Practicing Harp Happiness

I love to read. Maybe you’re like me, with several books in progress at once. I seem to have a book in every room that I can pick up when the fancy strikes. Plus, I always have at least one book on my Kindle and an audiobook going for when I’m in the car. I like to think I spend more time reading each day than doing anything else, but that’s probably not accurate, just aspirational. 

Summer reading is always my favorite. It feels indulgent to sit outside on the deck or at the beach or under a shady tree and just read. Maybe it is actually indulgent, but it’s never wasted time. And today, I’m going to share some of my summer reading with you, books that have particular interest to harpists and other musicians, or at least books I have found interesting.

When I read about music and musicians, I find I’m not just learning facts. I’m releasing myself from the “doing,” from being absorbed in practice and playing and all the practicalities that go with my day to day harp life. Instead, ...

Ok - I talk about harp happiness a lot. Really a lot. That’s because playing the harp has always brought me happiness. Sure, playing the harp is hard work sometimes, and I’ve had my share of frustration too, but for me the challenges are outweighed by the joy every time. It’s the joy that keeps me going and I hope that your own harp happiness sustains and inspires you too.

I mention this because I have a special guest on today’s show and she positively radiates harp happiness. Her name is Alexandra Chang, and if you haven’t heard of her already, just listening to her talk about her love of music and the harp is going to make you fall in love with her. 

Alex is an electric acoustic harpist and composer and as you will hear, much of her performing is collaborative improvisation, particularly with the Rock City Falls Trio, a cross-genre ensemble. She recently completed a Jazz and Sonic Music residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity for performance and composition and pre...

I don’t know if you’ve ever had this experience, but there’s something that happens when you realize that you have to shift your understanding of someone. It’s a little unsettling, as if that person belonged in one little box in your mind and now you find out it’s been the wrong box all along, and in fact, they don’t really belong in a box at all. Your appreciation of that person takes on new meaning and your friendship finds a new level. 

I found that kind of new level with my good friend and esteemed colleague Dr; Louis Anthony deLise, who is my guest on today’s show.  Louis and I became acquainted because we were both part of the freelance musical circles in Philadelphia, where I knew him as a percussionist. I didn’t discover that his real metier was composing until much more recently and not only has that deepened our friendship, but it has brought a lot of new and wonderful music into my life, for which I am very grateful.

Louis is one of my collaborators on the Chrysalis Mus...

There are plenty of things that make me feel old, for instance, when I remember that I used to have to go to the library to do research or that I didn’t know who was calling me before I answered the phone. Here’s another one that makes me feel positively ancient, and I promise you I’m not that old: I remember my mother handwriting music that my teacher wanted me to learn but was out of print. We didn’t have easy access to a copier, although sometimes my dad could make a copy at his work. So, if I needed a piece of music that wasn’t very long, my mother wrote it out for me. That feels practically Stone Age now.

When I started arranging music and publishing it back in the 1990”s, there were two programs that most composers had to choose between - Finale and Sibelius. I chose Sibelius on the recommendation of one of my teaching colleagues at Curtis, and I still use it today. It had a pretty steep learning curve when I first started, and it is still a powerful program that takes a litt...

Here’s the picture: it’s the most unusual shipwreck in history. Somehow or other you have ended up alone on a desert island with just your harp. It’s interesting to consider how this might have happened. Did you swim to shore after the shipwreck with your harp strapped to your back? Or maybe you used it like a raft and your harp is what saved you. But somehow, against all the odds and flying in the face of reality, you ended up on this island with your harp. Even more amazing is that your harp is in tune, no strings have broken, and the weather is exactly what your harp needs to stay happy. 

But just wait - there’s more.

As you explore the island, you discover a charming hut which will be a perfect shelter for you and your harp, and when you enter the hut, you discover a harp bench, a tuning key, and a music stand. As you move closer, you realize that there is some sheet music on the stand, three pieces of music in fact, and they just happen to be your three favorite pieces in the...

