From: Douglas Tate Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 00:55:45 +0100 Subject: SPAH_96
My first time at the SPAH convention .... won't be my last. I was blown away with the friendliness and interest in the harp at the BHF convention in April.
This was a bigger convention with considerably more delegates ... storm time for blowing away.
Why did I like it?? As always it is the people and the music first and foremost. Doesn't matter about style, you only have to listen to a piece of music which may be totally alien to everything you have ever believed in for a few seconds to realise whether it is good MUSIC. There was so much of this at SPAH 96.
It was wonderful to see and meet again good ol' buddies from BHF, but there were new 'net' faces there as well, which was a joy. Haven't met a person on Harp_L who I enjoy on the net who hasen't been even greater in the flesh.
Talking of greater in the flesh..... My room mate Steve Price. Great talker, lot to say, much emotional content in his music and his conversation, much humility in his playing (not of harp unfortunately, but of guitar where he was central to the after hours jams. ) He was unobtrusive but supportive, accurate and interesting and NOBODY thanks the hired help!!! Superb Steve.
For the first time in my life I have given a seminar with Harmonica John in the audience. If you get the chance ... hire him! He sat cross legged on the floor where more conventional personages placed bottoms on seats. But his position enabled him at one point in my erudite disertation to lie on his stomach, beat the floor with his hands and legs and have noisy hysterics. An illuminating side to his character. Thank you HJ for appreciating a feeble attempt at humour.
I remember getting to bed at 5am and the having to give a seminar at 9am in the ballroom..... and seeing happy smiling faces that I seemed to have left only minutes before.
I remember the wonderful friendly approach of the organisers, their desire to help and make things run smoothly.
There was the sound man, a quiet person who made everyone else loud.. superb job, you didn't notice either him or his work, except that everyone sounded better after the mic fairy had been by.
I remember the large circle of superb beef on my plate at the banquet ... and thought of Mad Cow Disease, this led me to thinking of the harp players who were at the convention.. mad, the lot of them ... well if that's mad, pile more beef on my plate.
I remember twin disasters...
All the lights in the hotel going out a few minutes before the Gala Dinner ... and finding myself sitting in isolated splendour with my partner in harp design on a sofa flanked by the only two lights which worked in the entire hotel.
What was the other disaster?? Well folks, unless I am mistaken there is one in our midst, a young guy called Dennis who might just blow all of you blues players away in a little while ... luckily I play classical ... but he also plays chromatic... whoops.
Anything I didn't like. Yes...... going home.
Thank you friends for a memorable few days of superb music making and discussion.
