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SPAH is pleased to announce that the SPAH Convention will return to San Antonio, Texas August 12-16, 2025. We will gather at the Hilton Palacio Del Rio on the Riverwalk in the city center, hosted by the Alamo HOOT Club in San Antonio.

We are pleased to advise you that News on 6,
Channel 6 TV in Tulsa,
has featured the SPAH Convention 3 times in the past two days.
Most recently, here

Take a look!

Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica Presents the 61^st Anniversary Convention in Tulsa, OK

Tulsa, OK. – August 5, 2024 – The Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH) is pleased to announce its 61st Annual SPAH Convention, to be held in Tulsa, OK. August 13-17 at the Tulsa Hyatt Regency Downtown. Hundreds of musicians, enthusiasts, teachers and vendors are registered to attend.

 

 

SPAH welcomes headliners listed below, and a world-renowned chromatic Jazz artist to close the Saturday Awards banquet. Hank Shreve; is an award-winning blues harmonica player and vocalist who has played around the world’. Cheryl Arena; who’s voice and energy, combined with powerful harmonica have wowed international audiences for over 30 years. Ross Garren; harmonica player, keyboardist, composer and producer, has shared the stage with many greats, artists. PT Gazell; designer of the “Gazell method” signature Seydel harmonicas, PT has shared his one-of-a-kind tone and phrasing with many greats, and is a first-call Nashville session player and touring sideman.

 

Starting Wednesday morning, the Convention offers 40 seminars & workshops, plus a daily teach-in, vendor booths, jams and an open mic. Performances include afternoon and evening concerts throughout the week, featuring world-class performers at every show. The Convention culminates on Saturday evening with a Gala Awards Banquet, concert, and raffle to benefit the SPAH Rosebush Youth Scholarship Program.

 

“SPAH is excited to be back in Tulsa where we have had some of our largest Conventions. Tulsa offers a great Convention location, coupled with many important historical sites to visit. We are excited to bring world-class harmonica music and education for all ages back to Tulsa,” said SPAH President Michael D’Eath. “We invite you to come and experience the friendship of this incredible, sharing harmonica community for yourself!”

 

Free events for Tulsa locals

The 7 pm Wednesday evening show is free to the local public (subject to capacity, doors 6:30 pm) and features the Tulsa Route 66 Harmonica Club, Mitch Grainger, Enrico Granafei, and closes with Michael Rubin’s Variety Show, featuring performances by many artists attending the Convention. On Saturday, The Gospel Show (10 am, doors 9:30 am) is also free to the public and features world-class performers playing uplifting Gospel music.

 

This year’s SPAH Convention along with the above, will feature additional performances by, The AJ Windmeyer / Boaz Kim / Phil Caltabellotta Harmonica Trio, Enrico Granafei, Winslow Yerxa, Mitch Grainger, Kiersi Joli, the Rosebush Youth Scholars, The Chris Bauer Jazz Hour, The Tom Stryker Big Band, The Michael Rubin Variety Show, all with amazing accompaniment from Kyle Rowland, Dan Ruppa and Eric Noden on guitar, Neil Adler on piano, plus Michael Bremo and Matt Martin on drums, and Stephen Schultz on bass guitar. Two additional world-renowned artists – Jazz and Blues – will be announced nearer the start of the Convention.

 

SPAH welcomes its Youth Scholars, selected from applicants from around the world to attend the convention, funded by generous SPAH donors. Local youth will also attend the SPAH Youth Outreach, a free program on Saturday morning. Attendees will receive a free harmonica, a boxed lunch, and a class led by teachers David Kachalon & Joe Filisko.

 

The SPAH Convention offers a wide range of education, with daily seminars, and the Joe Filisko “Teach-In”, with 1-1 time from renowned players & teachers, as well as insight into instrument customization and repair. Teach-in faculty includes all of our headliners plus; Charlie Barath, Chris Bauer, Don Caesar, Grant Dermody, Dennis Gruenling, Deak Harp, Lonnie Joe Howell, George Miklas, Eric Noden, Dennis Oellig, Rob Roy Parnell, Todd Parrott, Mike Peace, Dan Ruppa, and Peter Madcat Ruth.

 

SPAH also welcomes our honored Troubadours to share their experience, insights & music around the Convention area. The Troubadours this year are Cajun performer Jerry Devillier, classical maestro Robert Bonfiglio, and Will Scarlett of Hot Tuna fame.

