[Harp-L] Re: Harp practice (warning--long)

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Jul 30, 2005, at 9:42 AM, W8BEZ@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Hi, Very good advice, keep harpin'    AL Garden City Harmonica Club in 
> Michigan..

 Hi Al, I don't know what advice I may have given, as I shoot off my 
mouth too much as it is, but I said something the other day that might 
be taken as smart-assed, so I apologize because it wasn't meant the way 
it may have been construed. And so, I will also share it with the 
group.

 Soothe me baby, soothe me. Soothe me with your kindness. You've got 
the kind of love that's soothing to me. THIS is what music is supposed 
to be, plain and simple, a 'break' in the drudge.

 I have this pet theory called "a couple drunk guys". Eons ago, there 
were these guys who were cracking coal all day and that night they got 
drunk. (btw, I also feel religion started this way). In any case, these 
guys were sitting around saying "there HAS to be a better/easier way to 
make a living. One of them had noticed that people played rudumentary 
instruments and everyone sat around relaxing, chilling out, and 
recuperating from the hard days work. It was soothing. Another one felt 
that if THEY could practice these instruments a 'little' harder than 
the next guy and get good with them, they might be able to score food & 
beverage from  the other sojourners. The third one felt that they could 
travel the country side and play their instruments for a few dinar. 
Hey, it's better than going down in the dank dark mine, right? Fresh 
air, no broken bones, no lungs full of torch soot or rock dust.

 And so it went. Many years went by and these traveling musicians 
played castles, towns, villages, fairs, etc. It became apparent that 
the music they were playing had to be written down some way so as not 
to 'loose' it. This is where the REAL practicing comes in. In order to 
be able to do their repitoire over and over, the musicians had to have 
a reference point. Practicing became a matter of going over this music 
repeatedly so as to make a good showing.  Now there was ALWAYS someone 
who would either practice longer hours, OR more structuredly, and this 
would show in their performance. Someone was ALWAYS pushing for more 
tone, more sound, more timbre, more feeling, more unusual combinations 
of notes.

 Meanwhile some music is (by it's very nature) soothing in one way or 
another. People are basically animals and it has been proven that 
certain music has certain effects on them. A company that want's to 
increase production may use up-tempo music. Light classical seems to 
increase milk & egg production.

 Over a period of time, music has been stretched, mutilated, squeezed 
at the whim not only of the people writing it, but also the ones 
playing it. EVERY musician would like to be better. Every musician 
would like to have a distinctive sound/style. Every musician would like 
to be known as 'themselves. Oh yes, they may emulate a particular 
person, or eschew to a certain style, but there's nothing like being 
yourself AND being known as 'You'. There's a big difference between 
being Joe Schmutalatz and Robt. (the bon-vivant) Bonfiglio.

 But there's no reason to crumble under the pressure of having to be 
outstanding. At least not TODAY. What you need to do is ask yourself 
"What do I want to accomplish"? What are my weak points? What are my 
strong points? Where am I getting hung-up? What can I work on TODAY?

  When ever you reach a rut, quit smacking your head into a wall and 
start analyzing the rut. Remember, some people have attributes going 
for them that others don't. Similarly, the ones that don't have your 
attributes, have ones of their own. Everyone is not equal (no matter 
WHAT the Bill of Rights says), be it physically, mentally, spiritually, 
socialogically, anthropoligically..you get the picture. Step back, take 
a deep breath, and logic it all out. I once wrote a list of 30 or so 
scaps which would be beneficial to have to be a great talent. Things 
like musicality, rythm, breathing, reading ability, fluid joints, high 
palate, flexible mouth parts, etc.etc.

 When I say take a break, I mean it in the vernacular. A break can be 
as long or as short as YOU (the person that matters) deem sufficient. 
YOU have to decide WHERE you are at, and where you want to go. It's not 
like a hundred people are standing on a train platform in Providence 
R.I. and EVERYONE is going to Grand  Central in N.Y.C. You have your 
own destination. You have to decide your schedule. You have to decide 
your practice regime. Some players are financially well off and can 
devote all their time to a project. Some are single and can ALSO devote 
their time to what they want. Some players have to work, Some have 
family.

 Unlike Taco-Bell, where no matter what you order, the 'filler' 
ingredients are all the same, WE are not the same.

smokey-joe