[Harp-L] SPAH does not invite me to their annual events

[randy singer <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

WELL SAID, ROBERT,

IT is a crying shame you have not been first call to headline any of 
these festivals to perform and teach the values of sightreading, etc.

The harmonica community needs you. We have too many harmonica players 
and not enough MUSICIANS.

After introducing the JAZZ CLUB to spah, I remember one year having to 
host the jazz club without bass, drums and decent pa in a huge 
room.....

It is time the politics left the building and brought the master 
musicians IN!!

Good Luck, Rob and Chris,

randy



Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:02:25 -0400
From: Robert Bonfiglio <bon@xxxxxxxxxx>

I play classical Harmonica Concertos for a living with symphonies all
over the world, and yet SPAH does not invite me to their annual events
in spite of my willingness to go and to teach.

Toots and I talked about this years ago when I was playing the World
Premiere of the Henry Cowell Harmonica Concerto with the Brooklyn
Philharmonic and the West Coast Premiere with the Los Angeles
Philharmonic and he was playing the Monterey Jazz Festival and still we
were not invited to SPAH.

We don't do Schtik?  Is that it?  It's kind of like having a singing
event where the Barber Shop Quartet is what it's about. Who knows, but
the people who actually making a living playing the instrument and held
high in their respective fields don't seem to be at the top of the list
at Spah.

Well, Chris had the Harmonica Summit in Minneapolis with all pro
players and it proved to me that there were people who took the
instrument seriously.  So I plan to do my own Seminars and not deal
with the politics.

Harmonically yours,

Robert Bonfiglio
http://www.robertbonfiglio.com