Category Archives: Summertime

Looking ahead – shorter timeline

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I have had the opportunity to attend a number of summer harp events.  But one that I haven’t ever gotten to is the Harp Gathering Folk Harp Festival at Sauder Village in Archbold Ohio. This year the Harp Gathering runs 12 – 15 May and I will be unable to attend – again!

But I have heard good things about it and I wanted to share that with you. I have been told that the Gathering has a nice venue and provides a good experience. It is very well organized and the scene is lovely.  The instructors are fabulous and the workshops are interesting and useful. In addition, the door prizes are great! I have heard of someone winning a harp!

Picture3The feel of the event is broader than some of the other events in which I have participated. There are a lot of workshops and the focus includes taize to tools, practice, double strung harp and music theory. The faculty are an excellent collection including Richard Ash, Rhett Barnwell, Angi Bemiss, Christa Grix, Lynda Kuckenbrod, Diana Rowan, Cynthia Shelhart, Denise Grupp-Verbon, and Louise Trotter.

The Heritage Inn looks like a very interesting and comfortable accommodation and Sauder Village is an additional attraction for those coming from farther afield. There is so much to be learned in a tightly packed schedule. And how can you not look forward to an event with this great tag line:

Inspire your mind. Challenge your skill, and Renew your skill.

Are you going to the Harp Gathering? Tell us about it!

Looking ahead more

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OSAS has been a cornerstone of my development as a harper and I cannot encourage you enough to come and study.

The week long course gives students the opportunity to learn in a concentrated session from six instructors who are known for their performing and for their teaching.

Photos from last year, filched from the OSAS website - you'll know you're in the right place when you see them!

Photos from last year, filched from the OSAS website – you’ll know you’re in the right place when you see them!

Teachers present repertoire-building tunes to students at all levels of accomplishment. You will learn Scottish dance music, airs, songs, and will focus on ornamentation, Scottish style, accompaniment, and learning by ear. There are lectures, practice time, sessions and a little free time. You will meet new friends and possibly meet the those that represent the future of harp excellence in your fellow students. Classes will be available for beginners on through advanced players.

This year we will have the incredible opportunity to study with six instructors.  We are so fortunate to be able to learn from these remarkable musicians: Wendy Stewart (amazing!), Dominique Dodge (incredible!), Therese Honey (fantastic), Charlie Heymann (astonishing!), Ann Heymann (astounding!), and of course, Sue Richards (marvelous!)!

Held on the campus of Oberlin College (yes, the one with the Conservatory!) OSAS is the kind of fun that has many of us coming every summer that we can manage it. We learn more than we think we can hold and we have friends with whom we can enjoy playing the rep. For more info, go to http://www.ohioscottishartsschool.com/osasgeninfo.htm and follow the links to the Harp page. Hope you join us there!

Looking ahead –

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It’s already April – so it’s already time to be thinking about what you’d like to be doing this summer!

There are so many activities available in the summer that planning is definitely required. You have limited resources – both time and money. In addition, there are only so many places available in these events. So, to help you plan, this month I’d like to share some of my favorites.

First up is Harp Camp. This is our 21st year! Harp Camp is very exclusive with only 10 spots each summer. This summer it will be August 19th-21st in our lovely, idyllic setting in South Central Pennsylvania.

Kris Snyder and I work hard to create an easily accessible, highly personalized, fun-filled, supportive environment where harp players can extend their technical skills regardless of the current level of accomplishment.

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Kris and I have a lot of fun planning and teaching Harp Camp – you should join us!

Harp Camp is only open to Lever harp players. We encourage participants to try new things while building an understanding of the skills necessary to reach individual performance goals.

We have put together a format that is tailored to our identified participants. We are careful to assure you feel no frustration. While you’re learning, there’s no stuff you aren’t ready for and no waiting for people with less experience to understand what is being presented.

Each workshop is geared toward each individual’s proficiency and comfort level. We have three days full of creativity and fun, covering diverse topics from learning to performance to improvisation. In addition, we have Creative and Directed Ensembles, games, and age appropriate activities to round out the days!

For more information, check out the additional information here.

Hot motivation

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It’s summer. It’s hot. No one really wants to do anything except perhaps go to the beach.

But soon it will be autumn and quickly after that it will be Christmas – so there’s practicing to be done and tunes to refresh and other tunes to learn – and to do all that you have to stay motivated.

And if you’re joining me on the Reading Challenge, staying motivated to read all those dots is essential. Likely, you also set goals at the beginning of the year and making progress on those means you have to stay motivated!

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Here are five ways to stay motivated while its summer (or any time really):

  1. Have a goal – keep the end in mind. You might be tired of hearing me say this but it is essential. You won’t be able to stay motivated if you forget where you wanted to go.
  2. Take it in small steps. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Identify the small tasks that make up the path to your goal and use those small steps to make progress.
  3. Sit a lesson from someone (or someone new). Few things are more motivating than having a lesson.  If you’re not taking regular lessons, participate in a workshop.  If you have regular lessons, take a lesson from someone else to gain a fresh perspective on what you are doing most of the time.  There are still summer workshop opportunities and the autumn workshops are just around the corner!
  4. Believe in your goal – and yourself. If you think you will fail, then you certainly will. Have faith in yourself and your work,
  5. Be kind to yourself. Listen to your self-talk. If what you say to yourself is something you wouldn’t dream of saying to someone else (picture your best friend), then don’t say them to yourself!