Subject: [Harp-L] New Era of SPAH Conventions

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Good! post, Manfred. We only met at last SPAH and it was great to finally  
meet you in person...the individual behind so many of the posts I agreed  
with.
 
I find myself liking just about everything you have to say onlist  which is 
why our conversation at SPAH went so swimmingly and it was just  plain nice 
to get to meet you in person. :)
 
 I only wish there was a harmonica club reasonably suited for my style  of 
playing fairly easily accessible from my abode. I did answer one  ad  - but 
Long Island is indeed 'long' ;) and getting to and  from 'anywhere'  here is 
a daunting process. If the mileage isn't  terrible, the traffic jams will 
kill you. 
 
Then, after a conversation with the guy heading up that one club, it's  
clear they play only the music he decides ...very old-timey (a phrase I'm  
borrowing from Smokey) and expect the membership to follow his very  rigid rules 
as far as their couple of shows are concerned...and when I expressed  my 
misgivings, was pretty much chastized. They work off music books and won't  
hear of improv-ing or playing to anything other than the leader's 
instructions.  No jazz, no blues, no anything other than music from the 1920's to 
1940's. 'Pop'  music from the 1940's on was already thought of as too new-fangled. 
;)
 
He's pretty much 'the boss'. (I should add I'd met and heard this man play  
and sing (not an open-mic - he set up, plugged in his mic, sang and played  
loudly over a Marv Munroe conducted group play at a separate convention 
without  so much as a by-your-leave). When I recognized his voice on the phone, 
my heart  sank. 

Now this isn't my idea of a 'harmonica club'. One day I just may have  to 
begin one with lots of freedom for input from the members....or get together  
with Warren Bee (if he ever has any time left from his SPAH duties)...since 
we  live in the same general area. We have similar ideas about music. I 
honestly  don't feel people learn when harmonica music is overly regimented. 
Sure,  there should be room for 'some' teaching...but not when the entire club 
is  devoted to nothing but one method, or one person's ideas alone. I get 
the idea  some small harmonica clubs devolve into dictatorships. Brrrr 
...definitely not  my cup of tea.  But something out in our area would probably 
remain  small...definitely not a contender.
 
Belonging to SPAH is most assuredly the way for me to fill my  need to 
connect with other harmonica players (I even joined the Buckeye 'club'  despite 
not living close to Ohio, purely because it helped them continue to  put on 
their convention)....to at least learn as much as I can and catch up on  all 
the years I've missed. The Filisko teach-ins are alone worth their weight 
in  gold. So much has happened in 'harmonica' since I was a child, it's 
astonishing  to find out all these new things, new players....although I confess 
I'm probably  truly at my personal happiest playing along, eyes closed - 
with my favourite  artists' music alone at home, unremarked and unnoticed. :)
 
Elizabeth
 
 
"Message: 9
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:56:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: MANFRED  WEWERS <mwewers@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] New Era of SPAH  Conventions
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx

The beauty of the harmonica is that  it is the "everyman" of instruments.  
If I wish to derive pleasure from  it,  I can just play it.  I don't need a 
band, a club or a  convention-just me and my harmonica.  Some people go to 
the conventions to  be stars; some, to learn from others; some, just to 
listen and have a good time;  and some, to meet other players.  

Some harp players are  loners-it's part of the mystique of the instrument.  
But if you want to be  with like-minded people, the harmonica club is the 
place to be.  I've asked  before in a previous posting why so many of you out 
there are not members of  SPAH or other clubs.  Didn't get much of a 
response.  Do you know how  difficult it is just to form a club, have people 
attend regularly and attract  new members, never mind hosting a convention?  If 
you haven't tried, give  it a whirl.  I wish you great success and maybe one 
day I can attend a SPAH  convention in your home city.

This is an unabashed plug for  SPAH.

Manfred  Wewers

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