[Harp-L] Thanks to all who helped make the 2013 SPAH Convention such a success!

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tin Lizzie wrote:

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ObHarp: Elizabeth Atkison -- yet another Elizabeth in SPAH, who, to the best of my knowledge, has never posted to this list -- did an absolutely outstanding job as convention director for SPAH 2013. She had planned to step down, but the person who was supposed to shadow her last year dropped out of the picture, and instead of stepping down she stepped up to the plate and delivered yet another outstanding convention experience. She richly deserves the heartfelt thanks of all who attended.

Tin Lizzie (The poster formerly knowns as âElizabeth H. (aka âTin Lizzieâ)')
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I second Lizzie's tribute to Elizabeth Atkison, who has done
excellent work in staging and executing the 2013 SPAH convention (and the 2012
convention, after intended to step down after 2011). She keeps track of dozens
of details and processes and was the main player in making the convention run
smoothly. We're still looking for someone to take up the baton, but they'll have
a tough act to follow.
Â
I got a lot of compliments on the convention, and my
invariable reply was, "Thanks. I have a great team in place." That
team starts with Elizabeth Atkison, and extends to:Â
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Vice President L.J. Atkison, who did space planning,
logistics, signage (with the help of Phil Duncan) and vendor relations. Phil
Duncan also produced the Gospel show featuring Charlie McCoy and Buddy
Greene.Â
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Membership Director Phil Franklin and Treasurer Deb
Anderson, who handled a huge influx of registrants and worked through some
monumental credit card glitches. Longtime volunteer Rudy Michelin helped with registration packet distribution.
Â
Stage manager Chris Richards, who made sure that afternoon
and evening shows and sound ran smoothly (and also independently produced the
offsite blues blowoff)
Â
Seminar Coordinator Manfred Wewers, who put together the
seminar schedule and made sure that the seminars went off as planned (and made
adjustments when they couldn't)
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Media Director JP PagÃn, who designed the program book and
schedule and handled most printing needs, and also played many other roles (and
saved the day on more than one occasion), while gathering information and
photos for the convention issue of Harmonica Happenings, which he's edited now
for the last several years
Â
Doug May, who designed the SPAH 2013 posters, T-shirts and
signature graphics, and donated to the youth fund the auction proceeds from a
multi-autographed copy of last years' program book (which features the logo he designed for the 2013 SPAH convention in Irving, Texas)
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Treasurer emeritus Gene Hansen, who ran the SPAH store (with help from Bill Dulin and others from the Gateway Harmonica Club)

Entertainment committee members Tom Stryker and Paul Davies, who worked with me to assemble the entertainment for the afternoon and evening shows
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The Rosebush Fund youth committee, (Chair Rose Marie Maxey, Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, and Elizabeth Atkison), who solicited applications and
selected this year's William Rosebush Youth FundÂgrant recipients
Â
Youth liaison Buzz Krantz, who helped the youth performers
coordinate their evening shows. Buzz also ran the Saturday evening raffle drawings.
Â
Joe Filisko and Gary Allegretto, who ran the children's
program, with financial assistance from Hohner USA
Â
Charles Spranklin and past President Paul Davies, who emceed
the Wednesday and Thursday evening shows (Paul also handled engraving of the
SPAH awards that were given on Saturday night)
Â
Marv Monroe and Herb Eck, who hosted the open mic
Â
Smokey Joe Leone, who ran the Thursday and Friday night jazz
jams (with backing musicians engaged by Tom Stryker)
Â
Joe Filisko, who coordinated and ran the daily Filisko
teach-in, and all the fine teach-in providers
Â
Lonnie Joe Howell, who organized and hosted the nightly
country jams
Â
Cara Cooke, who organized and hosted the nightly bluegrass
jams
Â
The Sardo Brothers, who hosted hallway playalongs
Â
Guitarists Eric Noden and Jimi Lee, who were always
available to accompany performers of all ages and styles. Jimi also ran his own
jam.

SPAH table volunteers Jack Cleverdon, Joan Jobe and Lisa Sandoval
Â
And, of course, our host club, the St. Louis Gateway
Harmonica Club (especially SPAH liaison Bill Dulin and President Frank Davis),
who provided such magnificent local and logistical support. The Gateway club
has hosted more SPAH conventions than any other harmonica club, and they're
doing it again next year!
Â
Our gold and silver sponsors, Hohner (gold sponsor), Seydel, Suzuki,
and HarmonicaMD (all silver sponsors), whose sponsorships made a significant difference in SPAH's ability to fund many activities.
Â
Hohner USA, whose generosity helped make possible the appearance
by John B. Sebastian
Â
Robert Koch (aka Sunnyside), whose assistance helped make
possible the appearance by Michel Herblin
Â
I have the terrible feeling that I'm forgetting someone and
thereby doing an injustice. I've already gone back several times and added to
the list. (Vendors, entertainers, and seminar presenters are being thanked separately and individually.)
Â
You see what I mean? Every time I received a compliment, my
thanks simply had to give full credit to the great team that did so many things
to make the 2013 SPAH convention such a wonderful event.

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa
President, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Harmonica
 Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance