RE: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Next generation of harmonica musicians
Thanks for all the info. That's cool that SPAH has a young group, too.
I'll send an email to Elizabeth. After watching the YouTube video of
everyone's music and jam sessions, Josh wants to go to the next SPAH. We
sacked the TV so he watches you guys instead and spends hours on the
harmonica, practicing songs, bends and scales and other instruments. It
seems like harmonica is his favorite.
Joy
_____
From: EGS1217@xxxxxxx [mailto:EGS1217@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 12:07 AM
To: joyking1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: zviaranoff@xxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Next generation of harmonica musicians
Joy:
Like Zvi, I read your post to be asking for a 'harmonica instructor' in the
NY/Brooklyn area.
You may have noticed we've all been talking recently about SPAH? It's the
Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica. Many of us
who post here belong. It's not only a place to go each year for a
convention, but there are publications with good articles and invaluable
information about harmonica players and Spah sent out a few times each year,
included in the dues we pay to belong.
You can get more information at: www.spah.org
Last year a small group of young people (3 of them only 13 at the time)
formed a group under the auspices of SPAH called 'Young at Harp'...It's been
mentioned here several times. Kaleena Hutchins heads up the group...just
turned 17, and has been playing harmonica for most of her very young life.
She has a couple of YouTube videos available for viewing as well, and was
shown on the local news playing in Milwaukee last year by the local TV
channel. The group includes LDMiller (now all of 14 years old) who came in
2nd with his older brother in the America's got Talent Television Contest a
couple of years ago. The Millers performed onstage last year at Spah as
well.
A couple of the other 14 year olds live in the New Jersey area. I met
Zach and his Mom when he was only 11 and already an avid fan of Jason Ricci,
attending Jason's shows and studying and practicing as hard as he can to
become the musician he wants to be...he played on stage at this SPAH with
the others and has come a tremendously long way in these 3 short years,
blowing me away completely with his skills and poise onstage as did his
friend Jay (attending for the first time) who's already written here about
what a blast it was to get to perform at his very first Spah (something not
at all usual, but because they were part of the 'Young-at-Harp' group, they
got to perform individually and as an ensemble..and it was something we all
thoroughly enjoyed hearing). I've taped it, hope to get copies of the
performance out to the participants as soon as possible.
They are all very talented and extremely nice kids, are giving the rest of
us hope that there is a future for harmonica among young people. They had
their own 'booth' at this SPAH (2008) for people to sign up, buy t-shirts to
help promote harmonica playing among their children and younger family
members. I'm surprised you missed all our recent talk about this, but am
sure you can still get lots of information from Kaleena at:
tooter12@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Elizabeth
P.S. It's not unusual at all for a child to learn to play harmonica 'alone'
with no one else around who plays. It worked that way for me and for many
others I've spoken to since retaking up harmonica. I was 4 in Scotland when
I began playing, and could play anything I knew in my head right away...but
had no other harmonica players to talk or listen to. It seems to be the
nature of this particular instrument. If your son has a real feel for the
harmonica and music, he'll find his way. He's very young, yet...has plenty
of time to learn what he needs to on the instrument..and you've just
explained that he already has an instructor. One can't learn overnight. It
does take 'wood-shedding' - work and time.This is how children learn piano
or any other instrument as well; either alone or one on one with a teacher.
It's long been said here that the harmonica is an easy instrument to play,
but a difficult one to master. He's extremely fortunate to have the YouTube
performance and instructional videos now available to watch. Wish there'd
been anything remotely like them for me as a kid. I think we're all
extremely fortunate to be living now in the 21st century with the amazing
technology available for study.
Message: 10
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:03:04 -0500
From: <joyking1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Re: [Harp-L] Next generation of harmonica musicians
To: Zvi Aranoff <zviaranoff@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:
<20080829010304.DJB27873.ispmxmta06-srv.windstream.net@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Thanks,
Josh is already with a great teacher at the moment in Brooklyn, Marcus.
I was wondering if there were any young kids like him on the list that play
harmonica that he could connect with. Or even local harmonica or blues/jazz
clubs. He likes to play other instruments as well.
I wish he had more places to go and listen to various kinds of live
harmonica music but bars and most night clubs are just not an option for a
little kid. Occasionally, he lucks out and finds a free concert in the city
parks.
So, for now, he just gets to enjoy all you guys and your music and
performances you put online. Thanks!
Joy
>
> From: Zvi Aranoff <zviaranoff@xxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 2008/08/28 Thu PM 06:21:03 CDT
> To: Joy <joyking1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> CC: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Next generation of harmonica musicians
>
> Brian McInnis teaches kids. He's in Brooklyn, NY. You might want to
> get in touch with him: bluesharpteacher@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> On Aug 28, 2008, at 4:37 PM, Joy wrote:
>
> > I was wondering just how much interest there really is among kids
> > (by this I
> > mean under 18) to play harmonica and what they seem to enjoy playing
> > the
> > most. I know some of you are instructors. Are there any on this
> > list or in
> > the NJ/NYC area? You can email Josh or me off list. He's trying to
> > connect
> > with other kids like him.
> >
> > Here's a link to our little harmonica player.
> > http://www.youtube.com/JoshuaKing1
> > It shows a progression of what he has learned in about 4 months of
> > instruction. The oldest video shows him before his first lesson.
> > He made
> > me promise to add more videos this weekend. This wireless
> > connection is
> > painfully slow for uploading, though, and it takes hours. He wants
> > to get
> > rid of the old videos and put out some new and not practice ones
> > (he's got a
> > little redheaded girl to impress). It's how he shares what he's
> > doing with
> > family and friends back home.
> >
> > Joy
> >
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