Grant Dermody on Teaching, Tone, and Finding Your Own Voice

Join Grant and Joe Filisko at Blown Away on the Bayou October 15-18 2025: https://www.blownawayonthebayou.com Grant Dermody Website: https://www.grantdermody.com Join blues masters Eric Noden and Joe Filisko as they sit down with world-class harmonica player and teacher Grant Dermody for an inspiring deep dive into his musical journey. From his early beginnings in Alaska to his time performing with Eric Bibb, Grant shares stories, lessons, and insights from a lifetime dedicated to the blues. You’ll hear about his start as a drummer, his mentors like Paul deLay and Kim Field, his passion for old-time music, and how his move to Louisiana influenced his playing. Grant also discusses teaching harmonica around the world, founding his own event Blown Away on the Bayou, and the making of his acclaimed album Behind the Sun. Whether you’re a harmonica player, blues fan, or roots music enthusiast, this interview is full of gold — wisdom, humor, and heart. This video was recorded in San Antonio, Texas at the 2025 SPAH Harmonica Convention Learn more about SPAH at https://spah.org/ 0:00 – Introduction: Welcome Grant Dermody 0:41 – How Eric and Grant first met at Augusta Blues Week 1:04 – Staying up all night geeking out on harmonica 1:29 – Grant’s beginnings as a drummer and move to Alaska 2:55 – Discovering live music in Fairbanks and early gigs 3:32 – Meeting Kim Field and learning serious harmonica 4:03 – Lessons from Paul deLay and his musical philosophy 5:04 – Discovering old-time music and its connection to blues 6:31 – Playing fiddle tunes and finding groove through tongue blocking 8:02 – DeeFord Bailey and pre-war harmonica influences 8:38 – Touring and recording with Eric Bibb — key lessons learned 10:39 – Learning to serve the song as a harmonica player 11:41 – Spiritual lessons of musical humility 12:12 – Teaching at top harmonica events worldwide 13:07 – Grant’s teaching philosophy: tone, groove, and personal voice 14:23 – Creating the “Blown Away on the Bayou” harmonica event 15:56 – Bringing back authentic blues to Louisiana 16:35 – Life and music in Lafayette, Louisiana 17:14 – Leading his own blues band for the first time 18:02 – Zydeco, Cajun, and old-time musical connections 18:20 – New albums: Behind the Sun and Trouble Down Tesh 19:45 – On recording, mixing, and funding new projects 20:05 – Grant’s website and teaching info 20:11 – Event details: Blown Away on the Bayou 20:18 – Online harmonica lessons and what he offers 20:51 – (Humor) “What about becoming famous?” 21:12 – Wrapping up and mutual appreciation