Glad to hear you liked my playing! That video was my audition tape for the Young Artist’s Harp Competition. Though I would have liked to dress the part I was trying to play, I knew that I’d have to spend a few days recordings to get it just the way I wanted, and I didn’t want to wear the same, nice clothes for days on end! It’s good to hear that I came across as professional anyway 🙂

That video is not so up to date, and my interpretation now is somewhat different in many parts – hopefully in a good way!

You should check out my other videos, although the best ones unfortunately don’t have any video of my playing since I initially recorded them with only audio and only later decided to upload them to youtube.

If anyone would like to see me live, I’m performing in Philadelphia next month, Boston in January (though I’m not sure this is open to the public), and Chicago in February. I’m playing Legende in all three concerts.

~Sam

Hi Philippa,

Right now I’m in a nifty program between a conservatory and a university. I basically study (biochemistry – you’re right!) at the University full time, and then I get to do all the harp related things as well as chamber music at the Conservatory. It’s a nice deal!

Esquisse is nice! All of Renie is the best, of course. 🙂 I’m playing only two pieces in my October and February recitals each (I’m sharing the concerts) but the concert in January is a full one, and depending on what I feel up to and what I have ready, it will be between an hour and fifteen minutes and an hour and a half. Overall I’m playing some Renie, Britten, Bach, Grandjany, Dalvimare, Jolivet, and maybe some Faure and Pescetti. Quite a lot! I already have recordings of the Renie, Britten, Bach, Grandjany, and Pescetti on my youtube channel. (Don’t you just love shameless self advertising?)

~Sam

I also meant to say this:

Now that I think about it, I recorded for about a month before I got a recording I was happy with. The thing with this particular competition is that you need to record all the pieces for the competition without stops – so the actual video file ended up being around 20 minutes. It takes a while get make sure that you do most of everything you want for 20 minutes straight! The time I spent recording was waaaaay longer than most people do (and probably should) record for these types of things. However, I had the space all to myself for something like 10 hours a week for a month. I spent the first two weeks doing sound checks (I knew this would go on youtube and on to other places as well) and making sure I could get through the whole program, and then I spent the last two weeks recording. All the videos in the same setting as the Legende and Absidioles (I think its just Pescetti 1 after that) were part of that continuous video! Given all the time, I didn’t want to be wearing my suit in a hot chapel ten hours a week just to record for this instance – those clothes would have gotten pretty nasty pretty soon!

~Sam

Yes, your mom is right! I have a very very good memory (at least for music) and it’s not hard for me to memorize several pages of very difficult music in only an hour or two.

Nope, no sports. But I did manage to fit in time to tutor Spanish, edit my school’s science magazine, and head my school’s stage crew. We’ll see how much I can do in college!

I actually already have all the pieces I listed in my fingers (and theoretically memorized) except the Faure. I have many pieces to learn over the next year though.

~Sam