[Prajna]

Hi Barbara, thank you for writing and for the support. After hearing from so many of you, I am really starting to feel more into what I have to offer to this learning process, instead of looking at the fact that I didn’t start playing since I was 5! So thank you for reinforcing that!

Judy, I’m so excited to have another adult stating to play now too! I hope you have a wonderful journey with this too!

And to everyone: I have rented my harp!!! I am SO beyond excited. Walking into the harp showroom, where they had maybe 40 or more harps, was breathtaking! They had six harps for me to listen to. I listened to all of them, sat behind them and “played” ☺ then myself, and it was like magic, but I knew the right harp for me right away.

The last three I narrowed down to were the Ravenna, Ogden and Troubadour. I discarded the Ravenna, as I didn’t connect as much with the brighter sound. I loved the sound of the Ogden, and also of the Troubadour. When I sat behind each of them, they both felt incredible. Now, when I sat behind the Troubadour…. wow…. it was instant magic. I am fairly tall (5’9″), and with the Troubadour I felt so grounded, and that it could fully support me. Even the manager of the store said she saw right away that that was my harp. ☺

I am soooo excited.

I also found a wonderful teacher that I feel very connected with. She listened to who I am, why I am wanting to learn the harp, and really spoke to my needs and in taking the learning process in a way that will keep my heart and inspiration alive, instead of just making it about learning the techniques. I have my first class next Monday. I can hardly wait!!

Thank you all so so much for all of your help and support. I look forward to letting my soul speak through the harp, and to learn more about myself in the process.

I’m so glad to have found this community! And very thankful for all of you taking the time to write and help me.

[Prajna]

Hi Biagio, thank you again for writing about your experience and for the suggestions. I have never been someone that is good at self-thought methods. I can do it, but not well. But I could go to class every day if needed, and really enjoy it. I love learning. So lessons with a teacher will be important to me.

Alyson,

I love that line to tell people we know. Right now I am in the “this is the most stupid and financially irresponsible decision ever” ☺. Hopefully once I actually start playing and learning, I will integrate the second part of the response into mine as well. 😉

[Prajna]

Wow, I am so grateful for all of you that have taken the time to write to me, and be of such support. It really is wonderful to feel it, and receive it. Thank you.

Angela, thank you so much for your suggestions, and also explanation of your experience with adult learners. Hearing how much time you see it taking people to learn the theory really helped, as it puts things more into perspective for me.
And also learning about the spacing in between classes, commitment, being careful with not acquiring bad habits, etc. This is so very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to write.

Elizabeth, thank you for the welcome! It’s great to see other adult learners finding their way too. Although it sounds like you have a natural gift for music, with learning it by ear!
And so great that you also love LM, and have learned some of her music. I would love to learn Dante’s Prayer as my first full piece. I’m hoping they have that set for harp on their music sheets!

Alyson, your observations about people doing it at their pace, and for the right reasons, when they start as adults, is wonderful! Thank you. This actually made me smile. I am going to look at it this way from now on…

Thank you all for being so supportive and welcoming. I’ve been feeling very alone with this process, since I don’t know anyone in my life that plays the harp, and have actually been feeling shy to share it with anyone, especially since it is an expensive commitment. So receiving this support ere has been wonderful.

I am truly enjoying this process more and more. I have an appointment on Monday afternoon to pick a harp to rent. That is when I’ll be meeting my teacher for the first time too. I’m excited!!

[Prajna]

Hi Biago. Thank you for the input on the different models. I know I’ll want to see how they all feel, listen to what the teacher has to say, etc… but it is great to have some more information on the different harps before I go, so that it is less overwhelming.

Hi duckspeaks. How great to hear from another person that starter later in life! This really gives me more enthusiasm. I will definitely rent first. So thank you for the reassurance on that, even though you bought yours right away.

I am excited about this journey.

As far as lessons go, what would you all recommend? Is once a week the best option, and necessary? Or would once every two weeks be enough? I am sure this depends on the student, skills, etc… It’s just a lot to try and wrap my head around financially. I would like to find a balance on doing what I can afford, but also the best for my growing with the instrument.

will-weten: Thank you for the book recommendation. I will look at it next week once I am set with the harp and teacher arrangements. Thank you.

Thank you all for your time and information!

[Prajna]

Hi Patricia,

Thank you for writing and for your suggestions.

I will definitely rent the harp first. The showroom has a rent to own program, but the rental money is only applied to that very harp that one rents, so hopefully I’ll pick one that I like, so that when I am ready and able to buy it, that money can count towards it.

Thank you for suggesting studying music theory for harp in between lessons. I will search for material on that.
I truly have no idea what my preferred style of music is. I love celtic, but I don’t want to stay just with that, and would like to learn more classical pieces as well.

It’s exciting to feel this becoming more of a reality. I think I always felt that playing the harp was this unattainable feat, only for some chosen few. To see that it can also become a part of my life is very exciting.

And I was happy to hear that you started learning as an adult as well. It makes it feel more real.

And thank you for mentioning the slow, constant practice. And for also mentioning making space for it with other things in my life. It’s important to remember that, so that it doesn’t get lost in between other commitments.

Thank you.

[Prajna]

Hi will-weten. Thank you for writing!

I do just want to learn it for myself and maybe to bring it to the community. I am a healer, and would like to possibly incorporate it into hospital work in the future.

I think I am looking for a harp that could take me to both classical and celtic. I love celtic music very much, but would also like to be able to play more classical songs. If I were to pick two songs I would like to learn first, they would be Dante’s Prayer by Loreena Mckennitt and also Greensleeves.

I contacted a teacher and she will be going with me to my appt at the showroom on Monday.

She was the one that suggested I asked to see the ogden, the Ravenna, the prelude and I want to see the Troubadour. If you know any of those harps, which ones would you say are more versatile for both classical and celtic? I’m trying to have as much information as I can before Monday, so I am not super overwhelmed. But I am also looking forward to hearing them and seeing how they feel to me.

Thank you again very much!

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