When someone shows off, whether it\'s vacation photos, an expensive new car, new breast implants, or a new found skill, it can be downright irritating to everyone else if it\'s done without tact or awareness. There\'s a saying just because you can doesn\'t mean you should. Blowing your horn in an annoying manner doesn\'t gain you any friends, and it may even alienate people. There\'s a time and a place to strut your stuff, but there\'s never a time when modesty and tact aren\'t appropriate.

Too many players think that because they have a harp in their pocket they can just start wailing away whenever and wherever they want. It is okay, however, to play in Saint Patrick\'s Cathedral. These people should be tied in a chair and forced to listen to a reading of the tax code. You may not be this kind of person. In fact, you may be too shy about playing. I don\'t want you to be too shy I want you to be like Miss Piggy. I also want you to know when it\'s appropriate to play so you can play with confidence. First of all, remember to ask the other musicians if it\'s okay to join in. Even if it\'s a jam session with longer solos, You should always be courteous, listen to others, and take turns. Basically, use common sense and courtesy, and you should be okay. There\'s a place for you to shine, but you don\'t want to force your playing on people when it may not be appropriate.

Somewhere along the way when you play, you will produce some sound that is objectionable. You\'ll hit a bad note at a crucial moment or you\'ll stumble through a piece you thought was polished, or you\'ll play a very weak bit of improvisation. This happens to everyone. If you can remember that every human fails many times at numerous things, and if you face your failures directly, what appears to be a dead end can actually lead to new openings. Instead of looking away, you should look straight at the failure and ask questions. Why did I fail? How can I make it easier or better? Why am I a complete and total loser? What does the harmonica have to do with any of this? Changing your attitude is a key element to finding success in apparent failure. Forgive yourself, count your blessings, and move on.

That night when I failed to play well with the Noe Oratorio Society I learned something If you\'re going to play, play because you love it. Do what you love and don\'t worry about what\'s in style or what you think somebody else thinks you should be doing. Play the music you love, or play for people you love, or better yet, do both. If at first you don\'t succeed, maybe you should quit while you\'re ahead. Bill Gates was a dropout whose first business venture was a flop. He went on to found a company that many people consider to be the root of all evil. Walt Disney\'s first commercial effort failed. Deeply embittered, he created Disneyland, a nightmarish fantasy world where people stand in endless lines while being badgered by cartoon figures with giant heads. Matt Damon dropped out of Harvard University twelve credits short of earning his degree. The message? Matt, there\'s still time to finish your education.


By Alex Movila who plays harmonica for over 30 years.