What a draw: Artist in-residence passes on helpful harmonica hints
By Jill Gosche, jgosche@advertiser-tribune.comArticle Photos
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Hal Walker is to perform during a concert at Columbian High School at 7 p.m. Tuesday. A night for children to share what they learned is 7 p.m. Nov. 18, also at Columbian. Both events are free.
A musician says he tells students to practice playing their harmonicas several minutes a day and pass the skill to the next generation.
"That's how music goes, from generation to generation," said Hal Walker, artist in-residence at Washington Elementary School.
Walker, a Kent native, has been working with children at Washington, and he led an adult harmonica workshop Wednesday evening.
"It's really been a real pleasure being here in Tiffin," he said.
Ruth Lape, music teacher at Washington, said Walker is the school's ninth artist in-residence. The school's parent-teacher organization, student council and the Ohio Arts Council are sponsoring his visit, she said.
"It's a three-week residency this year, but over the course of five weeks he's here," she said.
Lape said kindergarteners, first-graders and second-graders are singing and dancing, third-graders are playing in a banakula chorus and fourth-graders and fifth-graders are learning to play the harmonica.
Teachers are working on a math cooperative stick dance and have had two workshops so far, she said.
"We're going to (perform it) the night of our sharing," she said.
Walker said he used to play the harmonica while walking to piano lessons, and the first piece he learned to play on the harmonica was "Oh, Susannah." He said his grandparents always looked forward to his Christmas Eve performance of "Amazing Grace." He then played the hymn.
"The harmonica is a wonderful instrument," he said. "I carry it with me most places I go."
Walker said the beautiful thing about the harmonica is there are only two choices - blow, which is breathing out, and draw, which is breathing in - when playing the instrument. He counted the number of holes on the harmonica.
"This is a 10-hole harmonica," he said. "The (numbers) should be on top when you hold the harmonica."
Walker led the participants in exercises to practice blowing and drawing into the harmonica. He helped them use hand motions to practice and said to have loose lips and a relaxed mouth.
"Blows are a little bit simpler than draw," he said.
In addition to the harmonica, Walker played a khaen, an instrument from Southeast Asia that still is made in Thailand.
"It's a pretty surprisingly beautiful instrument," he said. "This is the original harmonica."
Walker used his hands to play an ancient hand whistle and an ancient echo clap.
"I talk quite a bit about improvising," he said.
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