My face hurts...

Tonight's concert was pure joy. Tapestry (Denise & Michael Grupp-Verbon) began with some of my favorite pop tunes, including Riders on the Storm, Stairway to Heaven, and Let It Be. Their harp/guitar arrangements were rich and full, and Michael's guitar riffs were, to use a phrase I closely associate with Denise, "Really COOL!" They are an amazingly talented couple, and I could listen to them all night. It was great to sit with one of Denise's new students, Wendy, during the concert. I remember how harp playing seemed to be a magic I could never learn - although I wanted to with all my heart. Hang in there, Wendy. With a teacher like Denise there's no telling how far you can go...

Frank Voltz was once again amazing. All but two of the pieces he played were his own compositions. His music is rich with huge chords and intricate arpeggios. It was truly blissful and relaxing. It was half way through his set that I noticed that my face was hurting. The muscles seemed set in a permanent smile, and I couldn't seem to rub it off my face.

After the concert I joined everyone at the Exhibition Hall. This time I tried out a few of the harps, including a carbon fiber harp from Heartland Harps. The string tension and spacing were just right, and the sound was quite unique. After pushing my mahogany McFall through the hallways, I saw the logic in this "light as a feather" harp. Dave Woodworth is going to have a short presentation in the morning about how they are made. Sounds very interesting.

I got to talk a little to Bill Webster, the maker of my McFall, and Jeff Lewis, the maker of my first harp. Denise also introduced me to Kimberly from Oklahoma. She decided to come to The Harp Gathering after reading about it in this blog. She's had a tough year, and I'm really glad that she was able to do something just for herself by joining us.

I'm skipping the jam session tonight. I felt myself relaxing so much during Frank's music that I felt I just wanted to end the day with some quiet time. I intend to make it to tomorrow nights jam session.

So goodnight Dale, night-night Duncan & Gracie. May we all have sweet dreams.

Sculpting Sound

This afternoon I had the pleasure of attending my first workshop with Pamela Bruner. Although she offered workshops last year, I didn't get to attend one. Pamela is a great teacher, and quickly adapted to all the different skill levels of the people attending the workshop. I think it's safe to say that everyone left with an urge to get back to their rooms and work on the techniques she taught.

The technique that I learned the most from was improvising in a pentatonic scale. It really is a soothing sound, and it's nearly impossible to sound bad! (I'll certainly be doing more improvising...)

This workshop made me think of a quote that's in The Harp Gathering program: Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance is sculpted into something. (Frank Zappa) The pentatonic scale brings that quote home for me.

At dinner I enjoyed the company of a harpist I met last year (Janice), her teacher and another new friend. It was great to hear about Frank Voltz's first workshop. I really wish that I had a clone so that I could attend all the workshops...

Tonight's concert will feature Tapestry (Denise & Michael Grupp-Verbon) and Frank Voltz. I really enjoyed them last year, and can't wait to see what they'll be playing this year.

Also, I'm looking forward to looking at all the harps in the Exhibition Hall after the concert. Last year I didn't try any of them out, because I had my Webster McFall on order. This year I want to try as many as I can!

I have a couple of photos I didn't post earlier due to lack of time. First is a shot of the lobby. The sound of the harpist carried beautifully due to the high ceiling.

The next photo is the interior garden outside of my room. There is a waterfall and coy in the pond.

I'm off to freshen up before the concert. I'll post again soon.

Let The Harp Gathering begin!

This morning reminded me so much of that morning one year ago when I headed off on an adventure in search of knowledge and music. The sun was shining clear and right, the cool spring breeze was blowing. I once again packed up my little car with a harp. But this year the harp I brought didn't fit snugly in the back seat. This year I'm accompanied by what has been called a "Warrior Caste" harp. My back seats were lowered, and my McFall completely filled the hatch of my Chevy HHR.

The Heritage Inn hasn't changed one bit in the year since I've been here. There was a harp playing in the lobby as I entered, and I was greeted with enthusiasm. The room is spacious and beautifully decorated. This year I have my own porch which overlooks farmland. I doubt I'll be spending any time out there. Right now I'm headed off to listen to the harpist in the lobby before attending the afternoon workshop. I hope to post again after the workshop.

Absence makes the "harp" grow fonder...

A few things have been keeping me from playing my harp for a couple of days. Today I'm at home with a headache, but I just couldn't resist playing my harp. Once again I've experienced something that I've experienced with no other instrument I've played.

I play really great after a break.

I can work very hard on learning something for days with little results. But miss a couple of days of playing, and I can see a huge improvement. Other harpers and harpists have told me the same thing happens to them.

So I don't think I'll play my harp on Thursday. I want to be ready to play like a pro when The Harp Gathering begins on Friday.

Gathering Myself

There's some big, wonderful changes coming into my life soon. Right now, there's not much I can say about it except that I am excited and hopeful.

Aside from my big event (which name cannot be mentioned...), I'm happily anticipating The Harp Gathering. I've been looking forward to it since the last day of the Harp Gathering last year. In one week I'll be gathering up things to take with me - my McFall harp, my computer (for blogging), and my hopes of learning things to make my music better.

I also hope that those attending The Harp Gathering will gift me with something I missed last year. You would think that in a hotel filled with harps that you would be hearing music from all corners of the building, but it was remarkably quiet. I would dearly love to be walking down a hall and hear unanticipated harp music. But it seems we harpers and harpists a rather shy. So here's my request, not only for that particular weekend, but for everyone, everywhere. If you can do something you love - don't hide it! Sing, play, dance, whatever it is, don't be afraid to do it at every opportunity. The world is waiting for you to shine...

In the meantime, I'll be gathering my courage and preparing for a bright, new future of my own.

The Third Ear

To a Taoist, the Third Eye is a very clever bit of natural evolution. It consists of all the senses and mind working together as a larger, more powerful sensory organ. They believe it is located on the forehead, above and between the eyes.

The Third Eye as a sense can be used in many different ways. 1) It opens up the senses to patterns around us. 2) It's used to make connections and answer questions. 3) It's part of empathy where a person can touch and feel the emotions of others.

I believe that as musicians, we develop a Third Ear.

This idea occurred to me recently as I was absorbing a beautifully complex piece of music. I had listened to it several times until the main theme became familiar. I then let the theme go, and concentrated on the counterpart. I suddenly had the feeling that, while I was hearing the counterpart with my ears, I was hearing the theme from a spot in the middle of my chest. Was this a third ear?

1) It opened up my senses to the patterns in the music. 2) It made connections and answered questions about the music. 3) It helped me to reach out to touch and feel the emotions of the composer.

What do you think? Could there be, for musicians, a Third Ear?

Loch Lomand

I stay away from those "cliche" pieces like Danny Boy and anything you may hear screamed by drunken crowds at "Irish" Pubs. But one thing I learned early on - the way pieces are played today is not necessarily the way they were written or intended. Many years ago I heard Loch Lomand performed by Steve MacDonald. This tale of lost love was sung so sweetly that it nearly brought me to tears. Still, I never played any of the many arrangements of it that I had. Until last week.

It was one of those moments when the universe aligned and I melded into the sweet sadness of the song. My hands reached into my harp's strings and became it's heart. It was one of the few times that I didn't need to learn something before I could play it. I felt as though my Scottish blood rose to the surface of my existence.

Each time I play Loch Lomand I'm discovering that feeling all over again. I hope it never ends...