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Where were the ushers?!! It is their job to corner folks like that and politely ask them to continue their conversation in the lobby. And upon the second offense, escort them out of the hall. This is a House Manager problem as much as an audience problem.
Many of these comments focus on getting between car and building. I don’t worry too much about that, because both car and building will be warm. The brief journey won’t cool the harp enough to change wood or strings.
As to playing outside, my general rule is, if I’m comfortable, the harp will be OK. You must keep the harp out of direct sun, as sunshine really heats up an instrument, affecting both wood and strings. Your concern will be not just wood, but strings, especially if you have wound brass bass strings. They contract mightly in cold temperatures, which is your main risk for cracking a soundboard.
Congratulations Sean!
“It sounded so nice” is the very best reason to buy a harp. May you have many hours of lovely music with it.
Again, Congratulations!
Hi Kelly, have you bought your harp yet? I hope my comments don’t come too late, or even if they do, I hope they give you some good things to think about.
I’m going to step back one level and talk about instrument purchase from a broader perspective.
I’ve played a half-dozen different instruments over the course of my 50 years in music. One thing seems to be fairly consistent: The first instrument I buy is rarely my last. At highest extreme, I’ve owned 6 flutes — upgraded 5 times before I stuck with the one I love. I’ve owned 4 guitars and 2 hammered dulcimers, 2 mountain dulcimers (and am contemplating upgrading to a 3rd)
Scam.
Why would you want to be this person’s bank by engaging in a “cash-back” transaction of any kind?
“Deduct the amount due for the purchase, and send the remaining funds …” is your red-light warning. At best it’s becoming a victim of theft; at worst it’s money laundering.
I am an attorney. I’ve seen this type of solicitation
Triplett and Dusty 34’s (except for Ravenna) are not in the same price range, but there are other 34-36 string
Oh good heavenly day! That is the most gorgeous harp I have ever seen in my whole entire life! I love that “flying buttress” structure. And the color is stunning. FABULOUS! Congratulations!
I’m going to distill a few of the great suggestions above, and add one of my own.
As said above, try going “do it yourself” for a while without formal lessons. You now have a good foundation with the teachers you’ve had. Use Pamela Bruner’s or Sylvia Woods’ DVDs to “brush up” and
Don’t know how it works in Australia, but here in the US my harp is insured on a rider to my homeowners insurance. The coverage is very comprehensive, includes theft from performance venues … and the annual premium is minimal. You might ask your homeowners carrier about extra coverage for expensive items such as musical instruments. Mine is called “Valuable Personal Property” insurance rider for things like instruments, jewelry, artwork, etc.
Hello Cassandra,
I played a Merlin at HarpCon this summer and liked it very well. It has a lot of lovely sound for a compact instrument! And it’s very comfortable to play. Like you I’m not overly tall. The Merlin fit me quite well in an ordinary chair with the harp standing on the floor. I found the string spacing and tension especially comfortable. The tone is very even, and the harp is quite responsive, which means you can put a lot of expression in it. In an exhibit hall full of harps, the Merlin sang out sweetly over the din. R Harps can add a built-in pickup, too. All but invisible and good quality sound. Great value for the dollar.
My previous harp had Robinson levers and I hated tham. My current harp has Lovelands. Though my first choice would have been Trutts, my harp came only with Lovelands. I like them surprisingly well. They are easy to use and do not change the string’s tone in the slightest. If it’s possible to change out your Robinsons for Lovelands, I highly recommend doing it.
My advice: Don’t settle for a piece of junk; Buy a harp. I’ll quote William Rees (Harpsicle maker): It’s relatively easy to make a harp, but very hard to make a good harp. (i.e., one that stays in tune, makes real music, won’t drive you crazy and
I use a drummer’s throne that’s sort of saddle-shaped, like a triangle with a small raised portion in back, a formed seat. It’s cushioned and height adjustable, and folds up for transport. I play a lever harp so I don’t have much side-to-side motion to worry about. I like the fact that it swivels, so
I’d suggest you contact William Rees and express your concerns. Harpsicles have their limitations but Rees is very concerned about the quality of his harps, even the little ones. He’s the one who will know best.
Here’s the Rees Harps contact page. There’s an email link, and also their phone number is at the bottom of the page:
