John McK

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  • in reply to: String Question. . . #71182
    John McK
    Participant

    The website (and Mr. Peruffo, the company owner) claim that the NGH type of nylgut strings are specifically designed for early music harps – the string densities are engineered to correspond very closely to those of gut. Of course, it’s something of a gamble to try a little-known product, but the nylgut strings have a very good reputation for other types of music. The ordering form requests tension and loadout information for each string, so I take that as a good sign.

    in reply to: String Question. . . #71181
    John McK
    Participant

    🙂

    The name is a reference to Martin Luther and the reformation – My history students needed a memorial name to contact me by email, it it just sorta stuck:) I am a history teacher by trade.

    Since my harp is a German Renaissance harp, I suppose it fits. . .

    in reply to: Why do you play the harp? #102581
    John McK
    Participant

    Simply put, it’s the best way for me to explore early music.

    My “main” instrument is wooden flute. I do the Irish trad “session” thing, go to workshops, and houseparties, and I love it. It’s very social.

    But my more introverted side is obsessed with medieval music, including the Hilliard Ensemble, Anonymous 4, Joglaresa, etc. The harp lets more explore this sort of thing on my own in a way that cannot be replicated on the flute, or anything else. The harp is very meditative and relaxing. I don’t really have a huge desire to play it in public. I suppose playing the harp is a form of therapy.

    My first harp was a Thormahlen, which I had planned to use for Irish music. I found myself using it less and less for sessions, and then at home. Then I switched to a Campbell “Boston” harp. It’s amazing. It weighs about 7 pounds, but has thirty two strings. I can pick it up with my pinky, without strain. It’s got a hint of that early music dry twang that I absolutely adore. It’s got bray pins for when I feel like playing some heavy metal. (I am not really exaggerating about that, either) It fits in my car without a problem. It’s a keeper. I can’t imagine dealing with a big lever harp anymore, let alone a pedal harp.

    in reply to: Hello! Newbie harper here! #157484
    John McK
    Participant

    I know of some good players near Burlington, VT, if anyone is looking for a teacher locally. . .

    in reply to: Why don’t more people play harp? #106500
    John McK
    Participant

    It’s a great instrument – the real reason I stopped playing is because the repertoire is limited. Also, the only real community for pipers is the band competition scene. I did that in high school. It was an amazingly good time, but I got burned out on driving 5 hours every weekend, roasting in a wool kilt on a 90″ day, and partying too much on Saturday night to feel good for the massed bands on Sunday morning. Nothing sucks quite like marching in a very loud parade when hungover.

    I happen to think there is a large overlap between pipes and harp. It’s well known that pibroch is a genre of music shared between both instruments.

    For Christmas, I received an album by Bill Taylor called “The Two Worlds of the Welsh Harp.” About half of it is music from the Ap Huw manuscript – the earliest source of harp-specific music we have. Those tracks on the album are very reminiscent of pipe music. Which makes sense – early harps have a very limited range with limited tuning opportunities.

    in reply to: Help! My student is having trouble before the competition! #83286
    John McK
    Participant

    Maybe honesty is the best policy?

    Run through the concerns you raised here – with the student. Let the student make the decision, but be totally up front about your concerns.

    It’s dicy – the student might take this as an opportunity to “shoot the messenger” – you, or blame you as a bad teacher. Then again this could also happen if you just let the student perform and trainwreck. It’s a tough call – best of luck.

    in reply to: Why don’t more people play harp? #106498
    John McK
    Participant

    I suppose the bagpipe people complain, too.

    If you’re talking highland pipes, there are some real musical limitations on them which prevent more widespread adoption.
    1) You only get nine notes; the scale is Bb Mixolydian. Not exactly an easy key to arrange around.
    2) They are loud as hell, and you can’t turn them down. Electronic pipes do exist, but they aren’t anything like the real thing. . I more-or-less had to stop playing pipes in college because they simply are cruel to inflict on roommates and dormmates.

