"Have Harmonica, Will Travel"
GHC was organized in 1987 for the purpose of preserving and advancing the playing of harmonica music in the Greater St. Louis, Missouri (USA) area. In the period since its founding, the club has provided not only fellowship, learning and enjoyment for its members, but also a source of entertainment and cheer for audiences both young and old. Performances by the Gateway Harmonica Band, the club's performing unit, have been warmly received in a variety of locales, from nursing homes to juvenile institutions, from social gatherings to civic celebrations. They have appeared as guest artists with Richard Hayman and the St. Louis Symphony Pops Orchestra and have played the National Anthem for the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
The club's motto, "Have Harmonica, Will Travel", has found expression in virtually every corner of the St. Louis and Metro East areas, as well as in trips to regional harmonica festivals in Columbia, MO; Kansas City, MO; Columbus, OH; Birmingham, AL; and Tampa, FL; and to national gatherings of SPAH (Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica) in Chicago, Columbus (OH), Dallas, Detroit and Memphis. In 1996, 1999 and 2004 GHC hosted SPAH's national convention in St. Louis, and it is scheduled to be held in St. Louis again in 2008.
SPAH 2008 Convention information
GHC is incorporated in the State of Missouri as a non-profit organization. Income from membership dues, donations and cassette sales is used to meet operating expenses, and to support St. Louis area benevolent and charitable causes.