It’s not an obstacle, it’s a challenge

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I get inspiration in the oddest places. I write arrangements for traditional tunes based on my appreciation of Depeche Mode’s arrangements, Robert Frost poems, or squash casserole.  And I get ideas for what to share with you from sources just as diverse.

I saw a billboard today that said, “It’s not an obstacle, it’s a challenge” and I thought – “wow” (not very erudite, but sometimes basic is best!). Mostly the wow thought was due to the heartbreaking accuracy of the concept.

Do you ever open a piece of music and just get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of ink they left on the page? Or have you ever heard a lush arrangement of a meaty trad tune and just gotten lost in all the notes in the air? Either of these experiences usually leaves you thinking, “That’s fantastic…I LOVE that…but I’ll never be able to play it”.

But the reality is that you can play anything you like. There is no warning label on complex pieces. There is no gatekeeper on tunes. There is no catalog of pieces that only “really good” people can play but no one else can. If you want to play it, you can.

Of course, some things are out of easy reach. Note I said “easy reach”.

You can reach though, if you want to. You might have to work hard and you might have to practice a lot, and you might have to take more time than you want to admit to having to spend.  And you may have to be patient with you. But think about the reward.

Nothing is out of reach. It just presents a challenge…So ask yourself…when you think, “I can’t play that”, how much do you want to? Are you willing to do the work?

I’m looking forward to hearing your piece – when you have mastered it and are ready to share!

“It’s like a painting except it’s here…and then it’s gone” Harry Connick, Jr.

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Harry Connick, Jr made that comment in a program about the process of building concert pianos. In full disclosure, as much as I love playing the harp, I also love playing the piano. It was my first instrument and it provided the foundation for my musical life. I was fortunate to have an incredible teacher who taught me the importance of being a whole musician – the importance of practice, reading, interpretation, performing, and enjoying all of it. It is a strong underpinning that I continue to build on now, even though I don’t take the time to play my piano as much (note that I didn’t say I don’t have time…because truthfully, I don’t make time). And although I never got the concert grand I always wanted…but I got the mental equivalent and I’m grateful for that.

But Harry had a good point – music is ephemeral – fleeting. It can be like a breeze in summer…worth waiting for and so enjoyable when it comes. And best of all, as musicians, we can create our own breeze!

In the height of summer, when you get a cooling breeze, you don’t think, “well, that wasn’t right” or “I didn’t like that, I am a terrible breeze appreciator” or “that breeze was a chore to experience” or “that breeze was terrible, I’m going to repeat it over and over and over until I get it perfect”.

No, you just think, “oh, wasn’t that nice”.

Take that same appreciative approach to your music – enjoy the process and the activity, and the cool breeze it brings you. Enjoy the brief respite from the heat of the rest of the day. Revel in making music. Don’t focus on the details but delight in the sensation.

Courage to move

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“Improvisation is the courage to move
from one note to the next”
Bobby McFerrin

I don’t know about you, but most of my musical life, I have been terrorized by one word – “improvise”.



I have always balked at improvisation – because I know that I can’t do it.  Everyone knows that only the jazz greats are good improvisers.  Somehow, they receive some sort of divine intervention and brilliant music fills their heads and then it comes tumbling out of their fingers.



So, whenever someone says, “oh, just improvise” I begin to panic.  I’m not a jazz great! (of course, I’ve also never aspired to be a jazz great, so not sure where that line of thought is supposed to be going…).  Mostly though, I focus on all the things I can’t do.  I don’t breathe, I’m too busy thinking up excuses about what doesn’t come out because I can’t improvise…

When the moment has passed and I’m by myself, I’ll  do one of two things to calm my nerves.  Either, I’ll either sit down at my piano and crank out a Bach Invention – exactly as written – verbatim.  Or more likely, I’ll seek solace at my harp and bring out some wonderful traditional tune that pops into my heart and mess around some with the harmony…just sticking stuff in the left hand..doing just anything that feels like it will work,  stuff that will add that soupcon of feeling that will fill in the space with spice….

But that’s not improvising.  I’m just playing it for myself…it doesn’t matter what happens when I play…there is no wrong because I’m just playing around….

But I’m not improvising….really.  Because I can’t….I’m afraid to move…

Hmmmmm.

From Nothing – Something

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Last week I ended by saying that if you practice being you’ll find your creativity. And you probably thought, “ugh, there she goes again – she’s always talking about practice…as if practicing my harp isn’t enough work, now she wants me to practice being quiet!”

And many of us don’t want to practice something new. What if we’re not good at it? What if it’s hard to do? What if we fail? What if everyone else thinks we’re being silly? All valid questions, and all questions you probably asked yourself before you started playing the harp. But you didn’t let those questions stop you then – and you shouldn’t let them stop you now.

