Harmonicas

Abstract

It is easy for me to imagine life without harmonicas, but for my parents' generation, harmonicas were as common as rain. They were small and easy to fit in a shirt pocket or kit bag, and, whenever an idle moment presented itself, out came the harmonica to render a slightly reedy version of a well-known song: songs like "Red River Valley," "You Are My Sunshine," or "Tennessee Waltz." They were not far from the lips of anyone who played a harmonica.