Every flummoxed overblower wants to believe itâs the harp (dammit!) which is defectiveâ-not the player. Believe me, I know! I wish a pro would pick up my harp and struggle as much as I, confirming what ce rtainly must be the source of the problem: the gear. Well, last week end I got my wish, although the outcome was not what Iâd hoped.
During a break at Howard Levyâs workshop in NYC, a student came up t o him and asked the perennial question: Is it possible to overblow a n out of the box harmonica? Howard looked down at the suspect Marine Band in the clutches of the humble inquirer, asked if it was new (â almostâ came the earnest answer), rolled his eyes with a what-the-he ll, and extended a trusting hand to accept the instrument in questio n. To an audience of incredulous ears and jaws agape, he ran up and down the ten holes of the stock Marine Band like it was a custom Fil isko. Well, almost. After blowing musical brilliance through the $20 toy, he declared, âNot bad, although it doesnât overdraw.â Of course, at the speed he played the fusillade of notes, youâd never k now.
When he handed back the harp to its owner, there was smoke pouring from the vents in the cover plates. The wooden comb surprisingly had nât caught fire, but the equipment excuse long blamed by frustrated overblowers had been burned to ashes.
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