tag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:/blogs/latest-news?p=2Latest News2022-10-07T08:40:12-07:00Nedra Russ Artist/Musician Nedra Russ Talks about all things Harmonica Music and the artist processArts Performing Arts Nedra RussfalseNedra Russnedra@volcano.nettag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/70766132022-10-07T08:40:12-07:002024-01-19T10:14:24-08:00Route 66 Sinclair Gas <p> “Route 66 has a spirit. It’s alive, and it’s growing all the time.” </p>
<p>Back story on my work Route 66 <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/33e48eae154dfffe50bef22bfae5a44d1c74c8cb/original/screenshot-2022-09-30-at-8-33-51-am.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Garys Gay Parita </p>
<p>a replica 1930 Sinclair fuelling station. </p>
<p>Travelling to SPAH 2016 we stayed in Kingman Az at the Ramada retro route 66 hotel it had lots of crazy cool murals all over the walls and retro photos just the coolest stop on the trip. </p>
<p>I took lots of photos with one of the Gay Parita that hung on the walls off the excellent bar and restaurant at the Kingman Ramada not really knowing much about it all I just was drawn to it and felt like it would be inspiration in the future and boy is it. </p>
<p>So as a traveler all my life first as a young child born in the bay area of California we traveled route 66 to visit family from California to South Carolina we moved back to the Charleston South Carolina in the 70s so as a teen lots of back and forth between the two places. </p>
<p>I attended high school Amador high CA. and Goose Creek high SC so I had lots of friends and love of all things life so travel just became a part of me. </p>
<p>Once I grew up I have also traveled allot my first husband a long haul truck driver, motorcycle enthusiast we spent many hours on the road. Both for money and pleasure roaring down the HWY with 500 Harleys the sound like thunder the freedom of the open road coursing through out your veins. One thing holds true you had to work to have fun and that was the dream. </p>
<p>Now as The Harmonica Lady and NJR music my guitar playing 3 rd husband and I also love to get out on the road and go to our shows to meet and play our songs that we both co write and produce. Thus this photo on our way the the SPAH (SPAH —the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica) convention this one was in San Antonio Texas in 2016 a turning point in American History yes we were on the road . </p>
<p>Also being an old school sign maker all by hand a dying art. I love the old school signs of long ago. A time passed. </p>
<p>I loved the old signs and have reflected that often in my fine art so this was pure inspiration to me. </p>
<p>So years later I sat down to do this mixed media work acrylic and photos of an old gas station. </p>
<p>That takes one back to when you’d hear the bell go off as you drive in then the attendant runs to put in your gas, check you oil, and clean your windows the good old days of service with a smile. I had a job at the Jackson Shell collecting money and then running the mini mart, now a days you can pay at the pump 24 seven. </p>
<p>The times they are a changing. </p>
<p>So of late I looked into the Gay Parita and found no photo that looks exactly like my work or the photo I had taken this puzzled me and I was obsessed to find out more is this a chain of tourist attractions why did I take the photo in Kingman when they do not have one there? </p>
<p>I did find an interesting story about the Gay Parita but no photos that looks like mine. Granted I did take artists license and changed the painting from even my photo. </p>
<p>Here is a link to the rest of the story </p>
<p>https://www.routemagazine.us/stories/friends-for-life </p>
<p>So we called Barbara to solve the mysteries and wow. <a contents="The rest of the story " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.routemagazine.us/stories/friends-for-life" target="_blank">The rest of the story </a></p>
<p>What had happened is when her mom and dad passed she had to organise things to take over and she had to leave for a time and many of the original signs and items were stolen so the photo I had stumbled on was from before all of that “this gave me goose bumps” it is like he lives on now through this painting of mine . She was thrilled to see the photo and the painting and really loves it. We talked about our next trip to Missouri, on Route 66, as next next years 60th diamond SPAH is back in Saint Louis So we talked about stoping buy to meet and see the place. </p>
<p>I felt her dad saying remember how I had the place carry on all.You are doing a great job Barb! </p>
<p>Route 66 has a spirit. It’s alive, and it’s growing all the time.” </p>
<p>Even in death, his spirit is helping fuel that flame.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Route 66 has been accepted into the Placerville Arts Association's 56th National Mother Lode Art Exhibition.November 3-19, 2022 </p>
<p>Mills Station Arts and Culture Center, 10191 Mills Station Road, Rancho Cordova, California</p>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/61426192020-01-21T16:44:35-08:002022-07-31T10:29:38-07:00Cross Harp“ROOTS: A Black Heritage Art Show”<p>Cross Harp by Nedra Russ <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/5177179c3aa4bcce06dd05c5d254d6b4749d1706/original/fd137c3a-4f88-4d64-baaf-2992280a727b-1-201-a.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_xl justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>In the 20th-century, southern black musicians found the devil in the harmonica. The cheap and portable instrument was made at Hohner’s workshop in Germany for use in traditional European waltzes and marches, but when it made its way to America’s Southern neighborhoods, black musicians began to develop a totally new way of playing, which bent the harmonica’s sound (quite literally) to fit the style of the country’s increasingly popular “devil’s music,” or rather, the blues </p>
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<p>Blues harp or Cross harp denotes a playing technique that originated in the blues music culture, and refers to the diatonic harmonica itself, since this is the kind that is most commonly used to play blues. The traditional harmonica for blues playing was the Hohner Marine Band, which was affordable and easily obtainable in various keys even in the rural American South, and since its reeds could be "bent" without deteriorating at a to rapid rate. </p>
<p>This changed history of the harmonica forever. </p>
<p>On January 30th in 1896 the Marine Band was registered and the trademark was protected in Germany!</p>
<p>In this painting I have a Marine band taken apart to show you the cover plates reeds and wooden comb this is an old original harmonica that used nails to hold it together now screws are used . <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/40037d6ca47072b62ed9180d8eebc2bc67b13f29/original/screen-shot-2020-01-30-at-2-06-57-pm.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Richter tuning is a system of choosing the reeds for a diatonic wind instrument (such as a harmonica or accordion). It is named after Joseph Richter, a Bohemian instrument maker who adopted the tuning for his harmonicas in the early 19th century and is credited with inventing the blow/draw mechanism that allows the harmonica to play different notes when the air is drawn instead of blown. </p>
<p>Richter tuning is designed as a compromise between diatonic melody and harmony. The lower portion of the harmonica is designed to play the tonic and dominant chords on the blow and draw respectively (in the key of C, this would be the C major and G major chords). The remainder of the instrument is tuned to, in this example, blow entirely in the key of C major, with each successive note following the sequence C E G </p>
<p>and the four notes not in the C major chord arranged on the draw in the sequence D F A B. <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/ae9d017f88f38c575c792de4d0e7d269f3d94ad5/original/screen-shot-2020-01-21-at-5-04-14-pm.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Once in the hands of the Black southern musicians bends were found that is to say you can on the bottom half bend them down as far as 1 and a half steps. </p>
<p>Cross harp was invented Second Position (cross harp) </p>
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<p>Bending notes is, without a doubt, one of the the important technique in harmonica playing. It adds that special bluesy something to your play, and allows you to play semi-chromatically on a normally diatonic instrument - especially in second position. is the most commonly used position for playing blues, rock and country. This position consists of mostly draw notes on the low end of the harmonica (holes 1 through 5) and it is important to master bending to play in this position. </p>
<p>In the 1970s, Howard Levy developed the "overbending" technique (also known as "overblowing" and "overdrawing".) Overbending, combined with bending, allowing players to play the entire chromatic scale. When bending, the player forces the lower of the two reeds in a chamber to vibrate faster, while the higher pitched reed vibrates slower. When overbending, the player isolates the higher of the two reeds and by so doing can play higher pitched notes. By using both bending and overbending techniques a player can play the entire chromatic scale using a diatonic harmonica. This has allowed diatonic harmonica players to expand into areas traditionally viewed as inhospitable to the instrument such as jazz. <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="7jvTwv3czh4" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/7jvTwv3czh4/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7jvTwv3czh4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>The overbend is a difficult technique to master. To facilitate overbending, many players use specially modified or customised harmonicas. Any harmonica can be set up for better overbending. The primary needs are tight tolerances between the reed and reed-plate and a general level of air-tightness between the reed-plate and comb. The former often necessitates lowering the "gap", the space between the tip of the reed and the reed-plate. Another often used technique called embossing is to make the space between the sides of the slots in the reed-plate and the reed itself as small as possible by drawing in the metal on the sides of the reed-plate slots towards the reed. While these modifications make the harmonica overbend more easily, overbending is often possible on stock diatonic harmonica, especially on an airtight design. </p>
<p>Now the small 3 inch photos top four corners of my art work feature </p>
<p>1.DeFord Bailey was an American country music and blues star from the 1920s until 1941. He was the first performer to be introduced on the Grand Ole Opry and the first African-American performer on the show best known for his harmonica tunes.</p>
<p> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="AwEzFkjYCIY" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/AwEzFkjYCIY/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AwEzFkjYCIY?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>2. Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton is considered one of the greatest female blues player on harmonica. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="wxoGvBQtjpM" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/wxoGvBQtjpM/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wxoGvBQtjpM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>3. Sonny Boy Williamson, was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. He was an early and influential blues harp stylist who recorded successfully in the 1950s and 1960s </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="0AEjvumvDWk" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/0AEjvumvDWk/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0AEjvumvDWk?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>4. Stevie Wonder, is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music, he is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th century </p>
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<p>Now on to the three 8 by 7 inch graphic art pieces. With my inspiration, teachers and great artist with the players that were there ins[ration and influenced there playing harmonica as a career ! <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/24142540537decd0c8d3413cbb997f7ce0818b49/original/f66c15c4-09bc-40d1-b2e6-3f0f1a5a4fc3.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>On the left Walter Horton, better known as Big Walter or Walter "Shakey" Horton was an American blues harmonica player. A premier harmonica players in the history of blues. Willie Dixon once called Horton "the best harmonica player I ever heard. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="KX0Eu5Lqexc" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/KX0Eu5Lqexc/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KX0Eu5Lqexc?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Joe Filisko is an American blues harmonica player and maker of customized harmonicas based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2001 he was named "Harmonica Player of the Year" by the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica. Joe helped design the thunderbird low tuned Hohner harmonica. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="EBqoNxaaLOU" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/EBqoNxaaLOU/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EBqoNxaaLOU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="9OZSO69n-JE" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/9OZSO69n-JE/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9OZSO69n-JE?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Second 8 by 7<img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/f0e9e1fe8ecfa4639ec3dff5ff615ba31d98c5a0/original/b27a4b6c-2372-47ac-8030-e8c0fce9ba01-1-201-a.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>.Junior Wells was an American Chicago blue harmonica player, He was one of the pioneers of the amplified blues harp-style associated with Chicago. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="cWTieCjUhVw" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/cWTieCjUhVw/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cWTieCjUhVw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>James Henry Cotton was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time and with his own band is famous for his harmonica playing. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="jBeuco0PgJs" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/jBeuco0PgJs/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jBeuco0PgJs?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Howard Levy. He drew attention for his chromatic playing style on a regular diatonic harmonica. He discovered the overblow and overdraw techniques for chromatic playing in 1970. These allow a harmonica player to obtain all the missing chromatic notes in the Richter-tuned diatonic harmonica. Witch he could not of done without the black masters leading the way. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="fmL4RM7IA7A" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/fmL4RM7IA7A/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fmL4RM7IA7A?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Third on the end far right.<img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/a126f85ab547ca8cf19a6fba7609719ce957cd24/original/2c1bce5f-fbba-422c-b5cd-bf1c2a1c902f-1-201-a.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica and impact on succeeding generations has earned him comparisons to such seminal artists as Django Reinhardt, Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="UUwfrj9aMNA" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/UUwfrj9aMNA/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UUwfrj9aMNA?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Again Big Walter Horton </p>
