Harp n’ hotel

[unknown-user]

Trying to post again…sorry if this is a repeat.

Would you take your (concert grand) on vacation with you so you can practice?

[catherine-rogers]

If you’re on your own, suit yourself. If you’re taking family, they’re going to make demands on your time and you may find you don’t have time to practice. If you’re not preparing for an imminent recital or such, and if you’re going to be gone only a week, I wouldn’t bother. Most hotel rooms are pretty cramped when you get a concert grand in there, plus bench and music stand. Take your music, maybe, and study it away from the instrument. I did that once and found it helpful.

[tony-morosco]

I wouldn’t. If anything I would take a small lap harp just to play around on, but vacation is vacation and a time to get away from the normal stuff we do, even things we normally enjoy doing.

When I go someplace I want to focus on the things unique to that place. I would never have time to practice while on vacation anyway, and the thought of lugging around a concert grand alone would make me think twice.

[Audrey Nickel]

I would think you might need extra insurance…most hotels don’t insure personal belongings unless they’re in the hotel safe (and I’m pretty sure a concert grand won’t fit!)…and even if they do, it may not cover something as expensive to replace as a harp. You’ll also need to think about what you’ll do if you stop to eat or something like that along the road…you’re not going to want to lug that big harp inside with you (though it might cause quite a stir!), but you also won’t want to leave it in your vehicle in the summer heat.

[unknown-user]

One time I did have to leave a pedal harp in a hotel, on an interstate trip where my car broke down, and I left it in the hotel office chained (with a bike chain that had a plastic covering!) to the safe that was bolted to the floor and surrounded by cushions and other pieces of furniture so no one can bash into it!

Other than that I take a lever harp with me on holidays…

Hope this helps.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I wonder whether the hotel would even allow a musical instrument to be practised, as it might disturb the other guests. If you do decide to take along a harp of any size, I would ask the ask the hotel about their policy before you go.

[Audrey Nickel]

I’ve played penny whistles with me in hotels, and never had any problem with the other tenants or the management.

[unknown-user]

Indeed…it would be a bummer to lug it all that way and not get to play it. I’ve taken my lever harp on holidays, but played it outdoors..which is a amusing since I flat refuse to do outdoor gigs! But putting that aside….I used to live in an apartment, and found that although although people would play their telly (tv) quite loud at night, and not worry about hearing that, they would get their knickers in a twist if you practised. I therefore developed the habit of practising the the telly on and then I would not get any complaints, but if it was harp alone, yep they’d be banging on the walls even at quite respectable times of the day.

If its summer holidays, take a lever harp and go sit under a tree in a park and do your practise there. You could even busk! (joke!) If you don’t have

[unknown-user]

Oh dear!! Could the banging on the walls have been the quality of my playing? Or all the 20th century repertoire that I used to play….hmmmmm. Maybe I need to learn more frillies…..

[Author]

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