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[Joseph]

While this new forum is being launched, we know peeps are showing up from just about everywhere!  {Maybe even from Aliens, Inc. - Who knows?  But it's all good too!}

So with all that in mind, if you have any suggestions or comments, good, bad or indifferent - that you might like to see and do included on this forum -- Feel free to post them here!

Now we can't promise any miracles, mind you!  But we can at least try to show you a good time!  

Keep on smiling!

Keep on harpin'!

Thanks for reading!

[Whiskat]

What's the deal with the 99$ fee?

Are we supposed to pay for the forum in the future?

Why would we do that when there all ready are forums like the Harmonicaclub out there?

99$ is a lot to pay from something that in most instances is free on the internet. You are basicly asking us to pay you 99$ to allow us to talk with eachother on your website.

I will most surely not be paying such an amount.

[Joe]

I must have missed that post, couldn't see where anyone was asking for 99 Cents to use the forum. The only thing I remember was a lifetime membership for free. For subscribing to JP's newsletter. I think anyways. Oh well I hope it continues this way because I definitely enjoy
interacting with other harmonica players. Not enough of them here in my world. Clinton CT USA.

[Joseph]

Dear God & Joe!

Please realize I just work here…

Be that as it may, I believe the plan is to eventually have a ‘members only’ section as most harmonica teaching websites do.  My understanding, albeit limited as it is now, is to operate a worldwide online harmonica school ala Dave Barry, Howard Levy, and others.  

As many here know, for years JP Allen has provided tons of lessons and information about harmonica without any charge whatsoever.   Much like Adam Gussow and certainly Jason Ricci, one can go to YouTube and other places to receive many of their free lessons.  

Additionally, if somebody wants more personal and intensive instruction on anything/ everything harmonica; or even desires purchasing customized harps and such – Well, everyone has to make a living too – So obviously there are charges for these things.  

Many teaching websites have forums linked directly into their members only sections.  Meaning you can only read certain posts, but if you wish to post and ask questions, make comments, etc. – they require you to sign up for a fee to get that exclusive access.

Here, it’s my understanding that JP Allen is going to buck that trend and therefore always keep the forum open to everyone in the harmonica universe community.  And also, by using the best technology and methods for operating an online school, well, in order to cover those costs and give students the best training possible available anywhere, this no doubt then may come with some membership dues.

Again, I just work here…

So all I know there are great things in harmonica being developed for the future by JP Allen and crew.  

And you/me/we are here now on the ground floor of it all– So everything’s great!  And let’s have fun!

Hope this helps!  And certainly welcome your thoughts and comments on this and anything/everything else!
 
Keep on smiling!

Keep on harpin’!

Thanks for reading!

[Joe]

Very Good but very vague. But I'm sure it will be outstanding and very well organized and I'm definitely interested so keep me informed.

[Barry]

What??

Barry

[Joe]

I havent' seen the offficial post yet on fees, except what God said I am not saying I will pay but I'm not saying I wont pay. It depends, I think a good forum at least for me is worth it for encouragement on learning I'm still fairly new at this instru ment. Just a couple years.

Like I said in my previous post Theres nothing I've seen that's cemented as far as fees and what you will get for your money.

So I would just enjoy the forum now and wait and see.

[Joseph]

Okay thanks for the input Joe!  I really appreciate it!

For Barry, God and others too – Just if I can help clarify a few things a little more – This is my input about the forum and the JP Allen brand.  Don’t worry, I’m not divulging any secrets nor breaking any confidences because really there are none, nowhere!  So here goes:

Most reading through my posts will know last year (2009) I lost my mother in early April; and in September – just before the Labor Day Weekend – I almost lost my arm and life in a tractor-trailer rollover.

Story is here if you’d care to see it:

http://republicanherald.com/news/tractor-trailer-driver-hurt-in-crash-on-frackville-grade-1.225402?localLinksEnabled=false

After the hospital stay, during home care and starting rehab – I had to take stock of my life and see where my next journey was taking me.  I decided to go back into my earlier dreams; and one of them is to really learn harmonica, to play it, and to master it once and for all.

Well I found JP Allen’s vids on YouTube; signed up for his emails; and then purchased his home harmonica dvd set.  Most already know this much.

What nobody else knows – until right now – is that I was so impressed by JPs home course, I wrote an email to his customer service rep, Jason.
  
Sure, it was detailed as most of my posts are – However Jason wrote me back!  And Jason was so friendly and so professional about it – It made me cry!  Really!

He also said I could contact him anytime anything JP!

I looked around and found no other JP Allen information except for his vids and dvds!  Meaning all these other harp teachers had full blown websites, forums, etc.  But no JP Allen anywhere!  To make matters even more interesting, last December, Howard Levy was just then getting into launching his own online harmonica school!  Sure I signed up – But still no JP Allen anywhere!