<p>Norton Buffalo, was an American singer-songwriter, country and blues harmonica player, record producer, bandleader and recording artist who was a versatile exponent of the harmonica, including chromatic and diatonic.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="68d5d8uBobs" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/68d5d8uBobs/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/68d5d8uBobs?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Annie Raines is an American musician, best known as a harmonicist. She grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. Raines took up the harmonica at the age of 17. As a freshman, she left Antioch College to pursue a musical career</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="oYNqdEj9FX8" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/oYNqdEj9FX8/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oYNqdEj9FX8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>John Mayall, Harmonica playing whaling and still going strong at 86 </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ANfqJk2rdNo" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/ANfqJk2rdNo/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ANfqJk2rdNo?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Nedra Russ harmonicist see artist bio.Nedra Russ Artist/Musician/Harmonica </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="iDhDLrpE040" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/iDhDLrpE040/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iDhDLrpE040?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
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<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="1J6GRQF8464" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/1J6GRQF8464/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1J6GRQF8464?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="IXWCi05kl-s" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/IXWCi05kl-s/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IXWCi05kl-s?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>1999 Nedra attended her first Master Class on harmonica put on in San Jose by David Barrett of the renowned School of Blues, <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.bluesharmonica.com/home" target="_blank">https://www.bluesharmonica.com/home</a> Also, she started studying under Howard Levy, a world-renowned master of all harmonica genres, at this time. </p>
<p>2000 Nedra began hosting a successful weekly open mic event at the Union Hotel in Volcano and became a featured guest artist playing harmonica with local bands. </p>
<p>2005 Nedra was awarded Certificate of Completion, Graphic Communication and Electronic Publishing from Sacramento City College. </p>
<p>2006 Studied Small Business at Folsom Lake Community College for two semesters Completing her contract with the small business administration. </p>
<p>2007 Also, Nedra began studying Speech Level Singing™ under Daniel Hayes </p>
<p>2008 Nedra began teaching Speech Level Singing™ and Performance Training at Blue Mountain Coalition for Youth and Families (BMCYF). <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.rexfoundation.org/grantees/blue-mountain-coalition-for-youth-and-families/" target="_blank">http://www.rexfoundation.org/grantees/blue-mountain-coalition-for-youth-and-families/</a></p>
<p>2008 Was installed on Board of Directors for ART IN THE GARDEN, an annual West Point art with music event. Nedra continued as volunteer Art Director with them through 2017 </p>
<p>2009 Attended her second Blues Master Class sponsored by the School of Blues and attended the 46th Annual Conference of the Society for the Advancement and Preservation of Harmonica (SPAH). <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.spah.org" target="_blank">http://www.spah.org</a></p>
<p>2010 Was awarded the 2010 Teamagic Award in recognition of her service to youth and community by BMCYF. </p>
<p>2010 Nedra enrolled at Artist Works, an online teaching center, and began studying advanced harmonica techniques under Howard Levy, as noted above, a world-class master of all harmonica styles. <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://artistworks.com/harmonica-lessons-howard-levy" target="_blank">https://artistworks.com/harmonica-lessons-howard-levy</a></p>
<p>2011 Nedra wrote the music, designed the art work, and produced the first album of her discography, Movin’ On. This marked the beginning of NJR Productions and she was soon accepting musician customers to record their work, which led to providing instruction and musical counseling services as well to her customers. <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/6a8a90837a25fee5bd6cd5a2ccb87bdd6c891865/original/screen-shot-2020-01-21-at-5-51-25-pm.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
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<p>2011 Attended the 48th Annual Conference of the Society for the Advancement and Preservation of Harmonica (SPAH) in Virginia Beach, VA. </p>
<p>2012 Formed the duo, nJr, with new music partner Julio Guerra, and wrote the music, designed the art work, recorded, and produced their first album, Everybody’s Been Somewhere. <note> Everybody’s Been Somewhere was ranked as #2 People’s Choice album of 2012 by the World of Harmonica website in the UK. Also, in 2012, the World of Harmonica ranked Nedra Russ as 94th out of the top 100 harmonica players in the world! <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/njr" target="_blank">https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/njr</a></note></p>
<p>2013 Nedra won First Place in the Harmonica Category for a rousing railroad train instrumental at the “Singing Rails” contest at Railtown 1897 in Jamestown. </p>
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<p>2014 Began online study on Modern Musician Specialization Program, Berklee School of Music. <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/specialization/certificate/F6AAA6EN7FVM" target="_blank">https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/specialization/certificate/F6AAA6EN7FVM</a></p>
<p>2014 Was accepted, based on her creative use of harmonicas in jewelry design, as an endorsed Hohner™ “Juke Joint Representative.” Hohner is the world’s largest harmonica manufacturer. <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.hohner.de/en" target="_blank">https://www.hohner.de/en</a></p>
<p><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/08ce3a322a671b3b527ff5a864f57b44da96fd80/original/20799027-10209126683315200-8769972305294132986-n.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>2015 Completed the 4 modules, Songwriting, Introduction to Music Production, Developing Your Musicianship, and Modern Musician Capstone of the Modern Musician Specialization course and was awarded Certificate of Completion. <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/specialization/certificate/F6AAA6EN7FVM" target="_blank">https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/specialization/certificate/F6AAA6EN7FVM</a></p>
<p>2015 Blues Gr., the Blues Society of Greece, published: Interview with Nedra Russ & Julio "Inglasses" Guerra - capturing the true spirit of Americana blues & roots. <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/interview-with-nedra-russ-julio-inglasses-guerra-capturing-the" target="_blank">http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/interview-with-nedra-russ-julio-inglasses-guerra-capturing-the</a></p>
<p>2015 Nedra completed course: The American South: Its Stories, Music, and Art, and was awarded a certificate from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. </p>
<p>2015 Second nJr album, Dusty Roads is released. <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/nedraandjulio" target="_blank">https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/nedraandjulio</a></p>
<p>2016 Nedra was interviewed and added to the roster of “Famous Harmonica Players” by the Netherlands-based Bluesharp Info. <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.bluesharpinfo.com/interviews/nedra_russ.php" target="_blank">https://www.bluesharpinfo.com/interviews/nedra_russ.php</a></p>
<p>2016 Attended the 53rd Annual Conference of the Society for the Advancement and Preservation of Harmonica (SPAH) in San Antonio, TX. Nedra prepared and presented a seminar, “Making the Music.” </p>
<p>2016 <ongoing> Two successful monthly community events instituted by Nedra at BMCYF: Art With Nedra and Open Mic. </ongoing></p>
<p>2017 Third nJr album, Blues News, is released. </p>
<p>2017 Nedra was asked, in addition to teaching the “Making the Music” seminar, to perform in the Variety Show on the Main Stage of the 54th Annual Conference of the Society for the Advancement and Preservation of Harmonica (SPAH) in Tulsa, OK. The original tune performed, Happy Little Frog, </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="-nJXfhce6w0" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/-nJXfhce6w0/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-nJXfhce6w0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>2017 Nedra launched The Harmonica Lady Pod Cast on PodBean and iTunes. PodBean </p>
<p> A broadcast with all things harmonica what is going on around the USA and </p>
<p> beyond interviewing top players <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://russnedra.podbean.com" target="_blank">https://russnedra.podbean.com</a></p>
<p>2018 Nedra was asked to be a broadcaster at KQBM community radio with a reach that spans Northern California and from the internet the world. KQBM archives further promoting and keeping harmonica moving with the times. </p>
<p>2018 Nedra was invited to submit songs to be published in The Amador-Calaveras Songbook, Lyrics and Links, a project sponsored by the Amador Ledger-Dispatch and the Jackson Rancheria. In addition to recording and contributing two of her own songs, Pine Grove and Happy Little Frog, Nedra was the Recording Engineer, harmonica player and music Producer on three other songs, Calaveras and Brick by Brick by Susan Preece, and The Argonaut Mine by Den McCue. This publication showcases local talent by presenting lyrics and music will be distributed along with the newspaper on February 15th, 2019 by the Ledger-Dispatch. </p>
<p>2018 Nedra taken on board as a Harmonica Teacher by Hohner Harmonica and also now sponsored by Lone Wolf Harmonica company . </p>
<p>2019 Nedra is the Art and Music Director for Blue Mountain Coalition for youth and family with a grant from the California Art Counsel State fo California. </p>
<p><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/e42e8daa53c28e04927436631806bd3d0fdaa2e6/original/img-3957.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
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<p>2019 related Livin my Life Now <a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/nedrajulio" target="_blank">https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/nedrajulio</a></p>
<p>2019 to present Nedra is Artist in Resident at Blue Mountain Coalition for Youth and Families</p>
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<p>Lead artist on the Art Path project <a contents="Art Path" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/621462622549200">Art Path</a></p>
<p>Nedra Will be at SPAH on Tulsa <a contents="SPAH" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.spah.org/ev_calendar_day.asp?date=8%2F9%2F22&eventid=26">SPAH</a></p>
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<p>For more visit www.nedrauss.com blog page and podcast link </p>
<p>Off the bottom of the piece Little lady designs frog playable harmonicas by </p>
