My son-in-law, Brad Covey, started playing the harmonica recently. I heard him playing a piece the other day and now I’m too jealous to spit. (You probably have to do a lot of that when you play the harmonica.) As soon as I finish writing my next 209 blobs, I going to get one too.  Then we can have a band.

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On an earlier blob,  http://goingon80.com/2011/02/01/148-music-lessons/ we considered the humble ukelele and how popular it’s become in today’s depressed economy.  It’s economical, doesn’t need electricity, lifts your spirits, makes beautiful music, encourages singing, and doesn’t require formal music lessons,  You can say the same about the lowly mouth organ.

Yes, I think Brad and I will start a harmonica band.  Maybe we can call it something catchy like “The Oh Oh Band“ for Octo-woman’s Organs”. You can be in it too, but you’ll have to audition just like everybody else.

The harmonica we’re most familiar with today has been patented since 1908 but the instrument has been making music since the 1820s. You can buy a good one today for $40 or less and there are oodles of YouTube tutorials to get you started.

There are no excuses.  Check it out at amazon.com today. And as soon as your shiny new harmonica comes in the mail, do some tutorials, and practice, practice, practice. Then, when you think you’re ready, contact Brad or me and arrange to try out.  (Actually, just call me. Brad may not know about the band yet.)

This is going to be amazing.  When are the next tryouts for America’s Got Talent?  Our fortunes will be made. Maybe we can hire Linda Lewis as our manager. I was telling her I have picked out the first pieces our band might play for our debut performance at, say, Carnegie Hall.

“Oh, Susanna“
Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring“
Mozart’s Piano Sonata in C, Allegro
Rossini’s “WIlliam Tell Overture” (theme from “The Lone Ranger”

When she saw the list, Linda said, “It’s funny you should mention that.  I think I just heard a Carnegie Hall program exactly like it on YouTube.”

Hmm.  Buddy Greene copied my program.  Maybe we’ll have to come up with some different songs, but the Oh Oh Band will be much more impressive than Buddy Greene.  I mean, he’s just a lone harmonica player. We’re gonna have a whole band.  There’ll be Brad, and you and me, and many others. I think you can quit your day job now.