Re: [Harp-L] My New Site is open...jon kip/Rob P

[JON KIP <jon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello, again... Just to add to Rob's note that I hadn't realized came from the List.... I answered him, but in case anyone is wondering why I don't learn all the various harmonica and harmonica-adjacent instruments and add them to my list of "I can play these instruments".

I spent 45 years juggling oboe, flute, saxes, clarinets, and so on, trying to keep in shape on all of them , in case someone called me for work. Which they did.

That paid the bills, but everything was always a compromise, switching from one instrument to the next, having to pick it up and play it without being too embarrassed.  Play oboe for a 50 bars, and then you have to pick up a flute, wait some bars and come in as if you hadn't just played oboe.... not easy, but it paid pretty well. If we made music, that was a plus.

Now, the last thing in the world (an expression only, there are far worse things, I realize) I want to do is begin to juggle all the harmonica instruments around. 

I started really late on chromatic harmonica, and consider myself lucky to have gotten this far at it. I could blame Tommy Morgan, but I won't...well, yes, I will, just a bit....

I retired  from the doubling business, still play occasionally, but mostly what I do is play chromatic and learn some jazz on it.

It's the kind of fun that I've never had before.

So that's why I choose to play just the one, three-octave chromatic harmonica.

I have no idea how those guys, Rob included, can even be accurate on different length instruments...

But they are....

I think it's magic of some sort.

As I told Rob, i got really lucky.... 

I'm probably part of the last generation where the Average Studio Player can retire with a livable pension

My apologies for leaving the music recording business in such bad shape.

It wasn't all my doing.

jk