Jenius Creations

Blog

  • The Interval

    We’ll get back to more about our amazing Harp the Highlands and Island Tour next week. 

    This week is sandwiched in between judging gigs at the Stone Mountain Highland Games “The Friendly Games” Harp Competition in Atlanta and the

    US National Scottish Harp Championship
    at the Meadow Highland Games and Celtic Festival at Richmond, VA
    I hope you’ll join us there – enter the competition or volunteer.
     
    Sue Richards and I will be judging and are looking forward to seeing you there!  Richmond is a lovely games – and the Harp Competition is held indoors!
    If you’d like to compete or to help, contact Jo Morrison harp(at)triharpskel.com 

  • Day Four: the Amazement doesn’t stop – all day!

    As captivating as Skye is, sadly, we had to leave and continue on our trip.  But we weren’t sad for long because from Skye we went to that most recognizable castle – Eilan Donan.  It is recognizable because it has become iconic but it is also incredibly beautiful.  Of course, it has incredible history.  And the fantastic views help build the atmosphere.  And the castle has featured in so many movies – you could love it as a movie star too. But the best bit is that it has a space especially for harpers in the great hall.  Clearly they were expecting us!  And THAT is what made me fall in love with ths castle.    Unfortunately, no photography inside.  So if you want to see this little harp spot, you’ll have to come with us!

    The beautiful harpers at Eilan Donan

    However, no photos inside doesn’t mean no photos outside!  We had a great time taking this photo.  And apparently a lot of other people did too.  Don’t be surprised if you see this photo in other places – people from all over the world stopped and took this photo too – tourists from Japan, Korea, Germany and Canada all seemed to be captivated by the harpers – who were clearly having a great time!  And we weren’t even playing!

    From Eilan Donan we traveled on past some delightful sites on to Strathpeffer, the old Victorian Spa town where we had a lovely lunch.  And what did we find above the bar?  A reel written for the restaurant.  We will have to go back, just to learn that tune! 

    Zan shares the harps, the lore, and more with us
    in the “showroom” at Ardival Harps
    But we couldn’t linger over lunch – we were on our way to our next stop – at Ardival Harps!  Ardival makes a number of different kinds of harps and we were privileged to see, hear, feel and play all the different types!  We started out with Zan telling us all about the intriguing back story on the harps – Wire, Gothic, Bray, and Lever.  She shared history and stories, and we played all the different instruments.  We played new tunes on old style harps and old tunes on the types of harps for which they might have been written.  We were all clearly smitten!
    

    Graham shows us the steps to making a wire harp. 
    He made it look so easy we might have,
    for a moment, thought we could do it as well as he –
    but we’d be wrong!

    And then, while we were all still in the fantasy land of “… maybe I should have one of these too, just to improve my harp playing and to be more fully involved in the history of majesty of the harp – and owning just one more harp wouldn’t be bad…but they’re all so wonderful, why stop at one…” (the stupor one finds oneself in when there are so many harps at hand!) we moved on to the workshop to meet Graham and see how a master craftsman brings a harp out of a chunk of wood.   We learned about the process (and the pitfalls) of making harps from natural materials as well as the secret of the bray pin!  I’ll never look at a harp the same way again.  Nor will I ever forget the aroma of the workshop – the tantalizing smell of wood – can you smell the wood of your harp when you sit to play?

    We were sad to leave Zan and Graham and all those captivating harps, but we eventually did go on to our accommodation for the rest of the trip, the Dowan’s Hotel in Aberlour.  Who knew what adventures would await us in the Spey Valley…

  • Day Three: Skye

    Skye is beautiful.  Any time of year it is breathtaking and wonderful.  David organized our day to take best advantage of the day and the weather and we moved from one amazing site to another – sites of geologic beauty, historic significance, and just cool stuff.  We went to Dunvegan Castle and after lunch we toured its lovely gardens and really, I should stop writing and just show the photos:
     

    Let me say we were certainly glad not to be this guy – instead we were whisked everywhere in a wonderful vehicle that carried us, our stuff – and the essential tea and biscuits – everywhere we wanted to go!  

    We got on immediately and we clearly enjoyed the
    close contact of the trip!

    They say you can never get too far away – and this phonebox – on the side of the road made us feel that we were in contact – and yet not!

