaul University, I played live music in small clubs and bars around Chicago. Music was always in my life, but I was going to school full time and working at a recording studio. One day, I posted a video of me playing Phish’s Stash on Instagram and boom! My channel quickly caught fire. The views on my videos started racking up and I was astonished anyone wanted to hear me play. That being said, it was very flattering and encouraging. I would get inundated with questions on HOW to play what I was playing and naturally, with a background in teaching guitar, I was happy to share. That is I guess where I found a fun area of guitar on Instagram that hadn’t been covered, teaching! I never set out with a goal of creating a channel or even gain an audience, but I am so happy it happened. It has been amazing to hear positive feedback and to hear how many people I have inspired. There is no secret to learning the guitar, anyone can do it, and I am more than happy to share my knowledge.
Working in any male-dominated field has its challenges for women. People often criticize my playing saying “oh she gets views because she’s a girl.” or “She can’t play at all!” or even “Not bad for a girl!” haha. I have to laugh because I am not making these videos to show off how great I am, I just love to play and share my knowledge of guitar. The most rewarding thing that comes with the feedback is hearing from women, young girls, parents, saying that I have inspired them, or their daughter to pick up a guitar and play. That means so much to me, as I NEVER looked at music as something only a man could do. Women play the guitar just as well, and I am not sure why more don’t. However, hearing that I have inspired many women to pick up the guitar is just amazing to me and I am so happy they have.We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a musician first and foremost, however, I am very proud of the fact that I have inspired so many people to pick up a guitar or improve their playing. I love teaching the guitar as I have had some truly inspiring teachers in my life. I am very proud to carry that torch. I am currently working on writing and recording my own album and I am so excited to finally share my own music with the world.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Instagram has been my greatest resource and has provided some amazing opportunities for me. It is, after all, one of the best marketing tools and I am so eager to partner up with brands I believe in.
Contact Info:
- Email: cwdeeter@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseydeeter
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caseydeetermusic/
Image Credit:
Casey Deeter, Jen Machua
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Jackie
February 20, 2019 at 4:05 pm
Love this.