“Growing up as a young harpist, I always thought it would be so cool to play in a band, and even be able to tour, but never imagined it would be possible,” says Utah harpist Bridget Jackson. Today she is fulfilling her dream as a member of the band Little Moon, winner of National Public Radio (NPR) Music’s 2023 Tiny Desk Contest. “I hope that seeing the harp featured in a setting like this can inspire other harpists to pursue their goals and dreams,” Jackson says, “even if those goals and dreams don’t look like the ‘traditional’ setting of a harp.”
We asked Jackson to share more about her experience playing with her band in the Tiny Desk Contest.
Tell us why you’ve always wanted to play in a band.
I grew up listening to all kinds of bands, from The Beatles to Blink-182 to Muse, and always loved watching DVDs and videos online from concerts. Something about playing in a group, playing your own music, was so magical to me. I eventually got to play harp in a youth orchestra in my high school years and that was really fulfilling getting to play in a group setting, but never thought the harp could belong in a band like the ones I liked to listen to.
How did you get started with Little Moon?
I met the front woman and founder of Little Moon, Emma Hardyman, in 2018 when I interviewed with her for a local music school that she worked at. A few months later she reached out to me to record harp parts for an album she was working on (the very first Little Moon album, called Unphased). I recorded harp on that album and we became friends. She later invited me to play in the album release concert with some other musicians—up ’til then she had been a solo singer-songwriter on her guitar, so this was the first time for both of us playing with an actual band! The concert was awesome, and it was such a dream to actually play my harp in that kind of setting, in a venue where I had been an audience member for many concerts before. From then on, the Little Moon band got together many times to play for local shows.
What do you like most about “Wonder Eye,” the song that won the Tiny Desk Contest?
Something I’m over the moon about (pun intended) about playing in Little Moon, is that the music we play is music that I like to listen to! As a freelance harpist I’ve been hired to perform and record many different types of music, and it’s not always music that I personally connect with—not saying that as a musician you always have to personally connect on an emotional level with every single piece you play, but I honestly do love “Wonder Eye” because I like to listen to it! It’s a song that I’d sit and listen to on my own accord, not just something I had to learn because I was hired to.
People have really connected with the song and I think it’s so special for that. There have been comments on our contest submission video, and on our Tiny Desk concert video, of people sharing the emotional journey they experienced while listening to “Wonder Eye.” I think that the song’s ability to connect with people is wonderful.
Describe what it was like to perform at NPR’s headquarters on the Tiny Desk set.
Actually experiencing the real place where I’ve enjoyed watching incredible and accomplished musicians perform at online for years was indescribable. It’s so wild to say that I performed on the same stage (well, behind the same desk!) as Taylor Swift, Mac Miller, Yo-Yo Ma, Lizzo, Florence + the Machine, Weezer, Alicia Keys, and so many more!
The NPR Music team was so incredibly warm and welcoming, and continues to be throughout this whole experience. They took care of us the whole time, being so accommodating with renting a harp for me, allowing us ample time to rehearse on site the day before as well as the day of, and just being genuinely kind and creative individuals to work with.
Our nerves were definitely high the day of, but the incredible experience of being there really swallowed up any anxiety, at least for me. During our performance I just really tried to be present and savor every second—it’s truly one of the highlight moments of my life so far! The cherry on top of the whole experience was getting to leave behind our very own signed token of our band, a deck of tarot cards, on the shelf with so much other cool memorabilia left behind by other performers.
This summer, Little Moon is headlining the Tiny Desk Contest On the Road tour, sponsored by NPR. What are you most looking forward to as you tour with the band?
I am so incredibly excited for pretty much everything about the tour. Honestly, just being able to say “I’m going on tour with my band” gives me so much life! I know that if I could go back in time and tell that to my younger self, she would freak out. I’m looking forward to playing at these awesome venues and meeting all the opening acts, seeing the sights of the eight U.S. cities we are visiting, spending time with my bandmates, and just soaking it all in!
For more information, visit NPR’s website.
