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So you use it without a pickup on your pedal harp?
I wonder about inside the box because of pedal changes….don’t they sound?
I always put the mic to the side of the harp on the ground (padded), but newer amps just won’t pick up the sound…then they plug a guitar into it, and blam, you can hear the guitar a block away.I don’t recall seeing a Laney when I was searching the guitar stores.
I was trying to point out that when you are just starting out, there is a LOT to learn.
The undercutting thing came up on a different thread before. There was the view that someone with lack of experience should not charge what a professional would, etc….so the whole thing gets pretty sticky.
Personally, I don’t worry about what other people do. There will always be new people out there…and I remember distinctly when I was new, even tho it was more than 30 yrs ago. I literally had no idea what I was doing…repertoire, dress, sound equipment, etc. I quickly learned that when people pay for music, they want to hear it. Some things are much easier now because information is on the Internet.
I don’t participate in wedding shows because they are horribly expensive.
One thing I do is make my own blurb with pic, info, and website address and email it to events centers and hotels that have events. (I don’t send it very often because then I’d be a pest.) Doesn’t cost anything. True, those places are also in the wedding books, but they probably don’t look at them.
Jennifer, hypothetically (since I was talking about the ’80s when I was out there all the time), If I ask a nursing home to pay me to play, why should they? They didn’t ask for me, I asked for them. They’re just sitting there minding their own business and not looking for musicians to come there. The money has to come from what the residents pay to be there…out of the profits.
I don’t think there’s any union activity here. I think a lot depends on the area of the country where you are, and if you’re in a big city.
I wonder why you say there’s no place else that pays. I play weddings and dinners, and I assume everyone else does, too. That’s where the money is, but of course, you have to advertise in the wedding books so the right people find you, and that costs money. I also get referrals from people and places I’ve played for before.
Just for the record, when I played for free, I wasn’t undercutting anyone. I was quite awful starting out, and I wanted to make sure I improved BEFORE I charged anyone to play! Also, as I said, around here, the homes are really not a harp player’s market. I’m happy to hear that it’s different in other areas of the country.
Has anyone tried the wireless pickups that violinists and cellists stick on their instruments?
I want a pickup, but I don’t want cords swishing around or stuff stuck to the inside of the harp picking up pedal changes.Have you asked if they will actually pay, or is this just a plan?
If you can tell them what you charge and get it, good for you! Maybe it’s a wealthy community. Can’t be done here where I am.Whether you get paid or not, it is a good idea to play. I played homes for several years (still play one occasionally) when I started out because I had terrible stage fright. Playing anywhere with bodies in the room worked really well. I got a lot of playing experience that way (and strong muscles) and became more comfortable. Playing in front of people is just not the same as playing at home.
I don’t know if you memorize, but all my regular rep is memorized, and the homes are a good place to try out new pieces. If they fall apart, no one will care, and you can learn to keep going when something happens. Recording while you play enables you to hear what it really sounded like.
Playing thru muzak, call signals, phones ringing, wheelchairs rolling past, and people talking helps you focus. Also, you get practice tuning because you are going into different temps and humidity. If you don’t have any sound equipment, you may find you need it.
Sorry if this is too long, but I am so grateful for the experience I gained in nursing and retirement homes. For me, that was worth more than money.
Maybe the Arizona border is safer? I’m by the Texas border.
However, another factor is that a man and his harp would probably be examined more carefully than a woman and a harp.I looked up Rocky Point, wondering why it had an English name…big resort.
Only found a couple of things…none for this month.Rocky Point shooting: 5 dead in shootout in northern Mexico resort
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/…/4-dead-in-shootout-in-Rocky-Point-resort
Dec 18, 2013 – Five men were killed in a gunbattle with Mexican security forces early Wednesday near a luxury hotel in the popular Gulf of California resort of …
Rocky Point Shootout Killed a Cartel Boss, Mexican Officials Say …blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/…/rocky_point_shootout_cartel_mi…
by Matthew Hendley – in 26 Google+ circles
Dec 20, 2013 – Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza, a top lieutenant in the Sinaloa cartel, was among six people killed in an hours-long shootout on…I live very close to the border. In the good ole days, I played over there numerous times. I always got picked up and taken back home…I never drove over myself, would you believe. The border guards never examined my harp…just poked it to see if there was a person inside the cover.
Driving in Mexico was like Russian roulette. When my parents were alive, we would cross the border to shop. Cars would not stop for stop signs, so it was like dodge ball…You had to just keep from getting hit.
I haven’t been over there since the passport requirement went into effect. (’09, I think) You would probably need only a passport.
But that’s not the only thing that’s changed, as has been pointed out.I have not had a request to go there since before that time.
I would NOT go now, even with a driver picking me up and bringing me back. I think it’s just too dangerous.The word from here is ….
You don’t need the money, whatever amount it is.Of course, if you’re looking for adventure, by all means, go. Just let us know when you go so we’ll know where you are if we never hear from you again.
A strobe tuner will show the pattern going both ways. I get false strings because I leave my strings on as long as I can stand them….mainly because new ones take so long to adjust they drive me crazy…even tho I crank them up continually and press on them to hurry them up. Guts I have to change because they will break once they fray…no way out on those, but even those take quite a while to stay at pitch.
What I’m wondering is why the teacher did not give specific instructions to the student as to what strings needed changing and how to tell if the string is false. Seems like the teacher should be the one to consult in this situation. I think a teacher would want the student to be independently able to deal with tuning, replacing strings, changing felts, etc.
I’ve never understood why new strings should be put on before a regulation because new strings keep stretching (especially the nylons)…..and the different types of strings all take different amounts of time to settle.
I don’t improvise on the spot…I have to have time to write in chord symbols and pedals…and I wouldn’t even try to play a piano part as written…and I make sure I have all orchestra parts way in advance. That Victoria played the harp parts with only a week to prepare leaves me in awe. Very likely, I couldn’t have done that.
The more I thought about Victoria’s situation, the madder I got. The conductor is a jerk. I think every student in a conducting class should be required to take harp lessons. I think they have to have classes in strings and winds, don’t they?
As a sub, they should have been very grateful to Victoria that she was willing to come and play. The conductor should have ASKED her if she could play the piano part and respected her point of view…because, as someone said, she knew more about the harp than he did.
I’m willing to bet the regular harpist wouldn’t have been able to play it, either. We harpists know that, but the outside world doesn’t. I had plenty of bad experiences as a rookie, and I’m still here…so I say, tough as it is, put it behind you, and you’ll know what to do next time.
