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Re: OVERBLOWING - Where to From Here?

Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 5:27 pm
by IaNerd
According to Posner and Strike’s research on the conditions necessary for conceptual change, there must be: (1) dissatisfaction with existing conceptions; (2) a new conception must be intelligible; (3) a new conception must appear initially plausible; and (4) a new conception should have the potential to be extended.

We should further acknowledge, however, that while conceptual change sometimes happens TO an entire generation, it sometimes will happen WITHIN a subset of a generation. A traditional system may wind up coexisting with newer alternate systems for any amount of time.

In the case where a tradition essentially dies out, this sometimes happens when a tradition’s practitioners change their ways, driving or conforming to the new ways of newcomers. Or we sometimes see traditionalists continue with their practices while they literally die off and are generationally replaced by the innovators.

But another scenario exists, whereby the older and the newer ways coexist indefinitely.

I began studying photography just before the digital photography revolution. For a time there was rampant speculation about “the death of film”. Most historians of photography would predict now that, while digital photography certainly predominates and always will, making images with chemical emulsions will probably remain alongside digital as viable and relevant art art form indefinitely.

In this century we see many ways of riding horses. Many ways of cooking food. Many ways of making shelters. Newness does not always lead to obsolesce.

So what of the future Richter tuning, overblowing and the like?

My personal feelings and beliefs (with all that caveats about having no real credentials among most of you) are:

1. Thank goodness that Richter, et. al developed a really good instrument and tuning that puts polka in your pocket.

2. Thanks to those mostly poor musical geniuses in the USA for their almost miraculous ability to repurpose this cheap little instrument.

3. Thanks to all those folks around the world who have spent countless hours listening to, studying, woodshedding, perfecting and extending harmonica music.

4. Ten-hole Richter diatonic harmonicas make for a viable and relevant musical platform, and ALWAYS WILL.

5. There is NO WAY that the Richter diatonic harp will always enjoy its current VIRTUAL exclusivity in blues/pop/rock/soul. Even beyond worthwhile tweaks such as valves, gapping, embossing, reed shapes and so on, THE RICHTER TUNING SHOULD—AND EVENTUALLY WILL—SHARE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE STAGE WITH OTHER BLUES/POP/ROCK/SOUL TUNINGS. To think that Richter diatonic will remain the be-all and end-all for all time is (imo) just silly.

6. Richter die-hards should be who they are and make the beautiful soulful music that they make. Good music will always be good.

7. Innovators should innovate and play what’s in their hearts.

8. In my experience, musicians are a pretty tolerant lot. We should respect various approaches to making music and ultimately ENJOY THE RESULTS and BE HAPPY THAT WE CAN.