saregapadanisa
31 posts
Jan 05, 2010
1:30 PM
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This place seriously lacks girls !
Why is there so preciously few female harp players ? They are in the audience but don't seem to take up the harp.
Do you see any explanation to that, culture, sociology, gender, whatever. Are we (men) smarter (I doubt it) ? Is the harp a phallic substitute ? Are we still a macho community ? I have no clue.
I know it's a common feature in many fields of instruments playing, but let's stick to the harp. What is your take on that issue ? (I am not trolling ; it's a genuine question)
And if this thread can bring listening suggestions or youtube finds, that would be great.
(The only name I have in mind right now is Christelle Berthon).
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harmonicanick
504 posts
Jan 05, 2010
1:49 PM
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there is Annie Raynes and a fantastic young French 'woman' who I cant remeber the name of.
Female blues vocals aplenty
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Kingley
588 posts
Jan 05, 2010
1:52 PM
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There are quite a few good harmonica players who are women.
Annie Raines, Beth Kohnen and Cheryl Arena instantly spring to mind. All of them have stuff on YouTube and on CD.
Last Edited by on Jan 05, 2010 1:53 PM
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toddlgreene
355 posts
Jan 05, 2010
1:58 PM
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What, and ruin the SausageFest? ;-D
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~Todd L. Greene
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
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ZackPomerleau
486 posts
Jan 05, 2010
2:03 PM
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Nick, that's Rachelle Plas I do believe you are speaking of.
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saregapadanisa
32 posts
Jan 05, 2010
2:27 PM
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@kudzurunner, you're absolutely right. I actually live in a place where my almost everyday language (creole) is not that formal and doesn't make any distinction. At 48, I am still called "boy". Still, I realize that my expression in english is particularly awkward, to say the least. Shame on me. You made me feel the pain.
@Kingley, thanks, I've never heard of them before and will definitely check.
@Zack, yes, I now remember having seen her on youtube once, that was for a Hohner event in Germany not long ago if I can remember correctly.
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MrVerylongusername
761 posts
Jan 05, 2010
3:21 PM
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What about Sunny Girl? Whatever happened to her?
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harmonicanick
506 posts
Jan 05, 2010
3:32 PM
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Thats right Zack she covers jason Ricci stuff..awesome
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Sarge
10 posts
Jan 05, 2010
3:40 PM
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There's a gal from France that has several videos on youtube. I can't remember her name.
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MrVerylongusername
763 posts
Jan 05, 2010
3:46 PM
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btw, you sneaked back in quietly Zack! good to have you back
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addict
22 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:01 PM
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I'm a "girl". I play and I am pretty serious about the harmonica. Click my user profile to see a little about me. I think it would be nice if people added more to their user profiles. I am pretty shy about my playing. I wouldn't mind if you heard it, but I don't want comments. I am doing something that is pretty cool, I think. People always talk about how good it is to play with better musicians. So I have arranged to play with Jimi Bott (drums) and Franck Goldwasser (guitar). We've only done it once, but it was quite amazing. Tomorrow will be the second time. And it IS good to play with people who are better.
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saregapadanisa
33 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:13 PM
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I just didn't realize before that you could have a user profile. Great, Thanks.
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NiteCrawler .
1 post
Jan 05, 2010
4:16 PM
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Here in N.J.a good friend of mine Big Nancy has been blowing harp for 30 years or more,performing with many big named acts through the years.She,s a not only a great player but also a great person,who goes out of her way to do many benefits through the years for alot of different causes.You can check out her on her site www.bignancy.com , if your looking for a great woman harper with alot of soul, Big Nancy,s the real deal.
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Tuckster
328 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:28 PM
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@addict: Those are some big time players,you must be doing something right. Playing with them is like driving a Rolls Royce where most of us drive Yugos.
I had a few lessons from a great player named Lucy Van Sickle. She's not very active now,but really knew her way around a harp.
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kudzurunner
915 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:34 PM
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Yes, Nancy is the real deal.
Christelle was a member here for a short while, as many here know. Buddha offered some rather.....vigorous and unfiltered critique of a video she'd uploaded (it included the memorable phrase, "mind vomit," for which I tweaked him once or twice), and she ended up retreating from the scene.
There was also a thread in which males on this forum debated lesbianism as it was purportedly revealed by the size of Rachelle Plas's forearms, or something like that. I forget the precise details, but that was the gist.
In my role as moderator-when-necessary, I suggested that we try to make this place somewhat more welcoming for those few women who bravely ventured in.
