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“No, Seriously, I Play Harmonica”
— New book by Roly Platt
This is an entertaining blend that includes deep dives into my approach to playing, pivotal moments and playing insights, along with a slew of funny, sometimes bizarre tales from my decades of working in the studio and on the road.
A must-read for musicians and enthusiasts eager to learn from a seasoned pro!
Key themes include:
Early Career: Insights into my initial steps in the music industry, including my decision to drop out of school to pursue music and the early challenges I faced.
Practice and Performance: Detailed discussions on practice, how I approach improvising, the development of a musician’s ear, and finding one’s unique sound.
Tours and Gigs: Entertaining, often bizarre tales from the road, illustrating the life of a touring musician with all its highs and lows.
Musical Influences and Inspirations: How various artists and genres influenced my style and technique.
Lessons Learned: The wisdom gleaned from years of performing and interacting with other musicians.
Chapters:
- Seriously…
- First Verse – The early days
- Practice
- Honourable Sideman (working in a band)
- On The Road
- Find Your Own Voice
- Turning Points
- (Take it to) The Bridge
- I Play In a Band
- Funny You Should Ask
- Improvising
- The “Right” Way
- Sounding Dirty?
- On The Road…Again
- Encore!
- “…And Another Thing”
- Musical Inspirations
This will be my forty-eighth year working as a professional harmonica player. I spent the first fifteen years of my career trying to become a great harp player. I’ve spent the balance of those years trying to become a decent musician. This is an candid, unvarnished, look inside my life as a musician, and how all these experiences have led me closer to that most worthy musical combination.
— Roly Platt
