To Harp A Bit...

Last night was my third semester participating in my university's harp ensemble. I probably won't be able to be in the harp ensemble again for a year, so I'm really pleased with how well last night's concert went. It wasn't perfect, but it was my favorite by far.
You're probably not that interested, but I thought I'd to share some thoughts and my background with the harp.

First, for a bit of background, I've been playing the harp for six years. You may think, "Wow, that's a long time." It may in fact be a long time (by now it feels like I've always played the harp), but in the musical world starting an instrument at the age of thirteen seems old. At least that's how I've always looked at it. You hear of great composers who played their instruments since they were children (usually starting anywhere between five and eight years old). Even fellow harpists I've talked to have that same story. They learned how to read notes at the same time they learned how to read letters.

My mom insisted both my brother and I take piano and violin lessons from the age of five onwards, so I wasn't entirely musically deprived as a child. But, unlike my brother who eventually became an advanced pianist, I never truly learned how to read notes. I just guessed or learned the songs by ear (much, I suspect, to the chagrin of my teachers and mom). As a result, I never advanced in skill.

Eventually my complaints about the high E string of the violin (and lack of practicing), convinced my parents to switch me to either the viola or cello. I went with the cello (the professional musician at the store said I was a natural cellist) and actually advanced fairly quickly (probably because I was more inclined to practice and I liked the sound of the cello more). I grew in size fairly quickly as well, so, within a year, my parents were faced with having to buy a full-sized, good quality cello (I have a good ear, apparently, and I would only practice faithfully if the instrument had a good sound) or finding some other instrument I may advance in...like the harp.

(Adjusting the stool after the guest artist used it. Guess I'm one of  those few harpists who like the stool being high...very high.)

I had always loved the harp. I can't remember the first time I heard it (probably on a CD of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, since I took ballet as a little girl), but the idea of playing the harp had always appealed to me. I do remember going to an activity many years ago where local musicians were giving a lecture on music and different instruments. A long established harpist in the area was there with her harp. When all of the kids lined up to learn about one of the instruments, I ended up going to the flute line because the harp line was so long. But I remember gazing across the room at the harp, wishing I was over there (particularly since trying the flute required putting a mouthpiece to my lips which everyone else had touched). 

So, my mom thought of the harp when faced with the decision of a permanent and expensive instrument. The price of a cheap lever harp was about the same as the price of the cello we were considering buying. (Lever harps change keys and accidentals by using levers at the top of each string and are smaller and less expensive than larger pedal harps. The harps pictured in these photos from the harp ensemble concert are pedal harps.) My mom took me to the local harpist to try it out and then arranged lessons with Sister Pack, her former voice teacher and the founder of the harp program at my university. Then, on Christmas, my favorite present was a piece of paper saying that I would get one year of harp lessons. One year turned into six, I learned how to read notes and count, and we bought a Lyon and Healy Prelude 40 on sale (it was a new lever harp model). Now, as a student at the university, I'm still taking harp lessons from Sister Pack, I've learned to play the pedal harp (yes, levers and pedals are different), and am in the ensemble. In short, it has been a wonderful, life-changing journey which I hope to continue on. (I also wouldn't mind having a pedal harp as a traveling companion someday in the future...someday...)

I've personally never felt any sort of competitiveness in the harp world (as opposed to other musical instruments). But, when I met other harpists in college who have played for ten to eleven years, I must admit I felt a little envious and at a disadvantage. Then I realized that I'm not. If I had started at the age of five, I wouldn't remember not playing the harp. It would be easier to take it for granted. Instead, I remember dreaming the seemingly impossible dream.

I'm not planning on becoming a professional, but I do think I'm good...good enough to play for people and events, and to teach if I need to. But, in my mind, it doesn't matter if I'm not professional or if I haven't played for ten or eleven years. What matters is that I play the harp. As I'm sure any harpist will say, that alone is a privilege and a blessing and is the only thing that matters in the end.