That's all old history. My point isn't to criticize anybody here--we've all moved on--, but to help answer the OP's good question. There aren't many women here because in the past the environment here wasn't particularly friendly to them. Like many spaces where men predominate (and this is certainly true of the running website where I post), this forum tends in the direction of a locker-room.
Such spaces--raw, testosterone-charged, swaggering, ragingly doggish--have their purposes, of course. It's just that the phrase "Pictures, please!" (a kinder, gentler version of "Show me your t--s!") tends to put some (although not all) women on the defensive.
Luckily, nobody here has been asking for pictures--except of cool harps and amps. That's as it should be.
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shanester
55 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:39 PM
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Too bad about Christelle, I love what she does (expanding the reach of the diatonic harp). I follow her on youtube and wondered if she was on here.
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http://www.youtube.com/1shanester
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tookatooka
951 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:44 PM
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We had a poster here last week named Danielle. I assumed it was a lady but I wasn't sure whether I should ask.
@addict@ said "I love harmonica that rips your heart out and THAT is what I want to play". Yeah! me too, but it seems that it is hard to find. I wish I could find more examples of that.
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Last Edited by on Jan 05, 2010 4:49 PM
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GermanHarpist
855 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:46 PM
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What about Sandy88?
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germanharpist on YT. =;-)
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nacoran
690 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:46 PM
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Christelle Berthon used to hang out on here. I think she had some sort of dispute with someone and left. We do get sort of a boys club attitude around here sometimes. Any of the women who do pop in, if we do that, let us know. Addict, your right, not many people say anything on their profile. I gave up clicking on them since most people don't put anything on it. I like your comment about being a front porch player, enjoying playing with other people instead of in front of them. I don't mind recording either, but I really don't like getting up in front of people, and it's not a stage fright thing. I have no problem (and enjoy) doing poetry readings, but just sitting around with friends jamming is like communing with nature, except with music.
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addict
23 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:51 PM
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Yes, nacoran, exactly. Nothing is better than really playing with people. And playing with really good people, well, that is amazing. I like it best when it's like dancing with each other. And more than being a good soloist, I want to be able to play well with others. Make them sound better than they would if I weren't playing.
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saregapadanisa
35 posts
Jan 05, 2010
4:57 PM
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Addict, sounds like you just define with thoughtful words what music should be...
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MrVerylongusername
766 posts
Jan 05, 2010
6:26 PM
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With the exception of vocalists though, I honestly struggle to name many women blues musicians - strictly blues that is, not hovering around the boundaries of other genres like folk, singer-songwriter, country... I know they are there, they must be!
I mean take guitarists... Bonnie Raitt, yes... Sister Rosetta, ok... now I'm struggling!
Go on... name a female blues drummer without googling! There's a challenge. (cue a torrent of far-better-informed-than-I responses!)
Maybe I should stop listening to rap music and listen to more blues!
;-P
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Rick Davis
49 posts
Jan 05, 2010
6:51 PM
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There is a woman here in Denver named Teresa Lynn who plays a mean blues harp. Her band is good and they play all over town. She plays a Green Bullet into a stock Blues Jr. amp, and she gets good tone with that rig.
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-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
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kudzurunner
917 posts
Jan 05, 2010
7:59 PM
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women in the blues, apart from vocalists:
drums: Ola Dixon. Used to work a lot in NYC
harmonica: Annie Raines, Big Nancy, Christelle, Cheryl Arena
sax: an older woman who used to play in the B.B. King band. I saw her in a Harlem bar many years ago. Very plain looking and intense.
guitar: lots of 'em, actually, both older and younger. Debbie Davies, Cookie Magee (or McGee), Sue Foley, others whose names I forget
bass: Debbie Hastings, who played bass with Bo Diddley.
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KC69
122 posts
Jan 05, 2010
8:07 PM
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Ellie Lee of Columbus Ohio is a very good lead guitar, strictly blues player. She competed this year in Columbus Blues Society competion. I've set in with her. Great Lead, Great Groove. Reminds me of a younger Edith Bunker. Always loved that woman. Love ya Ellie if your out There.
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htownfess
5 posts
Jan 05, 2010
10:26 PM
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Think about it: In Western culture, a woman who covers her face surrenders power. Can't play the harmonica without doing that. I've long thought that most Western women scarcely consider playing the harmonica because of that, reject it without realizing why. Why on earth would they want a "harmonica face" publicity photo like so many men use, face all scrunched up & obscured by harp & hands? Women have to be extremely individuated or motivated or indifferent to such concerns to deal with all that on top of the difficulty of playing the instrument. Then there's the lipstick issue. It's a lot to go through in order to play a decidedly marginal instrument. Not saying the situation is right, just saying there it is.
Role models? Women can have a lot of fun deconstructing the guitar-god archetype, but when the harmonica equivalent in the public is Elwood Blues or Taylor Hicks, not near as much fun.
Haven't seen any women locally who have gotten past the stage of being rewarded for bad playing. There's only internal incentive to get good when there's so much fuss made over anything you do. That's an obstacle for women in rock, too, but at least if you play in a rock band, lots of your contemporaries come out to see you. Blues is unlikely to recruit many young women when they can play bass in a rock band instead.
Female blues drummers: Meg White, Samantha Wiggins (cheating, she's from my town, but you hear her on Sonny Boy Terry's Live @ Miss Ann's Playpen), Levon Helm's daughter, Jerry Wexler's daughter (what's up w/ that?), what's-her-name in Mr. Airplane Man. May be an insight in what a local friend said when someone said she ought to join the tie-dyed R&B band she was subbing with: "This music doesn't have enough anger for me." Women who want to go out and hit things in public probably lean more toward rocking than swinging, not to mention actually making money. How many female jazz drummers?
At least the development of the harmonica teaching culture is empowering motivated women to master the instrument more readily. One common quality of the prominent players mentioned is that they are extremely diligent students of the instrument.
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jonsparrow
1584 posts
Jan 05, 2010
10:56 PM
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"Where are the gals ?"
with me.
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mrdon46
23 posts
Jan 05, 2010
11:08 PM
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Interesting thread, and a good question--there are certainly some great female harp players out there. I hadn't been aware of the reason Christelle bailed on this site--personally I love her playing. Another woman player worth checking out is Natacha Seara.
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MrVerylongusername
767 posts
Jan 05, 2010
11:30 PM
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Ah! I should have expected that! although I'm gonna challenge Meg White (aren't White Sripes more indie/rock than blues?). The three others that Htownfess fails to actually name are excluded for precisely that reason (hey it was my challenge - so I make the rules!)
Ola Dixon though - I looked her up - now she has the credentials! thanks Adam. You win.
It is still my belief that women are, by a very long way, under-represented in the blues though - does noone else agree?
And if you do agree, why do think it is so?
Last Edited by on Jan 06, 2010 12:00 AM
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LittleJoeSamson
183 posts
Jan 05, 2010
11:58 PM
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Two excellent female harpists I know: Geneva Red...of Geneva Red & the Roadsters, and Debra Windsong aka "The Breeze".
Three git slingers: Joanna Connor ( if you haven't heard her lightning fast slide work, you're missing something. )
Shannon Curfman...better that Jonny Lang imo.
Sue DaBaco, of the Wise Fools ( who I've shared stage with ). Her acoustic rendition of "Voodoo Child" is simply incredible!
Bonnie Raitt is tasty guitar.
Kathy Richardson wields a mean axe, too.
The best drummer I ever heard in person was a "little person" and female. This was in Dubuque, Iowa... 30 years ago. Don't recall her name.
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Elwood
280 posts
Jan 06, 2010
12:31 AM
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To the original poster - there are certainly women out there playing harmonica. At London Harmonicas, the local collective, I've met a number of intermediates. I always cringe when someone says something like, "Well, it's great to see a girl playing harmonica!" As well-intentioned as it is (and we can ignore the use of "girl" for a moment), treating it like an abnormality turns it into an abnormality... and the result is quite opposite from what the speaker intended in the first place.
I'm currently working on a podcast showcasing young players, and Rachelle Plas (age 17) is set to be featured. I noticed that she doesn't bill herself as "a GIRL who plays HARMONICA (gasp)", just a harmonica player who happens to be a girl. Sometimes she gets framed that way, though.
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LindyHarper
1 post
Jan 06, 2010
1:36 AM
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Im a woman harp play
Been playing for just on 5 years, so much to learn, so little time :-)
I have a few vids on utube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr40BBdGTj4&feature=related
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LindyHarper
2 posts
Jan 06, 2010
1:41 AM
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whoops wrong link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGW-igHikho
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ricanefan
43 posts
Jan 06, 2010
2:19 AM
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It's not limited to Harmonica, and it's not limited to the Blues...the musician world (singers excluded) is largely populated by males. There are plenty of shining examples that prove it not need be so, but that's just the way it is. I personally have met many females who play the harmonica who's name you don't (and will probably never) know (just like mine), but for every one of them, I've met 20 similar males...
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htownfess
6 posts
Jan 06, 2010
4:14 AM
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Of course Meg White is more indie-rock than blues, but she's competent at one kind of blues drumming the same way that Patrick Carney in the Black Keys is--not that I would want her behind me on a swing instrumental. Check Joe Hughes' discography for Samantha Wiggins.
It could be claimed that generally and historically speaking, women are under-represented in any genre of popular music whose live performance serves partly if not primarily as soundtrack to the negotiation of casual sexual activity. Think about it, there's probably an axiom about inverse proportions possible there. That is why you find more women in trad Celtic or bluegrass bands, for example, than in country and western bands. You can't talk about the harmonica independent of that general phenomenon, because you're talking about what instruments get used in dance contexts and why.
Blues sidemen played their instruments to get women. All women had to do to get men was hit the dance floor, or just go in the club. That's how it was in the casual-sex-mating-ritual-live-music scene for a long time. No need for women to go onstage and lose their respectability, no need to learn an instrument, unless they were utterly driven to perform musically.
After maybe 1980, the trope of women in bands took off with MTV's help, but the main difference it makes is that women can now be in a band and not automatically be considered a lost soul; you'll still get a far higher percentage of women pursuing power via the dance floor rather than the stage. Smaller still is the percentage that will take up an instrument as marginalized as the harmonica. Why do all that work when you can just dance? What's in it for them unless they really, really love the harmonica?
I think in the first half of the 20th century in the U.S., a higher percentage of females played the harmonica, but in family/school/church contexts, playing standards; not the same as post-Beatles-style learning an instrument in order to play in a band at dances for your peers, then turning pro, etc.
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Ray
91 posts
Jan 06, 2010
4:17 AM
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Don't overlook Kellie Rucker. You can find her on youtube.
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MrVerylongusername
771 posts
Jan 06, 2010
5:07 AM
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Surely the blues sidemen played to get money and get out of the sharecropping system that had trapped their parents? The women were a welcome bonus.
Anyway it's a good argument, if not a little disheartening to think that it all boils down to us not being able to keep our little instruments tucked away.
(I'm the proud owner of a 48 Chord BTW!)
Last Edited by on Jan 06, 2010 5:08 AM
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harpcrab
37 posts
Jan 06, 2010
5:44 AM
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Interesting- when I went to one of Jon Gindicks harp camps last year there were 6 or so women (out of a group of about 30). If you check pictures of past jam camps on his website there appears to be a pretty good representation.
I suspect there are a lot of lurkers who don't post.... for various reasons.
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Honkin On Bobo
116 posts
Jan 06, 2010
6:13 AM
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Men dominate the ranks of musicians because we can't dance.
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nacoran
699 posts
Jan 06, 2010
10:06 AM
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Lindy Harper- Nice playing, although on the comments on the second video I clicked it looked like Christelle Berthon doesn't like your choice of names. Maybe she doesn't know the history of all the Sonnys, Bigs, Littles, Slims, etc.
:)
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bluzlvr
296 posts
Jan 06, 2010
1:42 PM
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Checking out the Albert Collins video that Adam posted a few days ago, you can see Debbie Davies on second guitar.
She used to play around the L.A. area a lot and she used to have a pretty good female harp player in the band.
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addict
26 posts
Jan 06, 2010
6:06 PM
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The original post in this thread has several questions 1) Are there any women harp players in this forums 2) Who are some women harp players 3) Is there any reason women harp players would not participate in this forum. 4) Why don't more women play the harmonica?
I already responded to Q1. And I really enjoyed reading the responses to Q2 because I learned about some women I hadn't heard of. And now I'd like to respond to Q3. I play harmonica because I love the sound of it when it is played well. I want to be able to do that. I want to learn about the harmonica and I'm interested in the different directions people go with it. And I'd like to have friends who share that passion. Those are the things that draw me to this forum.
I do find this forum intimidating because there is a competitive edge. Playing harmonica is not a competitive thing to me. I am not interested in contests. I am not interested in judging harp players, or at least not in writing my judgments.
There isn't even a way to just let people know how you play without opening yourself to judgment. I remember Adam specifically saying that anything anyone posts is open to judgment, and one should expect it. But I am not looking for that. So that means I mostly don't post and certainly don't share my playing.
That is my answer to Q3. I don't know if how I feel pertains to women or just to who I am. There may be men and women who are like me.