    David stopped on request for photos or just to gaze on the scenery.  Here we stopped to have some of that tea (and a biscuit or 2!).  We were only part of the way around Skye and we had already seen so much – we were constantly exclaiming about the sites.

    We had a wonderful day on Skye and returned to the McKinnon Country Lodge.  We learned a new tune that was tied directly to what we had done that day (you’ll have to come along if you want find out what it was!).  We then went in for a delightful dinner – all three courses of it!  After dinner a little more playing, talking and coffee, then off to bed – the next day was going to take us on to our next adventure!

  • Day Two – Across some amazing scenery

    After our excellent first day, we awoke to a little more harp time and a huge breakfast!  We had grains and fruits, cheese and yogurt, eggs, bacon, toast, tomatoes, kippers, mushrooms – the whole gamut!

    Don’t be fooled by the apparent precipitation –
    we were having a great time – singing in the face of oncoming tour buses
    on the narrow bridge over the Falls of Dochart and just generally laughing at the weather!

    Then we gathered up and started out, away from Perth, north and west across the breadth of Scotland seeing breathtaking scenery and incredible historic sites.

    We saw Wade’s Bridge and the Falls of Dochart (see our photo).  Then we continued on to Glen Coe where we had an enjoyable pub lunch and got to explore a little – even finding a new tune to give a try.  Then on along the Caledonian Canal and through the captivating Glen Shiel.  And finally – Over the sea to Skye where we settled in and learned another tune!

  • Our First Day Out

    On our first day together on the Harp in the Highlands and Islands Tour David collected us all at Edinburgh Waverley train station.  The weather was not looking too promising, but we set off with light hearts and immediate laughter.  Although we did not all know one another, we quickly developed a bond of shared jokes and stories.  We headed to Scone Palace in the rain and got to know each other a bit better.

    Our travelers included two harp players, one fledgling (a person who was going to learn the harp as we went along and an audience member (the lucky devil who was going to listen to us play!).  We arrived at Scone and the weather cooperated, letting up a bit so we could get inside to see the incredible displays (as well as doing a little shopping and having some lunch).  We then went to Pitlochry to see the Dam and the Fish Ladder – again the weather held!  We finished the day by heading to our accommodation, getting quickly settled in our rooms and rejoining to play the harp.  We worked through Brig of Perth and got it down, despite a little remaining jet lag! 

    We share a tune in the lounge in the Parklands Hotel, Perth

    We then went on through to a delightful dinner in the Parklands, laughing and chatting throughout and made plans for our meeting and outings the next day!  We were tired from travel, playing and laughing but we had a bang-up first day!

  • Just to hold you over

    Well, we’ve finished the inaugural Harp in the Highlands and Islands tour and it was fabulous!  Our amazing tour guide David took us to hidden places and showed us the side of Scotland we all know exists but so few visitors get to see.

    Unfortunately, in the short run, I’m having trouble downloading the photos.  Some of our tour guests also agreed to share their photos so, keep an eye here and I’ll get them on line as soon as possible.  And as soon as I get my technical difficulties sorted out, I’ll post my photos and tell you all about our adventures!

    Until then, keep practicing!

  • I’m leavin’…on a jet plane

    Well, it’s finally here! It’s finally time to leave – to go on the Harp in the Highlands and Islands tour. My excitement has reached that fever pitch which borders on annoying (at least to those around me). I’m winging away to Scotland, looking forward to meeting up with our incredible guide David and the wonderful harpers who are joining us. I can’t decide which day of our trip I am most excited about – they all will be spectacular. And at the end I am certain I won’t have determined the best day still.

    I wish, as I have often stated before, that you could all go with us. Some of you have contacted me about going next year – we are planning on it (and more details on next year when I get back!). But for now, just be ever so slightly envious! And start planning for the next trip.

    We will be having a grand time and I will post as we get the opportunity. I anticipate that we won’t get all our posts out during the week, so expect them to be strung out over time a bit. We’ll upload photos and let you know what music we’ve been playing. I can’t wait to share with you!

    Until then, keep playing – pick up a new tune! We will be.

  • Harpy Campers, Part II

    Well, Harp Camp had a spectacular run for its 15th Aniversary! I was so fortunate to be invited to teach with Kris Snyder again.  She also invited Marianna Nystrom to present and Lucy Stevens lead some excellent learning games.  We had wonderful students, supreme teachers (if I may say), brilliant lessons, and a whole lot of fun! We were in bucolic Glenville, Pennsylvania. And I mean bucolic – no better punctuation on your diminuendo than a rather loud mooooooooooooo from the field next door.

