Re: [Harp-L] Re: Buckeye Cancelled

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

Joe,


Thanks for the comments. Just cause you didn't see much of below does not in any way diminish that others did see it and that the conventions were sparkling. Perception is in the eye of the beholder and I know you were not happy about a lot of facets during this time frame, even before arriving at the conventions, so it is possible that some of these improved aspects were missed by you if you were focusing on your own issues at the convention.


I won't get into the defensive mode about my point of view, but will put forth the following answers to some of your questions:


There were jams for chromatic players during the day, sometimes running concurrently with the seminars, so there was a lot of opportunity to play for all.


The dances took place after the main Sat night shortened show in, I believe 98, 99, but my memory is not so good for remembering exact years. I brought in a swing band from Ohio for the gig. Bass player and fiddle player of this band were on site the rest of the week to lend support for jams during the day, along with that awesome accordion player from MN - Big Daddy Squeeze.


Blues Night Concerts were not too loud, as I am really on top of this and remember standing with sound crew to make sure. Attendance of "white hairs" at these shows was through the roof, evident if one looks at the videos of these shows. 98 was the best example.


If the conventions offer something unique, people will show up. Not just the old timers who have been supporting all the years, but new folk of all ages who will come for the harmonica instructional stuff as well as for pure entertainment (and dancing) enjoyment.


I know you love being the devil's advocate, but let's not waste "L" band width with agree/disagree over whether items were perceived by one or two folk (or three or 10) as mentioned. Anyone interested in resurrecting dead horses can refer to old postings by searching for "Golden Age of SPAH", etc.


The point was that offering something unique, fresh and new does a lot to regenerate as well as keep attendance levels up there. Same old same old will only attract the same old same old, many of whom are getting same older and same older, even as the diatonic clique ages. Broaden the outlook and look beyond the small "L" community in planning these events. 


I would also hate to see these entities die of slow and moldy old age.




-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wed, Apr 20, 2011 11:05 am
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Buckeye Cancelled



On Apr 20, 2011, at 1:53 PM, The Iceman wrote:

> Mike has a lot of astute observations.
> 
> 
> Let me tell you a little secret for success: do not offer something that is 
already being offered, per se. Don't directly compete with other entities 
offering similarities. Case in point: Buckeye, NJ and SPAH.
> 
> 
> Back in the late 90's, Bob Williams had a vision and gathered others that 
supported them in order to make SPAH different/better/world class. At that time, 
Buckeye and the gathering in NJ were the other similar/competitive entities. In 
redefining SPAH, the decision was made not to duplicate what was happening at 
Buckeye or other gatherings....by creating something different and unique, it 
cleared out the playing field so that SPAH, in a sense, was standing alone.

Sorry Larry, but I didn't see it. 
> 
> The other gatherings were grass root, open mic/jam situations with concerts in 
a hotel ballroom w/out ambience, etc.

Hey Larry, I hate to tell you this but most players are not show stopper 
quality, and as such, the open mics and jams were the ONLY thing they had.
So why would someone shell out a grand or more if there is no place for them to 
play. I mean I have seen cases where these stars have a lucrative slot on a show 
but still feel they have to dominate the other jams too. 
 And as far as the ball rooms go, they are still the same. Moisture sucking wall 
tex covered plasterboard. No character, no windows, and ridiculously cold, with 
temperatures under the control of an eskimo....... and his penguin.

> SPAH decided not to duplicate any of the entertainment offered at the other 
entities and also not to duplicate entertainment year after year at SPAH

Again, I didn't see it. Yes, the Sat nite headliners were juggled around, but 
the rest of the week were mostly a recycle of the 'in crowd' that had been 
coming to SPAH for years. And not to get off on a tangent, but playing the same 
old stuff. Year after year. If it was a trio, it's was the 'Cats' material. If 
it was blues, it was the same chestnuts in the same style. 
There has always been a clique and it changes...periodically. There are some 
people that IF they show up, they are guaranteed to play.  

> (some of the entertainers who were used to being headliners every year were 
not happy.

Good...tough. There IS such a thing as over exposure. And a few of those people 
were long past their exposure limit. They seemed to forget that the 'little 
people' were the ones paying full freight and supporting their 'habit' year 
after year.  

> Sunny Girl excluded, for reasons that she became a valid draw in herself).

> The blues night show/jam had the jam eliminated (much to the horror of a few 
attendees) and developed into a concert entity with responsible sound 
re-inforcement and volume moderation.

I didn't see that either. I can recall the first year they moved the blues intro 
show from another hotel to our host hotel and Paul DeLay was playing. Though a 
magnificent player, I had to listen from DOWN THE HALL The volume was ear 
splitting. The Jason Ricci shows were much better.  

> Thought was given to better stage ambience.

Like what, pray tell. The stages have always been spongy portable steel framed 
plywood that was so bouncy that you couldn't set down a glass of water. The back 
wall has always been moisture sucking wall tex covered plasterboard. You had to 
drink water ALL day just to keep from becoming a steer head in death valley.   

> It was also the beginning, thanks to Randy Singer, of a Jazz Jam, while the 
blues jam became acoustic and was offered later at night.

I was the one who approached Gordon Mitchell about the jazz thing. Beings that I 
used to play along with Ron Kalina at the piano bar in Romulus.  That was back 
in 91. But since I was new to SPAH, it went nowhere. Also being new to spah, 
there was no way I was in the clique. 

> Real pianos were rented for use, tuning mandatory (to upgrade the sound). In 
other words, less grass roots and more world class approach.
> 
That's true, AND I remember that YOU were the one who tuned them. In fact, 
several times during the week. Every time they were moved, you re-tuned them. 
When I first saw you I thought you were the 'duty piano tuner'. 
> 
> One of the best additions was to have a Swing Dance on the last evening for 
the older attendees. The Swing Dance Band would also have sit ins by the more 
accomplished players and was not an "open mic".

I like this "more accomplished players" aspect. Just who was it who determined 
who these players might be? Was it by reputation, stature, being a known 
quantity? Who did the choosing. I'm curious. 

> This aspect gave so much happiness to the attendees that it became something 
they looked forward to that wasn't totally harmonica driven. A room full of 
people revisiting their youth as they danced the night away to old swing tunes 
was a wonder to behold.

What year(s) was that? 
> 
> All of this sparkled and SPAH had its best attendance of the 90's during these 
few years. 

> Now that reinventing has become a topic along with the demise of other 
conventions, there is no reason that this proven template can't be used once 
again for success.

Maybe, but I don't think the convention is the problem. I think time is the 
problem. We are all getting older. I was 49 when I went to my first. This next 
one will be 20 years (and # 16) for me. I could get sick at any time. 
> 
> Offer a unique experience - not a redo of the same old same old - and perhaps 
attendance will increase.
> 
I agree. 
>