Recital in Warsaw

We are living in Warsaw Poland this semester. It has been a wonderful experience. I was able to rent a harp from Anna Piechura-Gabrys, the wonderful harpist with the Warsaw Opera.

On Monday I presented a recital at the School of Music where she teaches. The program was all dance related music--you know, Sarabandes, Rumbas, Tangos, etc. I think it was a fun mix of music and the audiences was warm and appreciative.

For Spanish Dance No. 5 Andaluza, I invited the children in the audience to come up and dance. I thought this would be a good song for then to dance on because of the contrasting fast and slow sections. When I practice at home my daughter loves dancing to this piece. I wish she would have come up during the recital, but she was too shy.

How did you start playing the harp?

This is a question that comes up regularly.  When I was 12 years old I was in a local music store looking for music for my cello.  I saw a little folk harp and fell in love with it.  It was a Dusty Strings FH-26.  It was love at first sight.  In the same month I heard a local harpist play at the public library and asked if she gave private lessons.  I was lucky enough to have supportive parents that let me pursue this beautiful instrument.  I cleaned out my own saving account (where I had been saving birthday money and every penny I had earned for my short 12 years) and purchased that little harp.  The rest is history!

Broken pedal rod

This is not how I like seeing my harp!

It is very rare for a pedal rod to break, but it happened to me the week before last. I finally got the new rod from the factory (you can see the fed ex box in the corner) this week. I have made several valiant attempts, but I can not get the broken one out.

You can see I have Carl Swanson's handy guide opened on the floor there, but it is not helping. There is also a fabulous tutorial by Mike Lewis. I feel confident that if I could just get the broken on out, I could get the new one in. I think it is time to call a technician. I don't know what else to do!

update 4/6--the technician came and fixed everything. The rod they sent me was too long so I wasn't able to do it myself. So glad to have it working again.

New gig

I am pleased to announce that I will be teaching harp at University of Kansas in Lawrence starting Spring semester 2011. I have spent many hours changing all of the strings on their three harps. They have all been regulated now and are sounding so much better. KU has a great music school and I am thrilled that they are putting forth the money and effort to build the harp department.