About the Author

Scott Hillman’s musical career began at age 13 when he joined a Dixieland band, playing four-string tenor banjo. At 16, he discovered the 5-string banjo and it was goodbye, ragtime, hello folk and bluegrass! During and after college, Scott played professionally in a series of folk groups and bluegrass bands and, somewhere along the way, picked up the guitar and expanded into rock and pop music styles. Around that time, he began teaching banjo and guitar in Los Angeles area music stores. Eventually, the desire to make a decent living drove Scott into the computer industry, where he spent the next few decades in technical and management positions. In addition to the day job, though, Scott has remained active in music instruction and performing in the Southern California area.

In 2001, Scott met George Kahumoku Jr. in San Jose, where George was performing in a local acoustic club. That meeting kindled an interest in slack key guitar, which was further reinforced by a visit to George’s Slack Key Guitar and Ukulele Workshop on Maui in 2006. Since then, Scott has joined the workshop staff and has studied with the iconic musicians who instruct there: Ozzie Kotani, George Kahumoku, Jeff Peterson, Kevin Brown, Dennis Kamakahi, Owana Salazar, Martin Pahinui, and Ledward Kaapana. His other major slack key influences are George Kuo, Ray Kane, Sonny Chillingworth, and Gabby Pahinui.

Scott teaches slack key guitar in the LA area. If you’re interested in lessons, use the contact form for more information.