Harpist and Singer and wanting to split…

[Rachael Rosenbaum]

BS”D

It’s like this. Basically, I’ve always wanted to sing, and I took up the harp because I was having a hard time finding anyone else to accompany me. I wanted to accompany myself and I was confused by the guitar fretboard. I ended up finding the harp more graspable to my brain’s style of learning.

Here I am, five years later… I have focused most of my harp study on learning to accompany my voice, and about a year ago I released an album of songs, several of which i wrote on the harp and some of which I arranged.

Now I am finding that, well, I really want to play the harp as a HARP. Not as a mere accompaniment tool. After months of searching and gaining harping experience, I found an absolutely wonderful harp (Salvi Livia), and I feel it deserves to be heard for what it is. Also, songwriting is something I have long since felt uncomfortable with. My brain seems to work too abstractly for it… I really enjoy much more playing the harp.

Basically, I think I want to sing with a group and play harp separately. Is that weird? To be able to do both things, play harp and sing, yet not wish to combine them much?

[Allison Stevick]

I don’t think it’s weird at all. I’ve always loved singing, and have accompanied myself with guitar and piano before, but have not combined singing and harp. It’s hard for me to adjust to an accompaniment mindset on the harp,when that’s not how I’ve learned it. I also prefer to let the harp be heard on its own most of the time. I think it’s all a matter of personal preference. I say whatever kind of music speaks to you, do that!

[Rachael Rosenbaum]

Thank you, Allison! It feels good and affirming to be understood. :0)

[Angela Biggs]

Hi Rachel,

It’s funny, I’m actually moving in the opposite direction. Playing harp on its own is so stressful for me that I’m starting to write more songs. My solo harp skills were far above what I need to accompany myself, so this is much easier and more enjoyable for me.

But if you don’t want to combine harp and voice, why should you? Take advantage of the fact that you’re not some pop star being paid beaucoup bucks to churn out the same stuff for decades. Enjoy being an artist! Explore! 🙂

Angela

[Janis Cortese]

This is an interesting thread for me — I’m not a singer but have been feeling some sort of similar angst regarding the piano, which has always been my dominant instrument. I started playing when I was a kid and while I was never conservatory-bound, I studied it classically for many years. I’m at the point on it where I can just sit and play without thinking too much, and I love to arrange and compose.

But … something twisted a while back. Now, when I think about sitting at it, I just feel deflated. I suppose it’s for a variety of reasons. It’s a bit depressing, but it is what it is. And here I am at the harp. Maybe it’s a case of a change being as good as a rest. The harp is connecting me with other things — my family, my grandparents and great-grandparents, my heritage … There’s something bigger there than just me.

Nevertheless, I spent so much of my life at the piano, and it does have so many good things about it just as an instrument … Moving away from it makes me feel very down, but I don’t seem to be able to do anything about it. I go home at night and I’m at the harp. I wake up in the morning, and I’m at the harp. And I don’t know what to do about the things I’ve written for piano. Maybe I’ll just put them up on IMSLP and forget about them.

Sorry for the derailment. 🙂 If you want to move in a certain direction, then move in that direction. It’s your mind telling you that that’s how it wants to go. You can row against the river, but you’ll end up going somewhere where you aren’t meant to go.

[Rachael Rosenbaum]

BS”D

Thanks everyone. This has been truly helpful, and I appreciate your support even though we don’t know each other 🙂

Janis Cortese, wouldn’t it be okay to just let the piano call you back when it’s time? Maybe you can keep switching whenever it feels right?

[Andelin]

I don’t think it is strange at all. I love to sing. I am a pretty solid Alto, but not much of a soloist. I play piano, harp, and dabble in a few others. But I don’t sing and play together very well. I just don’t have the brain capacity for it, or else my musicianship hasn’t reached that level. I haven’t tried singing with my harp much; like others, I want the harp music to be heard by itself, and not have my voice detract from it. That said, I do enjoy listening to others sing and play.

I also want to add that I had a delightful time over the holidays playing a duet of “silent night” with my son, who plays violin. I made up a very simple arpeggio accompaniment. Sometimes a duet is sort of the best of both worlds.

To Janis–your piano may not be calling to you now, but I wouldn’t shelve it just yet. You may yet find a spark of inspiration. But we all need a break from things we love now and then. I’ve found that playing one instrument sometimes helps me understand the other better. Good luck to you.

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