He was a very nice person, and knew more about harps than anyone I ever met. When I was just learning he was very patient with me as well. He would check gauges on strings I needed to replace because I could never figure out the correct way to identify them. He would find almost any piece of music I wanted. He even gave me instructions on how to make a carrying case for my first harp out of an old sleeping bag.
And of course he introduced me to the woman who became my harp teacher.
I remember his office was a mess, piles of music and books everywhere, but his workshop on the second floor was always immaculate. The first time I visited when I was looking to buy my first harp he led me upstairs and turned on the light and I saw lines and lines of harps. It was the first time I had ever seen that many harps in one place and it was absolutely amazing.
He was a bit old fashioned at times. I think that he liked to see men take up the harp because it had become so associated as a “woman’s instrument”, and so I often got the feeling he was extra encouraging to me because of that.
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