[Harp-L] Subject: Re (Harp-L) diatonic vs. chromatic (what can be done?)

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Larry (the "iceman")  writes in response to my post:
 
"You ask "just how long a period of time does one continue paying respect  to 
people who do not give it back", and this is a good question.  

I don't think that you attended the SPAH's from 1994 - 2000. There was very  
little split between the camps because SPAH was following the attitude 
described  in my initial email. It was truly a world class experience with much less  
divisiveness. Blues Shows were packed in attendance by both camps - compare 
that  to what you've witnessed recently. You've also never experienced "Sunny 
Girl"  and the effect she had on the whole tone of the convention - she was a  
cornerstone for diatonic acceptance to the older crowd.
 
I only reported on what worked in the past - and it worked very well.
 
Perhaps others that attended the conventions from 94 - 2000 will speak up  on 
the "L".
The Iceman"
 
....you're correct, Larry.  I did not attend any of the earlier SPAH  or 
Buckeye conventions.  I am such a newbie I only joined Harp-L in 2004  and 
attended my very first Buckeye and SPAH in 2005, so I have absolutely no  knowledge 
of what came before.  I can only report therefore, on my own  experiences at 
both of those particular Conventions.
 
...I have heard a little bit about Sunny Girl and how amazing a player she  
was and just how much everyone I knew enjoyed her, but surely one small girl  
growing up in front of SPAH audiences couldn't have been such a huge  motivator 
for the two "camps" putting aside their deep differences that her  absence 
would then cause the truce to implode?  And what happened to her -  Does she 
still play?  I'm sure I'd find her interesting.
 
I think our feelings about what lies behind the divisiveness diverges at  
this point, and I'm probably opening a huge can of worms when I can't help but  
express curiosity as to why first Buckeye and then SPAH were close to 97% -  
100% attended almost exclusively by Caucasians?  Especially when most  of the 
Blues players are focusing on and attempting to play music from the best  Black 
harmonica players of the 20th Century.  Is it that it really is  quite 
expensive to manage to get to any convention if they're just too far  from one's neck 
of the woods (a problem for anyone of course), or that they  aren't overly 
advertised in certain communities, or that Harmonica Clubs  are for the most 
part exclusionary perhaps because of location?  I  have no idea and am quite 
curious since this could become a  big problem for me (and was a good portion of 
my conversation with the   previously mentioned KC Hilton employee).  If 
there's a simple  explanation I'm missing I'd love to hear it, since I'm sure I 
can't be the first  SPAH attendee who has found this particular aspect of the  
Conventions disconcerting.
 
Elizabeth