Re: [Harp-L] Re: Buckeye Cancelled

[Joe Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Apr 20, 2011, at 3:29 PM, The Iceman wrote:

> 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.

Oh, I never said the conventions were lacking. I have only mentioned small details when the subject(s) came up. Like when someone made a statement that I thought was a whitewash or snowjob. MY only negatives have been in relation to the hotels and the various problems with them. I also realize that we have to shop around for a place that will accomodate such a large crowd. In actuality, out of the 15 spahs, 14 Buckeyes, 3 Garden states, 3 Cardinal states (Williamsburg), and 1 Birmingham, of the 36, I have found 10-11 to have had some flaws. The staff of spah, on the other hand cannot be faulted. For example, you. I found you to have been the most pro active secretary. At least you were visible, transparent, and always doing something.  

> 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.

This is true, and I admit it. Since moving to Fla. in 97, it seems to always be a hassle for me to make it to spah. The major problem is Hart's Field Atlanta. They have made me late on several occasions. Airlines have gone out of business WHILE I was AT a fest. In 91, I had my face shattered and was out of action (playing wise for over a year), but I still came back. Our son was killed Christmas of 93, and that bummed me out for 5 years, but I still came. I have always paid my way, and I think I have spent 36 thousand dollars, so I was a supporter.  
> 
> 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:

No reason to GET defensive. You didn't do anything wrong. You did a great job.  
> 
> 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.
> 
Yes, I agree. On MY level. Which I consider at the 67 percentile. But what about those at 66 and below? THEY need an outlet too. They NEED open mic time. They need something to make them feel that it's worth their while. But then there are those who aren't considered good enough to be invited to play in the evening slots, but are a little too good to consistently be purgatoried to open mic. I personally feel that there is a group of people who are in this 'limbo' group. Remember, I DID say my opinion. Sure, I could be wrong. I'm not claiming to be right. Just giving my own observations.   
> 
> 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.

Ok, makes sense to me. I believe the spahs that I have missed were 99, 2000, 2005, 2009. If it was 99, I missed it. My fault. Jokes on me, have a good time.  lolol

> 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.

I only remember Chuck Robinette and his Sat nite band. I knew Chuck from Pittsburgh. And was pleased to find him at Detroit. We went back a long time. :)
> 
> 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.

Ok, I'll take your word for it. But like tonight. We had a fellow named Duke Danger sit in with us. He's relatively well known in the blues community and just got back from several years in Amsterdam. The volume was through the roof. He was blowing the tiles out of the ceiling. Sooo, maybe my ears are too sensitive. :) BUT, as I remember, several people did leave the concert hall because of the sound level. Oh well, my fault, mebad.  
> 
> 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.

Oh, I agree. But our fests are INSTRUMENT-centric. That means they revolve around a certain instrument. This means that most attendees will be players. Like 7 out of 8. Some other fests are GENRE-centric and the crowd is 7 out of 8 NON players. Who are there for the music. A singular 'niche' instrument is always going to have a tough time. 
> 
> I know you love being the devil's advocate,

I'm sorry you feel that way Larry. I am only here to give a different perspective and help whenever I can. I want others to skip past all the mistakes I have made and concentrate their time on worthwhile ventures and not dwell on dross. And having had a few years of business systems. I have a proclivity towards details. 

> 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.

Ok, but, when you think about it, most everything that happens in our lives is based on our own perceptions, and if I had to live under the watchful eye of the perception police, I don't think I could function. 

> Anyone interested in resurrecting dead horses can refer to old postings by searching for "Golden Age of SPAH", etc.

Hmm, but you see, I wasn't the one who resurrected a dead horse. I think I was talking about Buckeye (which WAS the subject matter). I think it was you who brought up spah. I think if you check the messages, it started tilting your way when you brought up Bob Williams. 
> 
> The point was that offering something unique, fresh and new does a lot to regenerate as well as keep attendance levels up there.

Ok, what are your suggestions for something unique, fresh, or new. Maybe you could offer an outline or sylibus to the festival committees. 

> 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. 
>> 
> 
> 
>