[Harp-L] Country & Bluegrass Seminars At SPAH Conventions

[tul1rd@xxxxxxx]

Hey guys, let me fully explain how these seminars are constructed for the SPAH conventions over the years. I have been with SPAH since 1977, and I am usually the person that hosts or conducts the Country & Bluegrass seminars at SPAH. I start working on my seminar six months before the convention. First I call the names of the harmonica players on my list to invite as my guests, to conduct their portion of the seminar. They usually say, sure? I would love to be a part of it, as long as I am not booked a paying gig on that date?of the convention. Myself and all of my seminar presenters do not get paid to conduct seminars at the convention. We donate our services. I have around six instructors as my guests, (famous and not so famous) and I tell them way in advance to pick an important subject that relates to either Bluegrass or Country style harmonica playing that they can instruct. I have to check in with each of my guests over the period of six months to?make sure they do not?cover the same topic by another presenter. It has to be mainly educational. My seminars are more like a classroom, than a concert. We have to make the most out of it since we do not have a Bluegrass or Country band with us. We have been lucky to have Joe with his guitar to help us out during our seminars. SPAH will not pay for a band for us, and not just for their performance, but their hotel rooms, gas?and meals. I have discuss this matter in the past with Paul Davies, and suggested having the SPAH convention in Nashville, Tenn., so that way we could get a Bluegrass and a Country band to be part of my seminar. He loved the idea. ?We could have the bands stick around after the seminar, so some of the harmonica players can jam with them. That would be so cool to have one big Country & Bluegrass jam session at SPAH someday. The only and big problem is, there has to be a harmonica club in Nashville, and that they are willing to host the SPAH convention there. Well, so far there is not a harmonica club in Nashville. If any of you folks have any 

suggestions for my future Country & Bluegrass seminars at the SPAH conventions, please direct you comments to my Email address at tul1rd@xxxxxxxx Thank you.?????????? Tulsa Read www.harmonicaonline.com