[Harp-L] Recent Thread Thoughts...Just Play

[Warren Bee <wlb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The magic of the harmonica is reflected well in all of the
controversy/discussion that it seems to stir up. The harmonica is one of the
most unique and the most "human sounding" of all musical instruments. The
only instrument that creates music with both the inhale and the exhale. No
other musical instrument has the "range" that the harmonica has. The
harmonica is the "everyman's" instrument world wide. The harmonica has a
magical place in this world. It truly is a "smile making machine" even in
the hands of the "unworthy" Personally I am very happy that the roots of the
harmonica are in the "toy realm". How magnificent it is to hear Robert
Bonfiglio make such incredible music on a toy. I would have loved to have
been there when Little Walter took out his toy in those rough and tumble gin
mills of old Chicago. Pianos, guitars and other "popular" musical
instruments come with great expectations. Music is a blend of intellectual
and emotional factors. The harmonica was designed to be "easy" to play, even
for children, a "toy". This makes room for a much higher percentage of
emotional factors to be involved instead of intellectual to make the
instrument sound "acceptable" or interesting or at the very least pleasant.
You need a much higher percentage of "intellectual stuff" going on when
playing the guitar and most other instruments than "emotional stuff" to even
begin to make it sound pleasant. Why would anyone be upset if Bruce
Springsteen huffs and puffs through a harmonica and makes an elementary
sound? How in any way does that affect any other artist/player? One thing it
does is that it makes you sound pretty good if you have a just above
elementary grasp of the harp. And again if you are Robert Bonfiglio or Joe
Filisko or Howard Levy you just shake your head and then proceed to shake
the planet with your wonderful talent. The word respect comes up a lot in
these discussions. I just don't get it. We live in a world that is so full
of disrespect. The disrespect of humans to each other on so many issues is
so rampant around us. Who cares if someone respects your instrument of
choice? What exactly is respect any way? I mean if you love your instrument
and people listen to you play and enjoy it isn't that the ultimate respect?
How much respect do you need? Why does the world need to respect you?  When
I go to a SPAH convention I see some of the most incredible displays of
respect between human beings that this world has ever seen. Then of course
we can now get into the money issue. Is money a form of respect? How does it
matter and how much does it matter? If you are trying to feed your family of
course it matters. But how anybody else on the planet plays cannot and
should not negatively affect the way you play or how much money you make.
Sour grapes make whine. As far as the legends and who's best it just makes
me think of the old "my dad can beat up your dad" or "my dogs better than
your dog" stuff. What the "f' is better? Again this is the most human of
instruments.I will never sound exactly like Little Walter and if he were
alive today he could never sound exactly like Warren Bee. So what? What is
"better"? If some person sitting on their couch is listening to the new
Springsteen CD and they hear that harp and it makes them feel something in
any way; mission accomplished. If Madcat Ruth played in the forest and the
natives didn't like it does that mean that he is no good? Ears, opinions,
assholes; we all have them. Who cares? The best of the best rarely give a
hoot what other people think. They just play. The chips fall where they
fall. In this crazy messed up world that we live in we only get so much
"passion" time in a day to express ourselves. I choose to take those
precious moments of passion and just play. To passionately despise or be
disgruntled by lesser players is not practical. Play and let play. Be all
that you can be. Drinkin' beer and playing with my toys. I hope I never grow
up. You too Bonfiglio.don't grow up. Let them piano guys play those big
bulky adult thing-a-ma-jiggies. 

 

Warren Bee