Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
(This became a longer story then I expected…)
What a fun question…
My desire to play the harp started when I was very young, I do not actually remember exactly when, but I do know that it was crystallized when I was in the 2nd grade. A concert harpist came to do a concert and harp demo/talk at my school, I was mesmerized and in love. I remember it was a perfect picture of what I expected a harp to be….huge beyond my comprehension carved and golden…Probably a L&H 23.When the school started the band program, I wanted to play harp…unfortunately, there was no teacher and my poor family could not afford the harp itself. My dreams would be put on hold for a long time.
When I was in high school, I re-approached the dream, saving all the money I earned from a summer job with the dream of buying a harp kit for a 31 string gothic harp I had seen in a catalog. I saved the funds but when it came time to purchase the harp, my mother convinced me it was not a good idea and persuaded me to buy school clothes instead.
As an adult, the dream would come in and out of my life. I run a theatrical production company and work at several renaissance festivals around the US. I see harps everywhere…but as an adult with absolutely no musical background, it seemed a hopeless dream…Until two women convinced me otherwise. One a self taught harpist who plays in a harp based band full time and another who is a dear friend of mine who had taken lessons from the first lady.
I began the long search for information about harps and the long conversation with my loving husband about the dream. (He took convincing as it seems all my hobbies are costly…sidesaddle riding and my love of wearing Japanese kimono among them)
He relented and set a budget…but reminded me if he ever finds clothing hanging on it he will sell it on craigslist!Like so many I was first intrigued by the inexpensive harps available on Ebay, but my desire was a full sized floor harp and even the rosewood harps in that size were not much less then a used high quality harp. I was lucky to find this forum in the search for information, it provided so much valuable insight about different approaches. I especially came to understand the importance of a teacher, even if for only the beginning to get the technique correct. For some this may seem an easy task, but I travel for a living for 2 – 3 months at a time. This would mean having so many teachers all willing to work with what the previous had taught. I was also faced with the need for a harp and because of my traveling, I could not rent. After much research I decided that a troubadour would be a good choice, both because of it not looking like a era specific style of harp, but also because it was built for students and could withstand some of the ravel and abuse it would likely take in my life. I had really hoped to find an original model, as I love the lines of the gothic shape.
After much research I decided to start my Harp lessons this year during a 2 month stay in Florida, I had read an article about an amazing woman that taught harp and ran a branch of Harps-International. I started a line of communication and decided with her help that an intensive set of lessons would be the best choice.
In Feb of this year I realized my dream and started lessons 2-3 times a week with Sue Carol DeVale. Her teaching is simply delightful and fun, pushed hard for good technique but never boring or tormenting. Through her I found a Troub IV another student was selling at a perfect price….
I have just left Florida and have tons of scales and rolls to work on along with the several pieces of lesson and fun music. My journey has only just begun…
