I have been running my own electronic repair shop,specializing in pro-audio/studio equiptment for around 5 yrs.Before that I would contract to studios for installation and on site console repairs.Before that I was in the navy as a comms tech(UHF,HF and sattalite trasmisions). I'm blessed to have a sweet wife and 1(soon 2)children.My son,at 2.5,can bend a 2 hole draw.yahooo Love swing of deep groovy blues,funky soulful reggae and any cross overs
hey gang ,steve rodgers ,born & raised on the east coast of canada (ie Nova Scotia),i`m 50 yrs young this Nov .I`m a master auto tec earned through GM ,i now work for a local auction company,been playing harp since last july as a result of an accidient,were i lost the skin off of both the palms of my hands,so had to hold harp like Mr Gussow,since then i now play w/a small band & record w/a cape breton song wrighter.I have 2 chrildren 7& 18 boy & girl ,on my second wife & hopefully the last,love playing harp & wood shed as much as possible .Hope you all have a great day & keep playing
Went to John H. Francis Polytechnic High and graduated in '69. I had long hair and a beard at that time when that was not a popular thing. Received an award at our senior banquet for 6 semesters of music participation and received a full-room ovation from my class when I walked up to the podium. Later that day, back at school, I was called into the vice principal's office (a real prick) and was told I had to shave my beard to participate in graduation. So that's what I did- I shaved off my beard and left the mutton chops and mustache and that's how I graduated.
After graduating L.A. Valley Jr. College in '71 I married my High School Sweetheart and we moved to San Jose for the remainder of my education. I graduated with a BA in art and a teaching credential. I taught for about 10 years in the San Fernando Valley (Pinecrest School for one year, Egremont private school in Encino for 6 years, two years at Sylvan Park and one year at another elementary school for the LAUSD. In between those years took various summer jobs, and finally left teaching down there and went to work full time as the Asst. Sales Manager for Cycle World (a bicycle shop on Reseda Blvd.) Raced a season at the Encino Velodrome as well! Was too old to be competitive, but it was sure fun! 30+ mph, inches apart, and no brakes.
During that last five or ten years living in the San Fernando Valley we looked to get out. Before moving we took a trip to Europe. We had motorcycles much of the West, and into Canada, and got the opportunity to moto Europe, and spent three weeks in late '87 in England, Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, etc. riding and enjoying.
Moved to Northern California in late '88. Worked as a substitute teacher for about 9 years (various K through 8th grade classrooms all over the area). When it as clear that I would never get a job up here (too much experience + too many units = too expensive to hire), I moved on. While teaching up here I took over our community's newspaper- a monthly tab, and I ran that for about 12 years, being the owner, editor, layout and production staff, etc... it was a one-man operation, literally.
The newspaper led me to the Internet and I started a website in conjunction with that. In late '90 I got started making espresso at home and roasting my own coffee which led to yet another website (www.EspressoMyEspresso.com) which I still operate. it combines my photography experience, writing and teaching ability (such as they are) and love for fine coffee. That website created a number of relationships in the coffee industry through which I still make some cash.. Enough to keep me in harmonicas, anyway.
I still live up on the ten acres we bought in late '88, still married to the same lady, still have a beard and mustache, and about a year ago finally realized that I am a creative person, that office and structured jobs are not what my psyche needs, and in three days our group plays our first concert.
Hi all! A potted history if i may be so bold! I'm 34 yrs old , married for 10 years this year( is that good?) I spent my early years wanting to be an artist , but Art College after 3 years put me off , I still draw and paint ,but only for my own needs. I have been Playing guitar since i was 14 , and played in bands since i was 19 , Brought up listenng to allsorts, but got into the rolling stones etc when i was about 15, Played in mainly bands that are R&b based , British and American garage punk , which is how i got to start Harping Bought a few to start with , and a crappy old mic, in the last few years , got a better set up. as my friend who fixes my amps , sold me his bullet mic and last year finally got a decent fender amp as all my others are british valve amps anyway , Finally got a band sorted after a bad start last year , Now rockin and spitting out some better tunes Other hobbies , real ale ,and Classic American cars I have a 1965 Pontiac Tempest which gobbles a bit of money and fuel but i love it, it's just gone in for an extensive engine rebuild , and a few other jobs that i can't do due to lack of knowledge That's all for now next please!
Last Edited by on May 19, 2009 5:57 PM
Buddha:Now those dogs look kind of serious to me. Now, Iv'e always been "In with the in crowd",so if I happen to stray your way one day man, what do I wear to avoid being eaten.
nacaron:doing gigs having my owm Jazz and blues clubs on occasion, o yes and hanging with jazz guys that were influencing me when I knew nothing like Ronnie Scott.
I train mostly for pleasure but when I need to make a few bucks and can't do it via music then I can always do it through dog training.
