Re: [Harp-L] A Word From Jon

["Vince Curcuru" <vcurcuru@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nothing better than blowing your own Horn ( or is it Harp )  !!
Sorry Jon, just couldn't resist :>)
Harlyblu
Ó¿Õ¬
 \!!/
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Wilson" <markwilson53@xxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 10:15 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] A Word From Jon


> To Harp-L, Dennis, Iceman, Bill and others-
>
>
>
> I am forwarding this e-mail through my Jam Camp partner, Mark Wilson, 
> because I am not a member of yahoo.
>
>
>
> First of all, thank you for all the positive attention.  I appreciate 
> being the topic of a complimentary thread.
>
>
>
> I want to correct or at least contest some erroneous statements that have 
> been made.
>
>
>
>  1.. That you get more bang for your buck at the West Virginia festival 
> than you do at Jam Camp.  That depends on how you define bang for your 
> buck. We limit attendance to 35 campers and we get to know you. What's 
> your next level? You and I discuss it.  This is about you. We rent three 
> conference rooms, bring four or five world class teachers, a band, guitars 
> slaves, give every camper one on one lessons, group lessons, group jams. 
> By phone I give a free  advanced consultation that many harp-lers can 
> testify improved their tone by 100%.  The camp itself is crammed with 
> teaching talent, usually one great teacher for every 5 campers.  And 
> there's follow up too. It's more than a weekend. It's a  relationship.  I 
> know the West Virginia experience is terrific, but I am not happy the 
> Ice's statement that you get moré bang for the buck there.  Jam Camp is a 
> great value. It has been described as a peak experience by more than one 
> harp'ler because of the sense of community limited to 35 people can build.
>  2..
>  3.. That Jam Camp is for beginners. That's absurd. Our last Jam Camp had 
> Dennis Gruenling, Jason Ricci,  Larry Isenberg, James Day, Mathew Shelton, 
> Carlos Capote as well as myself for 35 people Our small groups are for 
> beginner's, intermediates and advanced, and our teachers will work closely 
> with you on any level you are ready for.
>
>
> .    4.  That my first book, The Natural Blues & Country Western Harmonica 
> succeeded because Tony Glover's book was lousy. Tony Glover's book was/is 
> terrific. But it is hard to learn technical musical information out of a 
> book. Especially when you know nothing. Another great book from that time 
> is Richard Hunter's Jazz Harp. It showed you what could be done. But to my 
> mind it had the same problem.  It was hard.  At that time, harping was my 
> hobby, writing was my profession.
>
> I wasn't going to write no hard book, and I was going to write a music 
> book in way that had never been done before.
>
>
>
> So my books have always started from the premise that it is really hard to 
> learn technical music out of a book.  (Admit it, folks, you might be a a 
> really smart analyst type of person, but someone talks about scale 
> degrees, your eyes glaze over.) So, in 1977, I made a homemade looking 
> book with cartoons that had for it's goal just getting the sound and 
> jamming a little bit.  It had a very usable but limited little theory for 
> understanding the harmonies of harmonica. Then I made a cassette on which 
> I played guitar, and showed you how those notes always worked.. It put 
> them together and advertised them in Rolling Stone magazine for $13.95.
>
>
>
> That it became the best selling harp book of it's time is not because 
> there were only two books, and one was bad, but because my approach and my 
> writing was good. I know that sounds like bragging, but how could it be 
> otherwise? It was based on showing you where the Notes of Resolution, 
> Stepping Stones and Wailing Notes were, and it was cleverly presented.  It 
> also used humor and imagination in ways no other music instruction book 
> has ever done. Off-putting to some, but that's my style. I deal with fear 
> of learning. I teach by humor, experience, as well as  easy ways to grasp 
> systems.
>
>
>
> This book was then redone as Country and Blues Harmonica for the Musically 
> Hopeless, came with a tape cassette that I played harp and guitar. That 
> book was distributed to the world at large and sold over 1.5 million 
> copies between  1984 and the year 2000. It was translatede into several 
> languages and Braille..  I don't think that happened because there were no 
> other good harp books on the market.
>
>
>
> 5. That Jam Camp is like a St. Bernard licking your face.  I love dogs, 
> but I would not go to a harmonica experience that was described in that 
> way. How can a Jam Camp with guys like Ricci, Gruenling, Filisko, Costa, 
> Yerxa, Iceman himself, Holmes, James Day,  Adam Gussow, John Costa, 
> Frankie Moates Mark Wilson, Jon Gindick  plus the hottest regional blues 
> band be a dog licking your face.   We send campers home with handouts, 
> cds, inspiration and instruction to last a lifetime.  That ain't no dog 
> kiss. I don't people thinking it's a dog kiss. I won't be able to get 
> coaches or campers. Hell, I wouldn't come myself.
>
>
>
>  6.. That my old stuff is my only stuff. As many harp-lers can attest to, 
> in the last five years, I have made new advanced instructional cds taking 
> you further into the arts of improvisation, tone, chugging, articulation, 
> the  7 Positions of Diatonic Harmonica Gospel Songs played cross harp.  I 
> would think my 7 positions CD would be of particular interest to players 
> who have mastered 2nd position and are ready for more. In addition, while 
> I no longer sell anything remotely close to the 100,000 copies a year I 
> averaged in the 80's and '90's, my revised Rock n' Blues Harmonica book 
> and CD has been Amazon.com's best selling harp book since published in 
> 2000.
>
>
> And while I am at it: I am proud to announce that I have a new book at the 
> printers. It is Cross Harp Songbook Book and CD, Jazzify Your Melody. In 
> this book and CD, I notate 90 public domain songs, for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 
> 5th, 6th , 12th and 1st positions, provide Guitar chords. On the CD, I 
> perform each song as transcribed on C harp.  Song categories include 
> gospel, cowboy, Romantic, Christmas, blues.  It will be available in your 
> local music store, Amazon, and http:www.Gindick.com in early May.
>
>
>
>  7.. That I should be nominated for the Bernie Bray award. I appreciate 
> it, but I would much rather you buy my CD
> of songs I wrote , Banished Moon,  write reviews at Amazon.Com, buy my 
> books, tell me how much you love my playing
>
> and come to Jam Camp.  Bernie's award should go to people who donate their 
> time. I do this for money. I NEVER
>
> do this for free.  I'm a doctor, a pro. I can get you bending in 5 minutes 
> over the phone.
>
>
>
> Also, what's this post humous crap?  I am 56 years years. My mom is 89. My 
> Dad passed at 86.  I am in two bands, have a great new book coming out, 
> countless jam camps, thousands of harmonica friends, a business I love, a 
> musicial instrument that I'm really good on,  a family that lets me jam, 
> countless people yet to meet, I've started working out again..
>
>
>
> So, thanks for the great thread and the sweet comments. But now I've got 
> to figure out the next Jam Camp.  Where will it be after St. Louis? New 
> England? San Francisco?  Orlando?
>
>
>
> Folks, I hope to see you there!
>
>
>
> Jon