Happy Independence Day this 4th of July!
Enjoy, Celebrate, Create!
Author Archives: Jen
OSAS 45th Anniversary
OSAS has started for the 45th year! It’s a very exciting time and I’m thrilled some of you are here! It is such a pleasure to be teaching with Corrina Hewat, Haley Hewitt, and Allison Miller! And it might go without saying what a privilege it is to teach such fun, motivated, engaged and engaging students!
As usual, I have taken no photos, but Therese Honey has graciously shared some she took today. Now to be fair, we’ve only been at it for one day, so maybe I’ll have more later. But you know me – I’d rather be playing and laughing then taking pictures – so maybe not.
Here are the classes – and we’re just getting started!
The Novices might be small, but they are mighty!
Apprentices take on the tunes…
Journeymen are expanding their horizons….and their repertoires.
Masters are always ready to take on another tune!
It is not possible to ask for a better group of people to teach with.
I am so very lucky to do this work. If you are even slightly waffling about coming next year – just do!
Keeping Track
I know you’ve all had “that week”. The one where a seemingly small thing throws a gorilla wrench into the works. I’d say monkey wrench, but the outcome is outsized and puts a crimp in your plans.
So this week, although I had planned a lovely and informative discussion about thinking, my laptop died on me. And frankly, while I’m grateful you’re reading, I’m not inclined to write that many words from my phone. So, we’ll table that discussion for now and instead, I’ll pass along something I can easily do with my (opposable) thumbs!🫱🫲
It is now summer, officially. We’ve passed meteorological summer, Memorial Day and here’s the Solstice.
I know summer is busy and fun and it’s easy to forget, “Did I practice today?” And in fact sometimes it becomes, “Did I touch my harp this week?”
So, my thumbs and I are pleased to present you with a fun Practice Tracker for the summer. Just click on the picture below and print it.
Each day you play or practice, color in a leaf. It’s that easy!
I hope this makes you smile, and leads you to intend to practice. At the end of the summer, I hope you’ll have leafed through it and found success (get it?).
I’m planning to start at the bottom and as I get closer to autumn, I’ll let the leaves start to turn color. Hope you’ll join me! Let me know in the comments.
When your enthusiasm runs away with your brain
When your enthusiasm runs away with your brain
One of the best things my students bring to our time together is enthusiasm. They clearly are interested and invested in making music. They don’t all have the same motivations, but they each bring a big bucket of energy!
Let’s start by saying that I am supremely fortunate to be in that sweet spot of having a wide diversity of students – all of whom I really enjoy and look forward to seeing! Not everyone (including me) gets that all the time. It really does make teaching a joy and I am ever so grateful for it!
Energy is essential. It is also necessary – but it is not sufficient! To meet sufficiency, we have to add a little bit of focus. And some fundamentals. *
I know you’re excited to play. Of course you are – because – it’s a harp! Who wouldn’t want to do that?!
But let’s look at that sentence – you want to play the harp. Don’t be fooled by the word “play”, because while it’s fun and captivating, we know it’s not just play. We play based on our work on the fundamental elements of performing.
These basic elements of interacting with our instrument are so important not only for the music but also for ourselves. Good technique means we will be able to play easily and pain-free for as long as we like. Good musicianship means we will be able to participate in the music (and the wide world of music) comfortably and successfully.
It all starts with technique and continues through listening, hearing, feedback, focus, and thinking.** But the physical act of pulling sound from the harp starts with technique – learning the details of coaxing out music, not just noise.
I know you want to get straight to it. I know you want to play. I know you want to bring forth what’s in your head. And the music in your heart.
But here’s what I want. I want you to not struggle. I want you to get where you have set your sights – and farther. I want you to play forever (or at least as long as you want to). I want you to succeed.
The shortest path to where you want to go is to get that stuff you need to know into your head, into your hands, into your heart. Believe me – the music will be there when you’re ready. And when you are ready, the music will flow. Sadly, there are no shortcuts (don’t ask me how I know this).
Your enthusiasm will certainly help you – but don’t let it run away with your brain. First we work, then we play.
What do you think? Do you let your enthusiasm run away with you (and run from doing what needs to be done)? Let me know in the comments!
* If you think I’m talking specifically about you – I’m not, but you should probably hear what I’m saying.
** Yes, of course there’s more but I’m trying to keep this short!
Do you HAVE TO practice?
Do you HAVE TO practice?