<p>The Harmonica Lady trademark</p>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/61426202017-05-09T09:19:01-07:002024-01-19T10:14:24-08:00SPAH Diversity At it's Best <p>How many types of Harmonicas are there? I say as many as needed for the many types of music it is used for. Harmonicas come in all shapes and sizes, it is mind boggling. At SPAH each year all types are showcased. <br>A Diverse group of players from around the world come to perform, share, learn, teach and just hang out with other players - like a pilgrimage of epic harmonica proportions! </p><p>1:Diatonic:The standard 10-hole major diatonic harmonicas come in all 12 keys of music and allow you to play a complete 7-note major scale of the key of the harmonica. <br> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="essAbnzsdvo" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/essAbnzsdvo?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="-FrV9qwrB0E" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-FrV9qwrB0E?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>2:Chromatic: The chromatic harmonica has a button on the side, which when NOT used, allows you to play a normal major scale in the key of the chromatic. With the button depressed, you have all the missing half-step notes in-between the major scale notes. This allows you to play in any key and any type of <br>scale. </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ty_p7OeSvJc" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ty_p7OeSvJc?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>3:Tremolo harmonicas are Diatonic models constructed with double holes (sometimes 8, 10, 12, or more sets of double holes), each containing two reeds tuned to the same note, one tuned slightly higher than the other. Since both reeds are either blow or draw, when played, both will sound together and the slight difference in tuning creates a vibrating or tremolo effect. "Octave harmonicas are similar to Tremolo models in reed layout and musical range. Instead of having reeds tuned to the same note, however, each double hole has one reed tuned an octave apart from the other. The resulting sound is stronger and full bodied, but without the tremolo effect. <br> </p><div class="video-container size_m justify_left" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="DcGgg8eI4PQ" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DcGgg8eI4PQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>4+:For players that do not play chromatic harmonica, but may have the need for additional notes and scales in they're playing, they can pick up a special tuned (actually re-tuned from the standard major scale tuning) diatonic. Tunings include: natural minor scale, harmonic minor scale, major scale 2nd position tuned (Lee Oskar calls them "Melody Makers" and Hohner calls them "Country tuned"), and "high octave" (key of "G") and "low octave" (low D, Eb, E, F, and F#) tuned. </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ptkCrQBW7LU" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ptkCrQBW7LU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="iDhDLrpE040" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iDhDLrpE040?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>5:Bass harmonicas, The Bass is actually two separate bodies, with one placed above the other, with the two held together by hinges on both sides, allowing you to angle the two mouthpieces in towards each other, or out away from each other. </p><div class="video-container size_m justify_left" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="2EDa-o2na0U" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2EDa-o2na0U?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>The bottom row has all the natural notes - it's just a C major scale, running from E to E. </p><p>The top row is not in C# as you might expect. It's in Gb. Why? </p><p>Well, the primary activity in most simple bass lines is to play the root and the fifth of the chord. It's easier to move between these notes if they're on the same row. Most chords have perfect fifths. The C scale does not give you a perfect 5th above B (F is a diminished 5th). B doesn't even occur in the C# major scale, so this would be a poor choice. The B major scale would not give you a perfect 5th on (or Bb), so that's out, too. </p><p>It just happens that the C scale and the Gb scale in combination give you all the perfect 5th on one row or the other. </p><p>Here is the layout for the regular bass: </p><p>F Gb Ab Bb B Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb B Db Eb </p><p>E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E </p><p>Note how the hole placements are staggered, to put the flat/sharp notes in between the natural notes. </p><p>6:Chord harmonicas, Chord is actually two harmonicas hinged together. The player has access to 48 chords. The top section plays major chords on blow and 7th chords on draw, while the lower unit plays minor chords on blow and alternate draw chords between augmented and diminished. This model also uses windsaving valves to maximize airflow to its 384 reeds! </p><p> 7:Polyphonias have a blow and draw reed, which are tuned to identical tones. They contain all 12 chromatic notes in a single line, allowing users to play notes in rapid succession without redirecting airflow. They are also capable of playing glissandos, a technique where successive notes are played seamlessly to create a sliding sound. </p><p>and miniature 4-hole many listed and played here by Ken. </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="S1CRFAIc444" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S1CRFAIc444?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> Now the harmonica Lady me Nedra here is a link to my face book page <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.facebook.com/TheHarmonicaLady/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url" contents=""><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/9a48345f3592d9fc853a1efcb213f90e6b873c0e/original/screen-shot-2016-06-14-at-8-34-34-am.png?1465920675" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a><br> </p><p> </p>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/61426212017-05-05T13:37:08-07:002021-07-21T07:58:40-07:00The Harmonica Lady Shows & More <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="font_large"><strong>Getting ready for the shows we have on the books-check it out on the main page and look for the signs that point the way<img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/a53d0097a8e8f0f9dacbe82e99542ce71002f3e3/small/pull-down-poster.jpg?1494002923" class="size_s justify_left border_" />.<br>Adding more shows all the time so join our mailing list! New songs, as well as all the old favorites!</strong></span><br><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/267c1314bdcc252502d6926c4a8f31de31b30178/medium/screen-shot-2017-05-06-at-10-14-26-am.png?1494090902" class="size_m justify_right border_" /><br>Ordered some new things from Hohner,</div>
<p><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/25e059d607d818ca1407bcd12c1458675e1d49c8/small/screen-shot-2016-06-06-at-2-44-47-pm.png?1494001793" class="size_s justify_center border_" style="text-align: center;" /></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"> now KHS America. <br>The rich history of the harmonica, so interesting, I have blogs on the music page about all kinds of things at <a contents="NJR MUSIC" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.njrmusic.com/nedra-s-blog" style="" target="_blank">NJR MUSIC</a> <br><br><span style="color:#e74c3c;"><strong>Interviews, all on Harmonica, its history and new topics of interest as well. Music, songs, all things NJR</strong></span><br><span class="font_large"><a contents="The Harmonica Lady " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/TheHarmonicaLady/" target="_blank">The Harmonica Lady </a> hit like</span>
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<strong><span style="color:#e74c3c;"><span class="font_large"><a contents="You Tube" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeI7NCjNkXTXnmHr7HvxRZw" target="_blank">You Tube</a> visit and </span></span></strong><font color="#e74c3c" size="3"><b>subscribe </b></font>
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<br><br><strong> </strong><a contents=" SPAH (Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica) " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.spah.org/content.asp?contentid=39" target="_blank"> SPAH (Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica)</a> <br><br><span class="font_large"><strong>This year, 2017, the 54th annual convention: </strong></span>
<p>Hotel: <br>Hyatt Regency Tulsa Hotel <br>100 East 2nd Street <br>Tulsa, OK 74103</p>
<p>The annual SPAH Convention is America's biggest harmonica party! </p>
<p><span style="color:#e74c3c;"><em><span class="font_large">We will be on hand at our booth<br>and playing music, as well as teaching:<br>Creating Music with Nedra and Julio </span></em></span></p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="MmB6zEDvxE0" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/MmB6zEDvxE0/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MmB6zEDvxE0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe><br><br>Here is one we are working on, The Frog song <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="hsmQ-RJvUvI" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/hsmQ-RJvUvI/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hsmQ-RJvUvI?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<p> <br>There is also a vendor area with booths manned by the world's major harmonica manufacturers, together with smaller makers of specialty items such as harmonica cases, microphones, custom-made parts, and more. CDs by the convention’s featured artists and others are also available, and usually at least one repair booth is open to fix harmonicas.</p>
<p>Held in a different city every year, the SPAH Convention is a five day event that features seminars, jams, and world-class performances by and for players of all types of harmonica and all genres of music!</p>
<span style="color:#e74c3c;"><span class="font_regular"><strong>Also fun for your partner to come and see the city </strong></span></span>
<p>Best Luxury Hotel In Downtown Tulsa Located Minutes From Top Attractions </p>
<p>Hyatt Regency Tulsa is located in the heart of downtown Oklahoma’s vibrant business, entertainment, and cultural districts. Our hotel overlooks the scenic gardens of the Williams Center Complex and is only eight miles from Tulsa International Airport. Adjoined via skybridge to Williams Towers, our luxury, high-rise Tulsa hotel is adjacent to the famous Tulsa Performing Arts Center and just a few walking blocks from the Cox Convention Center, BOK Center and 51 restaurants and bars.</p>
<p>In the heart of downtown Tulsa near major attractions, businesses, & restaurants <br>454 beautifully appointed guest rooms & suites <br>Daily Grill Restaurant & Bar serving classic American cuisine <br>Outdoor rooftop pool & separate indoor pool <br>Ihloff Salon & Day Spa <br>24 hour airport shuttle <br>24 hour full-service business center <br>38,000 square ft of state-of-the-art meeting and event space <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/2ca44ec50b42f9eab079827510a1de0056c3ea00/medium/screen-shot-2017-05-06-at-10-17-28-am.png?1494091079" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br>Six blocks from Cox Convention Center </p>
<p>Now on the <a contents="NEDRARUSS.COM" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.nedraruss.com" target="_blank">NEDRARUSS.COM</a> page you can find the other show I do lots of fun stuff <br>like <br><br><br><br><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/1eb3d7bfe266a5c4984aa1a4fed621a640b6468d/medium/screen-shot-2017-05-06-at-10-25-10-am.png?1494091558" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/352269d007501994ff55f4fb869ee1dfa3ccb541/medium/screen-shot-2017-05-06-at-10-25-16-am.png?1494091558" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/521d93d987d44626866fbf35783f6a0196e2681f/medium/screen-shot-2017-05-06-at-10-25-25-am.png?1494091559" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br><br><span style="color:#c0392b;"><span class="font_xl"><strong>So we hope to see you out and about!</strong></span></span></p>
</div>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/42299512016-06-14T13:56:39-07:002021-07-15T10:36:18-07:00The Harmonica Lady goes to SPAH <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/9a48345f3592d9fc853a1efcb213f90e6b873c0e/original/screen-shot-2016-06-14-at-8-34-34-am.png?1465920675" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Well this year I hit the road to take my show to San Antonio for this years SPAH 2016 SPAH's annual convention, August 8th to Aug 13th<br>with lots of seminars, tons of great performers, a wonderful banquet, and more harmonica jamming than you could imagine.<br>What is SPAH you ask well it is:<br>The Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica, known as SPAH, is an international non-profit (501(c)3) organization incorporated in the State of Michigan in 1963 by a small group of visionary harmonica enthusiasts who were passionate about the instrument and about its relevance to historical, contemporary and future music. Check out on the link below.<a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.spah.org/ev_calendar_day.asp?date=8/9/16&eventid=1" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/7fe04b04899a96c07e7ec80e4c8f1997805d564f/small/screen-shot-2016-06-10-at-12-55-12-pm.png?1465588550" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></a>
<p>SPAH wants to inform everyone about the rich heritage of harmonica music, the many talented musicians currently playing diverse styles of music with this phenomenal instrument and the great pleasure to be derived from learning to play the harmonica.<br><br>As The Harmonica Lady I am a Hohner Representative and will have a lots of new and cool items for sale. The link here can give you some information on <a contents="Hohner" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.spah.org/ev_calendar_day.asp?date=8/9/16&eventid=1" target="_blank">Hohner</a><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/59da4a99c95e680d75d1296948583b826a6465f4/medium/10599659-885394798178488-849572735302464314-n.jpg?1444663714" class="size_m justify_right border_" />Gonna Bee BUZZ BUZZ fun!<br><span style="color:#0000CD;"><strong>Lots of great music day and night Check out my blog on my NJR page from years past </strong></span><a contents="Nedra other blogs on the Music page." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.njrmusic.com/nedra-s-blog" target="_blank">Nedra other blogs on the Music page.</a><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/bd08f57dae66626f0aaa7619651c718d08628b6a/medium/img-0966.jpg?1459433616" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/f4b16d9743e99d820a820deb12d829e085ae0de0/medium/img-1193.jpg?1465936986" class="size_m justify_left border_" />So getting ready is what I am doing right now, planned the trip, ordered new product and am busy making lots of one of a kind neckwear. New to the line is the Kumihimo which is the traditional Japanese technique of braiding strands of silk to create intricately colored cords. The cords, also called kumihimo, are strong but slender, and have a multitude of uses. Samurai once used kumihimo as laces for their armor. The traditional belt of the kimono, the obi, was once bound by a cord of kumihimo called an obijime. It is an art both culturally significant and beautiful. </p>
