Getting Pearlsonal - How the Harmonica Changed My Life

I've never really told this story before, but I think it's time...

As an entertainer, I've seen music touch many people, some who don't understand the language being sung, and I've even seen deaf people respond to the joy of music! But music touched me - physically, not just emotionally - long before I started sharing it with others.

Yeah, I know. "Physically?? What does that even mean?"

Well, it's like this: The harmonica changed my life - maybe even saved it. But I never wanted to play it or asked Santa to bring me one. In fact, about the time I started playing harmonica, it was maybe the last thing on my mind. Why?

Because as an 8 year old kid, for no officially diagnosed reason, I had gone from outrunning teenage boys to being so weak that I couldn't walk, stand, or even sit up. I couldn't do much of anything, and honestly, I didn't even care anymore. I was giving up.

One day my mom came home from the store, said "look what I got you, Pearl!", and handed me a harmonica. I was probably thinking "Nice try, Mom, but that's not going to cheer me up", but I was actually pretty bored by then so I accepted it. I didn't know until years later that she had an ulterior motive. She had read in a book that playing the harmonica strengthens the back by engaging the lungs and diaphragm, and decided it would be worth a try.

Woman's intuition? Divine intervention? Probably both.

But within two weeks of her giving me that harmonica, our chiropractor began seeing muscle tone return to my back and neck. I quickly regained the ability to sit up, instead of just being propped up on the couch. Over time, I developed enough core strength to stand with crutches, and eventually I learned to walk again, albeit slowly, but on my own power.

Before I knew what happened, I had hope, a reason to smile, to keep trying, and I had fallen in love with the harmonica. Then one day Mom gave me my first "real" harmonica: a Big River Harp made by a company called Hohner. And instead of being irritated, I was proud. So proud.

Several years later, I still play Big River Harps, but I also use some more advanced harps like the Hohner Rocket and Marine Band Thunderbird. I'm proud of them all.

And here's the icing on the cake - This year I was signed by Hohner itself as an officially endorsed harmonica artist!!

I've hardly ever told this story because I thought it was "too personal" but honestly, when something changes your life, it has to be shared so it can also make a difference for someone else.

In my Pearlspective, the harmonica is a miracle that gave me back things I thought were gone forever. I still struggle with some handicaps, but the size and accessibility of the harmonica gives me a freedom that my joints cannot. Through the vehicle of music, I can be fast and excited, or slow and sentimental. The harmonica can express things I can't even put into words.

And folks, anybody can play it! I can't even count the number of times people have told me "I could never play the harmonica", but that is purely myth. Your age doesn't matter. Your musical background doesn't matter. I mean, you don't have to be a professional musician to play!

The harmonica demands nothing but time and appreciation, and it gives so much more! It is one of the most universal "folk" instruments, and I would love to see more "folks" enjoying it!

I've met some people who think the harmonica is just a toy, and others who think it is an elite "blues" instrument. But I think there is a beautiful middle ground: a place where everyone has a harmonica in their pocket just for fun! I'd encourage you to get one, play one, and even better, consider giving one to a friend. Who knows - it just might change their life.