Stickman
664 posts
Jun 09, 2011
6:52 PM
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SPAH is going to be held in my back yard this year. Well, not really, but pretty damn close. I have never been to SPAH before and am wondering what to expect If I attend. Is anybody here going? Would anybody like to split a room? Need a ride from the Airport etc. I have not reserved a spot yet and would like more info before I do. Any insights or helpful hints, any inside info as to who will be there or who wont? Any suggestions as to what I should (or should not) do while there?
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tolga7t
177 posts
Jun 10, 2011
5:20 PM
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SPAH is massive as far as I know. Why has nobody responded to this yet?
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Tuckster
838 posts
Jun 10, 2011
5:46 PM
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I went last year and I'm going this year. Last year was my first and I felt like a kid at DisneyLand. Workshops in the day. Featured artists and jams in the evening. Anything and everything harp related is there. If you're that close, you should absolutely go. Don't know what's or who is scheduled to be there other than Adam. He'll be there. Since I missed HCH 2, it's the only time I can catch him in a teaching(I hope) capacity. Here's the SPAH link: http://www.spah.org/
I have booked my room and am looking for someone to split it with. 2 Queen sized beds. Click on my user name and e-mail me if you're interested.
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RyanMortos
1071 posts
Jun 10, 2011
5:54 PM
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Hey Stick.
Sorry if this is an over-reply - I type a lot, lol.
Check out these links they'll answer a buncha your questions:
Convention 2011
Fact Sheet
Seminars
Overview
I still have the schedule and stuff from last years SPAH.
1) There are 3 scheduled jams daily, morning jam (9:30am) is aimed towards beginners, afternoon jam (2pm) towards intermediates, and night jam (11p-??) is aimed to teach you all kinds of things you don't know, haha. Note, night jam was the only scheduled thing from 11p to ?? but the one day last year I sat outside and talked with Chris pretty much the whole time :) . Oh there was also a jazz jam I sat and listened to a few evenings.
2) Everyday there was a huge harmonica store open with dealers from Suzuki, Hohner, Seydel, etc etc. Plenty of collectors items to be seen, probably blows me away mics, harp cases, etc. Sure I missed a bunch, sorry. You should also note that the last day or two it's open they seem to discount harmonicas (like 3 for the price of 2 deals) so they have less to take home :D .
3) Seminars - The majority of the day everyday there are seminars being held, more then one at any point in time they seem to overlap a bit. You pick and choose what's right for you. You can come and go as you please. There's both chromatic & diatonic seminars. Lots of great learning at these seminars in my opinion. And the last day (or two?) there's a Filisko set of seminars which is more of a couple different guys in different parts of the auditorium and 5-6 people sit around them and more personal learning happens. Seminars run from 9am to 5pm.
4) Concerts - Before the organized night jam there's a few hours of concerts from top players. So many great performances last year! There's also a more formal dinner and concert the final evening. Concerts run from 7pm to 10pm.
5) You'll notice I mentioned 'scheduled' in a few places. That's because there's jams going on all over the place pretty much all day long & you have random run ins with all the players that are there.
6) Last year there was also a Harmonica Blowoff concert the night before SPAH. It was booked as a separate yet related event. Not sure if they're doing that this year?
What you should do while you're there is experience everything and talk to/jam with everyone :) . What you probably shouldn't do is get drunk and sleep all day.
I approximate I spent about $1000-$1200 or so all said and done on SPAH last year (inc. travel, registration, split hotel room, food, drinks, harmonica stuffs).
Much like you I'm excited to see this on the East coast. I very much hope to attend but so far haven't gotten into contact with the first person I'm trying to split a room with. I'm driving from PA which is way better then driving to Minnesota which I did last year, lol.
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Stephen Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Contact:
My youtube account
Last Edited by on Jun 10, 2011 6:01 PM
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dougharps
80 posts
Jun 10, 2011
6:23 PM
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I play chromatic and diatonic, blues, country, bluegrass, rock, and a little jazz. So I am not totally blues centric despite loving blues a lot and supporting blues music.
I went to SPAH in St. Louis in 2008 and in Minneapolis in 2010. This year I went to HCH2. They are both good events, but different.
SPAH has gradually grown a big diatonic contingent, with a wide variety of styles. There is still a large chromatic crowd, with awesome players. There is diatonic played chromatically, too. SPAH has blues, bluegrass, jazz, harmonica trios, classical chromatic, etc. Jams of all kinds, everywhere, including bass and chord harmonica. There is an older demographic of chromatic and harmonica trio players, though there are younger players, too. I first heard Alex Paclin and Jay Gaunt at SPAH. RJ Mischo played bot SPAHs that I attended. I won't keep listing, you can google it and see youtubes. There are workshops on about anything that is harmonica related. Big store.
HCH2 was a gritty deep down southern blues experience with home cooking, Hill Elixer, great performances, great instructors, and great jams. Very much blues focused as opposed to the overall SPAH. I camped on site. I loved it! Much less expense.
SPAH has the amenities and expense of a hotel that you don't have to leave, usually found near an airport with shuttle service, though I am not sure about this year. Food is from nearby or in hotel restaurants, except for a banquet on Saturday before the awards and headline act (Howard Levy in 2010). There are informal jams all over the hotel.
