[Harp-L] Re: Being a pro

["Jonathan Metts" <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sonny Jr.,

I think you are describing a great player, not a pro.  "Professional" is not 
a qualitative term; it just means you make your living as a musician.  I 
know we get into semantic arguments all the time, but "pro" is a technical 
term that can be defined with numbers.  Hence, whether someone is a pro 
player or not at the time of a competition is up to the judges of that 
competition to decide.  It has nothing to do with whether the player is good 
or bad or "the best".  :-)

I for one will never be a pro player, but I hope someday to be good.  If I 
win the lottery and start playing full-time, I might even have a chance to 
become great.  But I still won't be a pro because...hey, I won the lottery.

Jonathan Metts

----- Original Message ----- 
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 18:03:24 EST
From: SONNYTONE@xxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Being a pro
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <c05.e0be0bc.32e0053c@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Simply making money as a musician does not IMO make a harp player a  pro.
After hearing thousands of harp players, mostly over rating themselves, a 
pro to
me is someone who has complete control of the instrument, can produce  great
tone when they want, hit every regular bend precisely, and hold a PLEASING
vibrato, being able to phrase, know when to play and when NOT to play, and 
can
engage the audience so they feel like they are being played to, not at, or
look  what I can do. Just because a woman is a prostitute doesn't mean she 
can
make  love like a Pro. Yeah I take a hard stand on this because now anyone 
can
make a  CD, before you had to earn your spot. You can have really good 
players,
but  there is a line that separates a true pro from the rest. Thanks to all
for your  support of the new midsized amp, site unseen we have orders coming 
in
which  makes me work harder to make sure it is what you dreamed of.