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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Yearly Harmonica Gatherings
Yearly Harmonica Gatherings
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Philosofy
739 posts
Mar 17, 2016
1:50 PM
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Jason alluded to something in the video on the Harmonica Collective that I think could be expanded upon.
What are the regular harmonica conventions/gatherings/symposiums, and what sort of atmosphere is conveyed.
My only experiences are SPAH (2014) and Joe Filisko's group class on Monday nights at Old Town School of Folk Music.
To me, SPAH is everything harmonica. All styles, all brands, all accessories. There's performances, there's jams, there's lectures and instruction. All in an atmosphere of camaraderie.
The Harmonica Collective seems to be a smaller gathering, focusing on Blues Harmonica instruction.
What other options are out there?
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Gnarly
1698 posts
Mar 17, 2016
2:38 PM
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Here in San Diego, we have the Spring Harp Fest, put on every year on the Saturday before Easter. This is a free event ($10 suggested donation), and this year the headliner is Lee Oskar.
Daron and I will be working the Suzuki booth, displaying our harmonicas for examination--you can even play them, if you like (I wipe 'em down before and afterward).
Here's the link to the website--
http://www.springharpfest.org/
Wow, I get a mention on the main page--I'm a star!
Last Edited by Gnarly on Mar 17, 2016 2:40 PM
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Mirco
394 posts
Mar 17, 2016
2:41 PM
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There's the Jon Gindick camps. It's semi-regular. Yearly in some locations, more frequent near his home.
There's the Trossingen Germany Masterclass thing with Steve Baker.
There's Bruce Willis's "Harpapalooza with Bruno and Friends", just a one day workshop with the nightly performance at Hard Rock LA.
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Marc Graci
YouTube Channel
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dougharps
1187 posts
Mar 17, 2016
2:54 PM
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Here are a few:
HamoniCollege in Huntington, WV April 1 - 3
Harmonica Workshop in Dunnville, Ontario
Midwest Harmonica Workshop in St. Paul, MN
Hill Country Picnic Harmonica Workshop
Kerrville (TX) Folk Festival Workshop
Augusta Blues & Swing Week Harmonica Workshop Elkin, WV
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Doug S.
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bluemoose
1123 posts
Mar 17, 2016
3:52 PM
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In Canada the Hornby Island Blues Camp and the Shared Harvest Harmonica Retreat Workshop.
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MBH Webbrain - a GUI guide to Adam's Youtube vids
FerretCat Webbrain - Jason Ricci's vids (by hair colour!)
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shakeylee
518 posts
Mar 17, 2016
7:48 PM
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The Wisconsin one is starting to sound interesting to me .
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www.shakeylee.com
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Moon Cat
563 posts
Mar 17, 2016
9:21 PM
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The Collective is definitely more than a Blues focused event it's primarily focused on music instruction that could be applied to many styles of music. We focus on Scales, Chords, Harmony, time, positions chromatic in all keys, techniques etc… Blues is obviously covered and talked about a lot but that is NOT our focus . We have had teachers like James Conway (Irish), PT Gazelle (Jazz), Winslow (World, jazz, Irish, Canadian, etc.) Richard Sleigh (Cajun/creole, Country), Michael Peloquin (Jazz/R&B) and many more who are not remotely blues centered teachers or players. Blues is there of course because thats where most players are headed and it's a solid platform for most music styles in general.
One of the things that sets the Collective apart is the very serious PLANNING for the curriculum and the focus on the event and it's individual classes not being held back or going to fast for any one person.
I've seen too many times a hard working soul who practices hard, saves his/her money, takes off from work shows up to the event then is not able to learn much because a guy who only plays once a year (during said event) is returning with his buddies drinking 30 year old cognac, playing 300.00 customs and smoking 20 dollar + cigars is still trying to learn to bend a note. That guy and his buddies basically partying at the event is totally cool with me but we have a separate place for him/her at our event where they will actually get MORE attention then else where. It's also definitely NOT about location, scenery or cultural tourism it's a very serious and often rigorous academic experience that is ALL about instruction and learning and really not much more. We have stopped hiring famous harp players this year as full time teachers that are not great teachers and have decided on hiring only the best educators who take their teaching as serious as their playing. There are no frills, very little bells and whistles, we have fun with Buzz and the band but only after the work is done. This event is for players and those that want to be! As a result of that the event makes very little money, breaks even or loses money. It's not a marketing dream at all as there are actually very few people who really, really want to get better. Most people want a fun vacation.
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www.mooncat.org
Last Edited by Moon Cat on Mar 17, 2016 9:24 PM
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Thievin' Heathen
725 posts
Mar 17, 2016
9:58 PM
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Don't forget the Tulsa Harmonica Summit, this Saturday 3/19/16.
