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The mirror is a good idea. Whether or not you choose to smile, it isn’t good to have unappealing expressions on your face when you perform in public. There is probably a youtube video somewhere of musicians or conductors grimacing as they perform.
To answer Maria’s question, “Elizabeth, when you say that you read the harmonies, does this mean that you’ve memorized the melody line and therefore don’t need to look at it while you’re playing the harmony?” – Since we are talking about sight-reading, memorization is not an option. 🙂 (If I were memorizing a piece, though, that would be one way I would process the information.) I see a chord as, for example, G major 1st inversion, so then my fingers automatically go to the right notes. This also works if I recognize an arpeggiated passage as being all one chord. Anna Dunwoodie has published some very good sight-reading books for harpists, by the way.
I read the harmonies and the shapes of the chords. I look ahead in order to place the fingers (when possible). In my experience, the less tonal the piece, the harder it is to sight-read. Good lighting, the right contacts or glasses, and the music’s legibility are essential for sight-reading.
I teach by Skype for a school that is a three-hour drive from where I live. It is not ideal, but better than no lessons at all. The better the equipment, the better the experience. I position my harp so that the student can see my hands on the strings, and the student does the same on their end. Sometimes the connection is not great, so there can be a delay in what you see and what you hear. It can be hard to judge sound and tone quality, when it is unclear whether it is the connection’s fault or the student’s playing. But you can correct hand position, rhythm and interpretation. It is best if the student can come occasionally for a live lesson.
I do have the harp part, which I have edited here and there, mainly for enharmonics. The very ending is quite exposed and fast, so I did some editing there as well. It is a gorgeous piece, with a lot of exposed playing.
It might work better if you set up a more symbiotic way of subbing. In the future, you will get some calls that you can’t accept. In those cases, you can pass them on to your former teacher, for no fee, and she can do the same for you. Is she running a booking agency? If an agent is doing a lot of work to manage all the details, then there should be a percentage paid. But I think most harpists just share gigs with each other. Weddings can be very labour-intensive, what with meeting the bride and groom, having to buy, write or learn new pieces, etc., and no booking agent can do that for you. It’s not difficult to make a boiler-plate contract and set of rules, so you probably don’t need an agent. You should be fine with a good web site, and making connections with the bridal industry. You do want to establish a friendly, professional relationship with all the harpists in your city. Tell your former teacher that you respect and value her, and will pass on any gigs to her that you can’t handle, but respectfully decline her offer.
At the time that I entered university, I could not imagine myself doing anything other than music as a career, and was lucky enough to be able to make a good living as a harpist. I know a lot of successful professionals in other fields who got their Bachelor of Music, then went on to a post-graduate degree in a different field (such as education). When you choose your university, think about your future options and how that university can equip you. Some put more emphasis on academic subjects than others, or require different types of electives. First and foremost, choose the place with the right harp teacher and performing opportunities for you.
Aaron Copland’s ballet, Rodeo, has a harp part that could be adapted for lever harp. Saturday Night Waltz works perfectly, and Corral Nocturne would only require moving the octaves into a higher register. Buckaroo Holiday could be moved into another register where it is too high.
http://www.harpsetc.com/christmas-eve-sunita-staneslow.html
This is a lovely collection of Christmas carols for harp solo, but you could always ask the flute player to read the top line over your shoulder.Here’s another idea:
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/silent-night-harp-flute-digital-sheet-music/19847079
