Reply To: Where did you come to melodica from? What were your expectations?
I come from playing accordion and singing. As an accordion player I’m quite good, as a singer I’m what you’d call reliable – but I never had the capability of letting my breath flow freely (which in my opinion is the most important premise to put your soul into singing).
I’ve always had a strong affinity to wind instruments and tried out some without finding MY instrument. Yet one thing I discovered was that while playing a wind instrument I can do with my breath what I can’t do when singing.
One day I purchased a cheap Piano 36 at a local flea market which was Step 1 to my rage for melodicas. It gave me what I searched in sound (free reeds, accordion-like tone) and playability (keyboard plus breath). But only when I discovered the Vibrandoneon I really knew (no, I found out during the last 3 ½ years!) the true possibilities of a keyboard harmonica. And I say this being aware of all the issues of the Vibrandoneon or the melodica in general – and maybe this is another part of the fascination that instrument brings to me, that it is still developing, technically as well as musically, and that it brings me to develop my skills.