    Irish pipes (uilleann pipes – the kind from Riverdance and Titanic) don’t have those limitations – you get two octaves, they are quieter, you can play a more keys, you can shut off the drones. But they are difficult to play and maintain. Making reeds is more akin to alchemy than anything else. For any decent set, you have to wait for years to get it, and pay multiple thousands of dollars.

    in reply to: Help me choose – please!!!!! #157668
    John McK
    Participant

    I will make an argument for a smaller harp: if you want to play fast Irish dance tunes

    in reply to: Why don’t more people play harp? #106496
    John McK
    Participant

    An ergonomic reason: It’s tough to play in a marching band with a harp.

    in reply to: Strange Conducting Stories #148545
    John McK
    Participant

    AWESOME:) That was me at a few years older, listening to the 9th.

    Thanks for reminding me:)

    in reply to: Re: Re: What’s on your music stand? Winter 2011 #106745
    John McK
    Participant

    I’m self-arranging and learning simple two- and three- part vocal pieces from the Middle Ages – if anyone listens to Anonymous 4, things of that nature. This has been a great way to practice left/right hand coordination.

    One piece is the song “Verbum Patris Humanatur” That’s memorized and I can play the whole thing, but not without mistakes.

    The second is a piece from the original Carmina Burana manuscript – #131.

    I’ve gotten scores from scouring the internet. Unfortunately a lot of great early music is not available in cheap performers’ editions. . . at some point I will need to trek down to the Dartmouth College library and pull out some serious scholarly tomes.

    One day I’d like to get a complete harp arrangement of “Viderunt Omnes” going. . . but that’s pure fantasy at this point 🙂

    in reply to: Any male harpists in here? #165618
    John McK
    Participant

    Chiming in here. . .

    Not a teenager, but a male harpist. I started a few years ago on a lever/nylon harp, but traded that one in for a diminutive early music harp, (it weighs a grand total of 7 pounds) and I absolutely love it. I’d like to get to the public performance level at some stage (Not the Kennedy center, perhaps, but local coffeehouses and churches). I did play a ‘bizarre’ instrument in high school – highland pipes. I was
    always nervous about letting other folks know. . .

    in reply to: What makes for a good(or bad) teacher? #83479
    John McK
    Participant

    A good teacher (music teachers included) gives detailed individual feedback, positive and negative.

    This sounds totally obvious, but unfortunately not all teachers do it. I’m speaking particularly of workshop settings. I go to “band camp” (Irish traditional music) workshops every summer as a vacation. The instructors generally to fall into two varieties:

    The first, and overwhelming majority, of workshop instructors end up teaching only repertoire without very little focus on technique or expression. (I’m speaking specifically on non-harp instructors here) While it’s possible to learn a great deal this way, it isn’t really a good use of time or money. I believe this happens more in “folk” traditions – or at least this has been my experience. I hope this isn’t true in the harp world at large.

    The second variety will run a workshop more as a “master class” and have each student play individually, then give suggestions and feedback. Grey Larsen and Mary Bergin (flute and pennywhistle) are both excellent teachers. I think I learned more from Mary Bergin in the first ten minutes of a class than I did from weeks and weeks of instuction from others.

    Billy Jackson and Grainne Hambly are both great. In fact, Billy let me sit in with a loner instrument for a week at the Swannanoa Gathering before I had even decided to buy a harp. I was clearly “behind the curve” compared to the other students, but he managed to give me a very basic but very solid foundation.

    I’ve had very strict and demanding teachers but none that I would classify as “mean.” I won’t tolerate being personally demeaned. . .

    in reply to: Favorite Folk Music Arranger #106916
    John McK
    Participant

    On the “what is folk?” topic I would not have classified Derek Bell /O’Carolan – in my mind that fits more into the baroque art music genre. . . not that genre disctinctions are really that important anyway.

    in reply to: how often does your harp need tuning? #148700
    John McK
    Participant

    My small bray harp holds its tuning amazingly well, with gut strings. Much more so than my first harp. . . a nylon/”celtic” lever harp. I keep it in pythagorean tuning, which it likes a lot more than equal temperament (and sounds better for early music too.)

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 66 total)