[Harp-L] Need advice on youth/adult harmonica workshop/club

phyllis731@xxxxx phyllis731@xxxxx
Mon Nov 6 09:05:26 EST 2017


Chris, you may be able to get Hohner or Lee Oscar to donate some inexpensive C harps to get people started.
Do you have a local library or church that would donate space for your workshop?  We have a monthly harmonica group here in a suburb of Chicago and we meet at a Wine Bar where there is also food.  They give us space once a month and we order food and drinks, so it's a win win.  We have a pro guitar player in our group and if one of your musicians will volunteer to play guitar, then you've got enough to get started.  We play for and with each other....all levels, beginner to advanced and no one is judged.  It's a lot of fun.  We have volunteer drummers also for the group with a partial drum setup.  It just so happens that one of the owners of the wine bar is a bass player and he joins in once in awhile or other members play bass guitar.  Gather your talent and let the fun begin.
 
Blues Girl Phyllis
Do no harm but take no shit.
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In a message dated 11/5/2017 2:21:38 PM Central Standard Time, ctalbot at xxxxx writes:

 
 Hi, everyone.

I'm in the early planning stages for launching a youth/adult harmonica
workshop and club in my town. I'm not entirely sure the best way to achieve
success with such an undertaking, though.

I live in a remote community in Northern Canada. If you look up Fort Smith,
Northwest Territories in Google Maps, you'll see it's a pretty
out-of-the-way place with only 2,500 people. We're talking no music store,
no music venue ... but a dedicated group of musicians scattered throughout
the town.

I think I'm one of maybe three harmonica players in town.

Anyway, my issue is mostly about structuring such a group. I'm not an
accomplished player. I'm not an educator by trade. I play for fun and am
simply looking to help anyone who might be interested in playing get
started.

I'd be interested in advice/opinions from the SPAH membership. I'll have to
scrape together funds just to get things going, as I'd like to be able to
kick things off with a workshop that provides new harp players with a
diatonic harp in the key of C, one to four group lessons (not sure how many
to go with) to learn some basic techniques and a popular song or two, and
then branch out into a regular group to play and help each other improve
and learn new techniques.

Does anyone have any advice to give as I get things started?

Also, does anyone know if it's worth approaching any of the major
manufacturers for any kind of support?

Thanks in advance. I'd appreciate any thoughts.

Chris


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