[Harp-L] SPAH 2016 awards - honoring great players!

[Winslow Yerxa]

Every year SPAH bestows three awards to great harmonica players. If you’re a member, you can nominate someone. The SPAH board will then discuss the nominees and vote. 


But there’s only 12 days left; deadline is June 30.

To nominate a candidate, go to spah.org/Files/SPAH_Reg_Packet.zip and download the registration packet. IN that packet is the Awards packet with all the rules, history of past recipients, nomination forms, and how to return the forms by mail or email.

You don’t have to attend the convention to nominate a candidate, but you do have to be a current SPAH member.

Briefly, the awards are:

Bernie Bray Harmonica Player of the Year Award

• Candidates should be individuals (not organizations) who are harmonica players
• Candidates’ proficiency should be a source of pride for the community – the award should be for excellence in actually playing the instrument.
• Award should be for distinction demonstrated or attained recently, preferably during a twelve month period prior to the deadline for nominations.
• Only one person may receive the Bernie Bray Award in any year.

Pete Pedersen Lifetime Achievement Award

• Candidates should have a record of achievements over a long period of time that may reasonably be considered to be the virtual equivalent of a lifetime.
• Candidates that have established themselves as outstanding harmonica players are preferred.
• Candidates should be active in promoting the preservation and advancement of the harmonica and the positive and meaningful interaction of harmonica players and devotees.
• Candidates should demonstrate generosity in sharing their talents and knowledge, and in remaining accessible to members of the harmonica community.
• Only one person may receive the Pete Pedersen Lifetime Achievement Award in any one year unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.

Stan Harper Award of Special Merit (formerly the SPAH Award of Special Merit)

• Candidates must have benefited the harmonica community in a manner that is deserving of singular honor.
• Candidates may be individuals who do not play the harmonica.
• Candidates may be organizations.
 
Winslow Yerxa
Producer, the Harmonica Collective
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition: ISBN 978-1-118-88076-0
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool Community Music School
President emeritus, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica