Subject: [Harp-L] New Era for SPAH
Nobody should be beating ANY SPAH member up for expressing their thoughts
on what is, after all an expensive undertaking..and the culmination each
year for so many people who post here.
Jerl, I think it's probably my talk of extending my trip to SPAH into a
real vacation to 'see the sights' which might have prompted your mention of
not going to a SPAH to see the sights of that particular City, so it's your
post on the issue which gets responded to <G> - besides, you've raised some
other interesting points.
I actually prefer when they choose a 'hot' City because the Hotels are
always too freezing cold inside in the summer..and I need to go outside just
to warm up! The one complaint a lot of us chromatic players have is that our
windsavers balk in really high and frigid air conditioning. I end up having
to wear jackets and sweaters indoors and need hot packs to keep both my
hands and harmonicas warm ;) I bought a box of them at Costco and am glad
now to be reminded that I need to bring quite a few to SPAH with me.
Mike had asked how do other people manage to afford the plane fares every
year - and my solution was to occasionally turn SPAH into a 'real' vacation
by extending it --either before, but usually after (depending on where
it's held). This year my husband's flying out towards the end and afterwards
we'll go on to see Lake Tahoe and Reno. It seemed the best way to make the
most of a situation where neither of us has had a vacation (other than my
SPAH trips) in 3 years and the last one was an extension of my Bonfiglio
Grand Canyon seminar turned into an Arizona vacation, so it was still
harmonica-related.
Like you, when I'm at the Convention I'm pretty much locked in at the Hotel
(except for Jason's first night Harp blow-off, or if someone with a car
kindly offers to take me on a small grocery run at the beginning). Last year
I took a cab to pick up what I needed. Many conventioneers, however...don't
enjoy eating in at the Hotel (people think of the prices as too high and
they're quickly bored with the menu), so want whatever Hotel is our base to
have restaurants/cafes/fast food or other food choices - most especially a
GOOD coffee shop within short or reasonable walking distance...especially
one which'll stay open late!! I'm really spoiled here on Long Island) ;)
Almost everyone stays up at SPAH and getting good coffee (or tea, hot
chocolate, cappuccino) late, is de rigeur. Ahh...the little pleasures of life.
Last year was great - there was an outside plaza to sit and enjoy one's
food or for reading or recording right outside the Hotel. These small things
can make or break the SPAH experience for those without a vehicle there.
I'm honestly not sure if a permanent location would work. It wouldn't be my
choice, I'm afraid. I think you also just might lose a lot of folks who
simply don't want to travel to whichever City would be 'the' choice. And who
gets to decide? I doubt there could be a consensus. As Warren said not
everyone will be pleased with the rotating SPAH City choices, but at least
there's hope that eventually there will be a City chosen close enough for
each of us not to have to fly to. My point about East Coast people (of which
Warren is one - a neighbour of mine, in fact) is that we've never once been
accommodated during SPAH's lifetime, as Mike had pointed out. His wasn't a
'bitter' complaint, just a point of fact.
As for me, I haven't complained so far...have made my 9 R/T flights to Ohio
for Buckeye and then whatever City SPAH has been in without a
murmur....I've always assumed the SPAH board has the best interests of all of us at
heart and knowing a wee bit about what they're up against (I stay up
exceedingly late and see the people who do this as volunteers for both Conventions
up even later than myself looking exhausted far into the night every year,
then up the next day doing it all again) I have nothing but the greatest
respect for them. I don't know if I could ever do what they do, and am happy
to let them have at it.<G>
Incidentally, I agree with SmoJoe - I didn't send in any change of 'voting'
because I consider the current board the best group of people for the job.
They deserve major kudos.
My main reason for adding my voice to Mike's in bringing up the East Coast
is to remind SPAH members how lucky those of you are from the MidWest and
West who have had SPAH in your own backyards for all these years with (as
Mick put it ) - only a couple of hours' driving. We've never had that
luxury. Then, I think too of the people who fly in from other countries just to
attend SPAH. How great are they?
All I'd hope is that 'one day'...(2010 is spoken for with Minnesota - so
perhaps 2011, 2012, 2013?) - a harmonica club somewhere in the more central
part of the East Coast (which would still involve hours-long driving for
people like me) would get to host SPAH so East Coasters would know what it's
like to be able to drive to 'a' SPAH just once to be able to bring our
other gear along. I'd love to bring my own keyboard...plus the other heavier
stuff I simply can't ever bring or manage on a flight. To my mind Virginia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania would be fairly accessible for Mid-Western folks to
get to as well, yet still be somewhere us more Northern Easterners could get
to, and hopefully still be reasonably close for all the Floridians. I'm
not selfish enough to ever want SPAH in my own backyard... the driving costs
are simply too prohibitive to get to NY.
While I can afford to fly to SPAH despite not being fond of flying (the
understatement of the year, actually), I'm aware that the economy has hurt an
awful lot of people - witness so many harmonicists selling their beloved
mics and amps just to get by; others losing their jobs. There's no way they
can afford to attend a SPAH much as they'd probably love to even for a day
if it were within driving proximity.
None of this dialogue can hurt, btw. It's all information and thoughts from
SPAH members the board can use when they meet to make future decisions, at
least I hope that's the spirit we're all considering it in.
Elizabeth
"Message: 4
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:54:39 -0500
From: "dfwhoot" <casaj54@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] New Era for SPAH
To: "HARP-L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
My 2 cents on this, for one ,SPAH can not please everyone when it comes to
deciding on the Location, Hotel, and the ton of things to consider when
picking a site. One thing for sure is that when you are at the convention, it
could be Dallas, Denver ,St Louis, Detroit or Tin buck Too , most of us
never come out except to eat. I was worried in Texas because of the Heat, but
I never went outside. It would be nice to find a location, that meets all
the requirements and stick to that site.
Some comments I hear are ," I'll just wait till it gets closer to me, or I
wonder where it's going to be this year or next year". If it was permanent
location then planning would be a lot easier. I'm sure the Hotel would
like that, and would work with spah.
If we could find a location I don't think a local harmonica club would be
necessary for the leg work. We just repeat the year before....
.Hey I love to travel to Den. St.Louis, Sac. KC, Detroit, and all the
other locations but again I'm there for the convention and not sightseeing...
Ya don't beat me up on this....Jerl"
**************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy
steps!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585106x1201462830/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd
=JulystepsfooterNO115)
This archive was generated by a fusion of
Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and
MHonArc 2.6.8.