featured in this issue
Interviews
The French Teacher
Germaine Lorenzini Lauded in Europe, this uniquely French teacher gives the rest of the world a rare glimpse into her life. (Read the interview in Lorenzini’s native French here.) ermaine Lorenzini’s resume reads as you would expect a world-class harpist’s would. She is the honorary harpist of the National Orchestra of Lyon and an active […]
Feature
Survival Skills for Harp Emergencies
Forget your music? Duo partner fall sick? Subbing on “Tzigane” with no rehearsals? This survival guide will help you keep your cool when the gig doesn’t go as planned. If you have ever awakened in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and thought, “Oh, no! I have six hours to learn the Glière […]
Feature
Spring Cleaning
Ah, spring. Time to throw open the windows, get some fresh air, give everything a good cleaning, and clear out the clutter that has accumulated over the winter. Now that you’re in an organizing frame of mind, it’s also the perfect time to sort through your musical life to ensure a less stressful year. Tidying […]
March-April 2014
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Columns and more
From the Editor
The Show Must Go On
Being ready for the unexpected is part of the gig. One Wednesday evening several months ago I was cooking dinner when my cell phone rang. It was the personnel manager of a nearby orchestra. Their harpist was having a medical emergency and he needed a sub for Capriccio Espagnol on a concert at 8 p.m. I looked […]
Sounding Board
From Indiana to India
Leaving your comfort zone half a world away. —by Devon Haupt “Would you like to live in India and play harp in a bubble?” There may have been a little more to the initial e-mail I received, but that was what I got out of it. I laughed. Why would anyone want to do such […]
Tech Talk
Tech Talk—Caretaker by Default
Maintain your harp and your sanity. —by Mike Lewis am an ex-factory technician out of Chicago. I worked at the harp mill from 1989–1995. Since then, I have worked under the name HarpTech doing regulation, repairs, and building new harps. Some readers may remember me for the harp maintenance column called “What’s Da Buzz?” […]
Advice
Advice—How Can I Get Better at Counting?
Q: How can I get better at counting? My sense of rhythm is terrible! uy a good rhythm book, such as The Logical Approach to Rhythmic Notation by Phil Perkins. Practice your rhythms separately from playing the notes! Work with a metronome to keep an exact pulse. It should be slow enough that you don’t feel rushed. At […]
Strange But True Harp Stories
Strange But True Harp Stories—Spa Day
received a call from the owner of a new spa asking if I could play for its grand opening. The owner told me she wanted the event to be relaxed yet elegant, and that harp music would be just right for the day. The new spa was located in Greenwich, Conn., one of the wealthiest […]
Reviews and extras
Recording Review
Valérie Milot
Valérie Milot, harp; Claire Marchand, flute; Bernard Labadie, conductor; Les Violins du Roy; Analekta, 2013. 4.5 harps (Note: recording reviews prior to 2014 were based on a 5-star system.) If you’re planning to record a disc of Baroque and Classical concertos on a modern instrument, where do you look—or I guess maybe “listen” is the […]
Music Review
Music Review—Sparkling New Works
From levers to pedals, new repertoire for all to enjoy. Many pedal harpists are familiar with the glissy solo piece, “Great Day,” from Nancy Gustavson’s Sparklers collection. It has even been used as a crowd-pleasing unison ensemble piece with great success. Until now, however, lever harpists haven’t been able to play along. Stanley Guy has changed […]
Recording Review
Allume
Carrol McLaughlin, harp; Brian Luce, flute; Albany Records, 2013. 4.5 harps (Note: recording reviews prior to 2014 were based on a 5-star system.) With the freshness and spunk of Milot and Marchaud still rang in the air, I quickly switched gears to flute and harp duo Brian Luce and Carrol McLaughlin in their new Albany […]