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Hi,
Thanks for listening! Let me try to answer your questions 🙂
1. It is extremely rare for someone my age to develop Meniere’s Disease. There is no known cause and some treatments but no cures. I do not have tinnitus, however, I do have profound hearing loss. Obviously, needing assistance to hear has seriously impacted my life as a musician as well, although that wasn’t the focus of this interview.
2. I usually move my harp myself. I’ve found that at most times just having the harp/dolly to hold on to is enough support for me. If I’m in an episode or having a bad day, I don’t trust myself as much and I will ask for help.
3. I do have episodes while playing. It is terrifying, especially when in a solo performance and there are not many options for me. I will usually keep playing… I have learned how to play without visual cues – I memorize everything and I am able to locate all of the strings without looking directly at the harp – so that I can focus on on particular point and try to minimize the effects of the vertigo episode. I am already sitting down, so I don’t have to worry about falling over. My two main goals when I have episode during a performance are to a) keep playing and keep playing well, and b) hopefully not become ill to my stomach (I have nausea that is almost constant and the vomiting is fairly well controlled by medication but during acute episodes I never know for sure).
4. I can predict what music Timmy will dislike… in that case, I make sure he’s out of earshot for that piece. He is almost always fine with orchestral music and with band pieces. In the case of the Debussy piece in my harp ensemble, he started being disruptive during the rehearsal, not during the performance. Actually having to remove him from the stage has never happened. I am extremely sensitive to that and take every precaution to ensure that he does not distract during performances.
Hi!
I ended up writing my own – from what I remember- a very short, just kind of show-off-y few measures that encapsulated some of the musical elements in the bars right before. I need to get out my music and see exactly what I did, but no, I never did find a formal cadenza!
Let me know if I can help in any way!I have severe vertigo so I cannot tell most of the strings apart from one another. It’s a little different from your problem, but here are some of the things that have helped me and that I hope will help you:
1) Always use the same bench at the same height and distance away from your harp. Always play on the same pedal harp (if that’s at all possible). This allows you to develop a feel for where each string is physically located.
2) Like Sid mentioned, learn to develop a good ear for the pitch (and even tone quality) of notes/strings. It’s absolutely essential for finding your way around the harp.I’m a harp major at college right now, and while it’s still a struggle not being able to see the strings, it’s definitely possible to play and play well. It takes time and patience, but I hope that you will get there! Good luck!
I’m not an expert by any means, but from my experience transitioning to pedal harp (albeit at age 9) the pedal part of the pedal harp is the easiest part of the transition. What I’d be most concerned about with being self-taught is proper hand technique. Playing the pedal harp just requires a much different technique than most people learn with the Celtic harp. I would not recommend being self-taught simply because its easy to get into bad habits quickly, and you can end up with bad technique on both pedal and Celtic harp. . .which would be bad 🙂
Anyways, good luck!Thank you so much. I’m definitely taking the recording to my teacher, and I’m considering posting it here as well for you all to listen to (if I can figure out how to get it from an iphone to a post!). I’m going to be tackling another concerto competition this fall and I’m truly excited . . . the world may not be fair, but I’m glad that audiences are still getting a chance to hear the harp and I’m happy to have the experience as well. I’m learning, and sometimes that involves learning to swallow my pride 🙂
That’s fine- there is a part (it appears in my Durand edition) right before rehearsal 3 that says “cadenza ad libitum sur l’accord” and sometimes performers choose to insert a (relatively) short cadenza there. If you look up some performances on YouTube, you’ll see what I mean. I’ve heard it with and without, and it’s a marvelous piece either way.
I might be performing the piece with an orchestra this fall, and I don’t necessarily need a cadenza. The piece, like you said, is complete without a cadenza. I was planning on either writing one myself or not doing anything cadenza-like at rehearsal 3, but I thought I’d look around first.Injuries differ from one harpist to the next, but for me, I usually start having thumb pain of some sort when the hand grows “tired” with repeated arpeggios or scales and the thumb begins to slip downward, leaving the thumb parallel with the rest of the fingers. It may seem counter to what your tired hand feels like doing, but it’s better to keep the thumb higher, in its proper position.
