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The problem, as I see it, is that some people are so cheap, they will play off of loose sheets by putting them in plastic sleeves and never buy a published copy, and it just increases the risk of loss for any publisher, which is further discouragement. It is a great site for research purposes, certainly. I think I would prefer if the music were streamed but not printable. But, much of what is there is not printable, anyway, and there is very little usable for harp as far as I’ve seen. Publishing is just in a terrible situation these days.
Christian, I enjoy your posts immensely, but I’m very uncomfortable when you say “the context of bad music” and “a piece of trash”, especially since you preface that comment with your statement that you didn’t see (or hear?) this piece performed.
I am just an absolute jar of jelly about Sibelius’ 5th Symphony. In fact, I love all of the Sibelius Symphonies so much that I would give anything to hear the 8th, except that there is no 8th left, as far as anyone knows, because Sibelius was so critical of his own work that he burned it.
I also laugh every time I see the music that circulates every once in
Well, I finally got myself a harpmobile! This isn’t the actual car but it looks like this. A 2003 Mitsubishi Magna (Diamante in North America, I believe). It’s a station wagon, but it’s not a great hulking thing, and I can put the harp flat in the back. All the ways of fitting harps into Corollas and similar small cars were too impractical for me (and I couldn’t afford the newer, larger hatchbacks). And this is an exceedingly good car, despite it having a 3.6L V6 engine it gets about 10L/100km highway and 12L/100km city, handles very, very smoothly and since it’s the “Executive” model it has all the options. I can now take my harp places without so much frustration. 🙂
Of related interest on Flickr:
Pics of a concert grand in a Honda Fit
Pics of a Daphne in a Toyota Yaris 3-doorI have professionaly played Salvi L&H and Venus and they each have special qualities. My personal harp is a Salvi, because I live in Canada and temps can fluctuate seriously in the winter, and Salvi seems to stand up to the changes. The symphony harpist plays Salvi as does one other professional here in the city. Venus Harps are also very popular here as they are easier to transport. Try hefting an Iris or Diana and then a Venus Paragon…the Venus is easier to move…a consideration if you intend to play in a variety of venues. My teacher owns several harps, all of them Venus and she is happy with them.
This has been an interesting thread to pick up. I started playing the harp when I was 16, and am still working as harpist at 53. My instrument is a walnut Salvi Diana harp with no flowers, birds, bees, gewgaws or crowns. I like it’s graceful lines. One of my teachers owned 7 harps, most of them gilded, and her poodle p’d on one and the gold lifted right off!!!!! Her advice to me at the time was to look for a ‘blonde’ harp, just shelllac and nothing more, as her experiences taught her that any harp heavily decorated could be concealing a knothole or inferior grade wood. Crowns, Angels, and Decals and NOTHING to the sound, but can add volumes to the price. I opted for a dark walnut stain because I could cover any knicks or dents…..doors will nail you every time.
I have had some feedback over the years about playing a woman’s instrument, but all that really matters is that I play it well…all else disappears after “le Source’ or any piece of music that is played with passion and technique. In terms of trends, I’ve not noticed that I work any less than the women harpists when it comes to weddings, but they seem to have the edge when it comes to corporate receptions. There are so few of us in my city that we get on very well, trading off jobs, recommending each other and providing support on those occasions you want to put a bag over your head and go home and cut all your strings. (yes, they happen now and then)
In my city there are only 2 male harpists who play 47 string harps, there are maybe 5 males who play the Celtic harp, but we are growing in numbers.
First of all, I would like to show my appreciation to those who made the effort to write about their opinion of the new composition “Cities change the songs of birds” by the Dutch composer JacobTV. I hope though, after having read a lot of negative comments on this piece, to make it more clear what this composition is about and how this, in my eyes, fits well in the 21st century world of music making.
