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David, your friend is absolutely right. And I agree with Carl about what they owe you. If it’s too late to insist on that now, okay, but — contracts forevermore. The only time I don’t require a contract is when I’m playing a Communion meditation for the church I attend (and I’m a cantor there, so I usually play when I’m already singing anyway). Every other church is subject to my standard business practices, for exactly this reason. Churches are just as likely as any other client to stiff you.
Congratulations, Boira! I look forward to hearing about your first lesson! Please post a picture of your harp? 🙂
Harpsicles are good for learning, especially for those on a budget. You can occasionally find them used at online band instrument retailers. Feel free to message me if you want the name of the retailer I’ve had the most success with. I have five Harpsicles now, and purchased them all that way, for an average of about $270 apiece (not including stand and case).
I also just ordered three more new Harpsicles for an after-school program this fall. The folks at Tasty Harps (the division of Rees Harps in charge of the Harpsicles) are very friendly and helpful. If you want a new one in a specific color, you can’t go wrong ordering directly from them.
I wear my wedding band, but nothing else on my hands/arms.
Whether or not a wedding band works for you while playing might have something to do with the shape of your hand. My husband’s fingers meet his palm with a smooth joining; whenever he drops his left hand onto a surface, his ring smacks that surface. (The inside handle on our car door is always banged up by the time we’ve had a car for a few months!) My fingers meet my palm slightly further back, so that my ring rests in a sort of gully on the inside surface of my hand, and I don’t have that problem.
I have a lever harp student who wants to play the Barber; I started to take a crack at it but didn’t get far at *all*. If anyone has a good arrangement, I’d appreciate it too. 🙂
Hi Jennifer,
I also like to start with my strongest pieces; it helps calm me down and starts off with a really good impression. Like Kay, I arrange by keys first (my strongest pieces happen to be in EbM/Cm, so that works well!). Within that structure I definitely prefer to mix it up as far as tempo and styles go.
After you set up a tentative order, try playing the end of the first piece and moving right into the next one, then skip to the end of that piece and move right into the next again, and so on and so forth. That will help you to catch any awkward transitions — if the pieces don’t “feel” right together you can switch them around.
Oh, and — when you find an order you like, write it down! It will save you some planning for a similar future gig. I have my previous lineups in a spreadsheet organized by total playing time, and it’s so useful. I don’t always follow previous lineups exactly, but it’s a great jumping-off place.
I hope you have fun! 🙂
Brook — an enzymatic cleaner (like Nature’s Miracle) removes smells well enough that a dog can’t identify them anymore. It’s a liquid and it needs to be applied directly, so you might try it as a last resort.
Jimmy, about the home insurance — that may very well be all you need if *never* use your harp for an income-generating activity, but be very careful. If you once get paid for what you’re doing, make sure you have coverage that will still cover you for “business” purposes (even if it’s not a business and just an income-generating hobby). Best of luck. 🙂
Tracey, I really enjoyed listening to this. I look forward to when you post the complete song. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
My two main resources for sheet music are harpconnection.com and folkharp.com (which is the Melody’s that Madeline mentioned).
Emily, it sounds like you have a very good teacher, and it’s going to be difficult to see that relationship end. But what a teacher gives you lasts long after you’ve parted ways, and he’ll always be in your life in that sense. (I mean, my high school chorus teacher was unfair and downright unkind to me — but in my thirties I still use things she taught me every day, and I’m still grateful for them!)
Nobody takes an out-of-state move lightly, so this new job is probably something really exciting. As you grieve, try to remember that and be pleased for him. Empathy in the midst of pain is difficult, but possible, and a good skill to cultivate.
While you grieve and cry, make the most of the time you have left. Your teacher has given you some warning, which was kind of him. So how do you want to use the rest of your time? After 13 years of studying piano, are you able to guide your own study? If you’re not sure how to take partial or full responsibility for your own direction and progress, ask him about it while he’s still available to you. Ask him how he decides what music to give you or look at with you, how he decides the structure of your lessons, why he does the things he does. You may be ready to look at your next “teacher” as a coach or guide instead of a mentor.
And if you teach someday, whether it’s music in conjunction with a performing career, math in a public school classroom, or teaching your children the ABCs, remember this teacher’s approach and what made it special, then give it your own spin. I guarantee you that the best gift you could give him is to be an inspiring teacher yourself.
Frank Voltz’s “Silent Night” starts as a jazzy take on the classic, flows into a pretty little meditation, then ends with a surprise.
If you enjoy startling your listeners (I do!), Deborah Henson Conant’s “New Blues” is fun to play.
Speaking of blues, one of Blythe Tait’s projects for DHC’s recent “Harp: Blues-Style” class was an original song, “You can’t get to heaven if you don’t play the harp.” It is hugely fun and will be a real crowd-pleaser. You can find it here: https://sellfy.com/p/OWjA/ . When this insane month is over, I’m going to learn it as a reward for surviving. 🙂
