Tommy Robinson has been playing the harmonica for eight years.
I’ve got more harmonicas than brains. I’m telling you, I’ve got a lot of them. I’ve probably got maybe ten or fifteen of them.
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Robinson came up to Alaska during the pipeline and stayed. He’s been an air taxi pilot his whole life, and when he retired years ago, he decided to take up the harmonica.
He grew up playing the keys, and music was always his side gig, he explains.
It’s very expressive. It’s one of the most expressive instruments you can play, I like that.
He says that he plays at open mics, but he mostly busks. He practices for hours.
Usually, this time of year, usually every day.
Robinson loves the way that harmonicas can bend sound.
When they first invented the harmonica, they tried to make the harmonica so it wouldn’t bend the note. They wanted a clear tone—all the same tone. Now, they make the harmonica where they will bend easier, which is kind of odd. They want it to bend now.
He challenges himself to try new songs, downloading pre-recorded music on his amp that he plays along to.
I’ve been interested in the Spanish, Latin, Flamingo type stuff. Merengue, Malaguena. Those are Spanish classical. But I’ve been playing around with that some lately.
When it gets cold, Robinson switches to watercolor and oil painting. But he says playing music really relaxes him.
I just enjoy it, yeah. Just come down here when it’s nice and play.
Robinson lives in Talkeetna with his five cats.
He throws his amp in his pickup truck and sits outside Conscious Coffee, bringing ambient tunes to tourists as they drink lattes and eat sunrise sandwiches.
Isn’t it nice out today, my goodness!
On this sunny weekday, Robinson crouches over his harmonica to blow into it. After finishing a particularly soulful blues melody, he leans back to smile at the crowd that has gathered around him.
For KTNA, I’m Nell Salzman.
