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Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Rocky Lok interview

February 10, 2023 Neil Warren Season 1 Episode 79

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Rocky lives in Hong Kong and has been a central part in the thriving harmonica scene there

Where Rocky’s name comes from (and no, he doesn’t box)

Got started on harmonica at a school club in 1976 when he joined the Hong Kong King’s College band (first formed in 1951)

Had a toy harmonica in the drawer at home which he could use in the club as had no money to buy an instrument

Harmonica groups are prevalent in Hong Kong

Harmonica was very popular in Hong in the 1950s / 1960s, declined somewhat but has become popular again in last twenty years

Other areas in Asia where harmonica is taught in schools include Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

Harmonica popular instrument in Hong Kong due to cheapness of instrument and convenient size, not connected to the original instrument: Chinese Sheng

Chromatic harmonicas can be as expensive as many other instruments

Popularity of harmonica goes in cycles both in Asia and in the West

Orchestral and tremolo harmonicas are the most popular in Asia, not so much the diatonic

Harmonica festivals: Asia Pacific and Seoul International festivals have helped development of harmonica in Asia

Asia composers have been writing music for harmonica for last 20-30 years

Rocky learnt double bass when younger but now only plays harmonica

Rocky who won various harmonica competitions when younger and now is a regular competition judge at the Asian festivals

Rocky has been a member of the Kings Harmonica Quintet since 1987

The Quintet received support from the Hong Kong government

Quintet performed internationally and teach the younger generation

Quintet involved in running the Hong Kong Harmonica Association

The members of the Quintet all live in Hong Kong and still practise every week after being together for 36 years

Had the same five members from 1987 until 2015, when one member left (now replaced), and also used subs when someone couldn’t make it

Instruments in the Quintet are 2 12 hole chromatics, 2 16 hole chromatics and a bass harmonica as arranged string quartet music initially

Use the single layer Tombo bass harmonica (not double-decker bass harmonica), allowing bass to play more melody

Have two ‘tenor’ chromatics to increase loudness of this range in the Quintet and the range available for treble harmonicas

Don’t use a microphone when performing

Usually tune the harmonicas in the Quintet before a performance

Performed during the handover of Hong Kong from the UK back to China in 1997

Won the group category at Trossingen World Harmonica Championships in 1997

Government in Hong Kong said they were World Champions after winning in Trossingen, which isn’t quite the same thing, but it got the Quintet some good financial support

Played in a Cantopop concert to an audience of 20,000 for seven nights in a row and the technical set-up for the Quintet behind such a big concert

Played during the broadcast when the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch was passing through Hong Kong, to an audience of at least 100 million people in China

Played live to 25,000 people in Taiwan

Rocky involved in organising the current Guiness World record of the most harmonicas playing together, officially 6131 people, on November 13th 2009, in Hong Kong

The previous record was set in Trossingen, around 2000 consecutive harmonicas played together

How 6131 harmonicas playing together sounded and plans to beat the record again

Rocky also plays some harmonica outside of the Kings Harmonica Quintet, including with a ‘real’ harp player

Rocky was the President of the Hong Kong Harmonica Association for five years, and now is a Director

The Association involvement in the Asia Pacific Harmonica and Seoul Festival

Three of the five members of the Kings Harmonica Quintet have been President of the Hong Kong Harmonica Association

What the Hong Kong Harmonica Association does

Organises concerts in Shanghai

Rocky is an International Endorser for Hohner and what that involves

Rocky is a collector of harmonica with around 800 harmonicas, many of which can’t be purchased in stores

Will be exhibiting collection in April 2023 at the Hong Kong Association chromatic competition

More on the chromatic competition with judging panel made up of not musicians who are not just chromatic harmonica players

26 finalists in the competition, whose travel costs are covered by Hong Kong government and details of the competition format

Winner of the competition will win equivalents of 12,500 dollars (also prizes for places below the winner)

Entries are closed for the competition now

There is also a chromatic harmonica composition competition, also funded by the Hong Kong government