Nope, that’s not what I mean. Of course you NEED TO practice to maintain your current level of play, to keep your tunes in your head and in your hands, and to continue to grow. After all, playing an instrument is a complex task that requires a great deal of memory. So, yes, you NEED TO practice.
But that’s not the question. The question is, do you HAVE to practice?
And the answer to that is question is…
no
You don’t HAVE TO practice.
You GET TO practice!
You have the rare privilege to have daily harp performances in your living room – DAILY! And you don’t even have to buy a ticket! What a deal!
Yes, practicing is an obligation – but it’s an obligation you have set for yourself. You have a block of time already set aside by you, for you. A lot of people have the intention of doing something for themselves, but you have already made that commitment. And each day that you practice, you GET TO benefit from that commitment.
And that GET TO probably leaves you grateful to yourself for making that time for you.
GET TO is a choice that you make (just like HAVE TO is). GET TO is a mindset you select. Just like you select what to practice, you can select your mindset going in. When you GET TO experience the practice you NEED, your growth will HAVE TO show!
What is your mindset? Do you define your time at the harp as something you GET TO do? Or does it still feel like something you HAVE TO do? Let me know how you see it – in the comments!
Remember
Remember
This week we observe Memorial Day and honor those who have died in the nation’s wars. These fallen have given all to preserve our way of life. Those of whom can be said, “Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue”. This Uncommon Valor has afforded the rest of us the privilege of playing the music we love in relative safety and security. Please remember them with gratitude as you play and practice this week.
Thanks, Bunches
Thanks, Bunches
“Your underwear only bunches when you’re on your way to the bench.”
And it’s true, isn’t it. It’s only when you’re on your way to the bench that you notice it. In the short walk that takes you to the bench (and takes forever (cut to bad old movie footage of a hallway progressively lengthening as you walk)), that is when the riot happens in your brain. You’ve been complete calm, comfortable, and bunch-free…right up until that point. AND THEN YOU FEEL IT.
And you can think of nothing else. Every neuron in your brain, no, in your body, is reporting that on this phenomenon. It is all you can think about. You certainly can no longer hear the tune in your head. It’s drowned out by the freight train of fearsome awareness.
There is no escape. No matter how well prepared you felt. No matter how long you have been playing. No matter how politely the cat and the curtains applaud your efforts. No matter how many seats in the theatre. This is the end. And you can barely walk for the bunching.
But that’s not true, is it?
When you begin to breathe again and stop hyperventilating, when your muscles relax and release, you realize the freight train is not running on a different track and the danger has passed. And when the noise abates, the riot calms, and you can begin to hear the strains of the tune once more. Without the clenching of your teeth and other muscles, you let go of the bunching, and you become more comfortable…as you settle on the bench.
I’d be bunches of happy to hear what you think! Let me know in the comments.
This bit of wisdom comes courtesy of my dear friend Kris. We were planning our Moving Forward weekend (formerly known as Harp Quest, but we felt like we wanted to leave that sitting there for a bit and focus more on Moving Forward) and we found this statement – in multiple places – in our assembled history (which includes student feedback, our own feedback when we’re still sweaty and exhausted from teaching, and our musings after a good meal and a glass of wine). It really is our collected wisdom to date, and we review it to launch our planning to…you guessed it…Move Forward!
We are offering Moving Forward to our students this summer. The first weekend (25 – 27 August) is for less experienced harpers – you are early in your learning and still getting a handle on playing and are looking to learn, laugh, and meet other harpers like you. The second weekend (8 – 10 September) is for more experienced harpers. You are intermediate or advanced and are looking for a challenge as well laughing, learning, and hanging out with other harpers like you. For either weekend you are interested, engaged, excited and enthusiastic while not judging, pulling back, or withdrawing. Enrollment in each weekend is limited because we are going to be very focused and have group and one-on-one time. If you have worked with me in regular lessons, irregular lessons, or in coaching you are invited. If you’re interested in being part of this or in getting more details, let me know – in the comments!
Prepping your practice
Prepping your practice
If you’ve spent even a little time in the socials you have probably not been able to escape seeing loads about Meal Prepping.
If you haven’t, Meal Prep is an approach to helping you get dinner on the table so that mealtime is not a zoo. All the cool kids are doing it, apparently.
There’s no magic to meal prep. It’s a fairly easy process to follow. And it’s smart because it saves time, money, angst, and the “hangries”.
While seeing that stuff again, it got me thinking* – could we “prep” our practice so that practice time isn’t a zoo? Why not!
