Plans For Our Harps

[angel-tx]

Sidney, second your comment.

My children’s middle school has a wonderful orchestra program so the harps are usually in use. This coming school year, there are a total of three harp students in the school’s roughly 1,200 student population, one incoming 6th grader (my daughter), one 7th grader, one 8th grader (my son). Has it not been the school having the harps available, my family would not have the exposure to this wonderful instrument even thought both of the children have other music lessons since pre-school.

Angel

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I think it is grossly unfair to decide that no one appreciates a harp just because they get it for free. Giving a harp to an institution can be a bit of a burden if funds for its maintenance don’t come with it. Ideally, you would leave a small trust for its upkeep. I would suggest leaving it to a school that has a or will start a teaching program, a church or temple where it will be played in services, or a concert hall where it will be used in concert (perhaps the best place.)

[regina-temple]

I don’t mean to sound blunt or rude, but I am a young college student just beginning the harp. I am absolutely in love with it and have been renting from a music shop nearby. I just wanted to throw it out there that if anyone wants to donate their harp to someone who will play it, care for it, and share beautiful music with the terminally ill or elderly… I’m your girl. I would be eternally grateful and your instrument would be put to excellent use and cherished very deeply. No pressure obviously, but I figured it doesn’t hurt to put it out there. If you have any interest and would like to know more about my story, please let me know. Thanks for reading.

[lyn-boundy]

So far, neither of my children shows any inclination to play the harp but I was surprised, when my own mother died, to find how I felt the urge to try some of the things that had given her pleasure over the years. Things that had interested her became a way in which I felt closer to her now she was no longer around. For that reason, I’ll be leaving my harps to my kids because you just never know if they might suddenly feel like taking it up once you’re gone (and, of course, tastes change – I didn’t get the urge to play until I was in my 40s and it still could come to them later).

However, if they really decide the instruments are just cluttering up their homes I shall also be leaving them the contact details for my tutor and the local luthier who is making my new harp and also of organisations like those following, who use donated instruments to teach children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to play. Some of these are:
http://www.londonmusicmasters.org/support-us/lost-and-sound-the-instrument-recycling-campaign/
http://charitymusic.org/
http://www.mhopus.org/
I imagine not all of these might be able to give a home to a concert-sized pedal harp but I’ve no doubt there most be one somewhere that would adore the gift.

[seika-dong]

 

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by seika-dong.

[Sylvia]

It’s never too early for a will if you are of age. Consider if you were in a car accident or something…we won’t all die of old age, and we have no way of knowing when or how we’ll die, so it’s best to have some plan made. Be careful of giving, as I’ve said above. People have a way of wanting to sell stuff that’s given them.

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