[Harp-L] Diviseness at SPAH

["jazmaan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>]

When I attend SPAH or Buckeye I make it a point to try and interact with EVERYBODY.  I think if
everybody had that attitude there would be very little divisiveness.   A point of example - at the
St. Louis SPAH there was a group of elderly Christian ladies playing gospel music on chromatics. 
They weren't very experienced.  I'm sure their turn at the open mic was the first time they'd ever
played outside their church.  I was appalled to see the room empty rapidly before their first song
was even over.   I made it a point to sit through their entire performance and then to speak with
them afterwards and encourage them.   I know for a fact that I was the only diatonic player to do
so.
On subsequent days they were very nice to me and appreciative that I'd taken the time to approach
them.

I see the cliques at SPAH and I don't like them.   But you can't blame the chromatics or the older
players - the most blatant cliques I've seen have been among certain diatonic players.   You know
who you are.