RE: [Harp-L] Question regarding bullet mics

["John Balding" <John.Balding@xxxxxxxxx>]

In this day and age, any gadget that looks interesting, promises less
effort, reduces the need for practicing and is priced right will sell! 

Seriously though, I am assuming that you are speaking of a device which
will extend outward from a traditional bullet mic, diverting most of the
sound toward the element; kind of like those mouthpieces on an old
telephone. With that in mind, I wrote the following:

The first thing that came to my mind when you posed the idea, was the
use of this "aid" by people with disabilities. I loved going to hear a
one-armed harp player named Neal Pattman, from Athens, Georgia, who
played in the Sonny Terry and Piedmont traditions. He did an incredible
version of Terry's "Whoopin'". Unfortunately, Neal passed away a year
ago.
What I was getting at was that I often wondered, while watching him
play, if a device such as yours could have helped, or at least given
some variation to the tone of players like Neal or Big John Wrencher. 
There are people out there, like my father, who do not have all of the
fingers on one or both hands, due to injury, diabetes, etc. Playing harp
for them is mostly relegated to sounds and tones similar to those
achieved when playing with a neck rack.  It must be a very depressing
experience for a harp player to lose some fingers, or a hand to an
injury or illness. I think ANYTHING that could be done to give these
people back the passion they hold so dear would be a small miracle to
them. 
A device such as yours may not only aid the amateur, but may actually
ENABLE some to play who may have otherwise been unable to do so. People
born without all of their fingers, or who have lost some to injury, etc.
have the opportunity to play what instruments? A kazoo? Yippee! The
harmonica is the only instrument which I can think of that someone with
limited dexterity (or no hands at all, in the case of a neck rack) can
create "legitimate", beautiful music on. (Save for Mark Goffeney on
guitar. Look him up; unreal.)
I am completely in the dark as to what your invention consists of.
However, I can say that, if executed with various needs in mind, it
could be a wonderful product (or product line) for those it was never
"intended" for. (Kind of like the bullet mic/harp player marriage from
the start.) 
Perhaps this wasn't the answer you were expecting, but I wanted to share
that with you. Some of the greatest creations have been "stumbled onto".
Like the old saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of all invention."

John Balding

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Matt Smart
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2006 9:26 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Question regarding bullet mics

Question for any harmonica player...

Whether or not you have good technique with cupping a bullet mic, do you
think a device that could help a beginner or amateur get a good cup with
one hand would sell? Allowing the other hand to more freely move the
mike around for additional effects?

--
Matthew Smart
matthewsmart@xxxxxxxxx
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