Re: [Harp-L] Harp Legacy of young geezers

[Jaime Viehweg <harpie@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, Apr 26, 2006 at 08:36:08AM -0400, icemanle@xxxxxxx wrote:
> So, what's your story?
>  
> The Iceman

I have been playing for a bit more than three years "seriously" and am
probably past the middle of my life at 40 so I figure that I am rapidly
approaching geezerdom.  Prior to now, I goofed a bit on a harmonica
that my brother discarded (the post between 2 and 3 had swelled up.
I thought it was supposed to be like that so you knew where the "low"
notes were!  Hey, I was only 10 or so!).

I have dabbled in a few instruments between then and now: sax, piano,
guitar (tried that one twice, and am trying a little again now), and even
bought an original bamboo Xaphoon years before they were brought up on
this list.  I am not sure exactly when, but I was in a music store on
day and bought "Country and Blues Harmonica for the Musically Hopeless"
(or something like that!  It is a "Klutz" book...) and made it through
the first few chapters.  Tried to figure out "Happy Birthday" on my own
with little luck.  Seemed there was a note missing on the stupid harp.
I basically got nowhere on any of those instruments because I give up
easily, am too lazy, it was too hard, etc.

The local park district has classes and sends out a book 4 times a year.
I always went through it looking for something cool to do with my wife.
Could never talk her into anything fun like sword fighting.  I saw
this bit about "Blues Harmonica" in there but did not really think much
about it.  But, there it was catalog after catalog.  I thought it might
be cool but never signed up.  After a year or two, I finally just signed
up for it.  The class was taught by Greg Gabor, who I later found out
was a student of Joe Filisko, whoever that guy was.

The first 8-week session was basically just to get you to play "clear
single notes".  I thought my stupid harmonica was broken because it
seems that I had to unlearn how to bend the 2 draw so that I could play
it cleanly before I would later learn to bend it again properly.

After the second session was about halfway through, it seemed I was
hooked.  I was familiar with "the blues", but not harmonica blues.
Never heard "Juke" before, for example. This is no longer the case,
by the way!

I soaked up what the Filisko Method could give me, went to visit a few
classes in Chicago, was allowed to be in the last couple of recitals
(and made the CD each time!) and am now teaching the Park District class
that I took three years ago.  I am not quite up for a band gig just yet,
but am getting quite comfortable playing in front of people.

I have a few more books on harmonica as well as Madcat's "The Ins and
Outs of Rhythm Harp", but I do not really mess with them too much, but
have learned a bit from each.  I pretty much prefer the one-on-one or
one-on-many live approach.

Oh, and I worked with the Pulmonary Rehab folks at Edward Hospital in
Naperville, IL, with the Better Breathers Club for a year or so before
they stopped the program.  I still think that was a mistake, but I was
just the volunteer so I did not have a vote.

I guess that is about it.  If it was not for Filisko's stuff via Greg,
I probably would still not be playing the harp.  That would suck!

Sorry this was kinda long and boring, but you know that old saying:
Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it!

jaime