<p>In Japanese, the word kumihimo means to gather or combine cord or thread. As the ornately jewel-like ropes suggest, modern kumihimo can involve many strands. At first, the process was done entirely by hand without the help of any sort of tool. These earliest kumihimo are generally monochromatic or at least very limited in color. Later, weavers developed tools that could accomplish more complicated patterns, permitting makers to include more colors. The first kumihimo looms, called takadai and marudai, are rather large and unwieldy, and fairly stationary. I love the fact that I can combine many colors or just one color. </p>
<p> <span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>So how about that, beautiful elegant and strong, just what we like!</strong></span></p>
<p><br> I will have all price ranges and different options hey you may just have to buy more then one.. <br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/59e114042585056a04a79e5fb45e72d7ade7de7e/medium/img-0455.jpg?1466008664" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><br>I will be making them in different lengths and with the always fully tuned in C Little lady Harmonicas . I will also have a few of the less expensive toy neckwear for the kids or for the non playing harmonica supporters.. <br><br>I will have the Little Lady 50th Anniversary Space necklaces .<br> <br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/f85638bc6527aa59e1af235f6aab6523b45100ed/medium/screen-shot-2016-05-26-at-8-54-17-am.png?1466008766" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br><br><br><br><span style="color:#008000;"><strong> I have been painting small works and having greeting cards made for sale to show how much you love harmonica too...</strong></span><br><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/d41c7359676c238226956aab20ac602677b4fdca/medium/66andharp.jpg?1465937457" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/7113f3779b97b6c1dcc3966c5716bbfd67945b28/medium/sunshine.jpg?1466008954" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br><br><br> </p>
<p>I plan to update the <span style="color:#0000CD;"><strong>Facebook</strong></span> pages as we go with photos and videos so hit like on the lines below to say tuned. . <br><br><a contents="Nedra and Julios Music facebook page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/njrmusic/" target="_blank">Nedra and Julio's Music Facebook page</a> <a contents="The Harmonica Lady " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/TheHarmonicaLady/" target="_blank">The Harmonica Lady</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/ebfdb8ba03d898ffa996bbfcaef42fb2e86f166d/small/dsc-2377.jpg?1444787899" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Creating the Music <br>Nedra Russ & Julio Guerra <br>This husband and wife acoustic duo will show you how a team works, writing original material, working out songs, making cover tunes your own and doing shows. You don’t have to be in a duo to attend. Bring your harps.<br><br><br>visit the link below to see all of the Seminars this year <br><br><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.spah.org/content.asp?contentid=134" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/ffcc5ba1309ba9f031a6ba15360b1f73fd939b10/original/screen-shot-2016-06-15-at-9-09-56-am.png?1466007042" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/fd76effd9cddf89319f855ac30d4d3ad21942b6c/large/11053630-10203257436475285-8494754283464178251-n.jpg?1444494923" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br> </p>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/61426232015-10-13T09:11:21-07:002021-06-21T11:04:30-07:00Team Magic When working as a team magic leader it means being able to connect with the other people . I personally love when that happens! When working with Kids it is magic anyway making it very easy. When working with adults it can be more challenging as there are bad habits and sometimes ego in the way. <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/e42e8daa53c28e04927436631806bd3d0fdaa2e6/medium/img-3957.jpg?1444749730" class="size_m justify_center border_" />I feel like with art it is a intuitive process any way so tuning in is important . We all have ideas to share and to grow with and from and it is great when the magic works.<img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/0d43d2d51378841020f0b2a7832adf078b039a1b/medium/img-3960.jpg?1444749748" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br>Learning to sing or play an instrument takes time and practice and working with others it is very important to nurture your new found creative outlet and to share that for creative critiquing and when done right can make mile milestones. <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/180304/294cbee577260933d158f19138b5db1e58b6f282/medium/p1000502.jpg?1444748657" class="size_m justify_center border_" />Sitting in with people that play allot can help as well as going to open mics. When going to a open mic remember to pay attention and be polite do not take it personal and have thick skin as not everyone is helpful and there is lots of competition out there but keep going anyway. www.nedraruss.com .Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/50147862012-09-30T05:00:00-07:002021-07-21T07:58:20-07:00Big Walter Horton <p> <b>Walter Horton</b> was born in Horn Lake, MS (April 6, 1917), but his mother soon moved to Memphis where <b>Walter</b> taught himself how to play the harmonica at five years of age. He later learned more about his instrument by working with harp players <b>Will Shade</b> and <b>Hammie Nixon</b>.<b>Walter</b> was the master of the single note and his characteristic walking bass line (usually with a deep tone and selection of notes that is unsurpassed) is instantly recognizable. As an accompanist, he had few equals. His backup harp was always unobtrusive yet bright and fresh -- enhancing whatever else is going on. Give Big Walter a chance to solo and you were in for some of the most tasteful lines Chicago-style harp has ever produced. He made a specialty of playing entire tunes (often in blues style) on the harmonica ("La Cucaracha," "Careless Love," "I Almost Lost My Mind," etc). This might sound trite, but give them a listen. You'll see. In the late '20s, he performed and recorded with <b>the Memphis Jug Band</b> (1927) and generally worked the Southern dance and juke-joint circuit as well as Memphis street corners. <b>Horton</b> moved to Chicago in the late '40s, but was often to be found back in Memphis for recording dates with Sun and Modern/RPM labels. He claimed to be blowing amplified harp as early as 1940, which would make him the first. <b>Johnny Shines</b> recalls that <b>Sonny Boy Williamson</b> (Rice Miller) used to come to <b>Walter</b> for lessons. He also says that he used the name "Little Walter" before the <b>Little Walter Jacobs</b> did, but gave it up to <b>Jacobs</b>. <b>Jacobs</b> acknowledges that he "ran" with <b>Big Walter</b> in Memphis during the 1940s. <b>Horton</b> later called himself "Big Walter" to distinguish himself. The term "Shakey" came from the way he moved his head while playing.</p>
<p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; "><font face="Verdana, Helvetica, Sans-Serif" size="-2">As for harmonicas, he used Hohner's Marine Band. He was just as comfortable playing first position (A harp in the key of A) as with the more standard cross harp (D harp in the key of A). He did not do much with chromatic harmonicas. Although <b>Big Walter</b> could play in the style of other harp players (and was often asked to do so), he has no credible imitators. He is one of a kind.</font></p>
<p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; "><img src="https://www.bluesharp.ca/legends/horton3.gif" class="size_orig justify_right border_" alt="" height="190" width="229" /><font face="Verdana, Helvetica, Sans-Serif" size="-2">He recorded four sides in 1951 for the Modern/RPM label under the name "Mumbles," but was not fond of that moniker. It was not until 1953 that he really left Memphis and relocated to Chicago to work as a sideman with his friend <b>Eddie Taylor</b>. He soon joined the <b>Muddy Waters</b> band (replacing <b>Junior Wells</b>, who had been drafted into the military) and played with<b>Muddy</b> for about a year.</font></p>
<p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; "><font face="Verdana, Helvetica, Sans-Serif" size="-2">Over the next few years, <b>Horton</b> worked with Chicago blues artists such as <b>Johnny Shines</b>, <b>Jimmy Rogers</b>, and <b>Otis Rush</b> -- both in the Chicago blues clubs and at record studios. He recorded with Chess, Cobra, and States throughout the 1950s. During the 1960s, <b>Horton </b>continued to work with <b>Jimmy Rogers</b>, <b>Shines</b>, <b>Tampa Red</b>, <b>Big Mama Thornton</b>, <b>Robert Nighthawk</b>, <b>Johnny Young</b>, and <b>Howlin' Wolf</b>. In the 1970s, Walter was active in the blues clubs, in recording studios, and also began to appear at blues and folk festivals -- primarily with <b>Willie Dixon's Blues All-Stars</b>. He died in Chicago on Dec. 8, 1981, and was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1982.</font><br><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="L0L0tjldPKI" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/L0L0tjldPKI/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L0L0tjldPKI?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="KX0Eu5Lqexc" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/KX0Eu5Lqexc/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KX0Eu5Lqexc?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>Also known as "Boss of the Blues Harmonica," Big Walter could make his harmonica purr, roar and cry. And he never strayed from exploring the gut-level feelings the blues are famous for.<br> </p>
<p><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="https://www.njrmusic.com/blogs/home.cfm"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/2acc5953c052328dd5b012ce622d1664b8bf461a/large/joe-falisco.jpg?1378730814" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="380" width="600" /></a>I created this digital art @2012</font><br> </p>
<div class="grammarly-disable-indicator"> </div>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/50147872012-07-09T16:25:00-07:002021-07-16T08:51:38-07:0047 down<p> <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/0d50c25cc1dd0bda73030e3790ae68a84fcd1f17/large/last-car-out.jpg?1378730814" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /><br>Kennedy mine head spirits of the miners on there way out from the argonaut "Spirits over Jackson"<br> The photos I used to create this work are of the miners and the firefighters that tried to save them.<br>The Argonaut produced 1.13 million ounces of gold valued at $25.7 million . The Kennedy reaped $34.3 million in gold elevated through three main shafts and lesser ones during its 90 plus years of operation.<br><br><br>Argonaut Gold Mine, On the anniversary of the <font class="Apple-style-span" face="georgia, verdana, arial, helvetica" size="3"> Argonaut Gold Mine Disaster, That took place in 1922 I was moved to create this work about it. Here is some history on the event.</font><br><font class="Apple-style-span" face="georgia, verdana, arial, helvetica" size="3">On the night of August 27, 1922, 4650 feet below the surface of the earth in one of America’s deepest and richest gold mines, 47 miners were trapped when a fire broke out in the mine’s main shaft. For 22 days, friends, family, and co-workers waited anxiously as rescuers attempted to tunnel across from a neighboring mine. The story soon became spellbinding front page news, as reporters and film crews from across the nation descended on the little California mining town that was home to the Argonaut and Kennedy gold mines. It was the worst gold mine disaster in the history of the United States, yet the story was relatively unheard of before the recent publication of the book 47 Down: The 1922 Argonaut Gold Mine Disaster, by author-historian O. Henry Mace. this book is for sale on amazon.</font><br><font class="Apple-style-span" face="georgia, verdana, arial, helvetica" size="3">and from wikipedia </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; border-spacing: 0px;">On August 27, 1922, forty-seven miners, mostly immigrants from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; " title="Italy">Italy</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; border-spacing: 0px;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; " title="Spain">Spain</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; border-spacing: 0px;">, and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; " title="Serbia">Serbia</a><font class="Apple-style-span" face="sans-serif" size="2">, were trapped in a fire 4,650 feet (1,409 m) below ground. Other miners who had been near the surface poured water down the shaft in an attempt to put out the flames. By dawn, townspeople and other miners arrived to help, but it took two-and-a-half days for the fire to be extinguished.</font></p>
