I had a nightmare about that once, that my harp was designed to be dismantled in order to move it, and some in-house stage crew tried to put it back together at my destination and destroyed it.

(As an aside, I played French horn in high school and the only thing you dismantle is the mouthpiece – you pull it out of the horn, then pop the whole horn into its molded case. That’s still much more moveable than a harp, but it doesn’t actually come apart for transport. There are several slides you can pull off for cleaning.)

Some horns have bells that can screw on and off. Not all. It makes them much more transportable on a plane.

I was getting ready to put my harp in the back of my Prius, and someone asked me (jokingly) “does that thing fold up?” I said, “no, but I do. It’s a very tight squeeze.”

I once had to remain tight lipped while playing at a wedding where I overheard a dad on a nearby table attempt to answer his son’s harp-related questions. The child was obviously really interested but the Dad had nooooo idea. The pedals, apparently “turn up the volume” and “it all folds up so she can take it home”. Oh, and it’s EXACTLY the same as a piano without its box.

This isn’t new, but when people ask me the “don’t you wish you played the flute?” one, I get to smile and say, “Actually, I DID play flute (and piccolo), but I like the harp a lot more.”
I recently harped for our school district’s music program fundraiser, and the MC stopped me mid-set (just a few tunes, it was a variety show) to ask me questions about the “Seltic” harp. She also asked the flute question. 🙂
And, instead of just asking me to tell a bit about it, or explain the strings/levers, she would offer her speculations and made-up names. Then I would have to try to explain harp reality without seeming like I was contradicting everything she said! “Oooooh and the button-thingys up at the tops of the strings, are they decorations? They’re pretty!” (And I’m thinking: Oh, the levers? That I literally just explained and demonstrated? Can I just play my next tune now please?)
Haha It was cute…

Most often heard: “I bet you wish you played the piccolo” (or flute) — and for some reason, people often ask “Does it have wheels?”

Opera rehearsal. I’m sitting there with my harp before rehearsal, right, and this stagehand comes up and says….oh, are you going to play the harp? So I said…no, I’m just going to sit here with it. Then I guess he realized he had said something kind of stupid.

Hi Everyone,

I am a 60 year old grandmother who started taking harp lessons 7 months ago. I play a harpsicle and practice about an hour a day.

I am so happy to be a part of this forum and am so thankful that I found it.