10 minute question

Rocky’s favourite chromatic harmonica is hard to say because everyone has different needs

Embouchre is mostly pucker

Does use chromatics in keys besides C

Info

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Rocky Lok interview

Feb 10, 2023 Season 1 Episode 79

Neil Warren

Rocky Lok joins me on episode 79.
Rocky lives in Hong Kong, where there is a vibrant harmonica scene. Harmonica is taught in many schools there, which is how Rocky got started playing himself almost 50 years ago. He went on to become part of the King's Harmonica Quintet which has played many prestigious concerts, including in front of an audience of twenty thousand, as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch procession and winning the group competition at the World Harmonica Championship in Trossingen.
Rocky is a former president of the Hong Kong Harmonica Association where he was involved in setting-up the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival and is regular judge in the competitions. He also helped organise the current Guinness world record of the most harmonicas playing together, officially 6131 people in Hong Kong.

Links:

King’s Harmonica Quintet:
www.KHQ.HK

Hong Kong Harmonica Association:
www.hkharmonica.org

The first Hong Kong International Chromatic Harmonica Competition, 2022:
www.ICHC.hkharmonica.org

The first Hong Kong International Composition Competition for Chromatic Harmonica 2021:
https://iccch.hkharmonica.org/

Details on the different chromatics Rocky plays:
https://www.myharmonicastudio.com/rocky-lok-incredible-harmonica-collection/

The 13th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival 2022:
http://hxharmonica.com/en/index.asp

Upcoming King’s Harmonica Quintet show:
https://www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/programme/kings_harmonica_quintet

Videos:
King's Harmonica Quintet playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1NSxVDARfeZu9bfK9iviZlnBZGCMU2nM

Rocky playing solo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEiWkVf_Fbs&list=PL1NSxVDARfeYAmUSmjwMlGpCVpdgW_ZxG

Rocky interview with Hohner from 2012:
https://www.hohner.de/en/rocky-lok

The 13th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival 2022 concert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wJyOhzjBa0&list=PL1NSxVDARfealNufMH0jw_sum_cYRbM2q

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions:

Support the Show.

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Rocky Lok joins me on episode 79.
Rocky lives in Hong Kong, where there is a vibrant harmonica scene. Harmonica is taught in many schools there, which is how Rocky got started playing himself almost 50 years ago. He went on to become part of the King's Harmonica Quintet which has played many prestigious concerts, including in front of an audience of twenty thousand, as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch procession and winning the group competition at the World Harmonica Championship in Trossingen.
Rocky is a former president of the Hong Kong Harmonica Association where he was involved in setting-up the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival and is regular judge in the competitions. He also helped organise the current Guinness world record of the most harmonicas playing together, officially 6131 people in Hong Kong.

Links:

King’s Harmonica Quintet:
www.KHQ.HK

Hong Kong Harmonica Association:
www.hkharmonica.org

The first Hong Kong International Chromatic Harmonica Competition, 2022:
www.ICHC.hkharmonica.org

The first Hong Kong International Composition Competition for Chromatic Harmonica 2021:
https://iccch.hkharmonica.org/

Details on the different chromatics Rocky plays:
https://www.myharmonicastudio.com/rocky-lok-incredible-harmonica-collection/

The 13th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival 2022:
http://hxharmonica.com/en/index.asp

Upcoming King’s Harmonica Quintet show:
https://www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/programme/kings_harmonica_quintet

Videos:
King's Harmonica Quintet playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1NSxVDARfeZu9bfK9iviZlnBZGCMU2nM

Rocky playing solo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEiWkVf_Fbs&list=PL1NSxVDARfeYAmUSmjwMlGpCVpdgW_ZxG

Rocky interview with Hohner from 2012:
https://www.hohner.de/en/rocky-lok

The 13th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival 2022 concert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wJyOhzjBa0&list=PL1NSxVDARfealNufMH0jw_sum_cYRbM2q

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions:

Support the Show.

