Re: [Harp-L] The Internet

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

Excellent observations that extend beyond this list out into the rest of  
("reality" is what you make it...).
 
Being involved w/gourmet food, the realization that what I like doesn't  
necessarily have to be what everyone else likes (or buys) really helped in  
understanding how to grow the business. I suppose there was a fork in the road  and 
a decision made - the common denominator amongst the public is pretty low in  
the scale of quality (as I perceive it).
 
I see these choices here in Central FL - this area is based on pleasing  
tourists. The European and Canadian tourists are literate and polite. The US  
tourists are fat, bloated, and rude, for the most part, and yet, they are the  
ones spending their money. Businesses do well in this area that offer "McDee"  
products.
 
Our choice was to limit our scope, offering a high quality product that  
costs a bit more. The downside is that a lot of the public says "That's  awfully 
expensive for such a little jar". Since we made the decision to stick to  our 
personal philosophy of upgrading quality, the challenge is to find those  that 
are on our wavelength. The conclusion (after a few years of frustration) is  
that we now seek out areas of demographics that fit our philosophy, which is  
definitely NOT Central FL, rather than compromise our "artistic  integrity".
 
The beauty of the world is that it is soooo populated, one can find people  
that are aligned with what we offer to date. We travel farther away from our  
immediate area to do so, however. Now, we are planning on leaving this area and 
 moving closer to our demographic markets rather than complaining that those 
in  our immediate area just don't "get it".
 
The same may be said of musical artistic integrity. One way to make it is  to 
lower the bar and offer what the bulk of the general public understands and  
likes - "McHarmonica". Some are able to swallow this and do it, others just  
can't and stick to their guns, but have a longer struggle to find their 
markets.  The belief that one can "educate and upgrade" the perception of the public 
is  the longer road.
 
I've mentioned before that those on this list are a drop in the bucket  
compared to the rest, but since we all meet here and chat, we've found an island  
in the midst of the vast human ocean that reinforces our beliefs.
 
If you are able to carve your own smaller niche and ignore the vast  
majority, finding enough on your little island to sustain you, congratulations. 
 
The Iceman
 
 
In a message dated 1/12/2009 12:36:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
dan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

Dear  Robert and List,

I have the highest regard for your abilities, your  years of study, your 
talent, and you taste in music.  In fact, I very  much agree that quality of art 
comes from such study, and dedication.  I  have spent too many hours practicing 
not to agree.  My hours pale in  comparison to yourself and others like you, 
whom I regard with the highest  esteem.

Unfortunately, the world defaults to "the average".  As a  tall person, I 
struggle with "the average" every time I board an airplane or  buy a car.  I 
cringe at what I consider "harmonica abuse" every time I  hear some singer pull 
out a harp and play some awful, shrill b.s. on a top 40  record.  I think, "wow. 
 is it worth it?  why bother working my  ass off so some jackoff  with thirty 
dollars can re-convince the
whole  world that the harmonica is nothing but a novelty toy?"   It's  
daunting and depressing, and just plain wrong.

I was really frustrated,  making similar observations to the ones in your 
post.  Hell, I still  am.  What I started to realize was that nobody cared, and 
that I looked  like a jerk every time I called someone out for their "crap".  
Why?   Because the average is the majority.  They think Neil Young just wails 
on  the harp.  They freaking LOVE the harp in Roadhouse Blues.  They eat  up 
reality TV like it's gourmet food at discount prices.  

I  struggled with this conflict for quite some time (still  do). 

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