RE: [Harp-L] Miller is a 12-Year-Old Harp Monster

"Allen Stratyner" <astratyner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Sat, 15 Jul 2006 12:20:54 -0400

         My wife corrected my faulty memory. LD was more like 6 or 7 when he
took some lessons from me. I definitely didn't teach him how to play blazing
fast crescendos of notes. That definitely is not my own approach to the
blues, or music in general. It is quite possible that LD taught himself how
play fast like Popper. I could hear some of that already in what he played
for me. I definitely encouraged his parents to let him do his own thing.
Like I said he had good ears, and I had a gut feeling he'd come up with a
style and technique on his own. I wanted him to continue to have fun with
the harmonica. I didn't want to overwhelm him with so much structure, or to
force my own musical tastes on him. I really think that approach would have
turned him off, and he would have probably ditched the harmonica for
something else.

          Just remember he's still a kid, and a remarkable one at that.   My
best,

        Allen

.

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of Allen Stratyner
Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 10:30 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Miller is a 12-Year-Old Harp Monster

     I remember when a 5 yearold LD, and his parents came down from
Lafayette to Indianapolis Indiana so LD could take some harp lessons. He had
this great big cowboy styled hat on, and a vest on as I recall. He played in
a band with his Dad and Brothers(Clayton Miller Band, and they wanted me to
show him some stuff that would add some variety to his playing. As I recall
they also wanted me to give him some assistance with recognizing the chord
changes a little better  - which I did. I asked him to play something he
liked, and he was pretty darn good! I mean keep in mind he's a cute five
year old kid, but he can lip block single notes with no problem, and he was
bending notes pretty good, and played with enthusiasm. He also had a very
good ears, and was already pretty engaging in his playing. His parents and
the brother I met were all very nice people, and I think LD enjoyed playing
in the family band, and was a pretty normal 5 year old kid. One thing I
remember showing him was that riff I like to call the "Rice Miller applause
riff". It's the short repeated phrase Sonny Boy 2 did sometimes. I've heard,
and I'm sure you've heard numerous blues harp players do it for like 12...24
or more bars, and they usually get wild applause like they have just scaled
Mount Everest. I also remember showing him how to play fills between vocal
lines, I was glad to see he did some pretty bluesy fills on the show.

    I was very impressed by his performances!!! He has very good timing, and
a really good feel for blues rock, and he literally wowed all three of those
judges, and me too!  I have to say that anal retentive Englishman who had to
put down LD's brother rubbed me the wrong way.

   This is a great opportunity for LD, and with his talent and likeability
this primo exposure may launch a nice career for him, and his family.  My
best,
                              Allen

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of Bill Hines
Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 8:37 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Miller is a 12-Year-Old Harp Monster

I saw his email address on the group's website (actually he has a blog
there but not much on it) so I sent him a note asking about his rig. He
responded:

"i use hohner harmonicas blues harp my amp is a fender blue deville and
my mic is a hohner blues blaster  the  people at my music store riged me
up a wireless device. Thanx man! appreciate ur support. ,LD"

At least he still answers his fan mail :^)   sounds like a good kid.
Let's remember, he's a kid.

Bill Hines

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_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l