I only just found out about Ronnie a couple of years back and yet I quickly became fascinated with the way that he plays and have been poring over his videos and studying his music on almost a daily basis ever since.
On January 14th Adam Gussow and Ronnie Shellist will be hosting a "Youtube Harmonica Clinic" in Boulder, Colorado. If you are going to be anywhere nearby you are too lucky. You could be getting about 4 or 5 hours of instruction from both of these guys for a pithering 40 bucks! That's not even close to covering what each of them has to pay each month for the harmonica teachers liability insurance that they have to have.
If the clinic fills up before you get a chance to reserve or you already know everything that there is to know about playing harmonica then you could still go out there to hear them play in the show that they will be putting on there later in the evening. I had a great time out there last winter. The people are friendly, the music is good, you'll have a ball.
VERY IMPORTANT- Ronnie could use your support. If you are anything like me in that you have been helped by the free instruction that Ronnie has put up on Youtube, and you think that you can help to support his effort, then please consider reserving a copy of the new CD that he is trying to get funded through the Kickstarter website (see link below).
Working musician, songwriter, teacher, a real solid player, Ronnie is like Adam in the way that he has placed lots of free instruction out there for anyone who wants to use it. I spoke with him briefly in colorado once and the guy is like a prince, but I mean that to say- just really generous and down to earth and the type that we should all like to see succeed.
If you can't spring for a CD there are a lot of other offers there on the website that might interest you, or just donate a buck or three. We all help each other here, but do it very soonly as there is an approaching deadline. Thanks.
Yeah, Ronnie (as well as Adam and others) have put a lot of good stuff out on You Tube. I'm not a wealthy man, but I send some of these contributors a couple bucks from time to time just to show my appreciation, not a lot, but even $5 is sort of like a thank-you card. I have had several Skype lessons with Ronnie, and they have been invaluable. There is no substitute for one-on-one on instruction and having a pro evaluate your playing and set some goals for you.
That's great FM. If everyone who got something out of his lessons sent him five I'm sure that it would make a huge difference.
I'll have to try the skype lessons. One of the best things about learning to play harmonica is that you have easy access to some really heavyweight teachers/players. I'm totally grateful for that.
If anyone else can kick in 5, 10, 20 it's going to make a big difference right now. It's getting real close now and if the goal isn't met real soon then the project gets called off and the pledges won't be collected. For 20 bucks you reserve a new CD. For 85 bucks you get a skype lesson AND a CD.
