[Harp-L] You can nominate candidates for the annual SPAH awards (if you're a member)

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Excellence is a quality that is worth honoring. Do you know
a harmonica player, or builder, or maker of harmonica related gear you feel is
so exceptional, so excellent, that you feel they should be formally recognized?

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If youâre a member of SPAH, you can nominate someone for one
of the three awards that SPAH makes every year to honor exceptional members of
the harmonica community. This year is no exception, and now is the time to
nominate someone you feel is worthy. Evaluation and final decisions are made by
the SPAH Board of Directors, and awards are presented at the annual SPAH
convention in August.

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One of SPAHâs current goals is to get the SPAH community
more actively involved in honoring our exceptional players, writers, teachers,
builders, and manufacturers. To that end, weâre working to clearly state the
criteria, demystify the nomination process, and make nominating candidates
easier. Hence this announcement to the larger harmonica community.

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June 30, 2010 is the deadline for nominating candidates for
2010. This deadline was incorrectly stated in the Spring 2010 issue of the SPAH
magazine, Harmonica Happenings. I
apologize for the short notice, but this responsibility fell to me quite
recently and itâs taken a little time to put together the materials. In future
we should be able to announce earlier in the year and process nominations more
easily.

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You can read about these awards, the criteria, and the
procedures in greater detail by downloading the SPAH 2010 Awards Nomination
Packet from http://groups.google.com/group/spahawards/files
The packet contains the criteria and procedures for all three awards, biographies and
photos of the luminaries for whom the awards are named, and the nomination
forms for all three awards. You can print the forms and send them by snail
mail, or you can fill them in electronically and email them back to an address
on the form.

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In a few days, SPAH members with email addresses on file
will receive this notice and the nomination packet by direct email. If youâre
not already a SPAH member, maybe now is the time to join.

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So what are these awards?

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The SPAH Award of
Special Merit honors individuals or organizations who may or may not be
harmonica players but who benefited the harmonica community in a manner that is
deserving of singular honor.

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The Pete Pedersen
Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals who have a record of
achievements over a long period of time that may reasonably be considered to be
the virtual equivalent of a lifetime. Candidates that have established
themselves as outstanding harmonica players are preferred. Candidates should be
active in promoting the preservation and advancement of the harmonica and the
positive and meaningful interaction of harmonica players and devotees. Candidates
should demonstrate generosity in sharing their talents and knowledge, and in
remaining accessible to members of the harmonica community.

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The Bernie Bray Harmonica
Player of the Year Award is awarded to individuals whose proficiency in
playing the harmonica is a source of pride for the community â the Bernie Bray award
is for excellence in actually playing the instrument. The award is for distinction
demonstrated or attained recently, preferably during a twelve month period
prior to the deadline for nominations. 

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Thanks for your attention. I hope we can nominate some
really deserving candidates this year with plenty of input from the SPAH
membership.

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Winslow




Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5

Resident expert at bluesharmonica.com

Harmonica instructor, jazzschool.com

Columnist, harmonicasessions.com