Re: [Harp-L] Update on Harrison Harmonica/SPAH Scholarship Fund

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

Bob Williams and I would look to the city in which the convention was held (I am remembering St. Louis in particular) and locate local harmonica heroes known to that particular city, but not to the SPAH membership. They were invited to the convention and given a shot somewhere. My memory of details is not great, but I do remember one St. Louis blues diatonic hero (not Sandy Weltman) was given a seminar slot. The local harmonica heroes were also comped a day pass, probably Thursday which used to be the Blues Night. I am trying to remember if they were asked to play at the end of the show in a guest spot. Seems to me that was our philosophy at the time, so I wouldn't be surprised if they were included in the show somewhere.

How easy is that? Look to the city in which the convention is held and invite the local heroes not known to SPAH - no real travel or room expense to lay out. Free pass to get in doesn't cost anything. They love the honor of a comped pass and the respect shown to them by SPAH. SPAH membership gets exposed to new talent. Who knows - may even entice another player to join SPAH....

btw, this stuff was so easily accomplished with just Bob and I running the idea past the BOD, given the green light, and we would just do it. no selection committees, no debates, no political maneuvering, no glad handing and backslapping, no bloated decision making protocol. Life was easy and fun in the entrepreneurial spirit of can do and can do right now.

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Cohen <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wed, Sep 26, 2012 4:33 pm
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Update on Harrison Harmonica/SPAH Scholarship Fund



On Sep 26, 2012, at 3:32 PM, Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I would preclude the food part. After all, if they stayed home, while they 
would not have any of the other expenses, they would still have to eat. And some 
people eat too much. :) 

The thing is, Joe, SPAHs are seldom held in places where the food costs are 
reasonable. Without a car, it's eat in the hotel or starve. I was raised to take 
care of my guests. The grant would include a modest per diem rather than a blank 
check.

> Spah is never going to provide live musicians for anyone whom is not a 'known 
commodity'.

Being an unknown quantity is precisely the point.

> They just can't afford it.

That's right, which is what makes a self-sufficient fund to provide an artist 
for the entertainment line up a good thing. There's no downside for SPAH unless 
you count me. And since it's a SPAH event, A slot on the on the selection 
committee would be set aside for a SPAH designee. And by the way, I see this as 
a genre agnostic grant. 

And I know a lot of people who already attend SPAH fit into the category of 
amazing and unknown outside their circles but the purpose of this grant is to 
look beyond what's right in front of us. And as a practical matter, I don't want 
to hurt anyone's feelings by seeming to choose one SPAH regular over another. 
You're all aces in my book.

But all of this is moot unless SPAH expresses an interest, which thus far it has 
not. So, Winslow if you're listening, or reading really, please contact me off 
list if there's andy interest so we can have preliminary discussions.

There may not be room on the board for me anymore but I believe in SPAH's 
mission. I have a heart felt desire to help the organization broaden its 
membership and to help preserve and advance the harmonica.

Bob Cohen
Writer, Internet Consultant, Teacher
w: bobjcohen.com
t: #itsabobworld