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Check the teachers page of the Madison http://www.madharpers.org for some local names.
I don’t think you’re a curmudgeon, David. I never go to movies in public theaters any more because people treat the venue like their living rooms. It’s a sad development in our times.
We have announcements regarding cell phones before concerts in Laramie and it helps most of the time. The ushers also offer cough drops when they take your tickets.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
I agree with the previous posts. Try to hear your harp choices in person. The right one will call to you.
I have had several 34-string Tripletts and the sound is fabulous. I would buy another one in a heartbeat.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
I have broken bottom C and D Camac levers multiple times on my Triplett Christina when it has fallen over on the lever side. Only the handle has to be replaced and I’m getting really good at doing it myself now!
Be honest with your school about what has happened. It’s a minor repair and I’m sure they will understand.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
You can view the instrumentation for various orchestra works at http://www.thompsonedition.com/browse.php or http://www.kalmus-music.com/poe.php or http://www.kalmus-music.com/kalorchsearch.php
They won’t tell you how difficult the part is, but you can at least research which orchestra pieces include harp in the score.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
You’re on the right track, Micaela, in feeling that music will help and low notes are good, but I would disagree about the Blevins Mezzo 23. I owned one for several years and the lowest string only goes down to the F below middle C, which is generally considered now to not be low enough for therapeutic music work. It is better to look for a harp that has a full octave below middle C. I also found the upper range of the Blevins to be too bright (and penetrating) for bedside work and I avoided playing there most of the time. I finally traded mine in for a Triplett Christina which I still use and love.
Two books that will give you a good overview of how to apply bedside music are Stella Benson’s “The Healing Musician: A Guide to Playing Healing Music at the Bedside,” and Christina Tourin’s “Harp Therapy Manual – A Cradle of Sound.” For instance, recognizable (favorite) songs are almost always avoided when a patient is near death so as not to interfere with the transition process.
There are also several good training programs that offer workshops and certification. You can find links to these from the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musician’s Web site at
Please don’t say find a teacher”. There isn’t one nearby. You can’t beat a clear visual demonstration. Words never suffice.”
Leonard, there are many good teachers who offer lessons now using Skype (where you can get clear visual demonstrations). Just because there is not a teacher nearby is no excuse any more.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
Anna Dunwoodie is based in Auckland and an experienced teacher I have corresponded with multiple times. I have also used her two harp sight-reading books with my students. You can get her email address from the Harp Society of New Zealand Web site referenced above.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
Yes, a friend of a bride touted the “advantages” of a string quartet to me, and I quoted Florida harpist Jan Jennings: “The harp is a wonderful solo instrument, just like the piano. If you
hired a string quartet, you would have 4 instruments that [usually] only play one
note at a time. The harp will produce more sound and more notes at one
time than an entire string quartet.”— Alice in windy Wyoming
No, not as my only harp. I played a Ravenna 26 when I was in Alaska for a week, and there just were not enough low strings – I was constantly rearranging standard musical arrangements. I really wanted another octave down there.
I would not go with less than 34 strings.
— Alice in windy Wyoming.
Off-Topic PC Tip:
On a PC, if you type something and get a “smiley” face you don’t want, immediately hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the letter z and it will undo the conversion of the characters.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
I know of a Lewis Creek Nightingale in Cheyenne, Wyoming which is in excellent condition and for sale today. (Owner is in her 70s and downsizing the number of harps she owns.) Contact me privately off-list if you are interested.
I think my Triplett Christina has a fabulous sound across its range, but neither of these harps would fit in an overhead bin on a plane.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
I’d recommend Pamela Bruner’s “Play the Harp Beautifully” because you can buy both books and DVD’s to refer to when you have questions about hand position and other things.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
