Category Archives: Summertime

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!

Early Summer Opportunity – OSAS

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I’ll spend the next few posts reminding you of great ways to spend your harp summer – in chronological order, that way you can plan your entire calendar!

It probably isn’t summer without participating in the Ohio Scottish Arts School in Oberlin, Ohio!*

OSAS is a week of intensive learning, music, sharing, making friends, and fun! You bring your own harp (of course!) and if you’re smart, you’ll bring all the things Sue suggests on her list – well hewn after years of being in the dorms! The classes focus on: basic harp technique for beginners and intermediates, repertoire at everyone,Scottish style, including ornaments, lilt, and dance types, and did I mention having fun while sharing tunes?

Instructors this year will be Wendy Stewart (insert jubilant crowd cheer here), Haley Hewitt (keep cheering!), Ann Heymann (still more cheering!), Charlie Heymann (don’t stop to breathe now, keep cheering!), and Sue Richards (ok, you are probably on your feet from cheering at this point!!).

Both wire strung and nylon strung harps are taught with focus on Scottish dance music, airs, and songs, as well as ornamentation, Scottish style, accompaniment, and learning by ear.

There are also lectures, practice time, and playing in sessions, as well as Charlie’s well known  “band class” for all instruments so you can learn to “play well with others”!

In the evening there are jam sessions as well as treats, games and other fun.

If you’ve never been to OSAS, you definitely don’t know what you’re missing.  If you think it sounds intimidating, it is anything but (and I understand – before my first year I was terrified!). OSAS is a great learning opportunity that keeps students engaged and coming back (some for more than 15 years!). Hope to see you there –

* All the factual information in this post unceremoniously stolen, without permission, from the OSAS website: http://www.ohioscottishartsschool.com/osasharp.htm where you’ll also find additional information and registration materials.

Somerset Folk Harp Festival

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Am I going to see you at Somerset???  I sure hope so.  It promises to be a grand event – building on the previous years’ successes. 

There are so many workshops it will be hard to determine which ones to settle on.  And then there’s the vendors!  The harp tastings, seeing old friends, meeting new ones, finally putting faces to names you’ve heard – should be a good time. 

If you’re there, look for me – I hear I’m easy to find.  Please, make sure I meet you!  It runs 14 – 17 July.  See you there!