Krzysztof Sibiga - L10

A big congratulations to Krzysztof Sibiga in Breslau, Canada for completing Levels of Achievement Level 10 Testing at BluesHarmonica.com. You can see his performance of original arrangements and instrumentals here: https://youtu.be/5ezT4DisgcY

Here is his story...

“The Process” by Krzysztof Sibiga

I was probably 14 when harmonica caught my attention for a first time. I was at summer camp, and there were two brothers who were singing and playing on the mandolin and the harmonica. It sounded so good. I knew that this was something I’d like to be able to do. A few years later as a university student, I attended a show of one of the more popular blues bands in my home country Poland; this band called themselves ‘Nocna Zmiana Bluesa’. It was an amazing experience. Acoustic blues: violin, stand-up bass, acoustic guitar, drums, and of course, the polish harmonica virtuoso, Sławek Wierzcholski. It was a breathtaking mix of traditional American blues and original compositions. That night the blues harmonica seed was planted in my soul. I loved those sounds, riffs, and melodies. A few years later after moving to Canada and getting caught up with hectic ordinary life, I yearned for something to give me pleasure and relief. That’s when I decided that it was time to give blues harmonica a try. I bought my first book for beginners, and recommended C harp. It was not easy to follow the lessons. My progress was slow, and I was not disciplined or motivated enough to systematically work on the instrument. A few years passed with on and off bursts of enthusiasm. The book was collecting more dust than it was being used. I had nobody to learn from, no teacher, and I was alone with my struggle. A couple of years passed. YouTube got more popular. Ronnie Shellist and Adam Gussow came to the scene. The climate got better for harmonica lovers. I then got the Jerry Portnoy Harmonica Masterclass CD set. I then got a better understanding of foundations. I was eventually ready for more advanced books. I got one of the books by David Barrett. This book challenged and inspired me. I realized how good of an educator David Barrett is. I decided to check out his website. Man, I felt I made it to the blues harmonica promised land. When I thought that it couldn’t get any better, David presented Levels of Achievement program. I started from the beginning. I noticed that at the first level I was receiving cool, solid, exciting material to learn. I noticed progress, and I was excited to learn more and more from the program. The format was so well structured; it was difficult enough to be challenging but at the same time exciting, and it didn’t leave me overwhelmed or discouraged. The theory part was probably most difficult. I know that I will go back to it again.

Now here I am at the end of my Levels of Achievements journey. The seed found fertile ground. It bears sweet fruit. Now I feel that I’m ready to start a new chapter of my journey. To find opportunities to perform on stage, to maybe be part of the band. I feel excitement in my soul.

I want to thank David Barrett for the great job that he does. My life has definitely been enriched. He not only teaches us how to be good musicians, but through his website, he created a great world community of blues harmonica lovers, and I’m very happy to be a part of it.