<p style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Rescuers began re-opening tunnels from the Kennedy Mine which had been closed since an earlier fire in 1919. It was slow going, but hopes remained high until September 18, when a canary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_sentinels#Detection_of_toxic_gases" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Animal sentinels">inserted</a> beyond a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulkhead_(partition)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Bulkhead (partition)">bulkhead</a> by oxygen-tank-equipped workers died. Still, it took three weeks to reach the level at which the miners were trapped. None survived, and evidence indicated that they had all died within hours of the fire's breaking out. One of the bodies was not recovered until a year later. Most likely, water flushed down the shaft carried his body further into the mine, but in the intervening time, newspapers speculated he had fled the mine to start a new life.</p>
<p style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">It was determined that the mine had violated safety regulations, but the owners escaped punishment, as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bureau_of_Mines" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="United States Bureau of Mines">United States Bureau of Mines</a> had little enforcement power. The cause of the fire was never determined and put down to "incendiarism," a broad term meaning either <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arson" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Arson">arson</a> or defective wiring.<br>There are many back sorties and if in the area tours are held during the season <a href="http://kennedygoldmine.com/" target="_new"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/3262467ed410b7d6be0fe03f72238aae5b6a430a/medium/Screen-shot-2012-07-09-at-9.35.10-PM.png?1378730814" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="214" width="300" /></a></p>
<p>link will take you to the site...<br><br><br><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/clynH8RSEQA" width="640"></iframe> I recently sold one of the limited editions of this work to a fellow harmonica player Ken Leiboff when i told him of the story he wrote back say<br><br><br><span style="font-size: small; ">For many years I lived as if I were down in a mine. sometimes I start t o think that it was my brainpower and talent and hard work that got me out..But....there was also allot of luck and perhaps some divine intervention. Many of my friends never saw the light of day, because they had none of those factors. This piece of art will serve as a reminder of what, easily could have been. 17 years ago I was ready to die, a stinking drunken miserable addict. Glad I made it out of the mine ! (or should I say, Mind)<br>Love, Ken</span><br><br>I <span style="font-size: medium; ">have to believe the miners would be glad to help Ken! Here is a video of Kens Music his gift to the world now days.</span>.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_y_oNCBfHyw" width="480"></iframe></p>
<div class="grammarly-disable-indicator"> </div>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/50147882012-05-31T03:10:00-07:002021-07-17T09:09:02-07:00Meet Mike Caldwell<div> </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bwaJ2gH6PSU" width="480"></iframe> <br><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b>1: As this is your first trip Tell us how it all began for you how you came to love and play the Harmonica?</b></span>
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<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px; "><span style="line-height: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; "><font class="ecxApple-style-span" face="Comic Sans MS" style="line-height: normal; "><b style="line-height: 18px; ">I began plinking out melodies on the piano at the age of 4, so by the time I first encountered the harmonica at age 10 my passion for music had already been ignited. I remember the exact moment I was bitten by the harmonica bug. I was on a Boy Scout camp-out in the Las Padres National Forest. As we sat around the campfire, my Scoutmaster pulled out his Marine Band in the key of C and broke into a spirited version of "Wildwood Flower" in old-school/straight harp/tongue-blocking style... I was mesmerized! </b></font></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px; "><span style="line-height: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; "><font class="ecxApple-style-span" face="Comic Sans MS" style="line-height: normal; "><b style="line-height: 18px; ">I immediately asked him to teach me to play, and the Wildwood Flower became my first song. I still love playing it to this day. There was just something magical about the harmonica that spoke to my soul. The tone delighted me and the lay-out of the notes made sense from the moment I first stuck one in my face. For the first four years of my harmonication I played only 1st position which, as it turns out, was a real blessing. Because I was unaware of note-bending and blues riffs, I focused on the actual melodies of fiddle tunes and folk songs. This definitely had a positive influence on my development as a musician; melodicism is an integral element of my style today.</b></font></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; ">2: Can you tell us of some of your adventures on the Road with some of the best country players and who they are?</b></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><b>In reality there are very few players out there who specialize in Country. But I was fortunate enough to meet the undisputed King of Country Harp --- Charlie McCoy --- at the San Luis Obispo County Fair in Paso Robles CA just down the road from my tiny hometown of Templeton. He was kind enough to speak to me after his concert and even took time to listen to me play. By this time I was 15 and had voraciously consumed every album he'd put out and dissected every riff he'd played. His reaction to my shaky-kneed performance was "Sounds just like the record. Stay out of Nashville." A characteristically dry-witted compliment from my harmonica hero, but a compliment nonetheless!</b></span></font></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><b>Over the years Charlie quietly became my guardian angel, recommending me for my Hohner endorsement (in 1984) and setting up my audition for Loretta Lynn's band which resulted in her hiring me in 1985. The cool thing is, both of these gestures were unsolicited and took me completely by surprise!</b></span></font></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><b>Because we Country harpists are few and far between, our encounters with one another are all the more memorable. TJ Klay, a fine country player from Nashville and SPAH workshop presenter, met out in Oregon about 30 years ago jamming at a fairgrounds between shows. But we didn't play country --- we were working up Norton Buffalo's amazing solo on Bonnie Raitt's version of "Runaway"!. Recently TJ and I reconnected via FaceBook and we both remembered our 1982 meeting as if it was yesterday! He and Todd Parrott ( a new buddy of mine who's a great gospel/blues over-bend player) have asked me to be a guest presenter at their country/gospel workshop at SPAH this August.</b></span></font></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><b>Living in Nashville for the nine years I was with Loretta, I had the chance to meet some great country players: Kirk "Jellyroll" Johnson --- another disciple of Charlie's clean, pure melodic style, Kirk is one of my favorite players who's music can be heard on a lot of Nashville hits. I also got to meet and jam with the late great Terry McMillan who's rhythmic, dynamic style can be heard on many a country hit. </b></span></font></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><b>Most recently I've had the pleasure of making gospel harpmeister Buddy Greene's acquaintance. Just last week (5/28/12) he took time out of his busy schedule to meet with me and jam for two hours...it was great fun! He too is a McCoy-style player who gives Charlie all the credit he deserves for influencing his style. Buddy is one of my VERY favorite players and I look forward to more musical fellowship with him. His new CD --- "Harmonica Anthology" is killer, by the way...I highly recommend it. Charlie McCoy makes a guest appearance on two different tracks.</b></span></font></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b style="font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold'; line-height: 18px; ">3:Tell us about being musical Director Harmonica master at Country tonight! </b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b style="line-height: 18px; "><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; ">I'm blessed to be able to say "I love my job" and really mean it, that's why I'm proud to be in my 16th season here at Country Tonite. It's an excellent show with a great band (if I do say so myself!) and a truly talented cast of singers and dancers too. Born and developed out in Las Vegas, the show ran for eleven years at the Aladdin Hotel & Casino to rave reviews and packed houses. In fact, it was so successful that they expanded to Branson, Missouri and Pigeon Forge Tennessee as well. The producer had the good taste to recognize the value of harmonica in country music, so Country Tonite has always had harp.</font></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b style="line-height: 18px; "><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; ">The best way to describe our show is that it's got the talent level, energy and pace of a Vegas show, but is built around Country Music --- covering everything from the classics to current rockin' hits. Though we are a "production" show, we focus on the music first and foremost. To be honest, I had my reservations about playing in a production show because I was afraid that glitz,glamor, smoke and mirrors would detract from the music, but I was wrong ---and I'm glad! I learned that when you have a strong musical foundation, a show is just made that much better by good production. My snobbery/bias against production shows was cured, and now I get to perform in the best of both worlds.</font></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b style="line-height: 18px; "><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; ">As Music Director, my job is to take the songs our producer chooses and arrange them into condensed-yet-complete-sounding versions that are customized and matched to our performers' strengths. (This allows us to fit 40-50 songs into a two-hour show with something for everyone).Then I write all the charts and rehearse the band to hone the arrangements; conferring with the producer, host, choreographer, lighting director, sound techs, etc. to make sure the music jives with all the other aspects of the show. As for my harp responsibilities, they are much the same as a fiddle player's are in most country bands. I've got a few intros,solos and lots of fills, plus a couple of harp features ("Orange Blossom Special" and "Amazing Grace" this year). </font></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b style="line-height: 18px; "><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; ">But what about our fiddle player? A few years ago we were unable to find a qualified fiddle player before the season opened, so the producer asked me to take up the slack on harmonica until we found one. When I told Buddy Greene this story at our jam last week he jokingly said, "I love it! A harp player stole a gig from a fiddle player!". I took up the slack for the fiddle for over 10 years, until finally this year we hired an eleven-year-old vocalist (Colin Chandler) who has ended up being a prodigy on the fiddle. He's only been playing for 5 months and is already playing on stage; in tune, in time and very well. (I hate that kid!) . Luckily, I'm his boss and am bigger than he is, so I still get to play a lot!</font></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="line-height: 18px; "><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; "><span style="color:#FF0000;">Readers, please check us out on the web: </span><a href="http://countrytonitepf.com/"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/0975979ba78e6305e4d29d5aca612c727b985ec5/medium/Screen-shot-2012-05-31-at-8.18.38-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="163" width="300" /></span></a></font></b></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b style="line-height: 18px; "><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2" style="font-size: 10pt; ">I'd love for y'all to come hear us and we can have some harp-talk after the show; maybe even a workshop. Anyone reading this is automatically qualified for <u>half-price tickets</u>, so c'mon to the beautiful Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and support Country Harp!</font></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px; "><span style="line-height: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; "><font class="ecxApple-style-span" face="'Arial Rounded MT Bold'" style="line-height: normal; "><b style="line-height: 18px; ">------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</b></font></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b style="font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold'; line-height: 18px; ">Well Mike myself and the all of SPAH can not wait to meet you and talk to you in person thank you for the time here at Nedra's Blog!</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color:#FF0000;"><b style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><font face="Comic Sans MS">Thank YOU, Sweet Lady. I really appreciate you taking the time to get to know "the new kid". I'm uber-excited about meeting you and all my new harpsters -in-crime at SPAH...have a safe road trip and Keep On Harpin'!</font></b></span></div>
