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Too old at 23???I started at 51 – so the only limits on what you can learn and how proficient you become are the ones YOU place in your own path. I have no aspirations to be a concert musician, but I have learned to play some pop, ethnic and sacred music. I play by ear, mostly and really like it. With the right training, desire and concentration you can get that degree in music and pick up lots of experiences along the way to the orchestra pit. Don’t try to be the NEXT anyone – be the FIRST Jade Woods. You can do this!!!
Hi Ms. Reiss…I started with a 19-string Pakistani harp (shaped-object) which many people do not consider a valid musical instrument…I played it anyway and took it to Iraq for 6 months last year with the army…Do not let your imagination be limited by what others think
Hi…Me again…I just wanted to add my 2 cents about the Merlin’s plastic levers…I marked the C and F levers neatly with highly-visible red and blue tape – so I can see them easily…I also placed the same tapes on the tuning peg side…It looks cool (at least to me) and adds a visible cue to harp playing…No problems with the levers at all…Way to go RR…
Greetings…Sorry about your harpmobile and the deer…I drive a 2010 Mazda 5 Minivan (actually it is smaller on the outside than a minivan – so I call it a microvan) with six seats (4 of them flatten down) and lots of room for 3 passengers and my Merlin harp and a small amp…It is great on gas and makes me think I have a sports car sometimes…If you get the chance, take a look at one…Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…
Hi…I do not know about any harp-naming traditions, but my Merlin is named “Glyssa” (after glissando)…Running one finger or a thumb through the strings is invigorating and relaxing to me…Plus, when I am playing in public and I allow a child (under my careful supervision of course) to gently run the strings Glyssa puts a huge smile on their face…The name seems to fit her well…I also name my vehicles…Mykka is my current chariot – 2 new Mazda 5 with plenty of harp-carrying room…
Hi…I got my Merlin when I got back from Iraq in late 2009 and it was worth the wait…I’m no great harper, but when properly tuned the Merlin makes great music…The bass is so deep and I admire the way Rick Rubarth dispersed the stress on the heavier strings…Smart – if it works for suspension bridges, why not on a harp? I have been practicing a lot and have played only at a minor venue and some nursing homes and hospitals, but small beginnings are not to be despised…My Merlin has excellent projection, but I did add (later on) a Big K Twin pickup system and when I run that through my Kustom Acoustic amp it sounds even more full…I have plugged my Merlin into my pair of Yamaha 150s and it really roars, but gently…The only limitation my Merlin has is ME…As I learn more about how to play, its’ construction will push me right along…Right now I feel as though the Merlin is waiting on me to improve…Get one! Get one! Get One!!!
