Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I think the type of music the student wants to play, and their overall goals for playing make a huge difference in what kind of teacher they need. Those circumstances can sometimes factor in to when a harper/harpist starts teaching.
I live in an area almost completely devoid of harpists, and in the last town I lived in, I was literally the only person within a 2-hour radius that played. Believe me, I checked–I wanted to find someone to play with! There was one woman who lived there 15 years ago who used to play in a nearby city orchestra, but she left long before I moved in. When people started to find out that I play, I had people begging me to teach them. I’m not kidding–they were desperate to learn even a little on the harp. I would NEVER presume to call myself a teacher of classical harp or claim that I could help any student prepare for contests or testing through levels or anything like that, but I DID give some informal lessons to a few people. I was clear that I do not have a harp degree, and do not play any classical harp repertoire. We played together for fun and the love of music.
I admit that these people were not selective at all in choosing me for their teacher–because there was no one else to choose from. I guess you don’t have to have high standards if there’s only one person around who could help you learn a new hobby you’ve been dying to try?
I lived in Scotland this past year, and even gave a couple lessons to a friend there who acquired a clarsach and really wanted to learn to play it. She is a classical oboist, and didn’t mind that I don’t have a master’s degree in harp with years of experience teaching. Again, we did it for the love of music. It was pure fun.
If people approach me in my new town (moving next week) asking me to teach them, I will. I guess it’s a difference between folk and classical tradition. When I was at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival this year, I took a class specifically encouraging people to be willing to teach others the harp–degree or not. The main points I took from it were, “First do no harm, then have fun!”
To answer the original question, I started teaching after 3 years playing.
I know this doesn’t help the fact that they’re not responding, but can you use Skype to call them? I had some friends in the UK who used it to call landlines in the USA when they couldn’t video chat, and they said it was a reasonable cost.
I went to the old site, but couldn’t access any blogs. It said they’ve moved to the new one, where I can’t find any more than the four that show up on the blog page. A few searches yielded no results. Is there another way I should be finding them?
When I talk to mine, it’s mostly to encourage cooperation on her part… Or is it cooperation from my fingers? Haha… I also tend to say “hello” when I walk through the harp room (aka: the extra room that has the harp and also lots of random non-music stuff in it), and whisper “ok, here we go, time to play” before starting to play in a public setting. Not long conversations, just a little bonding. 🙂
Ooooo it is a dream of mine to have Glenn Hill of Mountain Glen harps build me a small double-strung harp, with my knotwork designs carved in it. It will be a long time coming, since I am fortunate to already have my big harp… But *someday* I hope the dream comes true!
Oooo have fun at Somerset! I have long dreamed of attending, and hope to sometime in the next couple years!
As Krieg mentioned above, some of these factors will vary person-to-person, so I can’t say for sure how it will go for you.
They do say on their website that long terms are available and options are flexible. Of course, that’s kind of vague (it kind of has to be, since it’s different for each customer) but seems promising.
I faxed in my info and got approval from Allegro the same day. Within an hour, I think. They are very fast.
Good luck! How exciting to be nearer to getting a new harp!
Ahhh, RV living. 🙂 I LOVE camping and festivals. It’s that time of year (spring in Scotland, but already quite warm at home in the Midwest!) when I start dreaming of campfires, hiking, harping in the woods…
You’ll figure out what works for you and her when the time comes. We have bunk beds in our camper (it actually belongs to my parents, but we all use it), but the boys are too little to use the top one, so my harp hides up there when it’s not being played.I’m going to have to look up what a carillon is because it sounds interesting!
I tried to post here a few days ago, but right when I was almost done, the browser crashed and I lost the whole thing (and I had to leave it alone and go to bed) *sigh. 🙂
I am not a professional harpist, so my harper-to-mom journey is probably less intense than some. I started playing about a year before my first child was born. I had just barely gotten started on harp when suddenly, *my* *harp* *became* *a* *morning* *sickness* *trigger*! It was nuts. For 4 months, I couldn’t even look at my beloved little harp without feeling nauseated. Needless to say, I was very glad when that stage passed! (With my second child, morning sickness was a bit worse overall, but thankfully was *not* harp related.)
I had to take another break from harping when my first was tiny, because, well, I didn’t have time for what was still a new hobby when it was taking all my energy to be a mom! Totally worth it though, and I was back to harping regularly a few months later. He still wasn’t on any kind of regular sleep schedule (also would never nap for more than 30 mins at a time! Yikes!) and friends/acquaintances/nosy neighbors were *always* saying, “well, why don’t you just play your harp for him? It’s so relaxing, it would out me to sleep for sure!” And I would just smile and think, “Yeah, how about *you* try getting a baby to sleep by bringing out what he thinks is an awesome and exciting toy just for him, that he just can’t wait to grab at with those sweet little slobbery fingers…Oh yeah, and keep in mind that if I’m playing harp, I can’t be *holding* the baby! and that is *his* number one requirement for getting to sleep!” Never said that out loud, but I’m pretty sure I came close a few times.
Nap time with live harp music has never happened in my house even once in nearly 5 years. I use a Grainne Hambly and William Jackson CD for nap time now, but the kids still think the actual harp is a toy so it can’t soothe them to sleep.
By the time I was pregnant with my second baby, I had a new harp and was also playing in church and at the hospital with some regularity. I play a carbon fiber harp, so it’s super lightweight. I gave some church ladies and nurses quite the surprise when lifting it all by myself at 6+ months along! I even got scolded and lectured by some of them (not the nurses, though) before I could explain that it was only ten pounds and I wasn’t going to strain myself… It was funny. And slightly annoying… But at least they meant well.
Right now I’m away from my big harp, because my family is living in Scotland for a while. We return home this summer, and I’m literally starting to dream of being reunited with my harp! 🙂 For now, I have a tiny harp that I’ve enjoyed, and I let my kids play it sometimes. They love it, and it’s fun for me to see them having such a good time with it. My big one likes to hold it properly and do little glosses and stuff, while the little one (who keeps telling me he’s not a baby anymore… even though it seems too soon for him to be big…) (ok, he’s really not a baby anymore. But he’s not yet 2, doesn’t sleep through the night consistently, AND he is still *my* baby even if he’s not *a* baby…) just says, “Harp, Mama! Pway harp now!” then twangs the strings too hard and drums on the soundbox. I’m glad they have a love of music, and that I have an instrument they can play with where it doesn’t matter too much if it gets a little ding or something.
I look forward to the days when I can play as much as I want without major interruptions, or play when everyone is awake and not worry about someone’s little hands yanking on the strings or something… But I don’t look forward to it *too* much because I love them being little and I know they grow so fast! 🙂
Will Heartland take yours as a trade towards a new one? (Didn’t know if that applies to non-original owners or not) Their carbon fiber harps are extremely durable and portable.
I’m so glad you started this thread! I will definitely come back and share my thoughts soon, but this exhausted mom has GOT to get to bed before the baby wakes up again in 2 hours… You probably know the feeling. 😉