    We had workshops on Composition and Improvisation, Sticky Wickets, and Putting on Airs. Students also enjoyed learning more about being creative and learned techniques to improve their creativity both at the harp and abroad! We participated in breathing and stretching exercises so we can expand our abilities to play. We also learned more tools to improve our daily practing to achieve more of our goals while wasting less time. In addition, starting from a poem, a piece of music or from scratch, students worked in small groups or alone to generate delightfully fresh music.

    We made crafts – it’s not Camp without crafts, after all! And in between we had a lovely pot luck dinner, snacks and breaks as well as a breathtaking “kasbah” where we enjoyed wine and cheese and played for one another, generating a wonderful atmosphere in which to enjoy one another’s company.

    We finished off with our traditional Harpers’ Circle, sharing the bounty of our learning and creativity with one another and then playing in ensemble all together – sharing some amazing arrangements of well known tunes, including some American classics such as Shenandoah, America the Beautiful, and the Shaker tune and some OCarolan and others.

    It was sad to see everyone go, but they were so enthusiastic and ready to recommit to working hard and playing well, reconnecting with other Harp Friends and making new friends, that Kris and I were glad to see them off to their respective homes – to practice of course!

    If you’d like to be part of this incredible learning experience, I hope you’ll be able to join us next year. We learn so much, have so much fun, laugh a lot, and you could be a part of it. Join us in August 2011!  We’ll be posting more information about next year’s Harp Camp on our website http://www.jeniuscreations.com/Harp_Camp.php after we’ve recovered from 2010 – so watch that space.

  • Harpy Campers!

    I am on my way to Southeastern Pennsylvania to work with some amazing people at Harp Camp 2010.  This is the 15th year for Harp Camp.  Fifteen years is a long time and I am so honored and pleased to be invited to teach again this year!  I have a soft spot in my heart for Harp Camp because it is where it all began for me – this is where I began to become a harper.  So, I am especially delighted to be there as a teacher – being given the amazing opportunity to share some of my love affair with the harp with some incredible students.

    And I’m grateful to be teaching with Kris Snyder who was there at the beginning and has had been a presence in my development as a harper.   Marianna Nystrom and Lucy Stevens will be presenting as well.  We will have some incredible teaching sessions as well as the usual fun that comes from learning together.  Good students, great topics, excellent teachers – it will be fantastic!

    I wish all of you could join us!  I know you would learn a lot and I would learn a great deal from you.  Maybe you’ll be with us next year?  Let me know if you’re interested and I’m happy to give you more information than you thought possible!

    And next week, I’ll share the outcomes with you.  This week, learn something new, share it with someone else – and enjoy being a Harpy Camper!

  • Holding it in!

    Your phone number is seven numbers long (plus the area code now). It is seven numbers long for a reason – because psychologists learned, a long time ago, that the average person can remember about seven things are a time. George Miller published a paper in 1956 entitled, “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information”. Now we just call it Miller’s Magical 7+/- 2.

    Miller was looking at the capacity of short term memory – how much information could you hold on to while “converting” it to long term memory (the place you store your home phone number for later). What’s important is the Miller found you could hang on to about 7 things. I say things for a reason. Each of us defines “things” differently.

    So, if you’re learning a new tune, the seven or so things you can remember will be different if you’re a very experienced musician or if you’re just new to the harp. If you’re new, for you each thing will be a note. If you’re very experienced, your thing could be a phrase.

    How much stuff is in a thing (no, this is not a very technical discussion – I just want to get the point across!) depends on how much experience you have, how much you practice remembering things, how you think about the music you’re learning, and other things like your experience at the harp (as opposed to experience with other instruments), how stressed you are in general and about learning the music in particular. Other things may impact your learning – are you hungry, tired, busy, etc? All of these will affect how well you can remember and which side of seven plus or minus two you’ll be on that time.

    So as you’re trying to learn new music, be sure to be mindful of what you’re trying to learn, how much stuff you’re trying to cram into your head at once, and how much stuff is in the things you’re trying to remember. Don’t worry about holding it in – just keep working at it.  And don’t forget – like playing your harp, your memory will get better with practice!