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dougharps
1190 posts
Mar 18, 2016
7:17 AM
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I have attended a number of informative, inspirational, and instructive harmonica events, specifically 2 Hill Country Harmonicas, 5 SPAHs w/ workshops, 3 HarmoniColleges, and 1 complete and one day of another Harmonica Collective. They all have had a different flavor, different focus, different format. I loved them all. I enjoy learning so I can continue improving, and I enjoy hearing how other players use the instrument.
The most intensively focused harmonica performance learning events I have attended were the Harmonica Collective followed by Hill Country Harmonica. I have learned a lot at all of the events I attended. Some events were more relaxed and congenial than others, while others involved intense instruction over several days.
SPAH has great workshops, but is also a convention, where you can hear all things harmonica and interact with many different groups of harmonica fanatics playing different styles and in different genres. I think of it as harmonica immersion. In 2008 Chris Michalek taught overblow technique at one of the Joe Filisko afternoon workshops and I finally got my first 6 OB after having played harmonica for decades. I had read about overblows, and wanted to at least know what it was about. The classes and the Filisko afternoon groups are all high quality. There are always great harmonica performances in many genres at SPAH.
HarmoniCollege is a great group of harmonica lovers playing at various levels hanging out in a beautiful rustic West Virginia setting for 2 days, sharing info, jamming, eating home cooked food, and enjoying a day of expert instruction, on each occasion from great teachers. I love the event, and for me it is well worth the drive from Illinois to West Virginia.
Hill Country Harmonica was wonderful, with great teachers, great performers, great food, and a great setting. I found that camping out and studying harmonica in hot Mississippi May weather at times affected my ability to maintain my focus on learning. Still, it was intense harmonica instruction with great instructors and performers. The information was overwhelming.
In terms impact in my public performance, Harmonica Collective has been the most influential. The theory and practical playing instruction offered in different classes was really good. R.J. Mischo's and Jason's sharing of information and demonstrating their approaches to working with bands has been extremely useful for me.
I have learned a lot at each of the events I have attended. Some events group all levels in the same classes, some separate by levels. Even in earlier years Harmonica Collective offered expert guides who were available to consult separately from the classes. This year they have expanded the available assistance. I like that you can choose to repeat a class if you want.
I believe that Harmonica Collective is the most focused structured workshop for improving harmonica performance and offers the most intensive instruction for intermediate and advanced players of any of the events I have attended.
To be fair, I have not attended the event at Elkins, which appears pretty intense, too.
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Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Mar 18, 2016 7:18 AM
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Greg Heumann
3197 posts
Mar 18, 2016
9:20 AM
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This is a great list. It would be incomplete without mentioning David Barrett's Harmonica Masterclass series.....
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/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
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WinslowYerxa
1098 posts
Mar 19, 2016
10:01 PM
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Thanks for mentioning the Harmonica Masterclass, Greg!
David has done a first-class job of making blues harmonica a teachable discipline, skill, and aesthetic, and his occasional Masterclass event is always superbly organized and full of great teaching and performances - I've participated in several both as teacher and vendor.
I've also been involved with SPAH for several years, first as a seminar presenter, then on the entertainment committee, then running awards and the youth committee, and then as president. I've given up the presidency to a very worthy successor but am still involved with all the other stuff.
But with the Harmonica Collective, Jason and I are trying to fill a different set of needs. While an awful lot of harmonica playing nowadays is related to the blues – and a lot is also completely unrelated as well – it makes sense to have a teaching event where blues is not the main focus but the Expert Guides are all well grounded in blues harmonica. It also makes a huge amount of sense that the teaching goes beyond the beginner level and well into the intermediate and advanced zones, where so little is available.
If you think of the goal as that shining mountain in the distance, the next question becomes how to get there. And for a mile or two, the road is superbly well paved. But then you're very soon hacking through bushes, clambering up rock faces, fording torrents, and doing all the other stuff you have to do to make a new path through the wilderness. Jason and I (and several others) have done it. We're experts who can guide others through the wilderness - Expert Guides, which is what we call our teachers. This year they include Jason, PT Gazell, Ross Garren and myself.
But what about those who aren't ready for the more arduous parts of the trek?And what about those who set out, only to find that they somehow didn't learn how to build a fire or didn't realize they'd need a compass? That's where the Well of Knowing comes in.
Anywhere along the trail, from the floor of the valley all the way to the summit, you can stop and access the Well of Knowing. Buzz Krantz, Dan Ridgeway, and Jarred Goldweber are the guides at the well. So even an absolute beginner can come to the Harmonica Collective and get a good grounding in the necessary knowledge and skills to start playing. They can hang out at the well the whole time, or attend the daily classes taught by the expert guides.
