[Harp-L] SPAH Awards

[Jerry Deall]

SPAH Awards Ceremony, Live!

Who deserves to be honored in the harmonica community in 2020?
The SPAH Awards Ceremony will go live at 6:45 PM Central time, Saturday, August 15 (the entire SPAH Week Schedule is here). SPAH members have special access via the Members Only Waiting Room at: spah.org/spahweekmember. You will need to login to the SPAH website in order to see this page. Please help us manage Zoom attendance by keeping this link within your immediate family.
 
In advance of SPAH Week, please check to make sure that your SPAH login works! If you have any trouble logging in to your SPAH account, please send an email to info at xxxxx for assistance.

Non-SPAH members can tune in at http:// www.spah.org/Spahweek.
Each year, SPAH makes three awards to honor outstanding members of the harmonica community This year is no different, and we now have 25 nominees for these awards, all submitted by SPAH members in good standing. Here are the awards and the nominees. Who will win? Tune in and find out!
 
Stan Harper 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.

 
Nominees for the Stan Harper Award in 2020 are:
 
Ninety-seven-year-old WWII veteran, ballgame celebrity, and harmonica promoter “Harmonica Pete” Dupré; player and SPAH Youth Committee Chair Cynthia Dusel-Bacon; player, custom harmonica builder, and teacher Joe Filisko; SPAH Membership Director Philip Franklin; player, teacher and author Adam Gussow; player, teacher, and harmonica repair technician George Miklas; player, researcher, and author Pat Missin; Chicago Tribune music critic Howard Reich; and player, teacher, and former Twin Cities Harmonica Club President Steve Watne.
 
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.

 
Nominees for the Pete Pedersen Award in 2020 are:
 
Cajun harmonica player and teacher Jerry Devillier; player and teacher Jerry Fierro; player, custom harmonica builder, and teacher Joe Filisko; jazz virtuoso William Galison; player, teacher, and author Jon Gindick; player, teacher and author Adam Gussow; player, teacher, and harmonica repair technician George Miklas; and longtime Willie Nelson accompanist Mickey Raphael.
 
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.

 
Nominees for the Bernie Bray Award in 2020 are:
 
Jazz virtuoso William Galison; blues harmonica soloist Steve Guyger; harmonica player and worldwide video artist Akarsha “Aki” Kumar, Jazz virtuoso Hendrik Meurkens; versatile chromatic virtuoso and bandleader Antonio Serrano; and player and teacher Ronnie Shellist.

 
Thank you, SPAH

Copyright © 2020 SPAH Inc., All rights reserved.

Thanks, 
Jerry Deall, SPAH Vice-President