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David's Tip of the Day: Harmonica Community - Support

Posted Thu, 02/16/2012 - 09:05 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Most likely you didn't have anything to list when I asked you what you were doing for the harmonica community yesterday. Let's look at three paths of thinking though... supporting, helping and creating... you're surely doing one of these?

Supporting
When you purchase harmonicas from your local music store they're more likely to carry more harps on hand. If it's a small store, they may carry a larger selection of keys just for you. If you talk to them about new models of harps, books, mics, amps, etc., and order these items through them time to time, they're again more likely to carry them in stock for other customers to check out (sometimes they have to meet a minimum order threshold, making the chance of having these items in stock, for at least a while, inevitable).

When purchasing harmonicas from independent harmonica mail order houses (F & R Farrell, Kevin's Harps, Harp Depot, Coast to Coast Music, Rockin' Ron's Music 4 Less, etc., and yes, I know some of those are out of business now ;-( you're supporting people who are REALLY into the harmonica and they're less there to make money (NOBODY makes good money doing this) and more here to help serve our harmonica brethren.

When purchasing custom mics, harmonicas, amps, cases, etc., you're funding high-quality work from artisans who are your fellow harmonica players.

When subscribing to BluesHarmonica.com you fund the $ needed to finance the interviews (yes, everyone gets paid), contributors and lessons I provide (otherwise I'd be teaching more private lessons and there would be nothing for the greater community).

I'm a member of Harmonica Collectors International... I don't collect harmonicas. I'm a member of Dennis Gruenling's Radio Show "Blues & The Beat"... I haven't had a chance to listen to it in the six months since I paid my membership, but I feel good about it because I believe in the work Dennis does (he's damn good at it).

Get what I'm saying.

Now, let me ask again, how can you "support" your harmonica community?