Part of minermusic.com
 |
This is a copy of my 2015 Wikipedia entry that was rejected
(twice), then finally published (revised and shortened), and after some time
deleted for reasons unknown. You can read the whole
hilarious story on my blog! |
Gregg Miner (born 1955) is a plucked stringed instrument collector,
scholar, recording artist and performer, best known for his work with harp
guitars.
Harp Guitar Activities
Miner is widely recognized as the world’s leading authority on the harp
guitar. Specific milestones:
- He defined the categorization of this group of instruments organologically,
and created the modern definition.[1]
- In 2002, he created The Knutsen Archives on the Internet to catalog the
harp guitar and related instrument specimens of builder Chris Knutsen.[2]
- In 2004, he created Harpguitars.net, the central repository of information
on players, builders, instruments, music and history.[3]
- In 2006, he founded Harp Guitar Music, a record label and Internet store
focused solely on the instrument.[4]
- In 2009, he co-founded the non-profit Harp Guitar Foundation, of which he
is currently president.[5]
- He has lectured on the instrument at each annual Harp Guitar Gathering®[6]
since the first event in 2003, the Guild of American Luthiers Convention [7],
meetings of the American Musical Instrument Society [8],
and at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California [9]
during the first-ever public exhibit on Harp Guitars, which he co-curated.[10]
He curated a second, expanded public exhibit with accompanying
catalog at the Museum of Making Music in October, 2017-May, 2018.
- He authored the “Harp-guitar” entry for The Grove Dictionary of
Musical Instruments Second Edition and edited Grove entries on related
instruments (Lyre Guitar, Harpolyre, Harp-Lute, Edward Light, Angelo
Ventura, Bissex, Guitarpa)[11]
- He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of harp guitars, the
majority published and archived on Harpguitars.net[12]
- His personal museum collection consists of numerous rare harp guitars and
related instruments[15],
many of which have been featured in various recordings
on the Harp Guitar Music label, for which he also produces recordings by
other harp guitarists.[4]
- He performs publicly most often on harp guitar, frequently at the annual
Harp Guitar Gathering®, founded by Stephen Bennett and now operated as part
of the Harp Guitar Foundation.[13]
Other
Musical Instrument Research Activities
- Miner has done research on a wide variety of plucked stringed instruments,
with articles appearing in The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments
Second Edition, American Lutherie, The Ukulele Occasional, The Fretboard Journal,
Ukulele and on minermusic.com,[14]
his personal web site that includes his private collection, The Miner Museum
of Vintage, Exotic & Just Plain Unusual Musical Instruments. [15]
- He created the organological term “Fretless Zither” for the extensive
family of previously-uncategorized parlor zithers without fingerboards,
co-authoring the findings with Kelly Williams, and authoring the 2014 Grove
Dictionary entry.[16]
- Miner is an expert on the musical career of Harpo Marx, after years of
research and interviewing Marx family members, friends and professional
associates.[17]
- Other in-depth research topics include the German Stoessel-Laute family,
the Dolceola and the instruments of gospel musician Washington Phillips.[18]
- American Musical Instrument Society: Board of Governors, 2018-present
- American Musical Instrument Society: Papers
- "The Modern Archguitar: A Case Study in Keeping Pace Organologically"
(Greenville, SC, 2019)
- "Harp Guitars in the Museum of Fine Arts" (Boston, 2015)
- "Harp Guitar: What's in a Name" (New York, 2015)
Publications
- Floating Strings: The Remarkable Story of the Harp Guitar in America (2017,
The Museum of Making Music)
- Norwegian Wood: The Incredible Imagination and Instruments of Chris
Knutsen (2017, Harp Guitar Music)
- W. J. Dyer & Bro. Symphony Harp Mandolins and the Symphony Harp
Plectral Ensemble (2018, Harp Guitar Music)
- The Curious Career of Vardon, Perry and Wilber(s)? A Vaudevillian
Mystery (2020 Harp Guitar Music, ISBN 9781734304404)
Musical
Background and Activities[19]
Chicago, IL
- 1965+: Self-taught guitarist (electric, acoustic)
- 1973-1975: Music Theory at DePaul University, classical guitar study with
Richard Pick, jazz guitar study with Jack Cecchini
Bloomington, IL
- 1975-1979: Original music and multi-instrumental experimentation
Los Angeles, CA
- 1979-1989: Pedal harp studies with Mildred Dilling, JoAnn Turovsky, Gail
Laughton, DeWayne Fulton; freelance harpist
- Mid-1980s: Mandocello and harp guitar with the Los Angeles Mandolin
Orchestra
- 1980-1989: Lead guitar and vocals with musical comedy Oldies band The
Pretensions
- 1991-1995: Completed A Christmas Collection, the 2-volume CD
project featuring 100 instruments of his collection
- 1995-1999: Live appearances promoting A Christmas Collection, with
David Marchant and other musicians
- 2003+: Appearances at The Harp Guitar Gathering® on various harp
guitars and related instruments, recordings, producer on the Harp Guitar
Music label
Recognition
Scholarship
- Wikipedia: Miner’s web sites and articles are sourced in Wikipedia
entries on autoharp,
Chris
Knutsen, classical
guitar with additional strings, guitar
zither, harp
guitar, harp
ukulele, John
Doan, mandolin,
Mario
Maccaferri, Napoléon
Coste, octophone,
Pasquale
Taraffo, Roy
Butin, Samuel
Siegel, ten-string
guitar,
William
Pester and Washington
Phillips.
