Hello! I was hoping for some ideas of how to get a harp at my high
school. I will be a freshman at a brand new high school in 06 and my
school district refuses to buy or rent a harp. There are a few harps
in my district that were purchased a long time ago, but they are all
being used at different schools. For now, I’m taking my lever harp
to my middle school to play and renting a pedal harp to practice on
at home.I would really appreciate your input! Thanks! -Andie
Andie, It’s true that a school district usually will not purchase a harp. In my large city with many high schools, and middle schools, other ways were found to purchase big ticket items: band uniforms, harps, tympani, etc. The PTA or student bands or orchestras held benefit concerts (solo or group), spaghetti
I suggest that you write letters to Beatrice Rose and Paula Page, the former and present harpists of the Houston Symphony, and ask them if they know any people who might consider helping the school purchase a harp or donate one, or if they have any ideas on how to get one.
Evangeline- Thanks for your input. Next year I’ll be in 8th grade so I’m planning taking my lever harp (blevins cynde 30) to school and leaving it there on weekdays to play one during rehersals. I’ll probably bring my rental pedal harp up to the school for concerts. I’m just concerned about high school when the music will probably require pedals so I’ll pretty much need a pedal harp at school for daily rehersals. A far as borrowing a harp from another school goes- all the harps in my district and and the surrounding districts are being used (my orchestra director and I made a lot of calls to find that out). But I do like your idea about rotating harps within my district! Thanks again! – Andie