They come in all shapes and sizes. They are referred to as “diatonic,” “tremolo,” “orchestral,” “octave-tuned,” and “chromatic.” They are played by hundreds of thousands of people around the world, and just as many clubs devoted to it exist worldwide.
“It” is the harmonica, and one of those clubs exists in New Jersey, with a few of the members living right here in Hudson County. The name of the club is the Garden State Harmonica Club and its members have been entertaining area residents since 1971.
First introduced in 1821 by a 16-year-old Austrian boy named Christian Friedrich Buschmann, the harmonica has been a staple of American music ever since, whether it is classical, jazz, blues, country or rock. The harmonica has been popularized by contemporary musicians such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and John Popper of Blues Traveler.
The Garden State Harmonica club was founded by a man named George Osterman, and since its inception, has grown to over 100 members, most living in New Jersey, but some in Canada.
According to the GSHC biography, “the purpose of the club is to preserve and advance the playing, study and enjoyment of the harmonica.” The club, whose members are mostly senior citizens, performs regularly for many nursing homes, senior clubs and municipal groups throughout New Jersey.
Vera Fagley, a Jersey City resident who plays the keyboard for the club, has been a member for 14 years stated in a recent interview that her reason for being in the club is simple. “It’s all about having a good time,” said Fagley. “If music becomes too intricate, all the fun goes out of it.”
Fagley told of a recent concert that the club played at the Hudson Branch of the Jersey City Public Library on Zabriskie Street. “It went wonderfully,” said Fagley. “My son sang with us. He has a great voice. And the audience joined it. They loved it. Everyone had a good time. Wherever we go, people really love the music.”
The club plays a variety of music styles including waltzes, bassa nova, foxtrots and tangos. Inevitably, audiences are moved by the simple, good time feeling that the sound of the harmonica produces. Said one club member, “When we go to these nursing homes, some of the people are confined to stretchers and wheelchairs, but you can see the smiles on their faces. It means a lot to them and to us.”
Added Fagley, “It’s a great joy. For me, it helps me keep the memory of my husband alive. When I look out at the audience and see the smiles, it makes you feel like a million bucks. It keeps me young. I am giving something back to the people.”
Another member of the club, Weehawken’s own Virginia Dabonka, who sings for the club, joined two years ago and has known Vera Fagley for over 12 years. After waiting in the wings for years, Dabonka finally got up the nerve to join the club and now sings for the many audiences that the club plays to.
Said Dabonka in a recent telephone interview, “I get a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction out of it. The people in the club are really nice.”
Added Dabonka, “We dress in black and white sometimes – it’s our trademark.”
According to the club’s president, Monroe Heide, every October, the club holds a three-day festival that includes open mike sessions, seminars and a banquet. Said Heide, “It’s a big deal. Entertainers come from all over, some that are well known.”
The club also holds picnics in June of every year at Van Saun Park in Paramus. Over 100 members and guests attend these picnics.
While no money is made by the club, the members receive something much more important – the satisfaction of knowing that they have made others feel happy, with something that makes them feel happy.
For information on the club, call (201) 664-1787.