At both HCH2 and SPAH I got about 4 hours sleep a night due to late night jamming.
I really enjoyed both events and all the people who love harmonica and freely share information and music.
If I could afford both, I would go to both.
Next year I will have to choose again...
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Doug S.
Last Edited by on Jun 10, 2011 6:29 PM
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Stickman
665 posts
Jun 10, 2011
6:34 PM
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Thanks Ryan for the experianced testimonial. I was hoping for some excitement for this years event. In the past, about this time, people were talking about who was going who was sharing rooms, rental cars ect. this year there has been silence.
I live close enough that I could commute but would rather share a room and meet up with friends from MBH. So lets drum up some excitement for this event an get a discussion going.
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Last Edited by on Jun 10, 2011 6:36 PM
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Stickman
666 posts
Jun 10, 2011
6:38 PM
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Is Adam confirmed for this event? Anybody else?
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Diggsblues
793 posts
Jun 11, 2011
8:32 AM
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I am planning to be there.
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Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind
How you doin'
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Greg Heumann
1148 posts
Jun 11, 2011
9:13 AM
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I'll be there as a vendor, 3rd year in a row. SPAH is an unforgettable experience that will open your eyes, no matter who you are.
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/Greg
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Stickman
667 posts
Jun 12, 2011
6:50 PM
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REALLY? Nobody else is gearing up for SHAH? Maybe the SPAH fanatics take the weekend off from MBH.
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eharp
1329 posts
Jun 12, 2011
7:40 PM
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it IS about $1000 for the week!
that makes it a little cost prohibitive to some.
one of the reasons adam's jam camp is popular is the price.
now, for those sitting on the fence about going, i am going to try to show you how to lower that bill so you CAN go:
1) find people to carpool with. splitting gas 4 ways makes the cost of fuel cheaper for you than it's been in over 4 years!
2) split the room with 3 or 4 guys. there is not much sleeping going on during SPAH. you will be very tired so sleeping on the floor or on a chair aint to difficult.
3) take a cooler for food and beverages. act like you are camping. (YOU'LL BE SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR SO IT AINT THAT BIG A STRETCH!) buy fruit, peanut butter, processed meat and packaged cheese along with some soda pop and gatorade. this diet would keep 3/4 of the 90% of the world alive and healthy.
4) do not eat at the hotel restaurant. too expensive. you will want to eat something besides your picnic, and you should, but be wise about where you go.
5) dont buy souvenirs, harps, gear unless they are a smoking deal. when you get home you can either tell the spouse i spent $400 or you can show her the bags of harps and cases and mics and cd;s and tell her you spent $700. your choice.
6) if you cant find folks to split the room, sleep in your car. c'mon! you were gonna sleep on the floor w/4 dudes anyway, right? the backseat of most cars aint that outrageous when you look at it that way. you can easily bum a shower from one of the hospitable attendees. no one is gonna look down at you because you are going very cheap. in fact, you will get props and will be one of the legends of the fest. a swim in the pool is a good way to feel clean and refreshed, too!
7) the people at the fest are your peers, your comrades, your best friends (at least everyone wants to feel as if). what better way than to help these people feel good about themselves than take advantage of any courtesy they throw your way. "i'll pay for breakfast if you drive." "wanna a pop?" "do you need some aspirin?" the answer should ALWAYS be, "yes, i do. thank you very much."
case in point- ryan, stickman and tuckster have already expressed splitting a room. gotta be $100 for the room, i'd guess. they split and save 2/3 of having the room to themselves which they will hardly use. with 3 coolers at their disposal they can allocate 1 for beverages and use the other 2 for a WIDE variety of food. ryan could probably pick up stickman each save a couple of bucks.
above all else, do not get sucked into turning this convention into something you cannot afford. there will be folks eating out every meal, staying in a room by themselves, buying lots of harps and such; that does not have to be you to have a great time! these people may have saved for years to enjoy this, or have higher paying jobs, or have not had the benefit of my experience.
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eharp
1330 posts
Jun 12, 2011
7:43 PM
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now- if everyone who enjoyed the above post would send me $5, i might make it to SPAH.
use of 1 idea- $20
3 for $50
sharing as a funny story at the convention- $25
thank you.
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AlexPaclin
56 posts
Jun 12, 2011
8:45 PM
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I already bought tickets! But I've asked almost every single organizer for a set at spah. Waited for a week already and if they won't answer by the end of this, I'll cancel all this.
Last Edited by on Jun 12, 2011 8:45 PM
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Greg Heumann
1152 posts
Jun 12, 2011
11:36 PM
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So Alex, you're saying, if they don't ask you to play, you're not going?
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/Greg
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AlexPaclin
57 posts
Jun 13, 2011
2:50 AM
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Yeah, that's how I think about it. Actually I agreed with Jimi Lee to do set. Our duo will 0% chance to fail, I'm sure. So now everything depends on when organizers will wake up.