 

What’s more, you can join us or listen to spontaneous jam sessions and impromptu performances from morning until late at night — on stages, in lounges, on patios, and in hallways – with music played by attendees ranging from pre-teens to octogenarians! Attendees may also perform at the open mic stage, which is open daily in the hotel lobby. After the evening concerts, jamming starts up again, with blues, jazz, country, and gospel circles late into the night!

 

The Vendor Exhibition is open daily, showing the widest array of top-of-the-line products anywhere, provided by vendors from around the world, with harmonicas, tools, equipment & accessories for sale.

 

Registration & Tickets

Registration is open daily at the convention hotel, starting Tuesday afternoon with opening ceremonies at 3:30 pm, featuring music by local Piedmont-style blues guitarist, Tom Pevear. The Blues Blowoff will be held Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm (doors 6 pm) at the same location.

 

Tickets can be purchased onsite: for the full convention, the Blues Blowoff, for a single day, for the Saturday banquet & show, and for all evening shows. Convention details are here: https://spahstore.org/convention-events/upcoming-convention-2/. Attendance is subject to capacity. You can register at the Convention registration desk in the Tulsa Hyatt Regency. Full Convention registration includes access to all streamed & recorded performances, and seminar recordings.

 

About the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH)

SPAH (a 501(c)3 non-profit organization) is the nation’s flagship harmonica organization with over 700 members. In addition to publishing a quarterly membership magazine, each year SPAH attracts harmonica players, enthusiasts, vendors and teachers from around the globe to its annual Convention. More information at www.SPAHstore.org

If you told us you’d like a T-shirt when you arrive in Tulsa, check out the design for this year! These will go fast, so stop by the table to purchase yours when you arrive! (We will have a few available for if you didn’t tell us your size when you registered)

Harmonica & Blues Summit Returns to Underground Honky-Tonk

Third annual Blown Away on the Bayou takes place October 16-20 in Sunset, LA

SUNSET, LA – Blown Away on the Bayou, a harmonica and Blues summit, returns for a third year, October 16-20, 2024, at the Whirlybird in Sunset, Louisiana, to celebrate and teach the rich history of the Blues and the harmonica in Acadiana.

 

The 2024 harmonica instructors are Joe Filisko, Jerry Devillier, Chris Miller, and Grant Dermody

 

The idea for Blown Away on the Bayou came about through a series of pie and tea conversations with founders Jim Phillips, Christy Leichty, and Grant Dermody. A shared love of music led to the idea of a harmonica summit, with an immersion in both Blues and Cajun styles. In 2021 the inaugural BAOTB took place at the Whirlybird, an underground honky-tonk located in Sunset, Louisiana.

 

In year two the Summit expanded to include Blues guitar, mandolin, fiddle, accordion, and the addition of vocal instruction. As the Summit continues to grow, the founders intend to provide an ever widening immersive experience where Blues lovers from all over the U.S. and abroad can learn, share, play, dance, and eat together, all in the beauty of Acadiana.

 

Registration is open for full and part-time attendees. Full-time registration is $750 and includes:

Three full days, and two half days of instruction and jamming on all instruments,   admission to all seminars and evening dance parties, Gospel choir participation and performance, and all gourmet, home-cooked meals and snacks provided by our resident Cajun chef.

Tuition discounts are offered to Louisiana residents. Part-time/Drop In registration is also available. There are food a la carte options for part time participants. Evening events are open to the general public.

 

Blown Away On The Bayou loves SPAH! All active SPAH members receive a 10% discount on BAOTB tuition

For more information or to register for Blown Away on the Bayou visit BlownAwayOnTheBayou.com.

 

Blown Away on the Bayou (BAOTB)

The mission of BAOTB is to enrich cultural understanding, nurture musical passion, and celebrate the Blues in the Acadiana region. Participants, both in our region and well beyond, are offered an immersive experience to explore the profound impact of the Blues, to dig more deeply into the study of Acoustic Blues, and to come to an understanding of its historic significance. The Summit offers a space to experience, discuss, demonstrate and jam the blues openly, thereby creating an environment that will encourage those in attendance to discover their own unique approach to the Blues and to play with their own authentic voice.

SPAH is pleased to announce that those wishing to attend the 2024 Convention online can now register here. Discounts are available for early registration, so register now!

SPAH friend Luke Clebsch at harmonica.com has written a cool “first timer” review about attending the SPAH Convention in St. Louis in 2023. Take a look at his article here.

