I admit, this travelog is still rather bare.
Every summer since 2010, I have been traveling to different countries in a personal quest to meet master Mouth Harp makers around the world. My focus has been to meet as many craftsmen as possible and learn about traditions of Mouth Harp making across the globe. One by one, I have discovered the personal stories of each maker, understanding how they were first introduced to the Mouth Harp before ultimately beginning to produce the instrument themselves. I have sat in rudimentary workshops watching countless makers fashion a musical instrument out of two pieces of metal. I have been shown secrets of the trade that have rarely, if ever, been shown to others, often promising never to divulge. I have dined in the company of goats, slept on cots, unicycled miles in the Eastern European countryside, sweated in Indian trains, dozed in Brazilian buses, bounced in Russian taxis, and felt my eyelashes freeze in Siberia. And each time, I have touched a human connection with another individual equally passionate about this simple, ancient musical instrument. I have been blessed with hospitality as a guest in their homes, been welcomed into their families, and been served traditional, delicious food. And finally, at the end of every visit, I have selected and purchased Mouth Harps from each maker. Choosing as many as I could either afford or carry away, I have slowly amassed a wondrous collection…of thousands of Mouth Harps.
Sitting down to write out all these stories as they happen has been an ardent dream, but till date, little more than a dream. Some stories can already be found in this blog or buried on the timeline of the World Harps Facebook Page, but mostly, I share stories with customers who stop at my table to discover the amazing World of Mouth Harps. From the Saturday Night Market in Goa, India, to festivals in the USA or Europe or at the World Mouth Harp Festival of India, or even simply out of my backpack anywhere I might happen to be, my work has been to continue introducing this incredible instrument to as many people as possible. I have already been purchasing and distributing Mouth Harps for over a decade and a half, selling both wholesale and retail since 2003. Someday, I plan to resume the process of documenting and sharing all the experiences that I have been collecting, along with photographs and videos including detailed step-by-step processes of the work of many individual craftsmen. In the meantime, please follow my page and stay tuned!