What’s on your music stand? Spring 2011

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi everyone!

[deb-l]

I love Chopin! can’t imagine how hard it would be on harp though.

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Deb,

I love Chopin too!

[harp guy]

For the first time in my ENTIRE life… my music stand is empty. It has been empty for a few weeks actually…

After taking a really hard look at my priorities and the music industry as a whole, I decided to leave the music profession as a full-time pursuit. Why struggle and deny myself things that make me happy to pursue music full time when I can make money at the other things I enjoy more easily and still be a musician on a smaller scale? I don’t see why that’s a bad thing.

So I’m taking a break. I have a job doing what I like to do. I decided that if I wasn’t going to be a full time pro, that I would like to be a chef. Somehow I skipped culinary school and got a job as a chef at a restaurant that just opened. Sure… I’m at the bottom of the food chain there and I do dishes during the peak times, but 5/8 hours a day I’m at the chopping board or kneading bread, or something else. And I see advancement opportunities presenting themselves in the next 6 months because some people are only temporary (hired because they were family), so I’m happy where I am.

So at the moment… my music stand is empty. My flute sits in its case and my harp is in the corner sitting quietly. I’m starting to feel that yearning to play, but I’m enjoying my break for a moment. It’s nice to have the ability to say NO to a gig. I like it. 🙂

[Misty Harrison]

sounds like a lot of harpists are making that choice

[Jerusha Amado]

Harp Guy,

There is nothing wrong with your choices. They are perfectly understandable.

[Philippa mcauliffe]

Too much.

[jessica-wolff]

Nothing. I’ve had medical issues for the last two months. So have my senior-citizen cat and dog. (Yeah, I’m a senior citizen too.)

However, my daughter and an “adopted daughter” got me a rocker for the front porch because I said I wanted to play banjo in a rocking chair like Aunt Samantha Bumgarner. So I may at least try that.

[Jerusha Amado]

Philippa,

Goodness, what a schedule!

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Jessica,

I struggle with tendinitis, so sometimes I can’t play as well.

I hope that you’re feeling better soon!

[kay-lister]

Just taking a breather after “Song” for right now and working on bringing my wedding music back up to speed, as I have a gig in a couple weeks.

[Anonymous]

I’m working on “Dug’s Lugs” by Savourna Stevenson (one of the more difficult jazz pieces for lever harp, especially since you have to write in the lever flips yourself) and music from Michael Rooney’s great book of original irish music (which comes with a full accompaniment part for each tune if you have a friend who wants to play the melody).

[unknown-user]

georgina, are you familiar with Ray Pool’s ‘The Crystal Spring’ book?
It would work well for an English theme harp solo because it’s a set of fifteen English folk songs arranged for lever or pedal harp than can be played through as a continuous piece.

[unknown-user]

You can hear ‘The Crystal Spring’ as the soundtrack here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty_XgIbH1hQ

[kailee-price]

I am also working on learning Moonlight Sonata!

[Author]

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