- Oxford Music Online: (Preface
to The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments): “For generous advice
in areas requiring special expertise we thank…and Gregg Miner
(strings)…”
- Guitar
Player Magazine Harp Guitars (at) The Museum of Making Music: “In
order to sort out and prioritize the pieces, trends, and individual builders
that spanned centuries—as well as continents—Grant and Sizonenko turned
to Gregg Miner, the world’s leading authority and “lightning rod” for
all things harp guitar.”
- The
Museum of Making Music Howe-Orme: Forgotten Voices Remembered: “For
their expertise and support of this exhibition, the Museum thanks: Leading
expert on harp guitars Gregg Miner”
- 2006
Guild of American Luthiers 18th Convention/Exhibition: “This year harp
guitar kingpin Gregg Miner presented a special three-day exhibition of harp
guitars and harp guitar images in Xavier Hall, culminating with a three hour
lecture by Gregg on Saturday.”
- NPR
Interview: The Harp Guitar's Floating Strings
- The Fretboard Journal Spring 2010 The Power of the Symphony: “There is
no one in the world more knowledgeable about harp guitars than Gregg
Miner.”
- "What a fantastic, wonderfully brilliant way to present an exotic
collection of plucked stringed instruments!"—John Schneider, KPFK
- "...one of the coolest Christmas compilations you’ll ever
hear..."—Daedalus Books and Music
- "It's beautiful, and also wryly funny!"—The Seattle Times
- "...a must for every collector of stringed instruments." —20th
Century Guitar
- MW3.com:
4 New CD Releases from Harp Guitar Music
Solo Recordings
- Norwegian Wood (2017, Harp Guitar Music)
- Good Dogs, Bad Dogs, Best Friends (2009, Harp Guitar Music)
- A Christmas Collection, Volumes 1&2 (1995, Miner Music; 1996,
Delos International; 2006, Harp Guitar Music)
Compilations
- The Water is Wide: A Tribute to Stephen Bennett (2012, Harp Guitar
Music)
- Christmas Present (2011, Harp Guitar Music)
- Further Beyond Six Strings (2011, Harp Guitar Music)
- Harp Guitar Dreams (2008, Harp Guitar Music)
- Christmas Past (2006, Harp Guitar Music)
- A Musical Tribute to C. S. Lewis (2005, Maranatha)
- Beyond Six Strings (2004, independent; 2006, Harp Guitar Music)
- Christmas Carols & Songs (2004, Little Room Recordings)
- I Am the Great Sun (2000, Little Room Recordings)
- Charlie Springer’s Holiday Tuneage (1995, Warner Bros.)
Guest Musician
- Brad Hoyt: Far Away From Everyday (2013, Harp Guitar Music)
- Brad Hoyt: Together Alone (2009, Harp Guitar Music)
- Jeff Titus: Wood Dragon (2007, Musician101 Music)
Film/T.V.[22]
- Secrets of Taraffo (producer, director, writer, actor/self) (2016,
Franco Ghisalberti & The Harp Guitar Foundation)
- The Hollow Arm (actor/self) (2014, Alden Morgan)
- Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan (music) (2004, MPH Entertainment)
- Men Seeking Women (music) (1997, Jim Milio)
References
External links