So, if we were going to Practice Prep, what would we need to do?
We need to understand that practice prep isn’t a “hack” (remember, we talked about that before!).
We need to understand that, no matter how many well-meaning people make cute memes on the socials telling us what to do, our practice prep needs to be our own and that every suggestion is just that, a suggestion. We can look at, evaluate (maybe even test drive) and decide to keep or toss each one as needed to fit ourselves.
We need to understand that it can be as simple or as complex as we need it to be. Meal prep can be simple (make extra to have leftovers later) or complex (make an entire week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners). Likewise, our practice prep can be as simple or complex as we need (and it can vary from week to week).
So, like meal prep, Practice Prep is based on identifying some important things like – what do we want to get done over the week? What are the steps to get there? What is missing that we need to build to make progress?
How do we identify these things? There are a few places to start depending on where you are in your harp life.
The easiest way is to read your lesson notes to find what you have learned and what your teacher is expecting you to accomplish between lessons so that you can continue to progress. You may get very good direction on exactly what you should do. But frankly, that’s likely only if you are a child or have just started lessons (while your teacher helps you learn how to practice). You are told what do to and how “on track” is defined. That’s fairly easy (as long as you do it).
If you are more advanced or if you are self-directed, you have the same information available, you just have to dig a little to find it. What is your overall goal? What are the precise steps to get there? Have you further identified the substeps (iterated to the smallest steps) so that you can work on specific things to move you forward? (NB these will likely change frequently as the steps at the beginning of a tune will look different than the steps when you’re polishing). Have you noted those steps so that you can 1. remember them and 2. verify that you have completed them (successfully)? Have you defined your criteria for “good enough” or “done”? Have you marked your progress (good and not as good) so you know where to start next and what needs more focus?
Now you can organize your time. That includes doing any prep work needed (pencils sharpened? music ready? distractions put away?) so that you are ready to practice and make the most of it.
Finally, you need to be consistent – doing this one week will be helpful but won’t significantly move you forward un
less you continue to build week on week. No matter how much we try to pretend otherwise, the tortoise always wins the race!
What do you think? Is my meal prep analagy too much of a stretch? Or am I on the money here? Let me know in the comments!
* you caught me surfing rather than practicing!
Sit Up and Take Notice 2
Sit up 2
Last week we talked about how the rest of your life (you know – work, home life, hobbies, etc.) can impact your harp playing, possibly leaving you injured or in pain and unable to play. And that this can happen even if your harp technique is really good. We talked about being ready to play by maintaining strength, flexibility, and good posture. This week let’s move from talking to what you can do about it.
We know that at the harp, we need to close, have good space for movement, that the arm must move to support the wrist, and that we will improve with practice (which will include some repetition, no matter how you dress it up). But do we apply this same thinking and discipline to our other tasks in life? The sad answer is that most do not. So, what can you do to overcome all this?
Here are some suggestions that are all over the place. You can treat this list as a pick and mix or you could acknowledge that this is a wide problem and needs a wide solution. Here goes:
- Pay attention. It is challenging to pay attention to your posture when you’re in the middle of solving a problem, typing a masterpiece, or reading a good book. It is important though, to take a short break to check on yourself – and make corrections if you have lapsed. If you need help, set a reminder to poke you into paying attention.
- Don’t sit like a shrimp! Don’t slouch at the harp, at the dinner table, at the desk. Just don’t. If you already do, sit up. Notice your posture. Also notice the fatigue you might feel after you do sit up. This is a sure sign that you need to strengthen your back muscles to help you sit upright. Practicing sitting up will make it easier (seem familiar?).
- Don’t be the hipster. Sit in any Pete-bucks (really any coffee shop with free wifi) and see how many people you can find that are not sitting curled up, head forward, neck in a weird curve, staring at a screen. As I look around, I see – zero people sitting with healthy posture*. See those bowed curved shoulders? That’s those strong chest muscles overpowering the back muscles. Remember too that your head weighs about 15 pounds (even for airheads) and your neck is a very weak set of joints, so keeping your head centered over your body is a good idea. Keep your ears over your shoulders.
- Leave room for expansion – sitting up will straighten your spine which will also give your ribs room to expand….and then you can breathe! Novel concept.
- Practice like a pro. Do you think (your favorite athlete or performer) just runs out on the field or stage to play? NO – they warm up and stretch. You might not see them do it, but they do. So should you. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate routine – wiggle your fingers, stretch your hands, arms, and shoulders. Warm up your legs, hips, and back. You’re going to be doing a lot of work, might as well prepare for it.