I have heard several compositions of JacobTV in the past and it was an eye/ear-opening experience to see and hear his concept of combining different instruments with voices of people who are often talking about something related to current events (in politics, social society, etc.). I found it an interesting fusion of spoken words and music and I believed his music would fit very well in the World Harp Congress, which is a venue to share known and unknown music with each other. When I convinced him to write for me, I left him alone to develop his own ideas on a new piece. When I received the music, my first thought was: “Wow, that’s a lot of rude language.” At first I was very hesitant about performing this piece, because of the topic of drug addiction and the rude language in it. So I do understand the amount of “shock” it brought to the audience, who heard it for the first time. Although for me, the amount of “shock” disappeared after I looked at it from an artistic point of view. Knowing that these were “real people” talking and it involved two very different worlds (drugs and harp), which both have their stereotypes and judgments; I found it extra challenging to work with this piece. Also after I combined the music (which I believe is very well composed for this instrument) and the text together, I found myself in a new world of music making, a world where you feel like you’re very much part of, as if you’re drawn into a movie (in this case, one based on a true story), supporting, neglecting and judging the story that is being told.
The way that JacobTV’s music is created is very refreshing. It’s a way in which different art forms are fused together. It has a strong link to the film and music industry where images, sounds and texts are all combined. The “anti-America” aspect of this composition has never occurred to me, although I was aware of the weight of the topic about drug addiction and the rude language in the texts. Perhaps I didn’t think of this, because I knew that the composer’s music is very well appreciated in the USA, especially in New York, where he has been invited several times to have his music performed at different music festivals. You can imagine that I was quite taken aback to read some of the comments about this and I was very relieved to read also some of the stories of harpists (who attended the concert) saying that they also didn’t make this link to “America-hatred.” The music was certainly not intended to make a statement on certain countries. Perhaps it’s good to know that I did explain in the introduction that it’s about women (not specifically American women) who are dealing with drug problems. Also, the progression of the music shows these women making a confession to their problems and changing their attitude towards a better life. I think this message comes across very clearly in the music and shows a “good ending” of the heartbreaking stories of these women.
To end my story I would like to share with you that I’m very happily married to an American and we love to visit the States.
Lavinia Meijer
Sorry – I can’t get it to load directly… But if you click on the link – you’ll see the pic! Enjoy! Kind regards – William
I’m going to try to embed a photo I found of Desi Arnaz (as Ricky Ricardo) singing alongside the harpist! (my apologies if this doesn’t work – I’m trying to upload a photo for the first time with photobucket…) Kind regards! William
Zaftique is an online company that does quite a nice range of dresses (as well as skirts and tops etc) that would be good for harp gigs, recitals, and so on. They bill themselves as a plus-size specialist but their sizes start with their Size 00 for a 28″-29″ waist, up to a Size 6 for a 55″-60″ waist. Most of the garments are on the modest side, and quite a few have bell sleeves and renaissance or retro influence. The length is stated on all the items.
Sydney’s Closet is a site selling formal/ball/prom/wedding party/etc dresses, they have from size 0 to 30+ in their ranges. Most styles run long because it’s expected they’ll be hemmed, but some even have an option when you order to add 5″ to the hem. There are a decent number that have sleeves (or a matching shrug or bolero or jacket) and are modest.
It’s amazing what you can load into these little gems. I’m going to insist on a comparison of the cubic space before we seal the deal. I think the Tribeca is a little less squared off than the Outback or the Forester, so I’m trying to make a careful decision. Thanks for the input!
This topic is a little hard for us Kodaly fans to appreciate, especially when sweeping generalitites are being made. It might spice things up a bit, and still be within my comfort level, if we were to be specific as to pieces- saying “I really can’t stand any of the music of the western hemisphere”.
I had a ghastly “Form and Analysis” class in college, and the teacher, who was the reason the class was so bad, made us listen to the same Mozart symphony (I happily have forgotten which one), six times/week for a whole semester. While I have matured to the point at which I heartily respect the work, I intensely disliked it for years and years.
