Dear Skylar Redding,

Your post appears to have quite a bit of anger!

Who is this third company? Before Vanderbilt came on the harp scene (some decades ago) I ordered harp music solely through Lyon and Healy. It could be my poor internet skills, but I’m not succeeding in getting current L & H music listings on the internet. It almost looks to me like they are trying to focus more on their instruments, less on their accessories/music which is understandable and would explain slower service, if , indeed it is L & H that you are referring to. (I’ve always been very satisfied with the service, selection, personnel and quality of both L & H and Vanderbilt.) If someone knows the L&H music/accessory internet “address” please list it so I can order some music from them via the internet. (The www address I get just lists harps and street address/phone for music/accessories. )Thanks

Lyra/International Music Service has always been an alternative source to Lyon & Healy, with the largest, most diverse stock of music to choose from, and I hope they will always be around. That said, there’s no comparison to having a local store where you can look at music, buy it, and take it home with no shipping charges. Too much music I order by mail ends up being a dud. My last order was over 100 dollars, and only one piece turned out to be a winner. When Lyra and I both lived in New York, I used to stop by every Friday to browse. That’s how I got such a big, diverse collection of music. It’s much harder to browse on the internet. I like how on the Harp Connection you can see the cover sometimes, and the first page of the music, if I recall correctly. I am lucky to have a store in the neighborhood with harp music, Delaware Valley Music Company, but it’s a small stock, mostly for me and my students, I think, but I can order through them without paying shipping, which I should do more often. Very possibly, your music stores could do the same, if you still have any, in which case you should support them.