Re: [Harp-L] Re:10 year old student

[<jruss433@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Our local blues club recently offered an opportunity to kids that were 
interested to get some basic knowledge on how to play.  A local cell-phone 
provider bought us a gross of harmonicas (key of C) and I set up at our club 
tent during our annual Blues and BBQ festival.

When I asked Phil Duncan (recently in K.C.), what you can teach on the fly 
in 15 minutes or a half hour, he said that if you can teach them how to hold 
the harmonica, blow and draw a single note, how to get vibrato, and overall, 
how to get a consistent tone, you have succeeded and later instruction or 
curiosity will be up to them.

Phil also made the point (in his book and training video as well) that if 
you build even the most simple accomplishment into the instruction, you 
plant the seed for greater accomplishment.

Based on my one-time session with these kids (ages 7-12), our club has 
already been approached by the city about providing another session this New 
Year's Eve at our annual First Night celebration.

I think it's the dynamism of the kids that drives this.  If you can provide 
structured training, that of course is the best way to go.  If you are 
limited in time and venue, simply planting the seed is a great idea.

Mark Russillo
(a.k.a. The Rhode Island Kid)