Deliberate Damage to Pedal Harp

[kreig-kitts]

In amateur orchestras and other large ensembles, where community is key, a harpist’s first task is, in the spirit of friendship, community, and love of music, to make everyone aware that you will hurt them most painfully if they put the tiniest scratch on even a molecule of the harp. I’ve found it smooth sailing after that.

[kay-lister]

LOLOLOL Kreig. Hmmmmm, maybe that’s why Harpo had that horn in his pocket. During my BRIEF time with the Community Band, I had the same situation. I felt like screaming out “WHOE PEOPLE, WATCH IT”! You would think that fellow musicians would know better.

Kay

[Angela Biggs]

Hahaha Kreig, you guys are cracking me up! I agree about the harp cover, I’d buy that. And mine is only a lever. 🙂

[Alison]

I think I shall have to be more stern with children after one such gig when I had a enthusiastic 2-3 year old coming up to the harp and climbing onto my little stage to get to the harp, and once I was out of the room she reportedly had quite a good go strumming it and again when I was away from it for a break. She could so easily have rocked it and overbalanced it forwards onto the floor and smashed it – I noticed my A pedal had been depressed, so now i think I will make sure the child and the parents get the message sooner…….. I need to pretend get mad…

[Alison]

in a crammed hall I took my seat next to the double basses and was just sitting back correcting my part when the player next to me had a coughing fit, slammed down her instrument and its spike sent her music stand flying into mine and the harp…. Huh – I had momentarily decided not to watch her antics to concentrate on my corrections so sitting back unguarded resulted in a chip to the edge of my instrument. Stands, music and her bow all flew onto my harp and you can imagine how awful this was – so now I understand how a little bit of nervousness has its purpose – to be sure it spoilt the day and my harp although thankfully barely noticeable – the moral is – steer clear of bass players and tall stands …

[Sylvia]

So sorry that happened!
I was at an event when a guy carrying a stand whammed the bottom of it right into the base by my lower sound board.leaving a dent, of course…he just smiled and went on.
It’s really not deliberate 🙁 They’re idiots. They think the harp is just a piece of furniture.
I was playing a bridal shower when they started piling things up right by my column…including a broom and dust pan. I just got up and stared…they looked ashamed and came and took the stuff away.
Nervousness DOES have its purpose. We have to guard our harp all the time.

[Biagio]

We’re talking expensive harps here but in some milieus we’ll take along a couple of el cheapos expressly for a “petting zoo.” We tell the parents the kids can play them (not “catch” of course). New students can be the result.

Biagio

[mia-strayer]

LOL soooooooooooooo funny
But… Its nearly impossible to stop the blind from damaging the harp because NOBODY can see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! unless you some sight

I Was playing at a concert & at the end of the concert all of the musicians got together to finish the concert & while I was playing my harp like a drum somebody decieded to join in & used his ring on my harps soundboard
I had to say NO & pushed his hand away from my harp
Thank God my harp teacher was there to look my harp over & she says that my harp took NO damage to the board
She also told me that gold harps are more able to have easily damaged soundboards
Is this true???????????????????????????????

[mia-strayer]

Gold harps are more able to have easily damaged soundboards
Is this true???????????????????????????????
If not please let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I was using a footlight to light my harp, and a child sitting in the front row was kicking her leg about while I was playing, and then realized she could kick the cord and move the light, and she did it. The adult with her did nothing, because she didn’t like that I was playing a modern piece, Intrada, by Josef Tal, which I think is quite palatable. So, in small spaces, one must also not allow people to sit in the front row, I guess. I don’t know what they cost, but do we have to add to our gear our own stanchions and velvet cords? On the other hand, if we had more gear, and a roadie, then perhaps we could get away with charging more, just like a band does. Who doesn’t look better with proper lighting, maybe a fern on top of a Greek column, a complete stage set?

[Angela Biggs]

Saul, I looked into stanchions/ropes a couple of years ago, after my only wedding experience. They are hugely expensive. Not really an option! lol

[Janis Cortese]

I wonder if it’s not possible to mount a little flipcam on a tripod and next to it a sign in a pretty, swirly font that says, “This performance is being recorded on video.” That might be a subtle way to imply that … um, if you damage or destroy this extremely expensive piece of equipment, there will be recorded evidence of it. 🙂

[M Rodgers]

I played a reception a few years ago where a father was encouraging his young child to touch the harp. The boy was about 6 and his dad kept saying, “Go ahead, you can touch it.” and I replied,”No, I’m sorry he can’t.” The dad kept it up egging the kid on so finally the boy walked up and said,”My daddy says I can play your harp.” So, I replied,” Go ask your daddy for his car keys first.” The boy ran back to his dad and the father handed him the keys, which were for a Mercedes. The boy ran back to me and handed them to me and I said, “No these aren’t for me, if your daddy thinks you can play the harp, then he obviously trusts you, so I am sure he will let you drive his car around the block and when you get back, you can play the harp.” The expression on the dad’s face was priceless. That ended it.

[kimberly-goodwin-helton]

This happened to me this last Christmas. I attend a large church (not a mega church–about 650 congregants) with a platform/stage large enough to hold an orchestra and choir, and was asked to play for a special service. I purposely located my harp as far away from the congregation as possible, completely upstage on a small platform just in front of the organ that resides center stage. An elderly gentleman, wanting to come talk to me afterwards, instead of walking around to the side of the platform, grabbed the harp column to help himself up the front of the platform! Luckily, I was standing at the harp and was able to grab the knee block and column before he and the harp went tumbling down to the ground. My heart still gets a little flutter thinking about it!

[Author]

Posts