[Harp-L] What first attracted you to harmonica? Why did you learn to play it.

[Michael Easton]

It was during a hot summer Saturday night in 1966. I was 9 yrs. old.  Like we did every Saturday I sat down with my parents and sister and a high ball to watch the Larry Welk show.
Featured that night was famed polka  musician Blind Chitlin Lemon Meringue performing on a tremolo harmonica. 
Maybe it was my 3rd high ball or the heat but the sound was incredible. I looked up at my pappy and said, “I want that. I want to blow that thing so hard.”
Well my pappy looked at my mama in horror and my mama quickly reached down and took the drink from my hand saying, “I think you had enough boy.”
My sister was giggling at me and called me a dumbass. 

The following Monday I hooked up with my buds Kyle and Kenny at the bus stop and said, “I know what I want to do with my life”.  Kenny said, “mmphmpt”? 
And I said, Exactly.  “You saw the show to?,” I asked.   At that moment my girlfriend Bebe and her friend Penny and Penny’s  brother Sheldon joined us.

Doh! Back the truck up. Must have slept on the tv remote again.  

What really happened.  I don’t think you care. Here is the short version.  Heard someone play harmonica  on a record. Heard more on another record. Bought a harmonica. 
Got blown away by another record that turned a hobby into a passion. Bought more harmonicas.  Hey that guy sounds different!  Bought a different harmonica with a button. 
Damn things break too easy. Decided to learn how to fix them.  Jump ahead 45 years.  Not taking it so seriously as everything else in life right now but hopefully kept my sense of 
humor and sarcasm intact.  

Btw, the high ball part is true. So my parents could settle us down occasionally on a Sat. night they would make a high ball and give my sister and I one. It seemed to work. 
We calmed down while they watched the lame Lawrence Welk show in black and white.  Never developed a drinking problem but I still hate Saturday night tv. The End. 

mike
www.harmonicarepair.com