RE: Dying artform

[the Leones <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

>Smo-Jo says:
>
>>     I wasn't going to comment on this, but; there are numerous reasons
>>  why Chord & Bass (Harmonetta to some extent) are dying art forms.
>>  Bear with me
>
><SNIP>
>
>>  4...There are no less than 6 Chord players in the club. 5 are NOT in
>>  good shape. There are a DOZEN Chord harmonicas among them.
>
>Seem to me, most of the folks interested in Orch-type hormonicas
>are...senior.

   * Yes, true (in THIS particular case). It's not that they are the 
ONLY one's interested, it's just an effect of the times. These 
fellows grew up during the harmonica TRIO/Ensemble "hey-day" and have 
an affinity for the type(s) of music which are conducive to these 
harmonicas. I recall (oftentimes) seeing a "short-subject" OR 
one-reel wonder in the theatre where the Harmonica Rascals went 
"scally-wagging" their way through some mis-adventure. I am "Only" 
(Hah hah) 60 and this was at the END of the Golden Era (let's say 
1950) when I was a kid of 8 and would go to the theatre and see a 
double-feature, prefaced by (either 17,then later - 21) cartoons. 
Possibly a "Duncan Yo-Yo" contest, and occasionally a "floor show" or 
magician.

   The demise of the neighborhood theatres ended this wonderful time.

>
><SNIP>
>
>>  10..Some fellows are "stripping" these things off of E-Bay. I know
>>  one fellow who has purchased about a dozen OLD 64 chromatics.
>>  (Everyone has been re-built). Apparently they can afford to bid high
>>  enough to get the prize. Either that, OR they have enough experience
>>  (and wisdom) at THEIR age, to know how.
>
>64s are a DIME a dozen - nobody could significantly "hoard" 64s.
>And chromatics are pretty "widely" played, harmonically speaking.
>I'm more concerned about the others, personally.

   Yes, undeniably, it was added as a "for instance" segment to 
augment the other items regarding the Bass/Chord/Harmonetta. Spending 
$7.20 for a diatonic, $72.oo for a chromatic doesn't equate to 
$720.oo for a chord (OR $480.oo for a Bass, or ?? for a Harmonetta). 
It was just added to show a correlation to the "collecting" bug.

>
><SNIP>
>>
>>  18..Beings that the average age for a white(olive) male in this
>>  country is 78.5 yrs life span
>
><SNIP>
>
>I had *no idea* it was that high...
>What's the average age of *working* musicians??
>Is this at the root of the issue here? Is it that a whole generation wasn't
>able to "hand down" the appreciation of an instrument?

   It (actually) depends on the yr you were born. For 1942, span is 
78.5 (Information Almanac source). That's for Caucasian (being 
Mediterranean, I may not get THAT far)
  I (just MY take), feel that the root of the issue is the MUSIC. 
While there are still tunes out there that will fit the "Ensemble" 
format, they get scarcer in number. ALSO, since the Show, Pop, & 
Swing tunes of the 30s and 40s are what these "seniors" grew up with, 
it is only natural that THIS is what they are going to play.

   Notice at a convention/fest/gathering that the SAME tunes are 
played over & over & over. This is because there aren't as many NEW 
tunes that they are familiar with and familiarity breeds 
comfortability. There's a whole generation of Chord/Bass players out 
there, but to "wait" for a chord/bass to become available, 
necessitates someone's demise.
   The alternative (due to the shortage) is to buy a NEW one.
>
><SNIP>
>>
>>  20..I know a fellow who has 5 (count em-5) Harmonettas. 3 are NIB
>>  (new in box), still wrapped. He won't part one for any amount of
>>  money...Hmmmmmm
>
>AAAAAAAAAAAUUGH! That's just.....so wrong!
>(when somebody ELSE could be SHARING all that beautiful sound)

   I'm going to make you even sicker. He is an auto dealer and doesn't 
play them. Wells-Fargo keeps his name handy (in case THEY need 
money). :) just kidding. But, I once asked him why he had so many? 
Reply WAS: "Better ME than someone else"


>I understand collecting & collectors - I have a great deal of respect for
>people who collect, appreciate and SHARE their appreciation of a collectible
>(by displaying it, loaning it to a museum, or USING it so others can see /
>enjoy, etc.)
>Sticking something REALLY SPECIAL in a dark closet to hoard it against the
>day it can be sold for XXX times it's original value....

   Ahaaa, now you know the deal. It's kinda like those fellows who 
have the huge car collections. They NEVER have enough cars. Meanwhile 
we were talking about the price of a chord ($1,080.oo) and I can 
remember when a friend bought a NEW car for the price of a chord. To 
HIM it was new. To ME it was an old Oldsmobile LS gas guzzler, BUT 
(bless his heart), he was Sooooo proud of it.

   One man's new car is another man's "jalopy"/one man's ceiling is 
another man's floor.

>
>well, I just don't get it.

   Yeah, ain't life a barrel of shi*/oops strike 
that...laughs............smokey-j


>
>-Scorcher