I only have one dog in the house that is a loose cannon and may or may not bite you. She's screwy Rottweiler that I have been trying to rehab. They were going to put her to sleep but I wanted to work with her. She was abused as a puppy and now hates men.
My other dogs won't hurt you unless there is a threat to me or a tell them to bite you. The biting is really a game to them. Buzadero was over and when he was suiting up in his motorcycle gear, one of my dogs wanted to bite him but it was obvious that he wouldn't.
I compete in Ring Sports and to do so, you have to have a top notch dog and be a top notch trainer.
None of these are my dogs but it's a great illustration of what dogs like mine will do.
Hi Im David and I was born in 1940. Been married 46 years, 3 children and 6 grandchildren. Worked in sales, sales mgmt & state mgmt for a multinational imaging company before moving into Financial Planning and ultimately started my own practice. Been retired for 6 years and spend time between our house in Brisbane, beach house on the Sunshine Coast and travelling the outback in our 4wd & towing an off road caravan. Started playing harp as a boy but gave it away for 50 years. In retirement I still like to keep fit & active with swimming, cycling, surfing, bush walking & sailboarding. I see playing the harp as challenging (keeping the brain active) and therapeutic ie good for cardiovascular health. Biggest regret was in having been a smoker until 30 years ago and still suffer from bronchial problems caused by tobacco. The harp & swimming keep these bronchial problems at bay. My favourite music is Country.
Hi everyone, my names David (Aussiesucker you totally copied me, haha). I'll be turning 19 on Sunday. I've lived in Lake Stevens WA my whole life (small town north of Seattle). I grew up in a fairly large family, 5 other siblings, I got stuck as the older middle child. I am a full time student at Everett Community College, going for a Computer Science degree (us harp guys and computers). I want to get into computer animation, I do that a lot in my free time.
I started playing harmonica a year and a half ago. And started guitar a little after that. I actually started playing guitar because I needed another Art credit in order to graduate High School, so I took basic guitar. And I started playing harp because my xbox broke and I needed a new hobby. I mainly play jazz on guitar, been wanting to play jazz on the harp but I can't overblow yet, I'm missing some jazzy notes cause of that. Oh, and I just bought a drum set around easter.
Outside of music and school, I like to go archering (I shoot a Hoyt Gamemaster II). I haven't gone hunting yet, but me and my friend are planning on going in September. And I like to play some video games with friends (PSN tag is GORIGNAK, hit me up). And as I said before, I also like to make 3D stuff on the computer, I use the program Blender, if any of you knows what that is.
Josh- I was very intrigued when you said you were a professional magician so I googled "josh Cincinnati magic" and came up with this http://cincymagic.net/Default.aspx Is that you? I'm pretty confident because of your email address and your background in computers.
Last Edited by on May 23, 2009 1:30 AM
I moved to Nashville Tn. from Long Island, New York 5 years ago. I have played in bands since 1971. I am currently breaking into the studio scene here in Music City and play live in many of the bars and honkey tonks. Before I started playing in bands I was a professional baseball player.
Last Edited by on Jul 09, 2009 11:25 AM
My name is Marc and I'm a Commercial Property Manager in New York. I work long hours and deal with the public, which can be stressful at times. So for me music is a great outlet for the stress. I commute by car daily on the Long Island Expressway (also known as the world's largest parking lot)and work on my scales and riffs while sitting in traffic. I thought I was kind of odd doing this until I saw a guy playing trumpet in the car next to me.
I started playing Harp at 15 years old ... a long, long time ago. My early influences were Sonny Boy Williamson, John Mayall, James Cotton and Sonny Terry. For six years ate, drank and slept the Blues. I became involved in Martial Arts and just about stopped playing the harp for nearly 30 years. During those years I would pick up a harp every once in a while, blow the dust off, pucker up and play. Six years ago I realized exactly how much I actually missed playing and have been enjoying it ever since. I had no formal harp training and feel I have good tone quality, but my playing needs more technique and variety.
I've never played a custom harp, so I tried learning how to do it myself but completely missed the boat on how to apply the techniques I observed in a half dozen or so youtube shorts. I give those guys alot of credit. I blew out my 'D' harp and needed one for a fund raiser I was doing with my band yesterday, so I bought a Golden Melody and a couple of hours before the show started to tinker with it. What a mistake that was. I wound up screwing up the reed and used the 'blown out' D harp for a Doyle Bramhall song. As a result, I played the song poorly and actually felt like I was playing through a garden hose.
The great loves of my life I put in this order: God, family and music. Driving on the Long Island Expressway is not one of them.
My name is Phil, and I grew up in Newport RI, but live in NW Indiana now. I'm almost 47. Muddy Waters at the Newport Folk festival used to keep me up at night, since I only lived about half a mile from the festival.
My degree is in chemical engineering, and I work in chemical sales now, covering northern Indiana and Michigan.
