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.

Fantastic photographer

These photos were taken by Loraine McCall of Mojica Photography, while I was playing at a wedding at the Eldridge Hotel here in Lawrence Kansas. If you are looking for a photographer for your wedding or engagement pictures, I highly recommend her. She is very talented and wonderful to work with. Check out her website to see her beautiful photo galleries. One thing you will love about her, is that she includes a DVD of the photos with reprint copyrights, not to mention a Facebook album as well! That is very valuable and you won't find it included with many other photographers.

CD release

The CD I recorded about a year ago with the KU Wind Ensemble was released this week. I made it into the picture in the liner notes, just barely! It looks like I am turning a page. The CD has some very lovely pieces, my favorite being Anahita by Roshanne Etezady.

Changing of the strings

I have been going through the long, tedious process of changing all the strings on my harp. It has taken awhile because I always have a little helper,

or two, when I am working on it.

And sometimes even a third helper! This particular helper was quite useful with wrangling those impossible wire strings. Thanks honey!

My harp is sounding fantastic with the new strings. Tomorrow it will be regulated by a professional technician. The pedal harp has over a 1000 moving parts and requires yearly maintenance. I am fortunate to live fairly close to a harp technician. He lives in Kansas City and will drive out to Lawrence to work on a few harps tomorrow. In every other place that I have lived we have had to fly out a technician once a year to work on all the harps in the area.

I am looking forward to performing Rutter's Requiem in a few weeks at Plymouth Congregational, with my lovely, restrung and regulated harp!

The wedding harpist

One of my favorite jobs as a harpist is to play for people's wedding ceremonies. It is a privilege to be part of this memorable event. I have enjoyed playing in many locations-- from scenic lakesides to underground in a limestone quarry, from the beautiful Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to the lovely historic Eldridge right here in Lawrence, Kansas. The harp is a wonderful choice for a wedding ceremony. Not only is it visually beautiful, it is one of the prettiest instruments to listen to. I am always getting comments from guests about how much they enjoyed seeing and hearing the harp. If you are thinking about having a harp for your wedding ceremony or reception in the Topeka, Lawrence, or Kansas City area, please feel free to contact me.