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That’s terrible I’m so sorry! I’m 17 too, and I just got a petite pedal harp last year. It took lots of babysitting money, a fundraiser from my church, and my dad sold his Harley so I could get my baby! I don’t know of any scholarships, but I do know lots of harp dealers have “rent to own” programs. Basically the money you pay towards rent goes to the price of the harp, kind of like monthly payments. I don’t know if that would work for you, but I thank God for such wonderful families from church so maybe someone you know would be willing to have a fundraiser? That’s a long shot but I never expected for someone to do that for me! My last bit of advice is to set aside a specific savings account for your harp. I did and in the course of a few years I saved up $2,000 in babysitting money. O_O This is how I did it, but also I didn’t have bills to pay I was just a kid so I know this would be really different for you, I would tithe and give %10 of everything I got to God and then the remainder I would split 50/50. 50% I kept around for whatever I needed and the other 50% went into a harp savings account that NOBODY touched! I know a pedal is what you need, but consider a lever harp like past replies have said. Look into the college you’re attending and see if you’d be able to practice on their pedal harp. And if all else fails see if you could rent a lever. Maybe you could even call around and see if there’s a harp teacher in the area who would let you come and play her harp. I don’t know if any of this will help, but I hope all goes well for you and I can completely sympathize with the pedal harp blues. I played on a 20-something stringed lever harp until I got my pedal. Oh and call the harp connection and see if those 4 years of renting would apply as payment for the rent to own program, I doubt it but it’s worth a shot! God bless!
Hi Carl – wondering if you have had any communications from Basel – I keep him in my thoughts and hope he is able to be safe –
thanks for any updates 0
John
I know this was an old thread, but I agreed with what everyone was saying!
I hate how bumping your hands or getting a paper cut feels like a life or death matter as you quickly check to see how “deep” the injury has gone.
Or when I want to move my petite pedal harp and have to ask my dad to help me load it since the upper body strength of a 17 year old petite girl is not enough. =_=
And I hate when people (especially kids, even though I love them) come up and start pushing the pedals and bumping the harp around like IT DIDN’T COST OVER $10,000 DOLLARS!!!!!
Any other harpist blues? 😉
My pedal harp used to pop strings quite often, it was in the living room near the front door. So even though our windows were closed it was apparently getting temperature changes from the door alone. I moved my harp into my bedroom, I keep the door closed and don’t open the window anymore. The rest of the house has a nice breeze when we open up the windows but my room will stay nice and at an even temperature all seasons. My advice would be to pick a “harp room” and try and keep it as stable as possible. I hope that helped, God Bless!
— Natalie
I feel the exact same way! Sometimes the pieces my teacher gives me seem altogether too simple. Sylvia Woods’ Lennon and McCartney book for the harp has quite a few songs that give me a pedal work out. If I Fell is an example of a song from the book that challenges me. I suggest finding a book of music that you like, and picking one song to work on. I hope that helped, God bless!
I’m a junior in highschool and I’m considering majoring or minoring in music. I’ve played the harp since I was 11. I’m sorry if my advice isn’t very good, I’m in the same boat as you, but I’d consider trying to meet with a harp teacher and ask them to evaluate your playing/music reading skills and see if you’d be ready for college level stuff. From what I’ve researched most college graduates have said that the Music Theory courses are the hardest part, but if you’re prepared for the work I’d say go for it. I’m still deciding what to do myself, I’ll wait till I’m closer to college days to choose! God Bless!
I’m 17 years old, been playing harp since I was 11. I played on a little lap harps for years, and finally saved up enough for a pedal harp last year. My church had a fundraiser for me, and my father sold his Harley Davidson motorcycle so I could get my harp! I thank them all very much and love playing. I’m from Florida, USA. God Bless!
I’ve been playing harp since I was 11, and I always couldn’t help comparing myself professionals who started playing at 3. I’m just learning now at age 17 that years aren’t important but practice is. I’ve looked into majoring in music and it’s a difficult path to take, but many harpists don’t major in music. It’s such a specialized instrument that a music degree isn’t needed.
Have you considered music therapy? There are courses directed towards that, and considering you mentioned that you’ve taken classes for speech therapy it would probably be right up your alley. The harp is a healing instrument and it soothes and relaxes a lot of people. I’d look into music therapy books for the harp, or see if your college has a course on it. I personally only played once for a church friend of my family, who was in the hospital. My Uncle read Psalms from the Bible while I played and our friend was very happy. Nothing brings peace quite like a harp, so consider taken a crash course on music therapy. It’s less uptight than orchestral work and it’s very rewarding! Good luck on learning! 🙂
It sounds wonderful! Judy Loman is only there occasionally – it’s really run by Elizabeth Hainen.
~Sam
Well, I got off track in my reading…and trust that it is not by accident but for some greater purpose.
Music as Yoga – Bernard, Patrick. (universal laws of sound healing etc.)
I’m using this thread as both reference and a personal file now.
Thanks again for your recommendations. Feel free to add more any time.
Thank you for your replies. It all goes into the mix…yes, I was thinking of actually making a hard case (no matter how unsightly) and yes, I had googled and read about carving foam with a carving knife. The bubble wrap is a good buffer no matter which way I go. I doubt I will get an insurance company to cover it…it is carbon fibre and pretty tough (not strings obviously) as long as I protect the levers well.
Thank you again (and for not laughing at me as well!)
Carl – thanks for letting us know – glad to hear that he is ok and managing – is there anything he needs or anything at all that we can do for him from here to help him get through this awful situation?Judy Loman’s opening concert was AMAZING. The international competition winners’ concert was also incredible – I remember a moment when Agnes Clement was playing a Liszt piece (Liebestraum, I think) and she did a lightning fast chromatic run down the harp. You could hear the pews creak as the entire audience leaned forward to see her pedals. Luckily I was in the second row on stage left, so was able to see her feet flying as fast as I’ve ever seen anyone’s. It was quite the spectacle. Friday night had some very serious concerti with the Vancouver Symphony – that night was stupendous! The Focus on Youth was very fun to watch – there were some real starts in that crowd!
I test drove most of the harps being sold! The major manufacturers there were Aoyama, Camac, L&H, and Salvi. I hadn’t tried the first two (save Deborah Henson Conant’s Big Blue) and I was impressed! The L&Hs and the Salvis were beautiful as always. Nothing out of the ordinary, except that they brought some very expensive gilded harps – that was fun! There were also some smaller manufacturers, mostly lever harps.
