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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Upcoming SPAH election
Upcoming SPAH election
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Harptime
21 posts
Mar 17, 2012
6:26 AM
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I am a member of SPAH, The Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica. I am running for Vice President. The election is next month. My official campaign statement is below. Please read if you have an interest and by all means share with other potentially interested parties. ?
SPAH 2012 Warren Bee VP Election Campaign Statement:
I love the harmonica and the people that play them. Most of them any way! I joined SPAH and attended my first Convention in Dallas in 2003. I have only missed one convention since. Every convention has had a different flavor. All have been incredible human experiences. A far as I am concerned the harmonica is just a cherry on top of a very special treat. The yearly gathering of the tribe is a spiritual event. As we approach the 50th Anniversary of this fine organization we have a lot to be thankful for. Almost every year since 1963 SPAH has put on a convention. The newsletters of old have matured into a slick quarterly magazine called Harmonica Happenings.
The reason I accepted Bob Cohen’s request to be his Vice Presidential running mate is because I think that SPAH can do more to reach out to the international harmonica community as well as harmonica lovers here in the United States. Currently, almost all of the money that SPAH brings in each year is directly spent on the convention and magazine publishing. This is wonderful.
My thoughts are that if SPAH took a more proactive approach when it comes to marketing and exposing the SPAH agenda of preserving and advancing of the harmonica we could create new streams of income and then offer more to those around the world and actually do more to preserve the rich history of our instrument as well as be at the forefront of sharing the exciting advancements the we see happening more and more every day.
Each year we have an incredible convention that only a limited number of people can afford to attend. With technology and the Internet we could do a better job of sharing the magic with those that couldn’t be there. During my tenure on the SPAH board of directors, as Publicity Director, my biggest frustration was “selling” a product that I dearly love and believe in and having no resources to share any of the magic from the last 48 years of conventions. It takes money to preserve. No money, no preservation. Currently we are just an annual convention and a magazine that is only available to members. Many harmonica advancements are on display at the conventions. We need to find the money so we can share some of those advancements with more harmonica enthusiasts around the globe. The Internet is the tool for bringing in the funds to better preserve and advance the harmonica.
One of my visions is that within a year or two we create an “internet SPAH membership” that lets everybody be a part of the process in their own way. They would have password protected access to valuable content and sharing of some of the annual convention activities on our website. This membership could be only $10.00, $15.00 or $20.00 a year, a minimal expense, and offer a copy of Harmonica Happenings electronically. Every hundred internet members would be a thousand to two thousand dollars more for moving forward with our journey and agenda to preserve and advance the harmonica. A more robust website along with the new members would create more traffic which would make our exposure more valuable to potential advertisers. Artists could sell their CD’s and promote gigs for minimal fees. These additional revenues could be used for creating more value for our members and doing more for things like scholarships and helping those in our harmonica community in need. We need to be better partners with the manufacturers. The more we can offer them the more they can afford to help us.
Currently SPAH is run 100% by volunteers. These people all have lives outside of their harmonica love. In the future it would be nice to have financial resources so that we could afford, in certain circumstances, to pay for some professional help to lighten the burden on the volunteers. By creatively and affordably bringing in professionals for some tasks we would look more professional as an organization. Looking more professional along with increased exposure increases the value of our stock and again can help bring in more funds to preserve and advance the harmonica.
Bob Cohen and I are passionate about the harmonica and would like to be a part of its future. Our goals are not to in any way tarnish the traditions of the past. They are to help insure that these traditions continue to grow and to be more inclusive in sharing the love with everyone who wants to come along for the ride! We would appreciate your vote in this first contested SPAH presidential election in a long time. Please be sure that your SPAH membership dues are paid up so you can vote!
Warren Bachman
Wbharptime2@gmail.com
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Warren Bee
Marketing & Harmonica Raconteur
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Kingley
1878 posts
Mar 17, 2012
7:07 AM
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Well stated Warren. I'm not a member of SPAH, but I think you make some very good points. At least from this outsiders point of view anyway. Good luck in the election.
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MrVerylongusername
2287 posts
Mar 17, 2012
7:30 AM
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I live in the UK on a modest income with a young family. We are by no means poor, but life gets tougher every month. Right now it costs me £75 to fill my car's petrol tank. I would love nothing more than to come to the SPAH convention one day, but I just could never justify the airfare. It is hard to see what else I'd get for my membership fee.
I could on the other hand afford the kind of internet subscription you are proposing and would love to be able to watch videos of the performances, workshops and seminars that I can't afford to attend in person. If that sort of content was available I'd be a regular subscriber.
As a non member I can't vote for you, but I think your ideas are brilliant!
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