Hello! My name is HappyHarpist 
I haven’t been around lately but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been practicing! Since it is coming up on my annual jam trip ( a trip I take to go jam with some fellow musicians ) and it has been just a little over a year since joining here, I thought it would be good to post a little progression update. So let’s dive in.
When I joined in Dec 2023. I had about a year or so of informal learning, no teacher or the like. I had lots of music theory in my pocket but lacked technique - couldn’t hit bends consistently, and double bends were out of the question. I understood music, but the harmonica felt unwieldy, but I was addicted to getting better.
After a few months and working through the modules I was feeling pretty comfortable playing from tabs. So I decided to go on this jam trip with my few Golden Melody harps in my backpack. It was fun but also frustrating. I had a lot of take aways, but I was renewed in my determination to get better before the next trip so I can really show up!
Fast forward a year of focused practice, just about 20-30 minutes a couple times a week on very specific topics. My bends are on point, I no longer get “lost” on what hole I’m on, I pretty much exclusively learn music by ear ( I learned that learning by ear helps memorization a lot! ) additionally developed my “ear” a lot, and just a ton of confidence in both solo and group playing and even recorded a few different songs as part of a group.
So for anyone out there that is new or maybe is hitting a plateau, keep at it! Progress sometimes isn’t as major as you might think. Sometimes it’s very subtle, but a lot of tiny steps will still move you forward. Keep at it, keep jamming and keep having fun!
That’s my year progress and I guess my re-introduction to you fine people here!
Cheers!
