NEWPORT NEWS ——

Keyboard wizard Joseph Wooten on Wednesday told a crowd of elementary school children that the key to success in the music business has nothing to do with flashy jewelry or inflated egos.

Instead, Wooten, a Denbigh High School graduate who has played in The Steve Miller Band since 1993, offered a three-part road map to stardom: Be good, be smart and listen to your teachers.

The message was heavy on hard work and light on shortcuts and tricks. Parts of the message actually seemed to sink in.

"I think Mr. Wooten is pretty cool," said Zachary Jones, a fifth-grader at Deer Park Elementary School, where the talk took place. "Now, I want to be in my own band called Army of Rock. I want the chance to get famous and get some money!"

Zachary's classmate Kalen Lovick was also fired up by Wooten's 45-minute, music-laced program. "He inspired kids to live their dreams and do what they want to do in life," said 10-year-old Lovick, who described himself as a DJ. "He told us to remember to try hard and never give up."

That's partially right. Wooten also told them that many talented musicians end up waiting tables or working in retail. Even those lucky enough to tour the world aren't necessarily on easy street, he said. "It seems like a lot of fun and most of it is," Wooten told the crowd of about 200 children. "When you're up on stage, that's the fun part. The rest of it is a bit different."

He talked of endless hours of practice and the difficulties of travel. He also stressed that long-term success can hinge on a player's personality and self-discipline as well his musical chops. "It's not enough to be right, to be good. It matters how you carry yourself … Steve Miller hired me because he liked the way I play. The reason I keep the job is that I'm on time, I'm presentable, I do the homework."

Subtleties of Wooten's talk may have been lost on some, but many children seemed energized. Wooten played and sang a pair of songs at the piano. As he performed "Make Me Like a Child" and "I Matter," students appeared enraptured. Later, children surrounded him asking for autographs.

When the excitement subsided, the star of Wednesday's program said he was relieved to know that fifth-graders recognized some of the big musical names that decorate his resume — Whitney Houston and Chaka Khan for example.

"I'm always aware of the fact that with kids this young, they don't have a connection with the people I've worked with," said Wooten, who will celebrate his 50th birthday later this month. "But today, I got the rock star treatment. They must have built me up well."

Wooten is part of a celebrated musical family with connections in Newport News. His brothers Victor and Roy are part of jazzy banjo player Bela Fleck's Grammy-winning band The Flecktones. Another brother, Regi, is a professional guitarist living in Nashville where all the Wooten brothers now reside.

Joseph returned to Newport News at the request of Deer Park Elementary School music teacher Bonnie Carlson who was Wooten's choral director at Dozier Middle School back in the 1970s. The two reconnected through Facebook and Carlson was able to convince the keyboard player to make the drive from Nashville. "I asked, figuring there was no way," Carlson said. "But he said yes! Astonishing."

Watching Wooten

Watch video of Joseph Wooten's visit to Deer Park Elementary School at dailypress.com/wooten