Re: Dr. John On Standards and Edjumacation

["Bob McGraw" <rmcgraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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Let's look at the piano for a moment.There are wonderful players like =
Otis Spahn who learned and played in much the same way that blues =
harpists do,without much reference to standardized,formalized musical =
education.The music they created and create is a beautiful thing...but =
because there is a formalized,standardized system for piano,there are =
many many trained pianists who create music,also beautiful,which is much =
more complex than the blues.[Notice I didn't say better.]

Does the existence of these trained,formally schooled pianists threaten =
the existence of Otis Span?Of course not...but the fact is that there =
are many more trained pianists capable of playing  complex music than =
there are trained harmonica players similarly capable.I would argue that =
the world of piano is richer for this.

A formalized,standardized system of education for harmonica will not =
prevent the Butterfields and Cottons of the world from making their =
contribution...but it will make the world of harmonica richer.

Look folks,we all love the harmonica.Wouldn't it be great if,in addition =
to producing the great blues,Celtic,bluegrass etc artists we love,our =
instrument also produced many more great classical and jazz artists than =
we now do?

If you agree that you would like to see more classical and jazz =
harmonica players,then I argue that you must be in favor of a formalized =
education system for harmonica:i.e. standards.It just seems obvious,IMO.
WVa Bob