I wondered why not?  I wrote Jason and he responded – Well, nobody’s ever brought it up before!

I wondered why not?  I wrote Jason and he responded if I had any ideas on the matter to let him know and he’d even pass them along to JP Allen himself!

Well the short of it is, I wrote out a couple of in-depth proposals, and expressed my concerns as to how JP Allen should actually get out there more and should also be willing to compete more readily with all the other older established sites, as well as the newer competition that was just coming about!

One of the best ways to do this, I felt, was by creating a forum!

Sure I know forums come and go!  But with no JP Allen-oriented-styled forum yet to date anywhere – It was virtually being called to be made!

Long story longer (hehe!) – in phone calls with JP Allen, which Jason encouraged me to do, and I’m glad I did – JP Allen finally convinced himself that yes, a forum would be a good idea.  And sure, better late than never, I must say too!

Asking me if I’d be willing to write for it and act as moderator – Sure, I wasn’t doing anything except rehabbing anyway!  So it was a go!  Yet this was all back in the springtime as well.

Because of my personal life and circumstances, well, I wasn’t sure I was ready and/or able for this type of responsibility either!  But then just recently I said the hell with it!  Go for it, man!  You won’t know if could’ve/would’ve been successful if you don’t try now!

So here we are today!

Yet also, in those proposals, I also laid out a few “plans/ideas” to perhaps get an online school going too!  So no doubt, as I’m just learning here along with everybody else, those ideas are being worked on as well now!

Bottom line is: I wanted to connect with other JP Allen fans/students because I know you’re out there!  I’m hoping one day to become proficient enough to go pro somewhere; as well as be able to teach others, because overall few harmonica teachers really do exist – They’re farther and wider than we think!

I can’t drive big trucks anymore!  Seriously!  I can’t, and after 25+ years grinding under them big 18-wheelers, neither do I want to either!  So I’m trying to find myself a new career here if possible!

In writing, in playing music, wherever I can make a living and still be happy making other people happy too!

I’m not getting paid anything in my being a moderator here!  Just doing it out my love for harpin’, man (and woman!)

But too, I’m here to share with you what I’ve learned so far – That which I’ve never seen anywhere else before!

And I want you to share what you’ve learned with me so far – So we can all learn, play, and have fun together in some way, shape and form!

So JP Allen is excited about this place!  I’m excited about this place!  And hopefully you all are too!  Finally a JP Allen-style forum somewhere and available to all everywhere!
 
And better late than never!

Honestly, I don’t know where all this is going – Where all this leading to!  I’m just here now to enjoy this ride today!
 
So thanks Barry, Ashish, Joe, Mike, everybody for coming along and keeping me company in the process!

God Bless JP Allen!

God Bless You All!

Keep on smiling!

Keep on harpin’!

Thanks for reading!

Joseph aka Street Performer Dude!

[Barry]

Hey Joe aka Street Player, believe it or not just the other day I sent JP a email saying there should be some way for him to benefit commercially from this forum. I have told him several times in the past that his God given talent is not the ability to play the harmonica, rather His great gift to JP is JPs' ability to show others how to play. JP is unique in that his personality is infectious and even on video he makes you feel good. JP is the single reason I'm involved with the harmonica today!

Barry

[Joseph]

That's pretty cool, Barry!

I've come across many forums with all sorts of bells and whistles on them!

http://www.harpsurgery.com/love-me-do-the-beatles/

http://www.harmonicaclub.com/

So no matter how many are added here, it's all good, and should remain open to everyone.  But only when you get into the actual "schooling" of more intensive training and personal attention - Well, it goes without saying that whoever is teaching has to/should be compensated on some levels!

http://www.harmonicalessons.com/

http://www.harmonicaacademy.com/

http://www.howardlevyharmonicaschool.com/home

 

[Joseph]

Okay Big Question Here Everybody - Please Respond!

Does anybody besides me have trouble with what I call a 'bouncing screen' when they're typing something to post?!   

Meaning, I write out a lot of my posts offline on MS Word, then "cut & paste" them in...And I have to straighten them out from there. 

But when the posts get to a certain point near the bottom of the box, the screen starts 'bouncing' or shaking.  I've learned to work with it. And I also mentioned it to the webmaster host who's working on various upgrades to this forum.

But now too, when reading some other fine long posts here too, I see the lines appear all over the place.  I'm figuring here it's not the actions of the writer, but the actions of the bouncing screens themselves.   

