Any male harpists in here?

[unknown-user]

Thanks for the info. I really am looking for anything fun to play, but things with a celtic feel to them are even better,

[Richard Allen]

Hi! Yeah I am, I’m 16, 17 next month, and I’ve bin playin harp for the past 4ish years. It’s always annoyed me that people think of the harp as a feminine instrument, but I’ve never got any abuse because of it lol I love it, I’d never give it up no matter what anybody said xD obviously cause it’s the coolest instrument ever in the world lol

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I wouldn’t really worry about it. It’s really just a way people have of making conversation about something they know very little about. The harp is what you make of it, and I hope you’ll make something great.

[kay-lister]

The original players of the harp were men.

[carl-swanson]

Richard- I was your age when I started the harp and I went to a regional high school out in the country. I played at the school several times over my senior year there and never once got any flack over it. The truth is, everyone was fascinated by the harp.

[zach-hatcher]

Hi im zach and Ive been harping for 12 yaers out of 14. I am glad to see alot of other teen MALE harpists.

Zach

[jessica-wolff]

When I was your age, female classical guitarists had a difficult time of it because the guitar was regarded as a man’s instrument. Times change. Best of luck to you!

[carl-swanson]

Jessica- Did you ever hear of Ida Presti? She was considered by many to be the greatest guitarist of her generation. She is probably best remembered as half of the duo of Presti and Lagoya, her husband being Alexander Lagoya. Tragically she died of a stroke in her late 30’s.

[jessica-wolff]

Yes. My teacher (Alice Artzt, when we were both college students) ended up studying with her and has several videos on YouTube about her (Presti’s) playing style.

[HBrock25]

hi there, i am a 15 year old guy and i have been playing harp for over 7 years. i have been made fun of but the people who are not trying to cover for their own masculinity actually encourage me to play. so really its fun to laugh at people who think that you are not masculine to play harp. also its just a fun thing, so yea if you’re afraid dont be, its somthing to be proud of.

[jessica-wolff]

There is a long, long tradition of male harpers and harpists.

[william-weber]

When I was a teen-aged boy I liked keyboards, especially the organ. The harp looked so basic — the one I saw in a folk trio, that is. The player, a young woman, let me try it and later I kit-built my own, a manly thing to do, I suppose. Never had any gender issues with it. Robert Maxwell who wrote “The Broadcaster” and “Ebb Tide”, was a harpist. You may want to view the YouTube clip of Harper Tasche explaining his harp song, “Just You” to see the possibilities of a harp in a relationship.

[william-weber]

Guram, in the future you may want to keep in mind that Harp Column magazine is read by harpists who play in major orchestras around the world, and this forum is part of it.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

And some of them are real babes, too!

[John McK]

Chiming in here. . .

Not a teenager, but a male harpist. I started a few years ago on a lever/nylon harp, but traded that one in for a diminutive early music harp, (it weighs a grand total of 7 pounds) and I absolutely love it. I’d like to get to the public performance level at some stage (Not the Kennedy center, perhaps, but local coffeehouses and churches). I did play a ‘bizarre’ instrument in high school – highland pipes. I was
always nervous about letting other folks know. . .

[Author]

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