Spring is finally settling in where I live. You might be weeks ahead of me or behind me or in a totally different hemisphere, but in the spirit of sharing what’s on my mind and what’s happening in my world, I want to talk about spring cleaning today. Naturally, though, I’m not talking about cleaning windows and carpets and closets. I want to talk about spring cleaning your harp life. 

When I first decided to focus on spring cleaning for this podcast, I didn’t want to take the easy way out. It would be easy to talk about harp care - changing strings, cleaning your harp, the right products to use, etc. But I wanted to go deeper and look at what matters to your harp playing even more than new strings or polish. I want to talk about your playing, your practice, your music. 

We all get into a practice routine, and in general, having a routine is a good thing. It helps us stay on track more easily by creating a habit that can be nearly effortless to follow. But those same habits that su...

I know it’s cliché, but when I was a young harpist, I wanted to be just like my teacher, the same way children want to be just like their parents. Specifically, that meant to me that I was going to play in a big orchestra someday. It was years later when I discovered that not only were there other paths harpists could pursue, but that some of those paths actually suited me better. I’ve certainly done my share of orchestral playing, and I enjoy it, but I have always found more scope and more musical opportunity in chamber music and solo performances. 

When I was still in high school, I began to freelance, to play a variety of music in various settings to earn my living. Don’t get the wrong impression; I didn’t have to earn my living in high school. My freelance playing at that age set me up very well to earn a good living freelancing in college and beyond. I reveled in the variety, in the unusual experiences I had, in the interesting places my playing took me. I still do some of tha...

For me, and I think for many people, this last week of the year is a supremely hopeful one. The rush to get ready for Christmas is behind us and the promise of a new year is finally in focus. We’re faced with possibilities for a change, instead of pressure.

I realize, of course, that for many of us those possibilities for the new year include uncertainty, worry and fear which are beyond any assistance I could give on this podcast. I can merely offer prayers that the universe grants us all the courage and resources we need to face the circumstances before us. And I will stick to what I know best, how to help you find more meaning, joy and fulfillment in your harp playing,

It has become a fairly wide-spread practice at the beginning of the year to choose a word or a phrase to be your touchpoint throughout the year, to inspire you, motivate you and keep you focused. As I was thinking through my word for 2026, I realized that many of the words I have been using frequently in my teachi...

It’s Christmas week, and for me, this is a week to finally settle into the holiday mood. This is the time we decorate our tree, get in touch with friends and family, and start reveling in the spirit of joy and peace that feels so elusive other times of the year.

So this is not the week I want to dive into a heavy teaching topic here on the podcast. What I want to do today is spread a little holiday harp happiness with a short musical program for you to enjoy. 

The theme of the program is “Classics for a Relaxing Holiday,” classical music that is appropriate for the holidays, but isn’t specific to this time of year. In other words, no jingling bells or Santa Claus songs - just calm, perhaps even meditative harp music, assembled from my various recordings and videos. 

I’ve listed the program in the show notes, and for some of the pieces, you’ll also find links to sheet music arrangements in our Harp Mastery® shop. I’ve also included spoken introductions to each piece to give you a ...

I’m kind of a Christmas carol geek, if there is such a thing. I’ve always enjoyed playing them and even as a young person, I was fascinated by where they came from: their origins, translations, composers, text sources, etc. For me, the stories behind the carols were a kind of history and geography lesson rolled up into the magic and meaning of Christmas.

I think the origin stories are what really held my interest. The writing of “Silent Night” because a church organ in Austria was damaged, or the composition of “O Holy Night” as a dedication piece to a renovated organ in France are stories that aren’t just interesting, though. They shape how I think about those songs and how I play them, certainly how I arrange them as well.

Today, I want to share the back stories to three carols. I know you’re familiar with these carols, but you may not be familiar with their origin stories. If you’re like me, you love hearing insider scoops and these are back stories you probably won’t hear anyw...