- Get up. When you’re practicing, don’t plant yourself for the duration. Plan to get up. I break my practice into segments (warm up, technical, learning, working, polishing, improv or composing, and then fun) and set a timer for each. Sometimes I ignore the timer – if I’m working and good things are happening, I’ll ignore it (actually I’ll reset it because my plan is to do the work but not to overdo the work). I use different times for different things – I might work for 45 minutes but only warm up for 5. It also depends on the day and what I’m hoping to accomplish – but it’s all informed by my self-knowledge and experience.
- Get up too. Getting up isn’t just about keeping your mind sharp and giving yourself a break. It’s also an opportunity to practice some back care. Your back is a long chain of bones and connects with your ribs, hips, shoulders, arms, and legs. All that sitting can lead to stiffness or pain that feels like your back but could be more. Get up, stretch, move, strengthen your body so you can not only sit (comfortably, correctly) but also so you can get up!
We don’t often think of playing the harp as a rigorous activity but you do need to have a basic level of strength so you can be successful and resilient. You might be wondering 1. do you do these (bad) things? or 2. how do you know if you’ve stopped doing them? I have an answer for that too – record yourself. I know, there are still people who don’t want to see themselves on video (even after years of covid). Get over it – there’s too much to be learned to get stuck in a hangup. Besides – you use a tuner, don’t you? And you use a tuning wrench, right? Well, your phone recording is just another tool, so stop arguing. Set it up on your music stand, push record and do the thing. Do it for a while to capture your real self and see what you need to work on…and what you don’t. I am always delighted to see that my thumbs are up, for instance. Most importantly, when you’re done learning from the video – delete it!
These are all good ideas, but it is very important that you remember that if you have an injury – acute or chronic, any type really – seek medical help. Not Dr. Google. Don’t shake it off. Go see a real physician, chiropractor, or physical therapist.
Do you have other challenges or solutions? Let me know in the comments!
* Now you know my little secret writing spot.
Sit up and take notice
Sit up and take notice
It’s May, which is a lovely time of year. It is daylight longer, the temperatures are fairly palatable, and we are ready to emerge from the winter (and to escape spring cleaning). It’s also a time that many think about our general health and fitness – and how fortunate we are to have (generally) good health while being fit enough to do the things we love (like play the harp).
And yet, as I write this, I have three students in treatment for various hand and arm overuse injuries and more that are preparing to seek help for sore forearms, tired fingers, tightness in the palm, neck pain, and more.
Yikes!
This bothers me because 1. I don’t like to see anyone in pain (except maybe that mean girl from 8th grade), 2. It interrupts their practice and our lessons, and 3. As a Human Systems Integration expert and a Certified Music Ergonomist it is painful for me to watch these things develop. I will say that, although these students are feeling the effects in their playing, they have done me proud by working on their technique so that we can be assured that it is not the harp that is the problem. However, the same cannot be said for the rest of their lives and there are still problems that have to be addressed.
A long time ago I heard/read someone say that it didn’t matter if you spent 30 minutes every day in the gym strengthening your abs if the other 23 and half hours of every day you let them slag off! (can’t remember where I got this, but it stuck with me)
This is so true for our harp playing body (and for all your other muscles (and fascia and tendons)). You can have brilliant technique and practice habits at the harp, but if the rest of your day is not similarly managed, you can develop issues that will spill over into your harp life. We don’t focus on our bodies while we sit at our computers, tablets, phones, paperwork, stovetops, or in front of the television. Working from home, our current world, and busy minds have all contributed too.
Contributed to what? Primarily poor posture and long periods of stasis – sitting still. Age also works against you as you calcify ingrown habits as well as losing both flexibility and strength. There may be some truth to those people who say their day job is killing them! Let’s not let us be one of them!
If you’re a kid (define that as you wish), you might think that’s a problem for other people. That it won’t happen to you. That you’re different. Go on telling yourself that. <deep sarcasm> Whatever – of the eight billion people on the planet, a very large proportion of those grow to older adulthood and along the way they lose strength and muscle mass, experience reduced flexibility, and develop age related injuries. It would be good if we maintained good posture, strength, and flexibility to avoid injury and loss.
This week, think about this and the relationship of (the other parts of) your life to your ability to play. Next week, I’ll give you some things to work on to assure that pain, injury, or loss of mobility don’t derail your harping! Are you experiencing any of these things? Let me know in the comments!