Practicing Harp Happiness

Music has the power to inspire, to encourage and to unite. No song reveals this more clearly than the one written by a Philadelphia lawyer in 1768.

“United we stand,” are words familiar to every American, but few of us know that they first appeared as lyrics of what was perhaps the first song of resistance in the colonists’ uprising against British taxation. 

This podcast episode is dedicated to the story behind this song of the American Revolution, once iconic and now much less familiar than its jeering British contemporary tune, “Yankee Doodle.”  With words by John Dickinson to a tune borrowed from an English opera, this song became a key player (pun intended) in the American quest for liberty.

No, it wasn’t a harp tune, but I will play it for you anyway and you can download my harp arrangement of it too!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:  

• Download “The Liberty Song” sheet music
• Musicians in Uniform blog post
• Su...

 Have you ever thought of your music as having colors?  Or thought about a color difference between major and minor? 

Maybe to you a minor key is just another key.

But to me a minor key is so much more. As a musician, I first learned to listen critically with minor keys. As a teacher, I have seen that minor keys (much more so than major keys) open the door to understanding music theory. And as a harpist, I appreciate minor keys for the creativity they allow me, again more than major keys. And I love the way minor sounds, its tonal color.

Today's episode isn’t just about the facts of minor but also its color - what makes minor sound like minor and what makes it sometimes sound almost like major. Major and minor are more closely related than you might think. But it’s not all rainbow talk today. 

You will also learn: 

• My 3 number system for making sense of minor key signatures and scales.
• The 5 essential minor keys for harpists to know.  (c,g,d,a,e)
• How studying minor keys can ...

Do you have nothing to play except a drawerful of half-baked pieces?

You’ve practiced hard to learn your piece. Now what do you do with it, especially if you aren’t planning to perform it? Keep practicing, and if so, for how long? Put it away?

If you’ve ever wondered how to tell if your piece is really done or what to do with it when it is, you are not alone.

Starting a piece is the easy part. Your energy level is high and you’re ready to dig in. Then the going gets tougher as you drill the notes and the fingering. Finally, the piece begins to turn into music. This is when you discover that you have no clue what to do with it now. 

On this week’s podcast episode, I reveal not only how to decide when your piece is finished, but also the four “finish line” options which allow you to polish your piece for performance, or put it away with pride and a couple of things in between. 

Having a clear plan for your piece is key to your feeling of progress and accomplishment, and when you l...

Fast flashy scales and graceful arpeggios are one sign of a strong harp technique, but they aren’t the only indication.

In fact, even if you never expect to play fast music or super-difficult music, you need a strong technique.

Technique isn’t just for speed. For instance  if you struggle to make your music flow smoothly or be more expressive, these could be signs that you need some technique work. 

In this week’s episode, I reveal the 3 most important reasons - not including speed and security - you need a stronger technique and how to begin developing it without hours of drudgery.

Even if you’ve never been a fan of exercises and etudes,  when you listen to this episode, you’ll discover:

• How your musical expression depends on your technical level.
• The skill you need to strengthen to create more flow in your music.
• How to prepare your fingers for that next piece you want to learn. 

Plus, when you listen, you’ll have access to a FREE masterclass where I show you how to dev...

 What’s the one piece any harpist could name after just the first two chords? It’s the Pachelbel Canon of course.

Whether you’ve played it a thousand times or have yet to learn it, the Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel has become standard repertoire for harpists. The piece has embedded itself in our musical culture so deeply that it is on every gigging harpist’s most requested list and a favorite with any audience. 

But it isn’t all that easy to play, unless you know the shortcuts.

In this episode I explain some of the musical elements of the Canon with the idea that the more you understand about this piece, or any piece, the easier it is to learn it quickly and to play it well.

Plus, I share some of my favorite Pachelbel practice techniques with you, ones that can save you a lot of practice time and frustration, even if you’ve played the piece before. You’ll discover:

• Why your harp version isn’t really a “canon.”
• The unique features of the melody and harmony and how to play the...

 Every harpist wants to play well for her teacher. Somehow, though, we always find ourselves explaining that we played so much better at home.

I know; I’ve been there too. But over my years of teaching I have gathered some insights from the other side - the teacher side - that will help you understand what your lesson really should be about, the right way to prepare, and how to save  yourself from “lesson meltdown.”

On this week’s podcast episode, I not only reveal what your teacher really expects of you, but I also give you my top strategies for:

• Staying focused not frazzled.
• Creating the “inspiration mindset.”
• Understanding what and how to practice when you get home.

Plus, when you listen, you’ll learn about a new course to help you strengthen your technique so those finger fumbles won’t get in your way.

Join me as I walk you through the strategies you need to make every lesson a great lesson. 

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in th...

We harpists all have our own practice style. You might not have thought about it until you discovered some of your harp friends have very different ways of practicing. Maybe this made you wonder if you’re practicing the right way or doing it all wrong.

In today’s episode, I review the first 2 practice styles - maybe one of those is yours! - and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about practice style 3 - The Beagle - the strengths, the challenges and if you’re a Beagle, you’ll learn how you can use your Beagle superpowers to make consistent progress in your harp playing.

I know it sounds a little goofy, but bear with me. This is important because when you understand your own preferred style of practice, you can practice more effectively which will save you time and help you get your pieces finished faster. And that’s a HUGE win. 

And at the end of the show I will give you a point-by-point comparison of all three practice styles. Don’t worry - all three are good, there are no...