[Harp-L] Re: Soaking your harmonica

[JohnnieHarp <johnnieharp@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Ray,

> I Just want to put this on the record...
> Most of us here (if not all) want to legitamise our
> instrument ...

Long since legitimized, don'cha think (whatever "legitimized" means)?
Stevie Wonder, Larry Adler, Tommy Reilly, Cham Ber Huang, Toots,
Bonfiglio,  on and on.

And then, there are the fantastic diatonic players: McCoy, Norton
Buffalo, Levy, Ricci,  Sébastien Charlier, Paparozzi, Hunter,
Michalek, Boris Plotnikov, Christelle,  ... John Popper ... Oooops,
did I just utter the name of "He who must not be mentioned" ?!?!

Gosh, the harmonica even seems to have been "accepted"?!  And, more
and more, the harmonica is being adopted, midcareer, by otherly-expert
musicians.


> .... even see it be ushered into an actual scholastic
> curriculum.

Think this relates more to institutional economics and to the
personality types / attitudes of those who tend to thrive and "govern
/ manage" in academia.  The "ushering" is more related organizational
dynamics / politics and "championing" than to an objective evaluation
and suitability of the harmonica. That being said, you still need
interested students.

In this day and age, colleges and universities are fighting
tooth-and-nail with and against each other for students. Bet if you
rounded up a bunch of freshly high school graduated harp playing
musicians, you might even be asked to head up the new faculty
harmonica music initiative!

Speaking of academia, my clarinet-major, jazz loving, sax howling,
university room mate still has a flat spot in the center of his
forehead from his time dealing with aceademic attitudes while he did
his music degrees. He's ended up as a DJ; a full-time job / career
hosting shows on a big market, classical-only music station. Not sure
whether his musicallity has ever been legitamized academically,
though?  LOL

Besides, isn't a crucial role of academia, to be the place where all
notions can be respected and freely explored, no matter the degree of
their societal / political / cultural popularity; even if musical in
nature?  Now, if only people weren't involved ...


> You dont soak an accoustic guitar once you buy it

Damn! that's been my problem!  And my memory hasn't been so good since
taking up the electric guitar either ...


> Clarinet

Sax and clarinet reeds need to be moisturized to play properly ... the
new synthetics less so ...


> So why on earth soak a harp?

Soaking to the point of physical distortion / permanent damage; NO ...

Judicious moisturizing of non-valved diatonics, based on player
experience and preference, to enhance short term, on-demand,
instrument responsivenes and playability; yes  ...

I don't think an audience cares where a harp's been before witnessing
a great performance; AS LONG as the instrument was blister packed
somewhere in it's life cycle ...

An added benefit to a pre-play aquapura lavage is that the harp is
likely more hygienic (if only slightly so).  Can it be very long
before harp disinfection is a standard part of the airport security
clearance process? STOP the international spread of disease?

Hmmm, perhaps in the name of harmonica science, we should all reach
for the PineSol ... uhhh, maybe not ...

'Later, JH

PS:  What do Harp-Lers currently find in their daily musical journey's
with respect to the views of other musicians / music communities with
respect to the legitamacy of the harmonica as an instrument?

Are these any different to the views with respect to other instrument
niches such as orchestral percussion, etc? Any orechestral
percussionists, please have mercy on me, if I have just sinned  :-)