There’s a harmonica/blues festival coming up in September. They are having a contest and I want to join but I’ve never entered a playing contest before so I’m kind of…terrified. I’ll have to drop everything else and practice constantly.
I may record some stuff and ask a few of you to give it a listen. It won’t be Irish music.
I haven’t decided what to play yet but I’ll have five minutes. I figured a fiddle tune like Ragtime Annie and then a blusey/jazzy number.
Any suggestions for psychological preparedness and moral support would be welcome.
Come on, fly!!! You ROCK!!! There’s no reason to be terrified because even if we aren’t physically there, you have all of us behind you at least in thought Your sheer coolness should prove to any judge that you should win…you wouldn’t even have to play!
I’m looking forward to hearing some clips…just practice lots and make sure that you are totally confident in the music you pick. You should know it backwards and forwards…I made that mistake once in a singing competition; I knew everything about my aria, but I didn’t bone up enough on the Italian (in terms of what it meant), so I got marked off. But I know that you won’t have that problem…you the DOOD!
just remember, in harmonica contests everybody sucks
i’m sure you’ll do fine, just practice practice but have fun. do post clips, i’d like to hear you play… i’m not much of a harp player but i can knock out some tunes and do basic bends and such, so i can appreciate the diffiiculty involved.
I don’t really believe that these festivals are really looking out for breathtaking technical ability but for somebody who can put a lot of soul into their blowing.It’s all about feeling and the expression of a mood and not if you can play the Flight of the Bumble Bee at warp speed.
get yourself in the mindset by having a good listen to some of the greats…Sonny Terry..Sonny Boy Williamson…John Mayall and my own all time favourite harpmeister Charlie Musselwhite.
A good stiff shot of Booze just before always helps too.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and check out his words of wisdom…should provide you with some inspiration in times of persperation and desperation
In competitions some have been known to blow it too.
Just relax and have fun FC. I often think in competitions that are stressful it is often the one who can just hold it together best who wins out. Practice is what comes out then.
Whatever the result, just set out to do your best and enjoy yourself. Just having the guts to appear is a great thing in itself.
Another Charlie Musselwhite fan. Whoever would have thought? Well, I would have.
Other favourites of mine are Little Walter, Lazy Lester, James Cotton, Big Walter, Paul Butterfield, Almost Slim, Junior Wells and Not So Little Walter.
Your sheer coolness should prove to any judge that you should win…you wouldn’t even have to play! 
(read the fine print!). Other than that, you should be fine.