[Harp-L] Trying to assemble the largest harmonica band ever to perform-goes for Guinness world record

[randysinger <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Mackie goes for Guinness world record
> Port Townsend Leader - Port Townsend,WA,USA
> Mackie is trying to assemble the largest harmonica band ever to 
> perform. ... At 6 pm Sunday, the harmonica band will assemble to try 
> to break the record. ...

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Mackie goes for Guinness world record

By Martha Worthley
 Leader Staff Writer


What began for Andy Mackie as a simple desire to bring music into the 
lives of children has grown to a bid for three titles in the Guinness 
Book of World Records. Mackie is trying to assemble the largest 
harmonica band ever to perform. It will be staged at Seattle's Folklife 
Festival over Memorial Day weekend. He also wants to break the record 
for the largest "virtual" harmonica band, and the record for longest 
playing time. He is aiming for 20 minutes of continuous playing time, 
although six will do.

The Northwest Folklife Festival, working with the Andy Mackie Music 
Foundation, Washington State University (WSU) Extension and Washington 
State 4-H, will feature the event as part of the festival. The festival 
takes place May 27-29. At 6 p.m. Sunday, the harmonica band will 
assemble to try to break the record.

Approaching the Guinness Book

Mackie has worked with Robert Force at WSU in designing instruments for 
kids to build and on various other aspects of his community work. 
Mackie is also a Jefferson County 4-H leader. Force had two friends who 
set a Guinness record and had some knowledge of how to make a proposal 
to the Guinness book. He also wants to connect WSU students and 4-H 
with the project as volunteers.

"The Guinness people may only approve one proposal and seldom accept a 
proposal in a new category," explained Force. "Although the virtual 
category is new, it parallels an existing one – largest number of 
people to participate in a simulcast.

"Guinness offered to send out an invigilator to verify the outcome, but 
we would have to pay to bring him out," continued Force. He plans 
instead to carefully set up registration, cameras and take videotape. 
Force expects the Seattle media such as KING and KOMO to be there as 
well.

Force explained that the virtual concert participants will play along 
with a live online broadcast. There is a 4-H van that has the capacity 
to uplink to a satellite to videostream the scene at the festival. 
"Someone with Internet access can view the live event and blow along on 
their own harmonica. The only time that they can confirm that they are 
there [virtually] is at the end of the broadcast, when cameras scan to 
reveal an e-mail address. By sending an e-mail, they can confirm that 
they were there to play along," says Force.

At the festival

Mackie plans to set up instrument-building tables as part of the 
Children's Music Village at the festival. He will help children to 
build and learn how to play harmonicas, just as he's done in Jefferson 
County over the last few years. Representatives from high school shop 
programs learning to build string instruments are coming to demonstrate 
their skills and help kids make instruments. Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo 
and Port Townsend high school shop programs have committed to be at the 
festival.

Also on tap are students in the Quilcene and Chimacum high school 
bands. Mackie hopes to raise the $350 per busload to send local 
students to the festival for the day. He seeks sponsors to help him buy 
more harmonicas, which he sells to children for $2.50 and to adults for 
$5. On Sunday, May 29, he will need about 40 volunteers to help with 
registration when the group is going for the title.

Money, volunteers needed

Mackie is buying 3,000 harmonicas and says: "If I have to, I'll pay for 
them myself. I will be broke when I get done, but what else can I do 
with my money?"

Hohner makes harmonica kits that are simple to put together. "I gave 
one to a 6-year-old and within 15 minutes she had it together and was 
playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. There's something about the child 
putting it together – it's just one more piece where they have some 
ownership of it," says Mackie.

Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Andy Mackie Foundation 
through the Friends of Brinnon, P.O. Box 323, Brinnon, WA 98320, or 
www.friendsofbrinnon.org.