Re: [Harp-L] Re: Intonation and bending/overblow notes , iceman's summertime

fjm <mktspot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Sat, 21 Jan 2006 08:10:11 -0700

Richard Hunter says:

Regarding point 2, the public at the moment seems most enamored of
players who play diatonics in a more or less traditional style.  But the
public is always late to the party anyway

to which Robert Koch replies
  In other terms, the public is stupid. Richard, who do you think you are?

And this is where we inevitably  head towards trouble.  I read Richard's 
observation and I don't think he's calling anyone stupid.  In the United 
States the harmonica music you will most likely hear in media, 
television, radio, etc is all of a very traditional type.  10 hole 
diatonic played in second position and employed as a bluesy background. 
 The nature of emerging styles and tastes is that a smaller core group 
gets it first.  If the style catches on the late to the party general 
public will embrace the style also.  Witness rap and hip hop and the 
recent phenomena of white middle class kids in the suburbs playing 
constantly a form of music that originated in an intensely urban 
environment.  "who do you think you are"  Where does that come from? 
He's just a guy with an opinion just like you are. The only way to 
discuss anything with any level of difficulty on a large list like 
harp-l is to be very careful of misunderstandings and to not instantly 
morph to confrontation when you think some one is saying something you 
don't agree with.

Thank you Jason for so very clearly hearing the question I was asking. 
Also, thanks for sharing.  Your answer is exactly what I sought in terms 
of discussion.  I agree that if I was so mired in the technical that I 
would not play out if and until I'd acheived some level of perfection I 
would never ever play out.  When I do gig I play bad notes pretty much 
every set.  It is very interesting to have people come up to you after a 
set to express their appreciation of your playing and or music while you 
are all the while thinking about how badly you've played.  I've never 
saved anyone's life though.  Your dedication and single minded sense of 
purpose is to be admired.  fjm