Re: [Harp-L] Are we in a golden age of harp?



"James" wrote:
<My question is Are we in a Golden Age of Harp? Has there ever been this much techniuqe
<and as much music made at once? 

I think we're on the way there.  Certainly the level of playing in every genre is better than I've ever seen.  When I started playing, there was one pro-level jazz harmonica player in the world.  Now there's at least one in every major city in most of the industrialized world.  There are great blues players active everywhere, and great rock players who've managed to break loose from the blues and create something entirely new.  There are great individual stylists and bands whose work can't be easily categorized.

But it's still much too hard for harp players to make a living.  It's still much too hard for harp players to get gigs.  When you look in the classifieds of alternative newspapers, there are still no ads for harp players.  Major musical instrument store chains still don't run harp player contests the way they run guitar player contests.  Major musical instrument manufacturers don't produce effects devices (like amp modelers) with presets designed specifically for harp players.  Major music conservatories still don't offer degrees in harmonica performance.

We've got the makings of a golden age here--a growing population of strong players.  We all need to dig in hard to take it to the next level.

And by the way--congratulations to Robert Bonfiglio for taking it to the next level in his own career, and for the harmonica, with his upcoming performance at the Kennedy Center with Marvin Hamlisch conducting!  Robert's my hero.  

Thanks and regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com




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