playing barefoot?

[alexander-rider]

Dear oh dear! I’ve been sitting on a gold mine! RIGHT its your absolute duty to give millions of replies to my next thread! this is rather scary….sorry if it looks like i’ve been ignoring this thread! so right lots of replies okeee? p.s nice to hear from ye keziah 😉

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

The song from “South Pacific” that has “How you gonna make a dream come true” is
“Happy Talk”. I also heard a rap song on the radio where they sampled another song from
“South Pacific”. It was “There is Nothing Like a Dame”. I can’t imagine, though, that either
of these would work well on the harp. As for what the kids are lsitening to nowadays,
it’s…wait for it…oldies! Any good stuff from the 60’s on. David Ice has made a harp
arrangement of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”, “Fields of Gold” by Sting, and “Longer
Than” by Dan Fogelberg. They’re available from Vanderbilt Music.

[unknown-user]

Well, I never even considered the possibility of odor, not to mention nail and skin fungus contagion. Yecch! I guess Victoria doesn’t have too many secrets now. What gets me is when people who are exceptional and happy to be so, expect to be taken as the rule, rather than simply revel in their exceptionality. If I were playing for a wedding on a beach, I probably would do it barefoot. If I played honkytonk harp, I might wear something suitable for that. I was nearly drugged and dressed up to be forced to play in a drag show in Provincetown once. Who knows what I would have woken up to find myself wearing?

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

Well, as long as it isn’t a mini-skirt…

[vince-pierce]

You know, I really agree with you, Saul. Harp is actually a very versatile instrument, just like piano. The way a musician presents him- or herself should be relative to the venue, audience, and type of music you are playing. I think everyone should appreciate their own individuality, but also appreciate the centuries (or in the harp’s case, millenia!) of evolution and passion for music that has gone into making each instrument and genre of music what it is. Without people making changes, the harp wouldn’t even have pedals, and flutes would still be made of wood and play nine notes! Musical tradition is important, but some traditions are stupid. It’s a matter of knowing the difference. I wouldn’t perform in a wind ensemble or orchestra concert in the same red shirt and suspenders that I use for jazz band! Individuality is what makes our world what it is, but being Bohemian wouldn’t be possible if someone wasn’t conventional. I can definitely attest to that, having just marched in a gay pride parade in Houston…where there were legions of drag queens. And there is nothing wrong with drag queens, Saul. But really, don’t let them dress you! lol (I couldn’t resist adding my part to the world’s longest internet discussion about barefoot harp-playing) Ciao!
Vince

[Christian Frederick]

It’s been awhile….

I just got back from a wonderful long weekend in Las Vegas, mainly to attend the Barbra Streisand Concert.

For the second act, Ms. Streisand sang her first number, then took her shoes off and performed the entire second act plus two encores barefoot! So…. this proves my point. Obviously, in 2006 now, Barbra felt she could do a better job by breaking the rules.

Does this mean that those of us who embrace change for the better, such as Ms. Streisand and a few brave souls in this thread are on the left? And those that are stuck with “The Way We Were”, resistant to change, are on the right?

[diane-michaels]

With 1 less pedal to move, the left foot is more open to change.

[alexander-rider]

Can I just say, I really do play in shoes now…..!

[Victor Ortega]

Absolutely.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

Yes, and both types of panties embrace the left and the right cheek!

[Christian Frederick]

Diane…. Love your humor!

Actually, you opened up an entirely new subject. I learned a wonderful habit playing stride piano for a living (early jazz / Fats Waller), mainly from listening to my favorite pianist Judy Carmichael (www.judycarmichael.com). I tap my left foot to keep rhythm. It’s easier to do on piano, but I also do it all the time on the harp. The problem with wearing shoes is the noise from keeping rhythm with my left foot, so wearing socks is truly the solution for the style of rhythmic playing I do for a living on the harp also.

Now for the panties….. do men’s boxer shorts count?

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

Count what?

[Christian Frederick]

Ellizabeth,

It all depends on your preference….

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Boxers are always in 2/2 or 2/4, 2/8, 2/16, depending on the individual.

[Janna B.]

Once when I saw Bronn Journey (harpist)

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