Spillage?

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

What’s the worst food you ever spilled on your harp (or liquid)? Or someone else’s harp?

[jennifer-buehler]

Egads.

[Geri McQuillen]

Well, I’m curious Saul.

[kay-lister]

Water!

[tony-morosco]

I am happy to say I have never spilled anything on any of my harps or anyone else’s.

On a rare occasion I may drink something during practice but I am very careful never to hold a drink over the harp.

In fact I try very hard not to hold anything over my harps. I don’t want to drop anything on my harp. The only thing that gets put over my harp is the tuning key and these days I only use keys that are completely covered in rubber. Not perfect but anything to help minimize any possible damage in case of a drop.

[louise-vickerman]

I suppose this counts as (recycled!) food & luckily this did not happen to me but the worst & grossest spillage has to be vomit.

[kay-lister]

OK Louise – YOU WIN!

[andy-b]

Louise definitely wins! I played for a great-aunt’s funeral, and an elderly, wheelchair bound distant cousin had been placed very close to the harp. He hacked up a wad of phelgm, leaned over, and spit it out right next to the harp, but it was close. On another note, that’s also where I learned to be extremely careful to watch your footing. As this was a graveside service, I was maneuvering the harp ahead of time to try to find the best spot and almost

[andy-b]

I almost forgot…I had to ban the dogs from the room my harps are in when I’m not there. One of them developed the habit of napping with his chin on the base of the harp, and I had to wipe up Pekingese drool several times.

Andy

[louise-vickerman]

I’ll be sure to pass on any prize to Janet, the unsuspecting victim in this sorry incident.

[carl-swanson]

Sam Milligan told me a story about how years ago he had to play Aida and the two harps were back stage. He knew that there was a whole menagerie backstage for the big parade and he prudently put a cover on his harp and recommended to the other harpist that she do the same. She didn’t. A camel felt nature’s call and, well, you can guess what ended up on the harp!

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Boy am I glad my insurance policy covers everything with NO deductibles!

No, thank goodness, I haven’t spilled,

[laura-smithburg-byrne]

Well I don’t have any liquid spillage stories quite like the Turandot story but I have had a few other surprises land on my harp while performing.

Playing outside for weddings in various garden settings, my harp has been the innocent victim of a bird or two’s nasty waste products. Disgusting!

On a lighter note, I had the rare opportunity to play for Arnold Palmer at a golf course opening in Ohio. He was really fond of the harp and stood next to me for a long time while I played. Unfortunately his cigar ashes kept landing on my harp and I finally had to interrupt him and explain that I was afraid his ashes were going to hurt my harp. He was sooooooooo apologetic and offered to pay for any damage etc., thankfully there was none. He actually helped me clean off the ashes, gave me a big hug and an autograph for my golfer husband. He was so gracious and kept patting my harp with his enormous hands. What a gent. : )

[Pat Eisenberger]

Andy – I also had a dog (Sheltie) that like to sleep curled up to my harp. I had a fear that one day he would lean on it and it would fall on him.(It never did.)

My current dogs are not attracted to my harp.

[Mel Sandberg]

Louise, if this had to happen to me, I would not survive it.

[Author]

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