[Harp-L] Playing other instruments at gigs



I started in drum line in 1963, got my fist drum set in 1964 (Ringo's model two moths after the first Ed Sullivan appearance - the most purchased model set in world history and a really good one too).  I started playing harmonica in 1969 and used it to augment my stage performances beginning in 1973 while on tour across the USA and East Europe for four years.  We were a Jesus band doing evangelistic concerts at military bases, prisons and public high school & colleges.  We even open for Billy Graham at a crusade with 50.000 in attendance.  But I didn't play drums and harmonica at the same time.  I still, never stopped, play drums i& harmonica in various "secular" blues, country, rhythm & blues and rock bands.   

I started to play drums and harmonica, switching as needed for the song, for contemporary worship in church beginning 1978 -- that was a few years after the start of all of that.  As the decades marched on, young bucks, without much training or experience or finese, pushed me out of the drummer;s throne.  But I did something unusual.  I gradually purchased a lot of percussion instruments (bells, chimes, claves, congas, cymbals, djembe, shakers, tambourine, timbales, etc.) to establish a base that few drummers could take from me - they simply couldn't buy all of that.  I played drums only when the others couldn't be at church.  Through that whole time I would play harmonica on some songs and percussion on others.  That works great to meet the needs of the song!  Sometimes I play harmonica and percussion at the same time.  So many from the church audiences have told me how much they enjoy watching that kind of independent coordination.  Some
 think it to be impossible if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.  I've been playing all of that for so long that it isn't a big stretch for me.

I continue even now at age 65 playing drums, percussion and harmonica.  Doing so provides lots of opportunities to perform secular music and worship music.  That's a lot of fun, joy and satisfaction.  It defines me. 

I hope you enjoyed this story.

Tom Richardson, Ed.D.
Bakersfield, California    


This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.