[Harp-L] getting kids involved, harmonica events. was Buckeye canceled 'et al'

["David Priestley ( for harp-L)" <dmharpman@xxxxxxxxx>]

 Hi.
It's a shame that the Buckeye event was canceled. It's a fine club who's 
members had me as a guest, many years ago, and I can tell you that it's 
not just the South that has fine traditions of hospitality. Jack Ely 
(God Bless the man) and Buzz went out of their way to make me feel so at 
home, even though I was thousands of miles from home.
 My provenance, with regard to teaching kids.
Do look up my website so that I don't have to write a book here.

When I went to the World Harmonica Championships in Jersey, back in the 
1987, I went there as a Bluesman who only played the Richter tuned 10 
hole diatonic.  Though I did also play some 33 non-harmonica 
instruments, badly, to help me with my composition.

I was totally Wowed by group harmonica. Also I was very impressed by the 
children in the Lerkerkin band and all the talented kids from other 
countries. I followed my ears and came across an international bunch of 
kids all having just  tons of fun playing together. Their only common 
language was music. I determined that I would find kids and teach them 
group harmonica upon my return to the UK.

This I did with the help of Norman Ives, the only man in the UK with the 
experience  both of kids and group harmonicas. The project was called 
'Harp Start' and our all kids show band was called 'Random Sound'. Check 
out the following links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfU0Q99WUP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blQSl-uslvc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWb3Af2AyF4&feature=related

All their harp training & the arrangements that I wrote for them had a 
'Blues feel', which wasn't something I had seen with other kids groups. 
The Blues element in this,  free for the kids, after school music club 
was  a vital element in the clubs appeal. We very quickly had  100 kids 
coming to each club meeting and a waiting list. Had any maker come on 
board at this point and paid me  to train adults to do as we were doing 
in their own areas, they would have seen a vast return on their 
investment. How ever they missed the boat and having spent £15,000.00 of 
my own cash to make this happen I was broken by this experiment. Because 
of this we packed the Harp Start project in. We did however show that 
kids could be very drawen to the instrument family and that we could 
take kids who had been labeled as being amusical, unteachable for lack 
of talent in the area of music, by their schools and take them from non 
players to world champions in a scant three years.

I am also a journalist and know that it only takes the right talent with 
the right promotion and you could have a return to the levels of 
popularity the instrument saw in the USA with Minivitch and the 
harmonica gangs, in the early part of the last century.

It could still be done to day
The harmonica is still the most sold instrument in the world today.
Yours David

--
D Priestley AKA Dr Midnight.
England's first  harmonica Guru.

Do feel free get in touch.
Harmonica lessons POA,(10 = 20% discount,&  20 = 25% discount).

I teach from: 51 Barkston Gdns, the basement flat&  On-Line,
Email me or call me to book lessons or get more info.

E-mail= dmharpman@xxxxxxxxx
Website= http://www.cognitionarts.com/
Phone=(44) 0207 373 0295