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_ (http://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
(mailto:tooter12@xxxxxxxxxxx) .
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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx t>
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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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