Switching harps

[margaret-helminiak]

Hello to you all.

[andy-b]

Hi, Margaret:

I think very, very few of us actually go through our harp journey on only one harp.

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

Margaret, like you I was new to harp. I had 3 lessons on my teacher’s Camac Atlantide Prestige, and I just had to have a pedal harp. I was already pretty advanced in music, as a teacher with a master’s, but not on harp. I knew I wanted to play concert music….lots of impressionism…..lots of French stuff. I began lessons about January 15 on an old Troubadour I, and I had a pedal harp in my living room on February 16 of 2006. For me, it was the right thing.

[harpglo-jean]

Welcome to the harp world Margaret!….I don’t think of it as making a “switch”,(to pedal) but more of an “addition,” and of course, additional learning to use the pedals…I love all harps! and although I’ve only been playing for 2 years now, and have a small repetoire, I’d add a pedal immediately, if finances weren’t so limited…(Currently, I have two Dustys, a 36S & Ravenna 26)…and if I add a pedal (I also love the Venus Penti, and Salvi Arion) that would be great!…I love classical music played on a pedal, and celtic/medieval on a lever…so don’t get rid of your Ravenna 34!

[kay-lister]

Hi Margaret – Welcome to the group.

[rod-c]

Margaret:

I, too, am starting to think about a pedal harp. I”ve been playing for six months, and got a new Lyon Healy Prelude in March, thinking I would never need or want a pedal harp. Well…that was

[Anonymous]

After over 60 years of dealing with harps and harpists, I do have one serious word of advice for new harpists.

[unknown-user]

Oh boy, does this ever strike a ‘chord.’ *ducks!*

I approached my interest in the harp with the desire to be a Celtic/folk player

[unknown-user]

Like Ted, I also mainly play celtic music, so I play a lever harp which is my first harp, now I’m determined to get a new one because I want a more “celtic” sound, different levers and a lighter harp to carry around but

[unknown-user]

Or there’s the idea that I have, which is that I really don’t desire a pedal harp at all. I’m sure my perspective is limited, but after spending many years as a classical pianist I am finding great release in the Celtic/folk/traditional styles. Also I love the portability of the lever harp.

[sherry-lenox]

AND, if you are on the fence, there is some wonderful contemporary music written for lever harp, and approaching some of that work is my goal. Unfortunately I was not able to hear Laura Zaerr’s new piece at Somerset, but my teacher did look at one of her (LZ) books for me, and said she thought I would be able to start some of the pieces in about a year.

So no one should ever be ashamed to feel one way or another, or to stay on the fence. It’s all good.

[barbara-brundage]

Sherry, Laura has recorded many of her solo works as well as the Celtic Concerto. “A Thousand Dreams Away” has a lot of the stuff from Dancing with the Stars (named long before the TV show).

I would have loved to have heard her new concerto, too.

[sherry-lenox]

……and I have a birthday gift certificate that will go right to that recording! Thank you for reminding me Barbara!

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