I have a wife and two cats, no kids. My wife is a super nurse.
My other hobbies are my home theater and wood working.
I've been playing harp since Christmas of 86, when my roomate bought a guitar with his Christmas bonus, and I bought a harp. We couldn't afford cable tv, couldn't get a signal, so for two years that was our entertainment. I recently started taking lessons, and have found there's a lot of basic stuff I didn't know, but yet a lot of advanced stuff I can do.
I'm a clinical perfusionist, which means I run the heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery. We own three dogs - all rescued.
My hobbies include learning piano, baking artisan bread, data recovery and running websites.
I've been playing harp since my birthday in April - I bought an $8 Hohner "blues harp" to see if I liked it and my wife surprised me with a Lee Oscar. I have since bought two Marine bands.
Hi, I'm 21 years old, live in Belgium (Buddha: your "Belgian Malinois" is called "Mechelse Herder" here :-)).
Next schoolyear I'll be in my last year of Engineering study at the University of Gent.
My passions are: Surfing and Playing the harp. Since England blocks nearly all the swell here, I travel as much as I can to surf.
Bluesnut and Aussiesucker, you live in the greatest places! The Sunshine Coast and Hawaii are really my dream locations of where I would want to live. What do you think the chances are for an engineer to move to your place, find a nice job and a home?
My name is Pete; I’m 43 and have been happily married for the last 18 years and we have a 15yr old son. We live in Australia and I work as an Intensive Care Paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Special Operations Unit. I have been a Paramedic for the last 20 yrs.
Along the way I have managed a degree in Nursing and some post-grad qualifications in Health Science. I lectured for a couple of years in Public Health at the Queensland University of Technology in a co-joined position. I also currently contract part time to the College of General Practitioners here in Australia, where we teach doctors how to resuscitate in a systematic manner. It’s kind of ironic however that I would end up working in education, as I was a high school drop-out at age 15.
I took up the harp just before last Christmas with no musical background whatsoever and I absolutely love it (even if I am maybe driving the wife just a little bit crazy :)
I graduated high school 2006 and was planning on going to Oberlin conservatory for clarinet, but decided not too on a whim (more like I didn't wanna take any loans for school, if it's not totally free I ain't goin). Moved to Santa Barbara and went to the city college for a while and started to think about being a nurse (I was working as a nurses aide). It seemed like a flexible job I could work part time at. SBCC had a 4 year waitlist though! So... I moved back to Oregon and got all A's then got into nursing school. Now I will graduate June 2010 as a RN and start my professional life as a nurse. I will continue to work on music as that is my main passion and nursing will allow me the freedom to pursue it! Chess has been a big hobby of mine and I was able to reach expert level (2000+ rating) but now I am quitting because I don't wanna spend my life pushing pieces on the board. You can track my harmonica improvement progress at my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/the5kproject
I am planning on practicing 5000 hours over a short period of time. Glad random strangers know more about me now :)
Hi I am Walter Dodds I am a prof at Kansas State University, where I teach, research and write books. I am married to a fantastic woman for 27 years, with two kids out of the house. Also like to brew beer and play soccer. Started harmonica in high school, but really played a bunch in college when my roommate left his tie on the door and i went to the stairwell to pass time, and picked up with a couple of folk guitar players. Played pre-war acoustic blues in a duet in college then just jamming till a couple years back when joined a blues band. It's been a great ride so far!
hello everyone my name is marty greenwood. i own a pizza shop in chardon ohio. i am married with 2 great children and another on the way in a month or so.. i started playing harp cause i always wanted too, and needed a cheaper hobby than offroading now that i have a family. im glad you all are here to help. and would like to thank Adam for the great training/motivation videos on you tube... and this great site..
Last Edited by on Aug 31, 2009 7:29 PM
My Name is Michael Gorens I live in Charm City...Ok it's Baltimore MD, Patron City of Mugging and shooting people. I actually live in a quiet neighborhood about a mile North of the City. I'm a self taught Harp player, Guitar Owner, Dead Head (been to 96 Grateful Dead, JGB, Bob Weir shows) I pay bills by selling Wire Rope and Hardware nationally from a phone & computer. Originally from the Philadelphia suburbs and picked up the nickname of "The Philly Fatman" I'm hoping they are describing my tone not my love of Pasta. Over the years I've played with Local/Regional bands Delta 9, Done with Mirrors and most recently The Last Dog Standing, among a few others not really noteworthy. I've married twice, divorced twice, have 4 kids ranging from 16-31 y/o and I'm looking for my next ex-wife, send pics of single sisters/cousins/female inlaws to Bluzdude46@aol.com all applicants must be either working or independently wealthy. I've recently been diagnosed with Diabetes and have taken a break from the bar scene until I get my sugar under control (there!) and can learn to drink diet Coke instead of beer at bars (close!)
