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Rosalind,
Thanks so much for you reply. I think I understand what you did here. In the second beat where it is written “F, E#, E flat, D#”, do you just play the F string twice? At the end of the measure where it appears that the same F is played in both hands, did you just play a single F or did you do something enharmonic there? Thanks again!
Kirsten
Carol,
I am so sorry you are going through this. This absolutely does not sound like an issue with the harp, this sounds like verbal and emotional abuse. My guess is that if you had a completely different profession, there would still be issues. This is just not how you speak to someone in a relationship. I would absolutely recommend you go to a domestic abuse counselor, he or she would help you to decide if this abuse and help you make decisions from there. No one deserves to be treated the way that you’re describing.
I wish you all the best in improving this situation. You deserve much more respect.I have experienced some of this behavior in my area- and I believe I use the same website. While I found it frustrating at first, here is my justification to keep my prices higher. This harpist can only play 1, maybe 2 weddings in one day. She may book the first client that comes her way, but won’t be available for ALL of those gigs. In a city like Cincinnati there must be lots of weddings every weekend.
My reason is that I find many people really believe they get what they pay for. If your prices are a little higher, you respond to e-mails and phone calls quickly, offer a free consultation, and exude an overall air of professionalism, your clients may be happy to pay the extra amount to have you over the other harpist. The longer I play for weddings, the more I realize that people hire harpists (and other musicians for that matter) based on their professionalism and not based on their actual talent. That means, bump up your website, provide lots of audio samples, pictures, and client reviews, and don’t worry about other harpists undercutting.
Hope that helps!It is interesting to read others posting about Final Fantasy! I have had 2 requests in the past year to play Final Fantasy theme songs! I was never a “gamer” so I didn’t really get it, but both grooms really loved it!
For the ceremony, I find that brides are sticking to the standards. Canon in D will probably never go away! Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Bridal March, Wedding March, Ave Maria, and the Lord’s Prayer are always popular. I really like Grandjany’s Gavotte for a recessional and my brides seem to really like it too. I also play Vivaldi Spring and Simple Gifts a lot.
I wish there were more modern songs being arranged for the harp, I think brides would really love more options of music that is more current and I am no arranger. Sometimes if a bride wants more popular music I recommend Somewhere Over the Rainbow or What a Wonderful World and those are both popular.I am a pedal harpist and I play for a lot of weddings. I never wear a fancy evening gown unless I am playing a recital or an event where formal wear is requested. I think that whether it is pedal or lever harp, it is work. When I am at a wedding I want to look professional but never over the top. I tend to wear all black or black and white so that I don’t clash with the bride’s wedding colors.
I have a 2005 matrix and a concert grand pedal harp. I have to move my seats up as far forward as they will go and then I load the harp straight in. I can then move them back a little, but it’s a bit tight. I am about 5’8″ and it’s not too bad for me but my poor husband is miserable when he rides with me! For the money I’ve saved in gas I would say it is worth it though! I love my matrix!
