Harmonicas resound in harmony throughout the area
A unique sound was emanating through the hills and valleys of Southern Wayne County on Friday, Sept. 20.
The inaugural congregation of America’s Harmonicas Warehouse invited everyone who loves the sound of the harmonica to join them for an evening of music on the farmland beside Summit Valley Fabrics near Maysville for Harmonicas for Hope.
The event drew people from all over Ohio and beyond, who not only enjoyed the music being played, but also participated in the playing, whether they were longtime players or novices.
Regardless of talent, the event was a show of support to those who share a passion for harmonica music.
Milo Miller, CEO of the AHW, said the harmonica community is a close-knit group of people who share a passion for harmonica music.
AHW was created by Andy Weaver as part of The Budget, which had taken over the organization last year.
He said creating this time for people to gather together was an exciting one that provided a relaxed atmosphere.
“There’s never really been an opportunity for the Plain community to gather together and have an opportunity to fellowship, play together and have fun,” Miller said. “We just wanted to have a time when they could experience an environment that was comfortable and people could either just hang out and listen or get up and play.”
There was no specific schedule of activities, only a large tent surrounded by plenty of food trucks where people could wander around and talk and even get up and start playing at any moment they felt inspired to do so.
Miller said groups from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Kentucky paid a visit to the shindig, and groups traveled in from many other locations.
And if someone doesn’t think harmonica music is a big draw, they haven’t experienced the call line on America’s Harmonica Warehouse, where thousands of people phone in daily to either record harmonica music or hear it being played.
According to Miller, the Harmonica Hotline averages around 10,000 calls per day, showing exactly how popular harmonica music is, especially among the Plain community.
“We have many players here today who add a lot of content to the hotline,” Miller said. “It’s an opportunity to put faces to names. It’s almost like you’re friends with someone you’ve never met in person, so we felt it would be fun to bring some of them together to actually meet in person.”
Two of those names belonged to father and son Jonas and Jim Farmwald from Kentucky. The duo made the trek to Amish Country in Ohio to join in on the fun and took plenty of opportunities to share their music with those on hand.
“My dad taught me to play when I was about 12, and I taught Jimmy when he was about 6,” Jonas Farmwald said. “The idea of it is simple: We can put laughter and joy into people’s hearts, which is what we should do in life.”
He said the most joyful part is that even when mistakes are made while playing, you simply keep rolling because the fun isn’t in perfecting the art but in sharing it with others.
“We all make mistakes in life, but we just stand up and keep on going,” Farmwald said.
Miller said keeping things relaxed and casual without a stage to perform on made it more enticing for people to hop up and play, wherever they might be standing or sitting under the big tent.
“It’s a tight-knit community,” Miller said.
The Harmonica Hotline is updated three times per week, with new content being added on dials one through nine so people can continually hear or record harmonica music.
Those leaving music on the hotline provide their name, age, where they’re from and the name of the song they are about to play.
The songs are uploaded, and daily listeners return time and again to be inspired, to feel relaxed and to enjoy the music that makes them happy.
“I think most people are shocked to hear the kinds of numbers that we receive daily on the hotline, but that shows how inspiring and popular harmonica music is right now,” Miller said.
A percentage of all sales on harmonicas and accessories from the event was donated to Rainbow of Hope Foundation, which provides financial aid to families with children experiencing growing medical bills.
“Milo felt that Rainbow of Hope was a wonderful family thing and harmonica music is a good family thing, so he believed that they went hand in hand,” Bev Keller said.
This is one phone line that keeps people in a happy state of mind.
The Harmonica Hotline is 234-900-5096.