Re: Subject: Re: Re: [Harp-L] But when it comes right down to it,,

[icemanle@xxxxxxx]

It's amusing to observe how my generic musician comment gets filtered through individual psychologies eliciting responses that reveal so much about the ones posting - the whole gamut, from curious, complimentary, defensive, insecure and even subtley antagonistic.
 
There is nothing indicating "harmonica players" in my original post. I'm talking about the evolution of music from an art form into a business (1960's onward). This same subject was a panel discussion with jazz luminaries at an IAJE Convention. The musicians that created an art form (be-bop, modal, swing, Chicago Blues, Jump Blues) were not fueled by the change in the industry regarding fame and fortune that occurred when music became a big business. 
 
In regards to jazz, even the education has become a big business - colleges offering courses and degrees along with the whole publishing industry offering "How to's", "Transcribed solos of", "Methodologies", "1001 Cool Licks", "Turnaround Ideas", "Playalong CD's", and thousands of theory books. The discussion was about "Why are there no new Charlie Parkers, Miles Davis', etc" these days. There is no definitive answer, but many within the industry agree that the focus has shifted from the art for its own sake and developing an ORIGINAL voice towards "what do I get out of it". The focus seems to be on recreating other's original voices and playing fasterlouderflashiertributesto. This is the state of the "art" today, agree the panelists (and me, too).
 
Can't you see a parallel path in the blues world? (God love Stevie Ray, but look at the clones ever since).
 
Holy Cow - look at American Idol and the fascination/popularity surrounding it. 
 
Original Voice - what a concept. 
 
The Iceman
 
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: EGS1217@xxxxxxx
To: 46long@xxxxxxxxx
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx; wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 4:10 PM
Subject: Subject: Re: Re: [Harp-L] But when it comes right down to it,, 


       
 
 
Blake writes in response to Tim's excellent points:
 
"Yeah, pretty much any of us has an infinitely smaller chance of  becoming
rich and famous at playing the harp as a high school bench  warmer has of
making it to the NBA. No, I'm not implying that we're  "Bench-warmer" caliber
players, either. Do we need to resurrect the  list of excellent harp players
who are rich and famous?

-  BAT"


On 3/15/07, Tim Moyer <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>  wrote:
>
> iceman wrote:
> > Old masters played  because this was their soul's voice speaking.
> >
> >  Modern players seem to want to achieve fame, fortune using the
>  > music as a vehicle. They try too hard to control the  outcome.
>
> I don't think the "old masters" had an exclusive  on soul.
>
> In my experience, for every one musician I've met  who wanted to be a
> superstar I've met a thousand who wanted to  play their music to an
> audience.  And there's nothing wrong  with wanting to reach the
> broadest audience possible, and to be  able to make a living doing
> something you love, something that  comes from the soul.
>
> I think you'd have a hard time  finding very many harmonica players who
> think their music is their  ticket to fame and fortune.
>
> -tim"
 
.....So true, Blake.  I actually spent the  time giving this some serious 
thought.  Specifically  focused on
 those "modern day" harmonica players I've had the  privilege of seeing play 
in person....and then  those
 I've witnessed playing only via  video/television/DVD's.  Nary a one fits 
the description of 'seeming  to': 
"want to achieve fame, fortune using the music as a vehicle. They try  too 
hard to control the outcome".
 
Can't imagine anyone possibly believing that to be true about  harmonica 
players.  Given that there are so
few actually making a decent living playing harp..especially those  
traversing the country playing gigs for
a pittance.  Despite any acclaim....it doesn't put food on  the table.  
Venues barely pay enough to 
warrant the costs of the gas and tolls (not to mention wear and tear  on a 
vehicle) for a band to get there.
 
 
Perhaps the reference was to folks like Charlie McCoy? (a tad older -  been 
around a bit longer
..so not exactly "young"?)  or Toots Thielman's?  Both of  them actually did 
become famous..and
 perhaps relatively "rich" by today's harmonica masters'  standards....but 
only after years of paying their
 dues, years on the road and playing hundreds of studio  gigs.  Hardly what 
one might call "using the music
 as a vehicle".  So perhaps the description was of today's  younger 
players...I can't think of a single
 one of them who don't have "soul", either.  
 
One in particular with whom I'm very familiar with, has a brilliantly  
expressive mind and is a wonderful
 writer/poet (who could make a living in that field if he  ever decided to 
quit playing harmonica)....plays
 his music from the very depths of His soul (which brings his  audiences 
back, time and again) ...and 
has the infinite capacity to give everything of himself to help those  with 
less then he has....down to his
last penny...as everyone who has ever met him comes away with  knowing.
 
 I tend to wonder about and question those who deem  themselves an arbiter of 
what constitutes
another musician's "soul" and why they would describe that musician  as 
attempting to achieve "fame and
 fortune", when the truth of the matter is that every  harmonicist I've met 
so far is simply trying to 
achieve a relatively decent standard of living creating and  performing the 
music he/she loves for the people who love to hear it.  Perhaps the writer 
meant guitar players, since for the most part even a  relatively non 
top notch guitarist can achieve fame and fortune a heckuva  lot sooner than 
even the very best harp player.
 
Disclaimer:  Only In my most humble opinion of course....
 
Elizabeth








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