[Harp-L] ear plugs

[David Fertig <drfertig@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Harvey, my favorite ambassador of the Big Easy and Ace Harley aficionado,

I for one eschew earplugs, not only because of the slight audioynamic change (I haven't paid for the fancy ones), but also 'cause it feels stupid to plug your ears while playing music.  

What about the audience?  WHY PLAY SO FRICKIN' LOUD!!   I heard a guy recently, explaining why he likes the LOUD bass woofers in his lowrider, say that he liked the vibrations. So it ain't the "music."  I'm convinced guitarists have the same feelings, they like to shake their (and your!) kidneys like a hard-tail knucklehead Harley on washboard roads!

With MY self-destructive behavior I prefer colors, euphoria, love and/or relaxation, or very high torque and leaking oil, not deafness.   I don't stay where it hurts. 

-Dave "huh? what'd you say?" Fertig


 On Fri, 4/24/09, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx <harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

   2. ear plugs (Harvey Berman)Old age and music are catching up with me, and I am losing my hearing. My
Audiologist read me the riot act on earplugs, so I bought some.  I have tried
before to play harmonica with earplugs, and wound up taking them out.  This
time, I bought some made for musicians, and I went to a jam session last night
and used them.  It was a wierd feeling to be able to listen to music which was
I know was too loud, and being able to enjoy my new lowered volume.  When I got
on stage, however, it was a struggle to hear my harp, and I think I wound up
blowing a little too hard, though apparantly not as hard as I would have
without plugs, because my harps were not blanking out too bad.

So, I guess what I am asking is this.  Who wears earplugs to play, and what is
the general feeling about them.

Harvey Berman