Are there forums or clubs that I don’t know about?
Since I am an orchestral harpist and a teacher at two universities, I am surrounded by great musicians. I have a couple of well-established chamber groups. These people are both fantastic musicians and friends. I strongly recommend finding people to play with who are your friends. It is much easier to play with people you know well, and it is more fun.
If you are a freelancer, I recommend getting to know the other freelancers you have worked with and choose the ones you are friendly with to make music together. For the young harpist, stay in touch with your friends from college and anyone else you come across that you like. You may end up crossing paths with them in the future, and you may want to perform chamber music!
—Courtney Hershey Bress
Research music-related performances in your area. Look for a list of event contractors to contact about existing groups. Contact the events director at resort hotels for names to consider. The piece you want to perform may relate to a local art gallery or food/wine establishment that may have a name to contact. Be creative in looking. When you perform, always be attentive to possible chamber music musicians. Communication is the key to your success. Contact all local arts organizations.
Music directors at churches, music department chairs at colleges or universities, music teachers listed at schools, and music-related businesses can provide names of musicians who perform there. Many organizations have an arts performance series to review for possible sources. Contact your former teacher for possible names. Consider joining a harp organization and check with harpists listed in the AHS Online Directory, ISFHC, and World Harp Congress for suggestions. Many AHS chapters have harp ensembles to join. In the music world, there are multiple connections. Find and use those connections!
—Lucy Scandrett
The best way to find chamber music collaborators is to tap into your current community. If you are in school, ask fellow students. I have found that wind, brass, and bass players are always looking to play more chamber music. If you are a member of a religious community, you can put up flyers, or simply start telling people that you want to play music with others—word of mouth is a great way to find people. You can also contact your local music store or harp store and see if there are people or groups they can connect you with. If you’re looking to connect with fellow music lovers, orchestras often have “friends of orchestra” groups that you can join.
My personal experience is that people are always interested in playing music, but they don’t necessarily take the initiative to make it happen. If you set up a musical event, whether it’s a concert in a coffee shop or an evening of relaxed playing at your home, and reach out to your fellow musicians, you will soon have a fantastic musical experience at hand! •
