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Well, one of the big reason’s I wanted to play the harp was [i]because[/i] it’s so unusual. There were plenty of people in my high school who played things like the guitar, the flute, and the violin, but I didn’t know anyone else who played the harp. I remember the first time I mentioned to a fellow highschool student that I wanted to play the harp, she laughed and said she couldn’t see me playing the harp because harp players wear long flowy dresses. I don’t actually mind long flowy dresses (I certainy prefer them to short tight ones) but I don’t wear them much.
But I think if anything that only encouraged me. I didn’t actually start playing the harp until after I graduated high-school. It arrived in the mail the very day before I started college, actually. All the people who I’ve told I play the harp since (who have said anything) have said that they thought that it was really cool. But only one of those was around my age and it could be that all those in the vicinity that stayed quiet thought it was weird. I’m not of a disposition to care though. As far as I’m concerned, the cool ship sailed years ago. After foolishly trying to board during middle school, I was fortunate enough to realize that I didn’t want to be part of something that tried to control what I did and what I wore and just about everything else about me so I waved it on its way. Then shot fired a few canon balls at it and sank it just for good measure. Now I do what I like instead of what everyone else likes, and even feel a certain glee when on occasion they find it strange.
But that’s not to say that your just a good for nothing conformist. Not at all. I understand that it’s not as easy for some people to be so flippant about their social lives. I know that I’m anti social to a fault (I like it that way but it’s not for everyone). But aside from that, you’re not letting peer pressure stop you from actually playing the instrument you like so that’s one point in favor of you not being a hopeless trend follower. 😉
I don’t think playing the harp is anything to be ashamed of, uniqueness is a good thing, but if you don’t feel like telling everyone that’s up to you. By the way, I don’t think people are likely to ostracize to much if they know you play the harp. Maybe a little more if you’re a guy but I don’t think even idiotic high-school students will hold it against you if you’re a girl. I doubt it would have any effect on your social life in the long run.
I heard of this before I bought my harp, so I thought, what the heck; swords have names, so why not harps. So I named my harp in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish: Nandelë Nucumna. Nandelë just means “little harp” (since it’s only got nineteen strings). The second part of the name is sort of like a title. Nucumna means “humble” (or humbled), Nandelë the Humble. I call him that (yeah, I think of my harp as a he not a she) because he’s a mid-east harp and everyone says mid-east harps are rubbish. I prefer to think of them as humble.
I’m leaning towards look at a mid-east harp and make something that remotely resembles musical notes with it than pay an extra 100 plus dollars to look at and play something that looks more like a triangular popsicle than a harp.
😀
I suppose there isn’t anything out there that looks as good as the mid-east harp and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?
And something else I forgot (I couldn’t find an edit button)
There’s two different versions of the pixie harp, the version above (non-standing) and the standing version http://www.dulcimershofar.com/product.php?productid=855
I think I prefer the non-standing version, because it’s less bulky. You don’t think the thinner soundboard would effect the sound or anything do you? or make the harp harder to hold on your lap?