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<p><span style="color:#FF0000;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TM4OsEAf5dA" width="480"></iframe></span><br><a href="http://www.spah.org/content.asp?pl=35&sl=21&contentid=51" target="_new"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/183c8fa184461fd88ef022dd811061629d7de391/medium/Screen-shot-2012-05-31-at-10.49.30-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="141" width="300" /></span></a><span style="color:#FF0000;">read the review by <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/e340f69ac3074c67463c10dc2f41eff6d9302751/medium/Screen-shot-2012-05-31-at-10.58.55-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="162" width="300" /><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Thanks You Mike a new Friend for me indeed!<img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/8fac8743b2d3956cd692669750c2068f2e0e6c3e/medium/Screen-shot-2012-05-31-at-8.20.53-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="212" width="300" /></span><a href="https://www.njrmusic.com/blogs/home.cfm"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/cacf446cc06409ec1a65093e96d8e859905bf2cb/original/Picture-4.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="182" width="144" /></a></p>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/50147892012-05-24T06:25:00-07:002021-07-16T08:52:43-07:00 Hohner Harmonica the way West <div style="text-align: center; "><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rEiMBqr-kEg" width="420"></iframe></div>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NDiGPk115Q8?list=PL7561ADEA9F5C6B19" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span style="font-size: large; ">Shortly after Hohner began manufacturing harmonicas in 1857, he shipped some to relatives who had emigrated to the United States. Its music rapidly became popular, and the country became an enormous market for Hohner's goods. </span><br><br>Winslow Yerxa<span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2]"> President of SPAH:<br>Added this infomation for us all great stuff:</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2]"> </span><span data-ft='{"tn":"K"}' data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0].{end}[0]{0}[0]">Hi, Nedra. That's probably me. Available production figures for Hohner, the biggest producer, indicate that it is very unlikely that more than a tiny handful of harmonicas could have tricked into North America before the 1880s - demand was too great at</span></span><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{0}[0]"> home in Germany:</span><br data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{1}[0]"><br data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{3}[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{4}[0]">1857: 650 harmonicas produced </span><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{8}[0]">1862: 9,360 </span><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{12}[0]">1867: 17,196 </span><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{16}[0]">1872: 45,950 </span><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{20}[0]">1875: 52,824 </span><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{24}[0]">1877: 85,860</span><br data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{25}[0]"><br data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{27}[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{28}[0]">In 1867, for instance, the combined population of the US and Canada was nearly 39 million people. If all of Hohner's output for that year was denied to eager German sellers and instead sent exclusively to North America, that would have made for one harmonica for every 2,268 people. A pretty sparse distribution.</span><br data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{29}[0]"><br data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{31}[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{32}[0]">The most authoritative book on the subject (and the source for the production figures given above) is Hartmut Berghoff's 670-page Zwischen Kleinstadt und Weltmarkt Hohner und die Harmonica 1857-1961 (Between the small town and the world market: Hohner and the harmonica 1857-1961). </span><br data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{33}[0]"><br data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{35}[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{36}[0]">The book's name index includes Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Dwight Eisenhower, but not Abraham Lincoln. And I have yet to see a claim that Lincoln either played the harmonica or smoked marijuana or hemp that cites a reliable source - or, in most cases, any source at all.<br>Thank you </span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span data-ft='{"tn":"K"}' data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{36}[0]">Winslow. </span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span data-ft='{"tn":"K"}' data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3h].[1][3][1]{comment10152042345723241_29306507}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].{end}[0]{36}[0]"><a contents="SPAH" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.spah.org" target="_blank">SPAH</a><br><br> Howard Levy <a contents="Howards on line school" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://artistworks.com/harmonica-lessons-howard-levy" target="_blank">Howards on line school</a> for more of Howard's blogs join up...</span></span></span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">Several bright minds over the course of European history contributed to the evolution of the harmonica, but it was Matthias Hohner, a clockmaker and successful businessman, who really revolutionized the manufacturing of harmonicas and made it readily available to the public (shown on the right). </span></p>
<p style="line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Although his name is synonymous with the instrument, Matthias Hohner was not the first to manufacture harmonicas. He wasn't even a good harmonica player himself. As is often the case, he was simply a great businessman in the right place at the right time. He started his business in 1857, about 30 years after the first harmonica manufacturer which was in Vienna, Austria. He quickly bought out his competitors and started exporting the first Hohner harmonicas to the United States in 1862, just 5 years after opening. By the time his four sons took over for him, the company had grown to produce over 4 million harmonicas each year and was employing over 1,000 workers.</span></p>
<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">Hohner’s success made the harmonica much more popular and readily available to a new audience. In addition, Hohner made various improvements to the instrument which were crucial for the integration of the harmonica in many musical genres.</span></font><br><br><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">Thank you Howard</span></font><br><br><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">My studies and </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.5px;">searches</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">Thank you Nedra. </span></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span style="font-size: large; ">The first recordings of harmonicas were made in the U.S. in the 1920s. These recordings are 'race-records', intended for the black market of the southern states with solo recordings by </span><span class="font_large">De Ford Bailey</span> <span style="font-size: large; ">duo recordings with a guitarist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammie_Nixon" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Hammie Nixon">Hammie Nixon</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Horton" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Walter Horton">Walter Horton</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Terry" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Sonny Terry">Sonny Terry</a>, as well as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillbilly" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Hillbilly">hillbilly</a> styles recorded for white audiences, by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Hutchison" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Frank Hutchison">Frank Hutchison</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_Foster" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Gwen Foster">Gwen Foster</a> and several other musicians. There are also recordings featuring the harmonica in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jug_band" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Jug band">jug bands</a>, of which the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_Jug_Band" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Memphis Jug Band">Memphis Jug Band</a></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span style="font-size: large; "> is the most famous. But the harmonica still represented a toy instrument in those years and was associated with the poor. It is also during those years that musicians started experimenting with new techniques such as tongue-blocking, hand effects and the most important innovation of all, the 2nd position, or cross-harp.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span style="font-size: large; ">The harmonica's versatility brought it to the attention of classical music during the 1930s. American <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Adler" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Larry Adler">Larry Adler</a> was one of the first harmonica players to perform major works written for the instrument by the composers <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Vaughan_Williams" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Ralph Vaughan Williams">Ralph Vaughan Williams</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Arnold" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Malcolm Arnold">Malcolm Arnold</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_Milhaud" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Darius Milhaud">Darius Milhaud</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Benjamin" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Arthur Benjamin">Arthur Benjamin</a></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span style="font-size: large; ">.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span style="font-size: large; ">The United States experienced a shortage of harmonicas during <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="World War II">World War II</a>. Wood and metal materials that were used for harmonicas were in short supply due to military demand. Furthermore, the primary manufacturers of harmonicas were based in Germany and Japan, who happened to be the Axis powers opposed to the United States and the allied forces in the war. It was during this time that Finn Harkon Magnus, a Dutch-American factory worker and entrepreneur, developed and perfected the molded-plastic harmonica. The plastic harmonica used molded plastic combs and far fewer pieces than traditional metal or wood harmonicas, which as a result made the harmonica more sanitary and far more economical to mass produce. Though these harmonicas produced a less distinctive (and, to many ears, inferior) sound than their metallic counterparts due to their plastic reeds, Magnus harmonicas, as well as several imitators, soon became commonplace, particularly among children. The patent for the plastic comb, however, was awarded to William Kratt of Wm. Kratt Company in 1952. During World War II, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Defense" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="United States Department of Defense">War Department</a> allotted a rationed supply of brass to Kratt's factory to continue production of their harmonicas to be passed out by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Red_Cross" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="American Red Cross">Red Cross</a></span><span style="font-size: large;">GI's serving overseas to boost morale.</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: large;"> among the</span><span style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: large;"> <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/18930eaec18f2c881585f9e390af9cf5850f578b/original/14633259-10205911570146968-3714850192463038897-o.jpg?1479311478" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em;"><br><span style="color:#FFFFFF;"><font size="4"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> I Here I am at SPAH 2016Juke Joint </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">representative</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> for Hohner.</span></font><br><br><font size="4"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Taking our show on the road with us... </span></font></span><br><br> </p>
<p>I will post here on the web dates of festivals shows and where we will be... <br><a contents="" data-link-label="Home" data-link-type="page" href="https://www.njrmusic.com/home" target="_blank"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/cc133797611292de3e013b0a54c4dd8605991704/original/10425131-10202124452191386-4361910098616491259-n.jpg?1417301539" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a><br> </p>
<div class="grammarly-disable-indicator"> </div>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/50147902012-05-07T03:00:00-07:002021-07-16T08:51:17-07:00Joe Filisko Teach In. <span style="font-size: large; ">Hell-o Joe <br><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MQKnJxo84Uk" width="640"></iframe> </span><br> <div><div>
<div style="font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="color: black; ">#1: When and how did you get involved with SPAH</span></span></p></div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style="font-size: large; ">My first SPAH was Detroit 1990. I believe that the first year I volunteered was Memphis 1994 and have tried to be as involved as I could in every successive year.</span></span><br> </p>
<div style="font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">#2: When was your first teach in?</span></p></div>
<div style="font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">I honestly don't remember. Probably about 12 years ago or so. It really was something that evolved.</span><br> </p></div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">#3: What is your favorite thing about SPAH?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Californian FB', serif; ">Easy one. The broad variety of people and astonishing array of talent shared almost always with enthusiasm and humility.</span></span></p>
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<div style="font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">#4: What do you have planned for this years teach in ? Who will be there</span></p></div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Mostly the usual suspects. Jerry Devillier first comes to mind with his extremely unique approach to playing based off the endangered Cajun harmonica tradition. James Conway will be back with his mind blowing approach to playing Irish music. Always great to have Jellyroll Johnson who can make the rare claim of being a full-time harmonica player who has played on numerous gold and platinum selling records while most players are just trying to make SOME money. PT Gazell who will demonstrate his unique method for playing complicated swing and jazzy melodies and improvisations on the diatonic harp. Cara Cooke and Lonnie Joe Howell will be helping folks with their Bluegrass and Country harp skills in addition to holding unforgettable evening jam sessions. Two of the world's most accomplished and well known harp teachers, Steve Baker and David Barrett will also be holding mini classes and lectures. Certainly they are both world class players too! The incredible Will Scarlett will be back again sharing his insights and skills. Will was already an accomplished overblow style player before Howard Levy was even playing! Dennis "Mr. Microphone" Oellig will be available to talk about harp mics and amps. Dennis has worked for many rock and pop legends. Grant Dermody, one of my personal favorite players, will be teaching the Old-time harp styles. Michael Rubin will be working with folks on playing blues on the chromatic harp and Ronnie Shellist will be working with beginning diatonic players. Also, Brandon Bailey will be helping folks with their rhythm chops by teaching "Beat Box" harp styles. Finally is the one and only, Jimmy Gordon! Who knows what Jimmy will have planned!</span><br><br><br><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><a href="http://filisko.com/Filisko%20Teach-In.html" target="_new"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/2d2906a9868ab95aeaff6541457bd95cd017b43e/medium/Screen-shot-2012-05-07-at-8.21.13-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="212" width="300" /></span></a></span><br><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">hit link on photo for more on teach in.</span><br> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">#5:Tell us about the late night jam circles how did they come about?</span></p>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Most people wanted to play and many would break off into small groups. I just decided to try and organize the concept better with a solid rhythm section and easy going rules. I remember this happening in small bursts as early as 1991. Sometimes the jams will last until the sun comes up!</span></p></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">#6:What do you hope for the future of blues and roots music at SPAH?</span></p></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">All I can hope for is to do my best to expose and educate people to the mind blowing range of great music that the harmonica is capable of producing. If people find it valuable, it shall live</span></p></div>
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<p><br><span style="color: black; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); ">I find it priceless!</span></span><br><br> </p>
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<p><a href="https://www.njrmusic.com/blogs/home.cfm"> <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/276aed7098350ca5dbfaf3bb470550aefd1ad9d7/medium/IMG_0915.jpg?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="225" width="300" /></a></p>
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</div></div>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/50147912012-05-03T03:55:00-07:002021-07-15T10:36:43-07:00 Part 1 Manfred Wewers Convention Seminar Coordinator <span style="font-size: large; ">Manfred </span>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; ">#1: I got to meet you last year when I took your seminar and learned that you know allot about the history of the harmonica.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> I would say you are a great historian of the instrument, I enjoyed your talk very much. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; "> How did you first become interested in the Harmonica</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; ">My father Josef played the harmonica, his brothers did and so did my maternal grandfather. When family got together, there was always music. I cannot remember not having or playing a harmonica. This was in the early 1950s in postwar </span></span></span><country-region><place><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; ">Germany</span></span></span></place></country-region><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; ">. The passion for playing stuck and so did my interest in collecting harmonica information such as newspaper clippings, catalogues, photographs and record</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; ">#2: When did you first become a member of SPAH and part of the Team of writers?</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">I joined SPAH in 1994 as there were no Canadian harmonica organizations; attended my first convention in 1997; and sent in my first article in 2000.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; ">#3; When did you become the seminar coordinator?</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> And how do you like the job?</span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">I took on the role in Jan. 2011, I believe. Tom Stryker phoned me to see if I would be willing to help. SPAH has provided me with all sorts of opportunities. For example, when traveling and mentioning SPAH, doors magically open. Basically, any relationship, even with an organization, should be a two way street; so, I volunteered.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; ">This job is another of those opportunities. It adds another dimension to the SPAH convention experience. I get to interact with many diverse harmonica players around the world and that certainly feeds my passion for the instrument. It’s also a challenge to find and schedule 40 to 50 individuals who already have other commitments as well. No one gets paid for doing seminars. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; ">I am amazed by the amount of work and time that goes into running SPAH and holding an annual convention and by the fact that these people do this for us all because they like the harmonica.</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; ">#4: What do you hope for the future of SPAH as we all make history</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#F0FFFF;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">SPAH is a unique organization which is inclusive rather than exclusive. Every harmonica player is welcome. Such diversity is hard to find; but, it will allow SPAH to grow and thrive. Not only should people join, but I hope, they should also get involved. Next year, SPAH’s 50</span><sup style="font-family: Arial;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> anniversary, will be a history-making event.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">#5: Are you excited about this years convention and why?</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: Kai; font-size: medium; "><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; ">This will be my first convention in </span></span></span><city><place><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Arial; ">Dallas</span></span></span></place></city><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; "> (I missed the previous one). There will be new faces as well as old ones, lots of great entertainment and opportunities to play and learn more about this instrument. Each convention is a unique experience and this one will be so as well. I’m looking forward to my immersion in the harmonica world and my annual dose of sleep deprivation during the convention. And the best part of all, many friends will be there. For me, the convention is all about the people.</span></span></span></p>
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<p> <a href="http://www.harmonicahappenings.com/Long_Journey.pdf" target="_new"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/ea658ce46f0ae492237332e0861f9e60c4d67b59/original/Screen-shot-2012-05-03-at-8.49.56-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="203" width="374" /></a></p>
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<p> Click link about to read of the journy to SPAH!<br><br>The great Road to SPAH is a journey filled with travel plans and arriving at the hotel. then just watching everything unfold, all the hard work come together and friendships are formed in the mutual bond of the pure love of the Harmonica. Here is the Link below for this years event and the hard work Manfred is doing </p>
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<a href="http://www.spah.org/content.asp?pl=20&sl=31&contentid=31" target="_new">2012 Seminars List</a><br><br><span style="font-size: large; ">The last thing I did last year was about 4 am pack and say good bye, the last person i got to hug and share a tearful good bye with was Joe he was still jamming in the lobby with Steve Baker and Eric my next interview is with him so stay tuned and in tune my friends.</span>
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<span style="font-size: large; "> </span>!<a href="https://www.facebook.com/rootsduo" target="_new"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/777a41d133cc400f56eba88dc1ff355db27d22e0/original/Screen-shot-2012-05-03-at-9.10.19-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="181" width="321" /></a><span style="font-size: large; "> Look like there are ready now!</span>Link below to all the classes.<br><br><a href="http://spah.org/content.asp?pl=20&contentid=20" target="_new"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/73cb0219fbe7441f40aa6fbeec89a3ed9548b70e/thumb/SPAH-texas263.jpg?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="125" width="95" /></a><br> </div>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/50147922012-04-19T03:55:00-07:002020-10-23T12:17:23-07:00This years entertainer of the year Brendan Powers<div style="text-align: center; "> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-size: medium; ">Each year there are Awards at SPAH they are the grand finally of the event and given out at the Closing dinner and show, for me it is very emotional as it is the end so lots of crying, hugging, and packing up to go back to life as we know it!<br>Last year Brendan Powers won entertainer of the year. I wonder who will win this year?</span></span><br><br type="_moz"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dYJUtHrpSE8" width="560"></iframe>
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<p><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">From Brendans site</span><a href="http://www.brendan-power.com/" target="_new"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/391eb7c870362055bce8a4faf739be315014a3f8/medium/Screen-shot-2012-04-19-at-9.04.29-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="263" width="300" /></span></a></p>
<p><br><font size="2">In 1995 a new dance show called <i>Riverdance </i>broke all records at the Point Theatre in Dublin. Along with the flamboyance of Michael Flatly and the massed troupes of Irish dancers, the music of composer Bill Whelan instantly captured the public imagination; the official album sold like hot cakes, and Bill was eventually awarded a Grammy.</font></p>
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<p align="left"><font size="2">The button accordion player in the original show was Mairtín O'Connor, a gentle man with a great sense of humour, and an outstanding musician who is much loved in his native country. He was very interested in the affinity between the small Irish button box and the harmonica, and we always swapped a few licks whenever our paths crossed at gigs etc. However, it still came as a big surprise when he asked me to do the first London run as his stand-in.</font></p>
<p align="left"><font size="2">Though a harmonica wasn't intended for the part, because of the similarity of tone to the box it seemed to fit, and eventually when Mairtín left the show for good I got offered his seat. I toured with the show for three more years, for the last two doing a solo spot on stage as well as the orchestra seat. It seemed to me early on that there was scope to do a stripped down recording of the music, more in a traditional Irish style, without the big keyboards, strings and percussion sound of the official album - and featuring the harmonica as the lead voice.<br><br><span style="font-size: medium; ">Julio and I have been working up irish music for our shows so Julio (the man that likes that I buy harps lol) Got me my first Branden Richter tuned harp key of D and I must say I really love it the tone and sound very cool !</span><br><br>here is the wikapedai info</font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><b>Richter tuning</b> is a system of choosing the reeds for a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatonic" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Diatonic">diatonic</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_instrument" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Wind instrument">wind instrument</a> (such as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonica" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Harmonica">harmonica</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accordion" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="Accordion">accordion</a>). It is named after Joseph Richter, a Bohemian instrument maker who adopted the tuning for his harmonicas the early 19th century and is credited with inventing the blow/draw mechanism that allows the harmonica to play different notes when the air is drawn instead of blown.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Richter tuning is designed as a compromise between diatonic melody and harmony. The lower portion of the harmonica is designed to play the tonic and dominant chords on the blow and draw respectively (in the key of C, this would be the C major and G major chords). The remainder of the instrument is tuned to, in this example, blow entirely in the key of C major, with each successive note following the sequence</p>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_(musical_note)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="C (musical note)">C</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_(musical_note)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="E (musical note)">E</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G_(musical_note)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="G (musical note)">G</a>