The classes comprise 12 subjects. Each of the four Expert Guides teaches one topic a day for three days. Each subject is taught four times, to each of four small groups, so each attendee gets plenty of attention during the 75-mnute class. If you stay with your group, youll get all 12 subjects. But you could also just focus on the ones that interest you the most, or hang out at the Well of Knowing when you feel the need.
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Winslow
Check out my blog and other goodies at winslowyerxa.com
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff
Join us in 2016 for SPAH on the San Antonio River Walk!
Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Mar 19, 2016 10:06 PM
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kham
63 posts
Mar 20, 2016
8:26 PM
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So many great events! I'd love to hit them all.
To chime in here as far as the OP goes in regards to atmosphere, the Shared Harvest Harmonica Retreat Workshop in Dunnville Ontario takes place on a farm underneath 100 year old willow trees surrounded by 4 acres of organic gardens and veggie fields. As grounded an environment as you'll find.
The farm is 200 metres from the Grand River (some of the best fishing in southern Ontario)
We have three instructors (Ronnie Shellist, Roly Platt and bluegrass legend Mike Stevens) with three different styles. 12 hours of workshops over two days, 75 minute sessions with three instructors teaching in 3 different spaces with topics ranging from different positions (1st,2nd,3rd) to leading a band, practice regiments, breaking down licks and we leave space open to accommodate what the attendees would like to learn.
We have a Saturday night concert and a hired guitarist to keep us jamming into the night. It is limited space for smaller group interactions.
The food is freshly harvested out of the fields hours before preparation and is as nutritionally dense as it can get using organic growing methods where we are re-mineralizing the soil and the plants. Attendees can pick the food if they want! Food that won't make you sluggish so you can absorb what your learning. We find billets for everyone or they can camp or share bunks on site.
Unique experience and my favourite week-end of the summer.
Last Edited by kham on Mar 20, 2016 8:28 PM
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eharp
2297 posts
Mar 21, 2016
11:42 AM
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For gatherings, the Bean Blossom Blues Fest is a fantastic time.
There are only 2 "structured", harp related seminars; one for beginners and one for advanced.
The Fest starts Thursday night with an open jam. Everyone is welcome to sign up and play for an easy crowd.
Bands play Friday and Saturday. Many are harp driven. From Jason to Adam to Rick Estrin to Gruenling have played the Bill Monroe stage. (And, for a couple, the infamous Cabin 12 Jam.)
But what really makes the fest a harp gathering are the campfire jams that spring up, especially after the bands are done at 11pm. These jams can go all night. Though there are many harp players, the Fest was started by John Hall of Bushman Music, there are lots of other musicians that keep the jams going.
You can find sax, trombone, cajon, washboard, CBG, bass and, of course, harp at these jams. And between jams, and/or songs, you can pick the brain of some very talented players.
The Fest is in Nashville, Indiana the last weekend in August.
Probably the cheapest event.
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Sarge
541 posts
Mar 21, 2016
3:18 PM
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The Bean is one gathering that I will do my best not to miss. It's a great time and very relaxed.
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Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
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WinslowYerxa
1103 posts
Mar 22, 2016
9:26 AM
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Kerrville has received one mention. Let me expand on it a little.
The Kerrville Folk Festival takes place on a farm near the small Texas town of Kerrville, sort of between Austin and San Antonio. Despite the name it seems to be more of a songwriters festival than one dedicated to traditional roots music. It takes place over several weeks with a large contingent of folks who camp on the grounds, sometimes with pretty elaborate camps - nothing like Burning Man to be sure. Lots of tie-dye and hugging - the standard greeting of Kerrverts is to hug you and say "Welcome home!"
They have a two-day outdoor harmonica camp in June run by Rob Roy Parnell, brother of country singer Lee Roy Parnell. He usually hires two additional instructors, which, over the years, have included Norton Buffalo, Gary Primich, Peter Madcat Ruth, Michael Rubin, myself, James Conway, Joe Filisko, Ronnie Shellist, and maybe one or two others Im not remembering at the moment.
One perennial attendee at the Kerrville harmonica workshop has been Michael D'Eath, who for many years was on the board of the Texas Folk Music Foundation, which ran and eventually merged with the Kerrville festival. I tried to recruit him to run for SPAH president in 2012 but he was still too busy on the Kerrville board. But eventually I pulled him in as SPAH secretary, then vice president, and now he's the big guy. Michael has an excellent skillset to run SPAH, and brings a wealth of experience from an organization that's in some ways similar, but different enough that he can bring fresh perspective and ideas to SPAH, which had been drinking from its own well for a long time and could use some refreshing. I'm happy to see (and participate in) Michael's work in nudging SPAH in new directions.
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Winslow
Check out my blog and other goodies at winslowyerxa.com
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff
Join us in 2016 for SPAH on the San Antonio River Walk!
Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Mar 22, 2016 9:26 AM
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