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Stickman
53 posts
Jan 06, 2010
6:17 PM
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I feel the same way about my playing Addict. Not competitive and not open for judgement. So I don't compete or "challenge" or post for criticism. However you might find that if you joined in the discussions, Your opinions and input would be valued.
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The Art Teacher Formally Known As scstrickland
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shanester
56 posts
Jan 06, 2010
6:31 PM
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I'll speak to that, addict. I get that there could be a competitive edge among some posters, and it is what it is, and it seems to center on the technical side of musicianship such as bending, overblows and hot gear. This kind of atmosphere can seem like a pissing match and be off-putting to some.
I am fairly new and have posted a couple of videos. I did not ask for comments and did not receive any. In my experience only the people who ask for input get it.
I come to this forum to have a window into the minds and music of other harmonica players and upload to be known. I am too hard headed to ask for help and I have a clear vision of where I want to go. I just post to be known, and think it's cool to see what others are up to.
Don't worry about any perceived competition. People seem for the most part to be generous and supportive here. There is only one you, have faith in your voice and you've won as an artist. From there you can play anything, simple or complex, and reach people, that's my 2 cents.
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http://www.youtube.com/1shanester
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saregapadanisa
37 posts
Jan 06, 2010
7:14 PM
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Addict and Stickman, I definitely belong to your club too.
I am relatively new to harmonica, but have been playing music forever. I had several times the experience of playing in front of master muscians (in a place where that means something, believe me), and even the kind words afterwards and the precious learning they can provide could not erase the fact that, while playing, you were just feeling like a shit.
Still, I am perfectly aware how judgement is essential to progress. And it's not a only a question of Yeah He/She is bad/good. There may be some kind of competitiveness on this forum, but I must say I've never seen "judgement" other than benevolant, encouraging or enlightning. And as for those here who post their playing - and judge - I only see generosity there. I'm not at this point (my music, my personality), but I am glad they are here, and glad to be here too.
Well, after this off-topic bla-bla, back to the girls (sorry, Kudzu, I mean women...)
I'm delighted to discover that many female harp players. I've already checked a few, mainly on youtube, thanks to you. Great Music.
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Bluzdude46
353 posts
Jan 07, 2010
5:25 AM
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drums: Ola Dixon. Used to work a lot in NYC
WOW I remember The Ola Dixon Band, They used to come to West Chester Pa evcery other month or so. What a melting pot Band it was. Great vibe, Ola was a great in the pocket metronome type Drummer. Thanks for the Memories.... And of course pointing out How old I am again LoL
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CJames
100 posts
Jan 07, 2010
5:38 AM
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I just gave my Girlfriend's best friend a harp to take away with her on a 2 year trip after basically trading it for her saxaphone- taught her the basics quickly before she left, who knows how far she'll get
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congaron
392 posts
Jan 07, 2010
1:25 PM
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My wife looks over my shoulder a lot when i am on here. She is a beginner who has taken a shine to single note melodies played via tablature. Last night I asked her if she could "play that without looking" after she did a note for note perfect rendition of silent night. Nobody was more surprised than she was when she did it!
There are a lot of ways to skin this harmonica cat. She is currently playing a $5 hohner plastic harp in C. It was the only C harp left in the store after i bought the last marine band in C for my son for christmas. He is a much more serious intrumental musician than she is and the store is right here..she has a special 20 rain check. Literally ALL the c harps were sold out for Christmas..special 20s, marine bands, johnsons (probably went first for price), blues harps..i forget all of them. It was amazing! I was in the store a week before and they seemed so overstocked for a small city!
So she plays her old suzuki folkmaster in A, tweaked by me...my old folkmaster in Bb, tweaked by me...and the $5 hohner, you guessed it...tweaked by me.
Her favorite thing to do right now is these melodies. Her single notes are pure and on pitch. Different strokes for different strokes. She jokes about joining up here, then doesn't for reasons i don't even know..she hasn't really said. I think she just forgets and plays farmtown on facebook...lol.
I really miss Christelle on here. Her playing inspired me to explore amplified tone in single note playing. Yep, I love her tone. It may have something to do with how she expresses each note, but i just drift away when I hear her play. She really left pretty soon after I joined. I wasn't spending loads of time here and feel fortunate to have figured out who she was so i can go to her you tubes once in awhile.
Women add a dimension to every area of life that does us good if we pay attention. God did well when he created women.
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addict
28 posts
Jan 07, 2010
1:45 PM
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congaron, you might want to check my post on the harps I have to give away.
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congaron
395 posts
Jan 07, 2010
2:04 PM
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for Pam? DO you have a link?
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