Being quiet doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a spiritualist – a wise monk once told me that many of us miss the point – the being quiet is not for the sake of being quiet. The point is to get to the quiet so you can pay attention. To see what is at this moment in time. You don’t have to become a yogi or a sufi or a sage…you just have to pay attention to right now. Sometimes this is called being present. You can be present in a lot of ways. You can sit in lotus and chant. You can go for a walk. You can knit a scarf. You can pray. The point is to do something that allows you to focus…and once you’re focused you can grow.

And that growth is what you’re trying to get to – so you can grow your creativity! So practice making nothing (remember that silence is the sound of nothing)…and with enough practice you’ll be able to create – in other words, you’ll make Something out of Nothing.

Enjoy the silence II

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Last week we talked about silence as necessary to build creativity. For those of you who know me personally, you might be surprised to hear me say that (since you’re so used to hearing me say something – I do talk a lot). But truly – finding quiet is essential to being creative – it is the only way to hear what’s possible inside your head, or your heart, or your hernia for that matter. And whether it’s you brain, your emotions, or your gut, there’s good stuff in there for you to work with to create.

But how do you get to hear the silence? After all we live in a noisy world. And we often don’t even recognize the noisiness. I didn’t until a friend pointed it out. We have sounds and distractions everywhere. In fact we view sitting quietly as being idle – and idleness is bad. But when was the last time you drove somewhere without the radio on, or walked somewhere without your ipod?

Quiet can be found, but you have to seek it and make it happen around you. Spend a little time with no distractions (even if you have to hide in the bathroom to do it). Enjoy the silence – and what you hear in it. We’re not talking about the kind of mental stillness that monks pursue (we could be, but I’m not that ambitious about this). This can be the kind of quiet that comes from a walk alone, a brief sit in the sun, or quiet contemplation. Don’t make it too hard – just a minute or two to start…you might be surprised how refreshing it is. And if you practice being quiet, you’ll find that you’re more creative than you had heard!

Enjoy the silence

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You might recall that music is made up of sounds and silence. Silence is a very useful thing – grabbing attention of the listener, helping to focus on the upcoming phrase or giving the listener time to reflect on the phrase that has just recently past.

Unfortunately, in our daily lives we have precious little silence – we sing in the shower, turn on the television when we awake, get in the car and put on the radio, and walk around with our phone or music player firmly ensconced in our ears. One might think we are afraid of silence – we do go to great lengths to avoid it.

But silence is more important than being space in our music – it provides a consistent background against which to think. It gives your brain a chance to catch its metaphorical breath. And then, you can create. Whether you’re composing, arranging, interpreting or conjoining music in new ways, you need that space to create – you need that silence.

Of course, finding silence can be a challenge. Even if you have decided to create a quiet place in your world, the others in that world may make it difficult to get there. In addition, even if you get the world around you quiet, it may be difficult to get the world within you quiet. But you do need that quiet – in the quiet you can generate creative new things, or just be, it’s your choice.

How do you find silence in which to be creative?  Let me know – and I’ll share some of my paths with you soon.
Let the silence sometimes be your choice – and enjoy the silence.

Southern Maryland Celtic Festival Harp Competition Results

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We couldn’t have had a better day in Southern Maryland for the Celtic Festival Harp Competition – it was mild and bright and beautiful! We held a Scottish Harp Society of America Sanctioned competition modified for a Celtic field (music from any of the Celtic nations).

Our judge was Sharon Knowles who is a great comment writer. Comments are the real meat of any competition – and Sharon is particularly good at providing excellent feedback for improvement while also pointing out the very best of each performance.

And we had some fantastic performances by the competitors – Sharon remarked on the enhanced standard of play – and she is right. We had a very accomplished field. Remember that the SHSA rules establish a competition against a standard rather than against the other competitors which includes the possibility of no one winning. But that wasn’t possible here – the play was just too good! And the scores were very close indeed. The results:

     Beginner          First Place: Jennifer Plunk
     Novice             First Place: Mary Abbott
                            Second Place: Donna Bennett
     Apprentice       First Place: Barbara Costello
     Journeyman     First Place: Mike Connors
                            Second Place: Saori Nystrom
     Master             First Place: Caroline Kemper

Congratulations to all the winners!

Throughout the day, after the competition, we had many other harp activities. Sharon taught a workshop before she performed on two separate stages. In addition we had an impromptu jam session as well as joining other musicians for a session for the country dancers before the ceilidh.

I’d like to thank Sharon for her wonderful judging. I’d also like to thank the volunteers who helped make the day run so smoothly – Sue Richards – steward, Linda Rice-Johnson – photography, and David Narkevicius – harp schlep, handyman, and gopher as well as John Knowles, wrangler and Donna Bennett, movie extra.

We had a lovely time and I hope you’ll come out to compete next year.

Is Time on your side?

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We’ve been talking about the physical and mental demands of participating in the great summer offerings that will help you become a more accomplished harp player. Now you know the importance of preparing. But to do that, you have a little more homework to do.

