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I live in Raleigh North Carolina 2 hours from the beach and 3 hours from the mountains.
Curls, I am to glad to hear you got a beautiful harp. I went to Virginia Harp Center to look around for you but it appears you have been graced with a beautiful harp sent straight to you! Congrats and happy practicing! : )
I have had my harp regulated by several good technicians but my favorite is Mike Lewis from San Francisco, CA. He was just here in North Carolina and took care of many harpists in the area. My harp is 22 years old and gets played and moved a lot. A good harp technician will advise you on proper care and trouble shoot for you if he sees a problem. Because I play in professional orchestras so much I am very particular about my intonation. I know quite a bit about harp maintenance and can do some minor repairs and adjustments when necessary. However, there is nothing better than having your harp in top performance condition. Annual regulations are a must for me and for all harp professionals I know.
My harp sounds fantastic again and I am very happy with his work.
I highly recommend him to anyone in need of harp regulation/repair.
Oh David, I had no idea from your earlier post that you were making comments regarding someone’s vanity, I thought she was visually impaired. I did not mean to be insensitive to you. I am so sorry to hear about your pain and suffering! I had no idea you had overcome such tremendous difficulties. Please accept my humble apology to you – I had no idea. You get the medal of valor in my book! xoxoxo
I agree with your remarks Elizabeth and I understand the response to what appears to be un-natural posture or time for a new presciption. We are keenly aware of dangerous injuries that can occur if bad habits are not corrected. We are lucky to be so well trained that we know when we see something that doesn’t look right in performance and we think we know the reasons why. However things are not always as they appear and sometimes there are issues of which you are not aware. Most professional performers I work with are accustomed to being in the public eye and used to constructive criticism.
Oh that we should all grow old gracefully and not perform in public with any physical limitations. I myself am having a hard time adjusting to changes in my eyesight and I am only in my 40’s.
The program for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra program was:
Sinfonia No 10 in B minor for String Orchestra: Adagio, Allegro -Mendelssohn
Orphic Memories-Ingram Marshall
Violin Concerto in D major, Op 61- Beethoven
with Gil Shaham, violinI never said there was a mystery about how they all played together so well. I am aware that there is always a leader to start a piece whether is is with an up-bow, a sniff, or a slight tip of the head. My point was that they played straight through with such tight ensemble and trust in one another and at the highest level of artistry. They may have played the Mendelssohn and the Beethoven quite a few times so it was perhaps more committed to memory. The second piece on the program was the really tricky one. It was a potpourri of contemporary musical styles as an homage to 5 different 20th century composers with the Orpheus theme in a through-composed work. The piece was long and part of the piece was minimalist and required fierce concentration between the sections as the subtle shifts in rhythm presented themselves. It was impressive; I know because I was there and I know a little bit about ensemble and orchestral performance. The audience was educated and savy, and they knew what they were hearing was virtuosity. There were tears in the eyes of a few highly respected musicians in our area as they were so moved by the power of the performance.
Last night I had the distinct pleasure of hearing the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra perform without a conductor as is their trademark. Their harpist (a FRENCH player) is a friend of mine, and she performed beautifully on my SALZEDO harp in a fantastic concert .
Rosemary thank you for your insightful remarks about gestures in the Salzedo method and Yolanda’s beautiful book. I would also like to thank everyone for their supportive e-mails and phone calls. Gestures make a difference in your playing. Gestures are part of performance practice in other instruments besides the harp. Have you ever seen Andre Watts, Daniel Barrenboim , or Arthur Rubenstein perform? Gesture is artistic expression regardless of instrument or method. Have you ever seen Pierre Boulez conduct? The man is pure musical expression and the musicians love him because he reveals the sound he wishes to hear from the musicians by his gestures in conducting. Beautiful and artistic gestures from the podium reveal the art in the music that the conductor wants you to create. Orchestral musicians know this instinctively and appreciate the artistry in the technique. Chamber musicians count on it as a form of unspoken communication in performing, it facillitates a higher level of musical expression and artistry in the performance.
Carl I completely disagree with your remarks about tension release in raising. I have great respect for physical therapists and know quite a few who specialize in musician’s injuries. Although this physical therapist you mentioned is correct in saying complete relaxation is only possible when the arms are at rest at your side, I don’t see how one can play the harp with their arms dangling at their sides. It takes strength to play difficult music well and tension can creep in if you don’t take care to release it. Your prejudice against Salzedo technique blinds you from any serious discussion about a subject you clearly don’t understand.My students at Duke have a beautiful school harp to use for practice and performing.
The school does not allow them to store their instruments at the school. Others who have brought their harps have single dorm rooms and practice without a problem.What a great subject Esmeralda!
If only people knew what we have to do to be a successful part of the orchestra.
There are so many key points here for preparation such as fingering , placement ahead of time , clear and logical pedaling, and memorization. Your rehearsal ideas are marvelous and show how important it is to work with your musician colleagues as if it were a chamber music performance.
I learned so many of these important points from my teacher Alice Chalifoux who was brilliant in her ability to create logical fingerings and pedals in harp parts. SheI believe you are missing my point entirely. You are assuming that I am living in an ivory tower teaching only advanced bright and musically gifted students with perfect hand positions and no double joint issues.
I teach students of all ages, abilities and disabilities and frequently they have issues.
Not every student will become advanced and not every student wants to advance beyond a certain level. That is fine and I am happy to teach anyone as long as they are willing to try. However,When teaching a student how to practice I think a logical approach that empowers the student to make intelligent decisions in practicing is fundamental. Everyone has little tricks to help students learn difficulties in technical issues. But teaching a student how to focus with an end result in sight is key to success. Mindless repetition when practicing is a waste of time. Focused concentration in repetition trains the mind to function at a higher level and think more critically about what you are doing on the strings. Mistakes are part of the process and everyone makes them. Getting out of your own way and learning why you made the mistakes and trying to improve in your effort is part of the practice.
Most students are young people who are still learning “how to learn and perform successfully” on the harp. When performing under pressure, the more intelligent the practice and preparation the more successful the outcome. I don’t think many of us have time to waste whether teaching or performing. Most students are very busy and have their own pressures to deal with in their daily lives. Again, I
