Re[2]: [Harp-L] Sometimes ....

["Dennis M. Cooper" <dcooper@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Michelle,

That was an awesome video you shared. Thanks for the link!

It seems to me that every instrument that is not foundational in nature 
has its ups and downs in the world of western music.

The harmonica has enjoyed several surges in popularity over the 40+ 
years  that I've been involved in live performance. I've also witnessed 
the same phenomenon with keyboards and brass instruments as well. (I 
play keys and brass instruments on occasion and was a composition major 
with a minor in brass performance.)

Whenever there's not much call for harp in our local area I play 
primarily bass and rhythm guitar with local bands. My one-man harmonica 
show remains popular at festivals and events, even though I much prefer 
to play with live humans no matter how good the backing tracks are... 
The upside of the one-man show is that other musicians have the 
opportunity to see how versatile an instrument the diatonic harmonica 
is. The solo gigs have gotten me a lot of paid studio time since 2001.

The more styles and instruments a musician can play well, the more often 
we work. My all-time favorite instrument, precisely because of its 
"limitations", is the diatonic harmonica. I play overblows and overdraws 
live but if I can get the same notes from a "country tuned" harmonica I 
use it. OB's and OD's are slightly out of tune (at least when I play 
them) so I prefer the alternative tuning for most melodic work.

The only limits on any instrument are self-imposed...

Best Regards,
Dennis M. Cooper
http://dennis-cooper.com