[Harp-L] Banned from Slidemeister

["Brendan Power" <bren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

When I go to the "Chromatic harmonica Only" online group Slidemeister,
this is the friendly welcome message that greets me:

"SORRY BRENDAN POWER, YOU ARE BANNED FROM POSTING AND SENDING PERSONAL
MESSAGES ON THIS FORUM. THIS BAN IS NOT SET TO EXPIRE"

It came about because of fallout from a recent post notifying folks on
Slidemeister about my new Twin-Harmonica System. This creates new slider
chromatic harmonicas that have never been seen before: QuarterTone
Chromatic, Octave Chromatic, all-bending X-Reed Chromatic, Double
Chromatic in many variants (eg. keys a tone apart, octave apart); these
are some of the many possible configurations.

This is significant news for chromatic harmonica players, as suddenly they
have a bunch of extraordinary new possibilities behind that familiar
mouthpiece/slider interface, and in their familiar Solo tuning too!
(though all other common harmonica tunings are possible also).

Because of the radical nature of this new chromatic, my post naturally
gathered quite a bit of interest and quick responses, many of them posing
questions about it. I answered them factually.

However, as I am not just making these for my own use but offering them
for sale, the list owner AJ Fedor shut down the discussion without
warning, decreeing that it was a form of advertising.

He told me I was forbidden from answering posts on the THS: "I have
absolutely no problem with the discussion of the new Chromatics as long as
_you_ don't participate."

When I asked where it was possible for me to discuss this ground-breaking
new chromatic harmonica type on the world's premier online chromatic
harmonica discussion group, I was replied with an email that gave me, in
AJ's own words, a "non-negotiable offer::-)": pay an annual $600 in fees
for a compulsory banner ad and a separate board devoted to just my
harmonicas.

I feel this is quite absurd, and extortionate. Slidemeister members are
smart enough, and old and ugly enough to make up their own minds about new
products, regardless of what anyone tells them. A lot of the discussion
there is about the plusses and minuses of various models and brands. I
wouldn't have thought most would feel they need a dictatorial list owner
censoring what they can read and think about chromatic harmonica models.

And Mr. Fedor is nothing if not dictatorial; you only have to peruse his
list superficially to see lots of "Rules and Regs - Members MUST
Read'em!". It is also the only harmonica list with strange non-harmonica
'child boards' such as "Christmas, Patriotic, Church, Religious Tabs,
Prayermeister", apparently pushing Mr. Fedor's own conservative religious
agenda. I sometimes wonder if he has a Mussolini complex, as he bears a
remarkable resemblance to Il Duce, and seemingly enjoys handing down fiats
and dictats.

Unfortunately, dealing with AJ Fedor's bizarre judgments on what's allowed
and what's not is the price of entry to Slidemeister. I wanted to post a
query for Slidemeister members about THEIR thoughts on his ultimatum, but
of course now I've been banned that is impossible. Banning is the ultimate
censorship, I guess!

My feeling is that Mr. Fedor is doing a disservice to Slidemeister members
through this ban. I have many friends there, and I know from their posts
that members are always interested in my fresh takes on the traditional
chromatic harmonica format. I have contributed some significant new ideas
to the chromatic harmonica over the years, including Half-Valving (now
gaining wide popularity), several new tunings, new types within the
traditional format (the Slide Diatonic and Irish Session Harp), new
combinations of different parts, new hand-made variants from commercial
models (the CX-10, CX16 etc from the Hohner CX-12), new accessories (the
Slide Hook, CX-12 resonator plates)... This list goes on.

My Twin-Harmonica System is undoubtedly the most radical and advanced of
all my chromatic harmonica innovations, because it creates many entirely
new types and possibilities for players of the traditional Solo tuning and
slider format. Slidemeister is an obvious place to discuss it, and I would
have thought it would be a benefit to members that the inventor is online
and happy to answer queries, and explore new ideas with them in continued
discussion.

Mr. Fedor obviously does not agree. Unless Slidemeister members themselves
prevail upon him to change his mind, I am now banned from any discussion
there about anything, and the ban "is not set to expire".

I know some Slidemeister members are on Harp-L as well. Please think about
this and, if you feel you would rather Mr Fedor reversed his ban,  I'd be
grateful if you'd let him know by making your feelings known on the forum.
If enough of you make a noise about it, hopefully reason will prevail and
Mr. Fedor will rescind the ban.

If not, then I fear for the future of Slidemeister if it continues as such
a closed-minded personal fiefdom. It does not do the chromatic harmonica
justice for the great instrument it is if it seeks to muzzle the inventors
of alternative forms.

Regardless of what happens on that score, I'm very happy to be enclosed by
the warm, open-minded embrace of the oldest and best harmonica list of
them all. Long live Harp-L!

Brendan Power