Last Edited by on Jun 13, 2011 2:51 AM
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12gagedan
56 posts
Jun 13, 2011
8:30 AM
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I hope your communication with "the organizers" didn't come across the way this post could be interpreted. I think it's wise to make it known that you're available, but the "I won't come unless you invite me" tact may not be well received.
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"12gagedan" on youtube
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timeistight
65 posts
Jun 13, 2011
8:42 AM
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Keep in mind that SPAH is a volunteer-run organization and that the lead up to the convention is its busiest time. The organizers (who are mostly chromatic players, I believe) may not have heard of you and probably don't have any time to check you out.
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Tuckster
840 posts
Jun 13, 2011
9:34 AM
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I talked to Chris Mickalek quite a bit before last year's SPAH and they kept him waiting until July before he knew for sure he was a paid participant. SPAH is all volunteers and sometimes things don't get done very quickly. I don't think it's anything personal towards you.
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Todd Parrott
517 posts
Jun 13, 2011
12:00 PM
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Alex,
There are many other harp players who have been playing much longer and who have played with some pretty big names, yet aren't asked to play at SPAH, so don't be too disappointed. You know you're one of my favorite players, but you're still one of the new kids on the block. The fact that you did manage to work your way into the program last year after we arrived is something to consider as well. Not many harp players are able to accomplish that. I'm sure that SPAH, like other aspects of the music business, can be political as well, so as others have already said, don't take it personal.
I was initially approached about playing this year at SPAH, but they decided to fill the slot with someone else. That's just how it goes sometimes. So, I offered to teach a seminar with TJ Klay about overblows and overdraws, and they agreed. I am much more comfortable with that than performing anyway. Besides, I enjoy helping my fellow harp players.
I feel that in a short time your talent has already taken you very far, and it will continue to do so. Perhaps you will get to play at SPAH this year (I hope so), but if I were you I wouldn't base my decision to attend on whether or not I was invited to perform. SPAH is a great opportunity to connect and share with other harmonica players, and I haven't been to a SPAH convention or any other harmonica convention that hasn't benefited me in some way.
I view SPAH as a way for me give back to the harmonica community, but that's just me.
Last Edited by on Jun 13, 2011 12:16 PM
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Michael Rubin
149 posts
Jun 13, 2011
1:05 PM
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I will be there running the morning blues jam and teaching chromatic blues at Joe Filisko's Teach-in.
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jim
856 posts
Jun 13, 2011
1:17 PM
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@Alex:
you've got as many sets as you wish at Harp Summer 11
:-D
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Free Harp Learning Center
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WinslowYerxa
10 posts
Jun 13, 2011
2:58 PM
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Alex -
I appreciate your youthful enthusiasm, and of course you're a great player.
SPAH selects its feature acts in December and January, so when you approach us a few short weeks before the event, it's hard to know where to fit you in. Not a reflection on your playing, just on the realities of booking.
It may seem like waiting a week for a reply is a long time but this does not reflect on our valuation of your musicianship. Rather it's part of the realities of volunteers juggling many responsibilities, including working very hard for free - which we are glad to do - on top of everything else in our lives.
Having checked the schedule, the entertainment committee will confer in the next few days and and with any luck we may have a spot for you.
Cordially,
Winslow Yerxa
SPAH Entertainment Committee
Last Edited by on Jun 13, 2011 3:30 PM
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AlexPaclin
58 posts
Jun 14, 2011
1:57 AM
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Dan, No of course, I asked in a polite way.
Here... Well, I agree that I wrote things that may seem to be rude, I'm just getting dissapointed with having no answer.
I'm about to cancel it not to spit in their face, but because it's really hard to afford trips like that.
But I keep doing this, cos I want America to know me, no matter how much money it takes.
Thanx Winslow! I hope it'll go well with putting me somewhere in.
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clamsharpplayer
98 posts
Jun 14, 2011
6:45 AM
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Is it worth going to Spah for a 3 day weekend?
Is there much happening on Sunday or are people pretty much burnt out?
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Michael Rubin
151 posts
Jun 14, 2011
7:34 AM
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Sunday is not happening, everyone is leaving the hotel by noon. You may catch a breakfast with a great player who changes your entire perspective on the instrument and life, but that's about it.
However, a full Friday and Saturday at SPAH is definitely worth it.
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RyanMortos
1072 posts
Jun 14, 2011
6:20 PM
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I thought Id update the thread now that Im officially going!!
I got a hold of my roomate, approved for the time off, & registered today. Im contemplating getting in the area Monday night & running around Virginia Beach most of Tuesday. I suppose Id find stuff to do in VA Beach before the blow out (if that's happening).
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Stephen Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Contact:
My youtube account
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oldwailer
1636 posts
Jun 17, 2011
3:01 PM
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@Greg Heumann--I'm thinking about going to SPAH again--and I want to get some information on being a vendor. Who do I contact? I checked all over the site, but I can't find any info at all. . .
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====================================
Always be yourself--unless you suck. . .
-Joss Whedon
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WinslowYerxa
11 posts
Jun 17, 2011
8:37 PM
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To be a vendor at SPAH, contact Vice President LJ Atkison:
lj3395-at-symbol-hotmail.com
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