My name is Craig Jewell, and I live outside of Madison, WI. I've been lurking here on and off for a while, and lately I've been reading more here and working with Adam's lessons. I've been married for nine years and we have 2 children. I play bass in a folk group, Borderlands, guitar around the campfire, and I took up harmonica a little over a year ago so that I could have a more portable instrument. I fell in love with playing it right away. As a folkie, I've always loved the sound Fingers Taylor added to old Jimmy Buffett songs. I've always enjoyed blues, but I'm much more a fan of the country blues style, with one or two acoustic guitars, rather than an electric band. After finding Sonny Terry, I started looking for similar music. Right now I'm causally looking for a country blues guitarist for some low-key jamming (something that takes up less time than the band I play with regularly). In my free time I'm usually bicycling, kayaking, or juggling.
I'm Max Tottenham, 17 years old living in london uk. I'm a student (Starting A level's tomorrow :O,) I'm hoping to study computer science with artificial intelligence somewhere over here, (not quite decided on where I want to go yet).
I've played piano (up until grade 4 Jazz), classical guitar for about a year as a small hobby, (all my knowledge of guitar is from tabs, I am absolutely hopeless) and harmonica (more recently I've been playing for about four months using both adams youtube lessons and the ones here on the site and I'm loving it) I have a friend who is a guitar teacher in his spare time who I can jam with when were not doing coursework. I work as a maths teaching assistant for an after school learning center for children between the ages of five to ten or eleven. I also am a member of the national youth theater's technical department and currently I'm working (for free (doh!) ) in the soho theater on their summer season.
Right now I'm looking at focusing my harmonica playing, learning key songs and preparing myself to make a step out and go to a jam at some point (but not for a while I feel) At the moment any free time I have is either spent reading for university or getting kicked out of pubs ---------- "imagination is more important then knowledge" - Albert Einstien
I'm a public school band and orchestra director. Music is pretty much my whole life. I've performed as a classical pianist in the past, but, due to an injury, I've drastically reduced the amount of time I spend on the piano, and have been devoting that time to harmonica for the last year and a half. I'm married, no kids, and 29.
Hobbys include music, travel, rock climbing, and chess.
My name is Richard. Been lurking here since the first of the year. Born, raised and currently living in Springfield Missouri. Been playing harp seriously for about ten years. Seem to be stuck at the advanced intermediate stage in my playing.
46 years old
Married 20 years this Oct.
3 sons: 7, 10 & 14 years old. Sometimes known as the whinning, moody & brain dead stages respectively.
Retired from the printing industry last November after 27 years and currently employed as the 2nd shift lead custodian at our church. My wife is my custodial director (insert jibes and jokes here).
I also dabble in guitar, banjo, keyboard and autoharp. I mostly play blues and old time gospel but listen to a variety of other music: bluegrass, 80's metal, british mod (both 60's & revival), hardcore punk, rapcore ect.
My only regular gig playing blues harp was several years in the worship team for the 2nd shift chapel service (weekly) at the Assemblies of God National Headquaters. Attendance was mandatory for all staff so I was guaranteed an audience!
Other hobbies include cycling (mostly a recumbent tadpole trike), parenting(!), camping, music festivals (mulberry mountain the most recent) and two long term projects: restoring both a 63 vespa scooter and an 86 jag xjs.
I'm a dad (3yrs), a husband (11yrs) and work as a director of quality for a major automotive company (12yrs, last 2 of which have been interesting to say the least....) Degree in marketing, half a degree in engineering, 4yrs training as a draftsman, and many years as a mechanic give me the background to do what I do for a living....
Beyond music: -I am a cyclist-formerly competitive, currently much slower than I want to be -A competitive duck caller who used to make a line of high end duck calls -Restored vintage British cars and Japanese motorcycles -A competitive precision and freestyle model aerobatics pilot who designed a very successful line of airplane kits before getting totally burnt out (3 consecutive years at the world champs ruined it for me).
As for music, I was formally trained on the violin and the trumpet. I also learned to play blues guitar from an old southern player who played with many of the big names. Seemingly everyone in my family is musically inclined.
I got my first harp from my grandmother. A MB from the corner drugstore. Really did not learn to play it cross harp until about the age of 11. Picked it back up this year again as I felt I wanted to make some music again..... Now I'm really having fun playing again and feeling my skills increase rapidly.
Last Edited by on Sep 02, 2009 7:42 PM
50 years old. For a paycheck I teach travel skills (orientation & mobility) to blind and visually impaired veterans for the US Veterans Administration Hospital. For a much less money I play out as often as possible. I play harp, alto sax, guitar (acoustic mostly),penny whistle a bit and sing. I played trumpet from 4th grade through high school but don't play it anymore. Born and raised in Kalamazoo, MI home of Gibson Guitars, now currently living near New Haven, Connecticut.