 

(As published in the recent issue of Harmonica Happenings)

 

We have an election in progress to pick the new SPAH President and Vice President for the next three years

 

 

 

 

2024 SPAH Election Procedures

It is time for SPAH members to elect their new President. We currently have just one declared candidate, current SPAH Vice President Jerry Deall, whose campaign statement appears in the recent issue of Harmonica Happenings. As a reminder however, any eligible voter may choose a write-in candidate as their presidential nominee. SPAH members have two ways of casting their votes: by e-mail (preferred) or postal mail. There is a ballot (see link below) for those who would prefer to cast their votes on paper. For those who prefer email, a special address is set up: elections@spah.org. Below are the election rules and procedures.

 

 

General Rules (these apply to all votes and voting methods):

• Votes will be accepted from April 1st until July 1st.
• You must be 16 or older in order to vote.
• For those with family memberships, each qualifying member of the family is allowed a vote (e.g., must be 16 or older)
• In order for your vote to count, your membership dues must be paid up through July 1st, 2024.
• Per the bylaws, only one vote per member. If a member submits more than one vote (e.g., one by mail, one by email) they will be rejected and not counted.
• You must supply your personal information (first and last name, address, and telephone number) in order for your vote to be counted.
• SPAH may contact you to verify your vote. (This information is for the purpose of verifying eligibility only.)
  Eligible votes will be recorded but NOT how the individuals voted. Only members of the election committee will see the ballots.

The election committee considers people’s votes privileged information and will not share that information outside the committee.

 

Procedure for E-mail Ballot (preferred):

Put your first name, last name, address and telephone number, along with your vote (“Jerry Deall” or “Other [fill in name]”) in an email to elections@spah.org.

 

Procedure for Mail-in Ballots:

Fill out the ballot with your first name, last name, address and telephone number, along with your vote. You may cut the ballot out and mail it, or you may send a photocopy instead. The ballot must be mailed to the address listed on the ballot.

We thank you for your vote. Your participation will help direct SPAH’s future.

For two decades, the Kerrville Folk Festival has produced one of the premier Harmonica Workshops in the USA. Three days with workshop Director Rob Roy Parnell, and two other instructors: in 2024 that’s Buddy Greene and Nic Clark, plus Michael D’Eath. We spend 3 days together, in the center of the most prestigious songwriter festival in the world, and enjoy hours of instruction plus all that the Festival has to offer.

 

The 2024 KFF three-day Harmonica Workshop will be held Monday, June 3rd – Wednesday, June 5th. Registration is $375 through April 15th, or $450 beginning April 16th.  Your registration fee includes three days of admission to the festival and campground (including Sundown Concerts and tent camping), three days of harmonica classes, lunches on class days, a commemorative t-shirt and a Hohner harmonica. Discounts are available if you have Kerrville Folk Festival tickets already.  

A 10% discount is also available for current SPAH members (use code: SPAH10)

Go here for registration and other details.

My dear friends, Happy February! Energized by 2 fabulous shows with The Howard Levy 4 last weekend, I can’t wait to jump off into other realms this month. Two big reunions are coming up: I’m playing in West Palm Beach, FL with Garrison Keillor and the full cast of A Prairie Home Companion(!) on Feb.10. Having been on the show as a guest soloist over 50 times, this will be my first appearance with Garrison in about 6 years, and I am delighted to be part of his wildly imaginative and eclectic universe. The band will be led by long-time music director Rich Dworsky, along with some stellar players including the great Stuart Duncan on fiddle and guitarist Mike Seal. I’ll be joining the band and performing some of my own tunes as well. Unlike previous shows, this one won’t be broadcast on NPR, making it an exclusive in-person experience that you won’t want to miss. TICKETS The other highly anticipated reunion will be with German bass clarinetist/composer Michael Riessler and his son Lorenzo on drums, marking our first collaborative performance in 5 years. To say that Michael is amazing is an understatement- you have to see him live to fully grasp his mastery of the bass clarinet and his innovative musical approach. We have toured extensively in Europe for 30 years in many configurations, also recorded the album Silver and Black, and performed multiple times with Lorenzo, who is an exceptionally skilled and advanced drummer/composer. Later this month, I will welcome the Riesslers to Steve Rashid’s beautiful Studio5 in Evanston, IL on Feb.23 (TICKETS), followed by a FREE concert on Feb.25 at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill (INFO). The repertoire, composed by the three of us, is incredibly complex and wild with plenty of virtuosic, interactive improvisation and humor. Chicago and NC friends- don’t miss this one-of-a-kind trio! See y’all soon, Howardinho