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Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2001 08:13:53 -0400
From: Glenn Weiser
Subject: Re: $60 and 2 cents

> This is a very important point. I remember a year or two ago in San
> Jose, Paul Oscher did a seminar at Barrett's master class. Now Oscher
> is an outstanding player, but he's not a teacher. He can't really
> describe what he does nor in many cases does he want to -- at one
> point he wouldn't answer a question because he'd be "giving away all
> his secrets." And at times he was close to scornful of Barrett's
> meticulous approach. This isn't a criticism of Oscher -- most of his
> seminar was him playing, and telling stories about his days with
> Muddy, and I would have paid the admission fee just to hear that. But
> he's not a teacher.
>
What a creep-he was hired to do a job and then balked at it because his
supposed "secrets" might have been given away. Contrast that with the
generousity of a gentleman like Jerry Portnoy, who taught me the mixed
embouchure system in one free, impromtu lesson on the streets of Saratoga,
NY, just because he could tell I was a serious player. It's true that the
old guys were often secretive about thier playing, but if that's how Oscher
felt, he should have stayed home. You can also read lots about Muddy for far
cheaper than a trip to San Jose.
And then O. put down Dave's teaching approach? The gall! Do you know how
difficult it is do what Dave Barrett can do so well? I taught the
Masterclass with him in January of last year, and my first session with the
group was not easy, because in spite of years of teaching harp to
individuals my appoach was not correctly calibrated to a group. Feeling that
I had not done well, I then watched Barrett very carefully as he taught the
next session. I then understood his general approach and realized I had
tried to cover too much ground the first time. After that things were easier
for me and better for the group.

> Barrett IS a teacher. He's probably admit he's not half the player
> Oscher is, but he's obviously worked very hard at figuring out to
> communicate some of what people like Oscher do, he's patient, and
> he's very cerebral. None of those things necessarily make a great
> blues performer, but they do make a great teacher. Both men deserve
> respect, but they do entirely different things.
>
Dave is still young, and I would expect to see his chops rise with his
years. Good Chicago blues harp is very, very tricky to do well, and I think
most of us are still students of it in a way. But as a group teacher, I
don't know of anyone more knowledgeable and gracious than Dave Barrett.

Glenn Weiser
Masters of the Blues Harp is now out!
A Masterclass in 87 cool pages
http://www.celticguitarmusic.com/harpbook.htm