You need to set a schedule. This is gradually lengthening practicing time. You really shouldn’t practice for an hour today and four hours tomorrow. That would just invite injury!  Instead, look at your calendar and give yourself plenty of time to ramp up the amount of time you spend practicing. Add a little more time each day until you’re playing significantly more than you are now.

There are two reasons to look ahead. First, you might have heard, time flies like an arrow (you might also have heard fruit flies like a banana, but that’s not important here). It will be time to go before you know it. If you don’t establish your practice schedule, it’ll be time to leave for your selected event and you won’t have done any of the work you needed to do to be ready. This is potentially heartbreaking because no one wants to leave a workshop or other event knowing they would have gotten so much more out of it if only:

  • Their hands hadn’t given out on them
  • Their shoulders didn’t ache
  • Their backs didn’t throb
  • Their heads weren’t so full
  • Their arms weren’t so tired
  • Their practice didn’t prepare them for this performance! 

The second reason to look ahead is that you may already be busy. And while it is good in principle to say to yourself, “I will practice more each day.” it is very difficult to achieve. What with day jobs and the rest of life’s sundry demands, you might have difficulty fitting in more practice time. I find that the only time I can consistently practice (without everything else getting in the way) is before 6 am. Now, I’m not advocating that for you, but you may have to really give your schedule a shake to get more time at the harp into it!

You’ll note that I have not indicated how much time to add, in what increments or up to what threshold. This is because it will be specific to each individual. If you’d like more guidance, feel free to contact me- I offer ergonomics lessons that focus on your specific performance which will help you determine the amount of time you should be adding to increase your play time and performance without also incurring injury. You know where to find me…

This Build up is not waxy or dulling – but rather gets you where you want to go!

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Last week I started talking about improving your condition so you could play better. But how do you do that, exactly?

No matter what you decide to do this summer, make sure you condition yourself. Be prepared to spend more concentrated time on your bench. Remember that workshops are hard work – you do a lot of concentrating. So spend some quality time taxing your brain before you go – you want to be ready to take in more. This is not the time to start trying to sight read Faure’s collected works to perform – but you could spend a little more brain time as you get ready to go. Learn some easy pieces by ear, read something new (not to performance, just practice your reading).

You’re going to be physically tired – you’re going to be working hard. And you’ll be spending your time doing things you don’t normally get to do – sitting at your harp! To have the stamina to spend that time on your bench, you should work up to it! Be sure your fingers, arms, shoulders, back and tush are ready for the demands you’re about to place on them. Spend more time at your harp in preparation. Be diligent about those exercises – get out your favorite book. I am currently switching back and forth between Grossi and Friou – use what works for you.

And don’t forget to stretch. You’re doing a lot of hard work to prepare. Stretching will help keep you limber and flexible and stronger – more able to enjoy the workshop time. Be physically and mentally ready for your workshop – don’t let little nagging bits of unpreparedness ruin your summer workshop. Be prepared so you can soak up loads of learning. You may not be ready yet, but if you start now you’ll be ready to have a great workshop experience!

Conditions are favorable for Conditioning

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Last week I listed things that might help you prepare to get the most out of the summer program you choose for this year (or programs if you’re lucky!).  As I mentioned, all the events I listed are wonderful opportunities to learn new stuff, meet great people, and harp, harp, harp! But to get the most out of any event – you MUST be prepared. And to be prepared for the rigors of these summer outings – you must be in good condition.

We all know that even a weekend workshop can be really draining – it is a lot of work to be in early lessons and late night sessions, lectures, practicing, coffee breaks and shopping – they all take their toll. In addition, these are chance to be surrounded by other harp players – some less advanced than we, others the shining stars of our world who turn out to be real, approachable people. All this amazing stuff takes energy. And it’s not that we don’t have the energy – we just don’t usually expend it all at once like that! Most of us are lucky to get an hour a day at our harps. So a weekend workshop in which we are at it from breakfast ‘til bedtime is a significant ramp up! And the week long events are even more challenging

So, regardless of the program you elect to participate in this summer – make sure you condition yourself. Be prepared to spend more concentrated time on your bench – concentrating. Be sure your fingers, arms, shoulders, back and tush are ready for the demands you’re about to place on them.

Also give your calendar a good hard look. Every workshop is chock full of information – new tunes, new techniques, new people, new approaches, new outlooks. So be kind to yourself – clear a little time around the event so that you won’t be rushed or stressed before you get there – be sure that your mind is in good condition to learn too!

And when you get there – be there! Enjoy the time but focus on your harp life – don’t bring a bunch of other work with you – there’s not that much time, you’re going to be tired, and mostly likely, you came to the event to focus on your harp playing – other stuff can wait (not true emergencies of course, but work – make it wait!).

Just imagine the condition you’ll be in when the activity is over – you’ll be flush with excitement, primed to go home and play more, ready to take on new challenges – you’ll be in fantastic condition!