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Lucile Lawrence may be seen on YouTube. There is a short film of Carlos Salzedo playing, which is silent, yet utterly phenomenal. I believe he is playing an excerpt from (“Flight”) though others have said it is Whirlwind. It is top-secret who owns it, apparently, but it was on display at the 2004 AHS conference.
I would look into Baldwin-Wallace, University of Michigan, any other school in Ohio, the schools in Boston, there really are quite a few choices besides the “obvious.” One of the questions to consider is, where do you see yourself living and working in the future, and are you likely to get a degree beyond a master’s? If you are focused on teaching, do you want to go on to a DMA?
I don’t know that there’s an art to it, but if someone is selling a harp, they probably need the money, and trying to get the price down is not the most considerate thing to do.
In my experience and exploration of them, none are easy to use, and it will consume many hours to learn how they work. None are set up to do harp music without customizing. You’re better off writing by hand and giving it to a professional to copy. Unless you have a lot of free time, and enjoy being on a computer all the time. If you can do a neat copy by hand, then you can photocopy it, take it to a printer. You can more easily learn notation by hand than on computer. You don’t have your workflow interrupted then by updates to the software and continuing expenses. My regret is that when I could have taken a class in copying, I did not. I’m sure there’s someone in Boston who can still teach it. As much as the software can do, there’s so much it can’t and the frustration level is very high.
If you are located in an area where regulation will not be possible, or rare, then you should probably look at Salvi harps. I’m not sure if the 85 series are sturdier than other Lyon & Healy harps, though they look it. You’re still going to have to change pedal felts every few years or so, and all the strings. I can’t speak to Camac harps, except that one friend of mine has had serious trouble with hers, and I don’t like how they sound.
You may want to use more nylon strings to brighten the sound, particularly in the second octave. You didn’t say which model of harp it is.
An 85E strikes as the best choice for your price range. You could go smaller for a 15 if you are willing to give up the extended soundboard. The Chicago harps are a budget line meant for students.
Well, you certainly don’t have to play the piece, Carl! It is meant to sound guitaric, hence the name, and guitar players often play at the base of their strings. Or plectric, when you use your nails, like when guitarists play with a plectrum or pick. The other reason it is at the base of the string, and not higher up, like “pres de la table,” is that it creates the greatest contrast with playing in normal position, or “au milieux.” The same with “Papery Sounds,” where you play at the top of the strings. All are explained in the Method for the Harp, the Modern Study of the Harp, and usually on the first inside page of the composition as well.
It seems odd that he chose a fairly diatonic piece to demonstrate a chromatic harp. That harp sounds very much like Erard harps on recordings. And so much muffling.
I think this is in the wrong forum, but I think the best teacher is more important than the most famous school. A great teacher will be able to teach you pedagogy. Feel free to contact me for personal advice.
If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone around, they have excellent microphones, even response throughout the range of the harp. Many other devices seem to lose the treble and exaggerate the bass.
