Re: dedication and sacrifice

[Roger A Gonzales <gonz1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Harplers

Dedication and sacrifice are fueled by passion.  If music and playing the harmonica, or any musical instrument for that matter, is what impassions you, you WILL make the sacrifices.  However, it will not seem so difficult...not really.  

Sacrifice is the surrender or the elimination of something valued for the sake of having a higher or more pressing claim.  When someone feels driven to accomplish something that has become valuable in their life, and in what they see in their future as what they deem important, the job will get done, no matter what the price. 
 
Rainbow Jimmy writes;
> How many of us are willing to make those sacrifices and show that 
> much 
> dedication? 

The price for success is a non-negotiable item.  It has to be paid in full.  I am one semester from my BA in Music Education and there has been many obstacles and trials that have attempted to get in my way.  I have not nor will I let them get me down.     

Rainbow Jimmy also writes;
Where would harp players find that level of intense 
> instruction 
> even if we did make the choice?
 
This is where most harp players miss the boat.  Far too many harmonica players spend too much time trying to become good harp players and not enough time becoming good musicians.  There are community colleges, private teachers and a million CDs out there to help you improve your music skills, from being able to read music and learning music fundamentals to improving your musicality.  If there is not a mentor within driving distance, get with someone who is willing to mentor you using an instrument other than the harmonica!  You can learn instruction from a sax or trumpet player that can be transfered to the harmonica.  Enrolling in a music fundamentals class in a community college will help EVERY harmonica play out there bar none.  If you want to learn a language, you speak it first, and then you learn to read and write it.  Music is a language all its own.  You learn to play it, and then learn to understand it better by being able to read it and write it. Even doing this in
 the most elementary form will benefit you for the rest of your playing career.
If the passion is there, it will be a wonderful journey and oh so worth it.  Take it from someone who is on that journey as I speak.  

regards,
Roger Gonzales