Rocky lives in Hong Kong and has been a central part in the thriving harmonica scene there

Where Rocky’s name comes from (and no, he doesn’t box)

Got started on harmonica at a school club in 1976 when he joined the Hong Kong King’s College band (first formed in 1951)

Had a toy harmonica in the drawer at home which he could use in the club as had no money to buy an instrument

Harmonica groups are prevalent in Hong Kong

Harmonica was very popular in Hong in the 1950s / 1960s, declined somewhat but has become popular again in last twenty years

Other areas in Asia where harmonica is taught in schools include Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

Harmonica popular instrument in Hong Kong due to cheapness of instrument and convenient size, not connected to the original instrument: Chinese Sheng

Chromatic harmonicas can be as expensive as many other instruments

Popularity of harmonica goes in cycles both in Asia and in the West

Orchestral and tremolo harmonicas are the most popular in Asia, not so much the diatonic

Harmonica festivals: Asia Pacific and Seoul International festivals have helped development of harmonica in Asia

Asia composers have been writing music for harmonica for last 20-30 years

Rocky learnt double bass when younger but now only plays harmonica

Rocky who won various harmonica competitions when younger and now is a regular competition judge at the Asian festivals

Rocky has been a member of the Kings Harmonica Quintet since 1987

The Quintet received support from the Hong Kong government

Quintet performed internationally and teach the younger generation

Quintet involved in running the Hong Kong Harmonica Association

The members of the Quintet all live in Hong Kong and still practise every week after being together for 36 years

Had the same five members from 1987 until 2015, when one member left (now replaced), and also used subs when someone couldn’t make it

Instruments in the Quintet are 2 12 hole chromatics, 2 16 hole chromatics and a bass harmonica as arranged string quartet music initially

Use the single layer Tombo bass harmonica (not double-decker bass harmonica), allowing bass to play more melody

Have two ‘tenor’ chromatics to increase loudness of this range in the Quintet and the range available for treble harmonicas

Don’t use a microphone when performing

Usually tune the harmonicas in the Quintet before a performance

Performed during the handover of Hong Kong from the UK back to China in 1997

Won the group category at Trossingen World Harmonica Championships in 1997

Government in Hong Kong said they were World Champions after winning in Trossingen, which isn’t quite the same thing, but it got the Quintet some good financial support

Played in a Cantopop concert to an audience of 20,000 for seven nights in a row and the technical set-up for the Quintet behind such a big concert

Played during the broadcast when the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch was passing through Hong Kong, to an audience of at least 100 million people in China

Played live to 25,000 people in Taiwan

Rocky involved in organising the current Guiness World record of the most harmonicas playing together, officially 6131 people, on November 13th 2009, in Hong Kong

The previous record was set in Trossingen, around 2000 consecutive harmonicas played together

How 6131 harmonicas playing together sounded and plans to beat the record again

Rocky also plays some harmonica outside of the Kings Harmonica Quintet, including with a ‘real’ harp player

Rocky was the President of the Hong Kong Harmonica Association for five years, and now is a Director

The Association involvement in the Asia Pacific Harmonica and Seoul Festival

Three of the five members of the Kings Harmonica Quintet have been President of the Hong Kong Harmonica Association

What the Hong Kong Harmonica Association does

Organises concerts in Shanghai

Rocky is an International Endorser for Hohner and what that involves

Rocky is a collector of harmonica with around 800 harmonicas, many of which can’t be purchased in stores

Will be exhibiting collection in April 2023 at the Hong Kong Association chromatic competition

More on the chromatic competition with judging panel made up of not musicians who are not just chromatic harmonica players

26 finalists in the competition, whose travel costs are covered by Hong Kong government and details of the competition format

Winner of the competition will win equivalents of 12,500 dollars (also prizes for places below the winner)

Entries are closed for the competition now

There is also a chromatic harmonica composition competition, also funded by the Hong Kong government

10 minute question

Rocky’s favourite chromatic harmonica is hard to say because everyone has different needs

Embouchre is mostly pucker

Does use chromatics in keys besides C

Music reading

Future plans