Hi!
Venuses are great harps, and I’m never afraid to let people know that 🙂 Because they’re made so similarly to L&H’s, I can always get mine regulated and repaired by L&H techs.
Plus, I really don’t think you can find better customer service anywhere. . .Venus Harp Company is incredible in the way they take care of their harps and the people that own them. It just blows me away everytime I come in contact with them.
I’d definitely recommend them. Venuses are very, very durable and “heavy duty” and at the same time usually quite exquisite in their ornamentation.
I would be cautious about buying a used Venus, but, like buying any used harp, it’s always better to ask questions before buying than finding out later :/
Best of luck! and if the Venus your student is looking at doesn’t work, I’m selling my Venus semi-grand 🙂 not entirely sure it’s “legal” to say that in a comment. . .but oh well!
Hope this helpsHi Tracey,
I own a Venus Traditional, which is technically a semi grand (46 strings). It’s big and heavy, but beautiful 🙂 Its big sound and great stage presence is great for orchestra work. Plus its incredibly durable. I’ve never had any problems with structural issues or humidity adjustment problems- the harp is 13 years old, I bought it used, and I’ve traveled up and down the east coast with it. Really all of the Venus harps are nice, whether you get a student harp or not. However, I’d recommend getting a higher up version (concert or chamber) because it’ll last you longer and you won’t have to upgrade later on. Definitely check out their website http://www.venusharps.com and since you’re in Chicago, see if you can go to the factory!
Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about buying one used either. If the harp has been well taken care of, a Venus harp is a pretty tough instrument and it can put up with a lot 🙂Hope this helps you in your decision! Good luck!
Hi,
Good luck on your harp search!
As far as the differences go between CG and semi grand, the biggest difference is, as you mentioned, the number of strings. Semi grands also tend to be a little smaller, sometimes a little lighter. It depends on the harp maker. String tension isn’t a big difference between a semi and a concert grand, but when you’re talking about the string tension difference between, say, a 40 string pedal harp from the early 1900’s and a modern CG, the string tension can be radically different. Every harp is different, and the only way to find out what you like the best is to play as many harps as possible.If you’re looking for a student harp, the Chicago line by L&H is quite nice, as are the Daphne harps by Salvi. If price is a concern, definitely take a serious look at Venus Harps. Personally, I love the big, open, clear sound of Venuses and even a brand new Venus is relatively inexpensive.
Like I said before, you can’t know what harp you like until you play a lot of harps. A trip to Chicago may be worth the effort 🙂I’m not an expert by any stretch, but I’ve been playing for a while so I hope I can give you a little bit of help!
Thank you! I’ve been looking at colleges and I’m certainly getting ready for my auditions. Thanks for your input I really appreciate it.
I am 16 and have been playing the harp for 11 years. Right now, my goals are 1) preparing for college auditions, 2) playing excellently for my youth orchestra/chamber music groups, and 3) improving my sight-reading. I love the harp dearly, and while I’ve played other instruments, I feel that the harp is my “voice” and I hope to continue my playing at an excellent college/university. One of my life-time goals for harp playing will be expression- learning to delight and challenge audiences with sensitively rendered music.
I definitely feel that my teachers are helping me achieve these goals, and I am truly blessed to have such wonderful and talented instructors.I am 16 and have been playing the harp for 11 years. Right now, my goals are 1) preparing for college auditions, 2) playing excellently for my youth orchestra/chamber music groups, and 3) improving my sight-reading. I love the harp dearly, and while I’ve played other instruments, I feel that the harp is my “voice” and I hope to continue my playing at an excellent college/university. One of my life-time goals for harp playing will be expression- learning to delight and challenge audiences with sensitively rendered music.
I definitely feel that my teachers are helping me achieve these goals, and I am truly blessed to have such wonderful and talented instructors.
