[Harp-L] SPAH and kids

[Mick Zaklan]

   Thanks for your insights, Bob.  Whatever the Bluegrass folks are doing,
it is definitely working.  Here in Chicago there are actually some "blues
in the schools" programs.  Harpist Billy Branch has had one going for two
or three decades.  For that alone, we ought to have him out to a convention
to talk about it.  Besides being a SUPERB harmonica player and one of the
few left who has worked with a slew of Chicago legends.  Eric Noden has
been doing something with a particular school, too.  Every year the Blues
Fest would feature these kids on one of the large stages, with Eric leading
them.
   Our instrument is definitely alive and kicking in the Blues idiom.  Last
year I caught 8 really good harpists on various Chicago Blues Fest stages
in 3 hours of walking around, including our own Buzz Kranz.  One stage
showcased 3 very talented young African-American players.
   But this is about the harmonica operating in all forms of music.  We
need young players joining the organization and attending the conventions,
no matter what they play.  The youth scholarships certainly help.

Mick Zaklan