Re: [Harp-L] Chris Michalek

[David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

He definitely had contempt for that test - which I witnessed as a member of the audience. He must have spent 5 minutes arguing before the test started with stuff like "How do I rate them as sounding good? I mean, none of these are going to sound as good as my customs. So, how can I possibly say if they were good or not?" This went on for what seemed like forever. 
If I hadn't been a paid representative of a harmonica company, I'd have said something. I so wanted to jump up and tell him to shut the h..l up.
I was in audience, but paying attention and keeping track. I wasn't difference in the plastic or wood. I could get the brass about 90 or 95 percent of the time and that 5 or 10 percent of the time, I don't think the brass sounded like itself because the brass comb sounded really obvious to me. 


David Payne
www.elkriverharmonicas.com


Elk River Harmonicas Forum now available via Iphone app, www.elkriverharmonicas.com/forum


________________________________
 From: Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>
To: harp-L list <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2012 4:29 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Chris Michalek
  
At SPAH2010, I helped Brendan Power organize a blind test to determine if any of a panel of well-known players could distinguish among combs of different materials.  We did this by changing a variety of combs into the same set of covers and reedplates.  Members of the panel played the harp and noted their impressions of Power-chosen attributes.

Only Michalek wrote in the same rating for every attribute of every comb.  This could have been an honest indication that he could not distinguish differences.  However, I interpreted it as contempt for the test.   The other panelists cheerfully cooperated with the test protocol.

On another occasion, I had a pleasant interaction when he requested and I supplied the CNC program for cutting 270 combs.

With certain people, you must tolerate their quirks with amusement and admire their accomplishments.  From what little I know, Chris was a net plus.

Vern