[Harp-L] YOUR WAY

[MundHarp@xxxxxxx]

I've been playing harp since I was 8 years old.
I have never copied....
My family were classical musicians, my mom was a soprano, my big sister a  
classical clarinet player and my little sister played harpsichord and  piano.
They copied... They played "from the dots"
I never understood that...
I simply went my own way, playing chromatic harmonica,  for 5 years.  Later 
learning 2nd position diatonic blues... I've been playing diatonic  and 
chromatic ever since. Gosh I still get confused with the different  tunings 
though!
 
BUT I decided.
 
Never copy. Do it YOUR way.
 
Well, I went to art college and even then I REFUSED to copy the great  
masters with my own paintings...
The sad thing now is the "karaoke society"... "Sing it like the original  
recording" NO... just buy the original cd and play that instead!
 
I was told "I love your version of that Little Walter song, but you  played 
the solo differently"
YES TOO RIGHT!
 
I did several UK tours playing "Carpenters" and "Dusty Springfield"  music.
 
But I wasn't playing what was on the original 30 year old recordings!  
Tommy Morgan is a great chrom player, but I don't want to copy him!
 
I used the "dots" on the music AS A BASIS.
 
I played in a 25 piece orchestra, with a FANTASTIC oboe player.
The music director said "Oboe, please take those 12 bars as your  solo" ... 
but she said "Write out what you want me to play, I don't busk!"...  And  
she thought she was being  OH so COOL!
What a shame
.
All I am trying to say is..
DON'T copy...
 
Listen to great music LEARN from it, and then  please play it YOUR  WAY.
John "Whiteboy" Walden
Cebu City,
Philippines.