Before I post anything, I preview it first.  I like to work out the kinks in my messages.  But too, I know others may not be as patient or even understand how to do this.  Again, it's not the writer; but the shakey screen here is a big distraction and may be a hinderance in getting you to say what you really want to.

So for those who enjoy talking and writing here as much as I do - Kindly let me know what you're experiencing when you type in your longer posts.  And I'll be sure to pass this information along to hopefully get this 'bug' out of the system! 

Thanks!
       

[JP Allen]

I'll be sending an email in the next 48 hours hours to clarify what's going on with the forum.

I'm adapting it's stunning popularity. Who would have thought that 1000 members would sign up in about 48 hours..

Keep your shirt on! Good news is on the way!

jp

[Barry]

Okay Big Question Here Everybody - Please Respond!

Does anybody besides me have trouble with what I call a 'bouncing screen' when they're typing something to post?!   

Meaning, I write out a lot of my posts offline on MS Word, then "cut & paste" them in...And I have to straighten them out from there. 

But when the posts get to a certain point near the bottom of the box, the screen starts 'bouncing' or shaking.  I've learned to work with it. And I also mentioned it to the webmaster host who's working on various upgrades to this forum.

But now too, when reading some other fine long posts here too, I see the lines appear all over the place.  I'm figuring here it's not the actions of the writer, but the actions of the bouncing screens themselves.   

Before I post anything, I preview it first.  I like to work out the kinks in my messages.  But too, I know others may not be as patient or even understand how to do this.  Again, it's not the writer; but the shakey screen here is a big distraction and may be a hinderance in getting you to say what you really want to.

So for those who enjoy talking and writing here as much as I do - Kindly let me know what you're experiencing when you type in your longer posts.  And I'll be sure to pass this information along to hopefully get this 'bug' out of the system! 

Thanks!
       

You've described the problem exactly!

Barry

[Joseph]

Thank you so much for confirming this Barry!  I'm sure others can/will confirm this as well.

Shout out to JP: I still got my shirt on...but my pants are off!  Hoping there's good news in that too!  {yeah, yeah, I know TMI; but, hey, what else ya gonna do on a labor day weekend anyways!  mwuwahahahahaha!!!}

Thanks again, yo!

[Chris]

Hey guys and gals,

We've gotten this forum off to such a great start but JP's goal is to make this into the best harp forum in the world, bar none.

We've got a slew of improvements we'll be adding over the coming weeks, but we'd also like to hear from you too. So..

What do you like or dislike about the forum right now? How would you like us to improve the forum; is there anything you'd like us to add, remove or change?

If you have a suggestion but would rather keep it private then please feel free to send a private message or email to myself or Street Player Dude.

Cheers,
Chris

[Whiskat]

It has to be organized. Split it up in more than one section. Like

Music - Discuss music (CD's and artists)
Harmonica - Discuss harmonicas
Alternate instruments - For all other instruments
Making music - Everything related to making music. Improvising and writing.

And so on.

This was just a quick example, you will have to find out how you want to organize it yourself. The key is to find a balance between potential activity and actuall activity. Best start small and expand from there as you see a rise in activity, but, in contradiction to that, expanding before a rise in activity might stimulate more activity.

[TicaToodle]

I echo Whiskats sentiments. Organized categories for sure.
It is a tossup however as far as adding multiple categories now and having them sit inactive. But maybe it will spur activity if the topic forum is in place.

Here's an example of a well thought out forum IMO. It's a VERY active forum, so they can certainly warrant all the sub groups:
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/

Anyways, we all may want to chime in and suggest which sub topics we'd like to see.

But!! Let's also try to keep in mind that a horse designed by a committee is a camel.

[Chris]

Thanks for the input so far.

And yes, sub-forums are very high up on the list for the next updates!

Cheers,
Chris

[Tyson]

Maybe a spot specifically for recordings of our stuff?

[Whiskat]

That's a good idea, and will sure stimulate more activity!

[David T]

Tyson I agree a spot to post our recordings & youtube clips.

[stanbo]

How bout a spot where we can save these GEM addresses. Kinda like on my You Tube account, I can save vids. I just went over to Wanderin' Wilf's and was blown away by the logical explanation of just what and how to bend a note! Thanks Street Dude!

[Joe]

How about the ability to save a thread to go back to later say I don't have time now and don't want to forget
when I do have time to read it.

I know piece of paper sticky note right it down.

Harp on!!

[Joseph]

um well what I do there JF is just hit the button on top of the page of the topic as "Mark Unread"

then it will still be 'new' and you can go back to it later!

how do you think i keep track of all these conversation and posts!

oops sorry moderator secret!  shh! 

mwuahahahahaha!

try it!  let me know how it goes!

laters....

[Joe]

very nice thanks, I knew there was or had to be away.

Harp on!!