[Harp-L] My Experience with Ableism in the Harmonica Community

[Clarke Comollo]

Hi Amy
Harp on

> On Feb 18, 2024, at 5:58 PM, Amy Rister <amyrister02 at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> I'm very nervous right now as I haven't posted in a while and wondering how
> are people going to react to me now because I was bullied off the forum the
> first time I was in here. People haven't been the most kind to me,
> especially the certain type of harmonica player whom thinks that I'm
> mentally unwell, I should learn to "control" my disabilities or everybody
> should ignore me just because I have an experience that this type of player
> never had to deal with. Ableism is in every community, including the
> harmonica sphere. I feel like I'm the only one who experiences this type of
> hate. I'm not baiting or manipulating anything or anyone, but I have to be
> strong and not to refer anybody who bullied me by name.
> From the many players on this forum that I've met prior on Facebook have
> told me that I should go to dangerous therapies that will cause me trauma,
> to quit thinking about my special interest, to give up the instrument
> because I'd hyperfixate on my favorite player or I found his stuff too be
> very difficult months before I met my teacher, that I should play like a
> certain artist because he's "more successful" than my favorite or more
> "bluesy" than him, that I should work a "normal job" and not be a musician
> or file for disability because I appear to be "high functioning", and I
> even got called the R slur because I don't like a popular song that the
> general public liked. I wish to be treated as an equal and even though some
> people out there are nice, I've met more mean people more than the nice
> ones.
> To the people that my mom sent emails because you were complaining about me
> and my disability, either be nice to me or don't interact with my posts. I
> shouldn't have to mask myself for your pleasure nor be talked to as if I'm
> a baby. To everybody else, I hope you have a nice day.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Amy Rister