[Harp-L] virtuoso vs crap

[RUSSEGR9@xxxxxx]

Virtuoso? - so do we play "largo" or slow, fortisimo or loud - sometimes, was 
that last concert a bravura performance or a great concert?  sometimes when 
people try to interchange terms between traditions and languages (in this case 
classical and vulgar) people will argue about terms.  When is the last time 
you have heard anyone refer to the great bagpipe virtuosi.  Anyone care to state 
which harmonica players could be considered a Genius?  Meaning is not merely 
defined by the dictionary but by the people that speak it, and it is always 
changing and meaning is modified. 

Anyway, although what you say about 75 percent of the harp players could be 
true, other instrumnetalists are no different.  There are so many theoretically 
untrained musicians on all instruments including the violin, and the harp is 
no different.  And there are a lot of non theory people that can get on stage 
and leave the theory, daily scales people in the dust and vice versa.  Anyway 
most diatonic players that continue to play have to learn basic theory 
(scales) anyway, otherwise how do they know what harp to pick up? Harp positions etc.

Myself I have found, and this might just be my personal experience, that the 
audience responds very positively to a good harp player.  You dont find a lack 
of respect there!  while the musicians on stage will worry just as much about 
someone who says they can play drums or guitar and asks to sit in as they do 
about about a harp player.  The proof is in the pudding, you get or lose 
respect once you start playing -  and that is the only respect that matters.  A 
musician is a musician.



<
> guitars have been considered legitimate musical instruments FAR longer than 
> 
> the harmonica has been, and then on top of that, they have (for the most 
> part) have developed a far stronger sense of professionalism that, 
> unfortunately, a good 75% of harmonica players often don't have. How many 
> harmonica players TRULY take the time to do the things that's required for 
> people who play other instruments like guitars, horns, keyboards have to do, 
> 
> like learning theory, scales, rhythm, time, and REALLY listening with >