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<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">and the four notes not in the C major chord arranged on the draw in the sequence</p>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D_(musical_note)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="D (musical note)">D</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_(musical_note)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="F (musical note)">F</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_(musical_note)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="A (musical note)">A</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_(musical_note)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " title="B (musical note)">B</a>.</dd>
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<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">For example:</p>
<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; "> <dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px; "> <table class="wikitable" style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; text-align: center; "> <tbody> <tr> <th style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; background-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); text-align: center; ">hole</th> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; "> 1</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; "> 2</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; "> 3</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; "> 4</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; "> 5</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; "> 6</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; "> 7</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; "> 8</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; "> 9</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">10</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">11</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">12</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">13</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">14</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">15</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">16</td> </tr> <tr> <th style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; background-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); text-align: center; ">blow note</th> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">G</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">C</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">E</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">G</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">C</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">E</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">G</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">C</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">E</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">G</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">C</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">E</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">G</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">C</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">E</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">G</td> </tr> <tr> <th style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; background-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); text-align: center; ">draw note</th> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">B</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">D</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">G</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">B</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">D</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">F</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">A</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">B</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">D</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">F</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">A</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">B</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">D</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">F</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">A</td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; ">B</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </dd>
</dl><br><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B1-BTe5oHhQ" width="420"></iframe><br> <div style="text-align: center; ">
<span style="font-size: medium; ">Last year I had hope to see James Conway in hope to take some classes with him however he was not there but i did get some great information for Steve Baker <br>This year James Conway will be there so can not wait to do a few gigs. heres a few words on him<br>James Conway is a Chicago-based musician who picks a mean acoustic guitar and plays an even meaner rack harmonica. Whether it's a country blues number, a folk song, or a traditional Celtic tune, Conway sings,picks, and blows his heart out. He transforms both harp and guitar into a huge, rhythmic machine. He is best known for his Celtic Harmonica work, which has earned him international recognition. </span><br><br type="_moz"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LzP0JhjjPMk" width="420"></iframe><br>T<span style="font-size: medium; ">hey will also be announcing the new President so cast your vote !<br><br>blog author<br><a href="https://www.njrmusic.com/blogs/home.cfm"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/1e5e92ea7df5bfda1db25944e5b39451b86438b3/medium/smallnedandharp.jpg?1378730814" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="200" width="300" /></a></span><br> </div>Nedra Russtag:www.nedraruss.com,2005:Post/50147932012-04-12T03:25:00-07:002018-01-09T10:13:29-08:00Tom Stryker Meet the President Hi Tom, thanks you for the time here at Nedra's Blog. <a href="http://www.tstryker.com/" target="_new"> <img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/1484f97a99eba0371434579f62ca9b5c5891af0c/medium/Screen-shot-2012-04-12-at-7.52.54-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="227" width="300" /></a>
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<div style="font-family: Kai; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "> </p></div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; ">1: Tom when and how did you start playing harmonic?</span><br> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; ">My three cousins and I received a 280 Chromatic for Christmas when I was 15 living in San Francisco. Fortunately, former <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Borah Minevitch Ray Tankersley lived nearby and we engaged him to teach us. He moved shortly thereafter. I moved to San Jose in 1963 and came across Ray again in 1965 at Foothill College in Los Altos, California, where he was a music teacher. Ray would not take me on as a student so I hounded him until he gave in. This was the time of great learning and playing in groups such as the Big Harp, Sharp Harp and Harmonica Express accelerated the journey. San Jose had many great pro harmonica players from the past and it was a wonderful time.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; ">2: What harmonica's do you play ? diatonic etc....</span><br> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; ">3: How did you become involved with SPAH?</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">I learned of SPAH in 1970s. One of the groups I was playing in was the Harmonica Express with Al Smith on Chord, Ed Marshall on Bass, Kim Venaas and Dave Doucette and later, Judy Simpson Smith on Chromatics. We all decided to attend and perform at a SPAH convention in 1980 and rest was history. The Harmonica Express was featured every Friday evening until about 1985 when Dave Doucette passed away. SPAH was something that was never missed from that point on. So many friends made and opportunities to network! SPAH will always be important to me.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; ">4: When did you become president of SPAH ?</span><br> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; "> That was in 2006</span><br> </p>
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<p><span style="font-size: large; ">Congtulations on the great job you have done!!! </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; ">5: What do you hope for the future of SPAH?</span><br> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">I would like to see SPAH continue into the future as a place where all harmonica player and enthusiast can learn and enjoy the harmonica. SPAH will celebrate its 50<sup>th</sup> Anniversary in 2013. The harmonica landscape has changed a lot and SPAH, </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><a href="http://www.spah.org/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; "><span style="font-size: large; ">www.spah.org</span></a></span><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">, needs to and is rising up to these changes. Proudly, we are likely the longest reigning Harmonica Society in the world. With SPAH is financially secure and organized, it must continue to grow its membership, currently about 850 members. SPAH means harmonica… harmonicas come in many varieties and SPAH must continue to open its doors to support them all. The trend in diatonic harmonicas is recognized by SPAH as is the increasing number of female harmonica players. I would like to see the SPAH membership grow to 1000 in the near future. As SPAH grows, more benefits are planned. It takes a lot of time to do all of this, but thanks to a dedicated volunteer staff, it is happening. Bottom line is that SPAH needs to continue its journey to “Preserve and Advance the Harmonica.” SPAH will have a new president soon and I am sure there are lots of new ideas on the table.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: large; "> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255); ">As a female diotonic player I know I will do all in my power to spred the word about SPAH Tom!</span></span><br> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; ">6: What are your plans musically for the future?</span><br> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Right now I have a wonderful collaboration with Jia-Yi He doing classical, pops and jazz with symphonies and pops orchestras around the world. We recently performed together in Taiwan. I am also planning another CD with the great Tony Luisi. Our last CD “East</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; ">à</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">West Collaboration” sold quite well. Also doing jazz gigs in the clubs and restaurants in my hometown of Reno and will continue to do this. You can always find out about my activities at </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><a href="http://www.tstryker.com/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; "><span style="font-size: large; ">www.tstryker.com</span></a><span style="font-size: large; ">.<br><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/082053478f3833292e716b1b39c31ae1f46a4212/medium/Screen-shot-2012-04-12-at-8.18.17-AM.png?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="235" width="300" /></span></span><br> </p>
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<p><span style="font-size: large; "> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); "> Ok all I have gone to see Tom with Julio in Reno and had the pleasure of sitting in It was a HOOT!</span><br><br><span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255); ">Visit Tom's site to keep up on dates to see him!<br>link on his photo I took at his great</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; text-align: center; "><span style="font: 48.0px Helvetica">“Impromptu” </span><span style="font: 20.0px Helvetica">Tom Stryker </span>on Harmonica &<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span style="font: 20.0px Helvetica">Jimmy Vermilion </span>on Keyboards/Vocals<br><br><br>Just in This year Tom won the lifetime achievement award <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200272983015718&set=a.4909923594407.1073741825.1487636587&type=1&theater"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/2a8074789a263b9269f83d5242548b84c2042bca/medium/Screen-shot-2013-08-19-at-10.25.28-AM.png?1377288425" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="431" width="300" /></a></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Helvetica; text-align: center; "><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><a href="http://www.njrmusic.com/fr_home.cfm" target="_new"><img src="https://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/45502/7f887ccd08d781a12be3af1975e8a4b72868137c/medium/neptune.jpg?1378730813" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="450" width="300" /></a><br> </p>
<div style="text-align: center; ">Me at the Eldorado on our way to play with the Prez!</div>
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</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JykmKSCDaDg" width="420"></iframe>Nedra Russ