Category Archives: Teaching and Learning

Break it up and move along

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February is a great month – not so long that you get bored with it, not so short that you can’t learn something new – so this month we’ll focus on learning.

Reading music is a challenge for many people.  It is, after all, a whole new language. Written music conveys a lot of information in relatively little ink.  Ok, it does look like a lot of ink!  Music scores are built from a set of symbols that come together to express musical ideas.  Just like letters build to make words, sentences, paragraphs, or entire stories!

So how do you get to the meaning of all that ink?  Well, you have to read it.  It’s important to remember that just like in a word book, those little strokes and splotches convey a lot of information.  The score conveys pitch, movement, rhythm, volume, and more.  That’s a lot to take in and it can be intimidating.

Musicians with strong formal training quite literally read a score.  Just like you read a book, their eyes move along the lines as they recreate in their heads what’s being conveyed. They have a lot of practice – they’ve already sat at the equivalent of the blue bird table just like you did when you were learning to read words.

Sounding out words?  Reading aloud?  Pronouncing (and mispronouncing) strings of symbols while you learned what they meant and how to voice them.  Remember that?  No, you probably don’t (or the details may be fuzzy) – you practiced very hard to learn the symbols, then to put a couple together (remember sh-, ch-, th- and ae, ai, ea, oa?), and then put more together, until you were speeding through sentences and then whole books!

You need to do the same thing with your score! Practice reading, learning the symbols.  Then practice reading them in pairs.  Then move on to longer strings, until eventually you are zorching through entire tunes.  Keep at it and soon you’ll be reading Sonatas and Symphonies!!

But it all starts by looking at the sheet and not panicking but by slowly breaking it up, getting the idea and moving on to the next couple…just practice, take it slow, acknowledge the work you are doing.  Break it up and move along!

Holiday Shopping!

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There are not that many shopping days until the holidays are upon us! Have you finished your shopping?

Are you sure?  Do you know someone who would like a (stress free, no strings attached) opportunity to see if they are really interested in learning to play the harp?   Or, would you like to give yourself a present of lessons? Consider lesson Gift Certificates!

christmas-giftYou can buy a single lesson or a string of them.

There are many reasons to take a lesson. You can sharpen your skills, brush up on your technique, learn a new tune, work on arrangements or develop new compositions. Or you can have an intensive lesson – no trying to cram a lot into a short lesson!

And now through 24 December, receive a 10% discount.  Imagine – buy, print, wrap – and you’re done!  For more information or to buy your gift, just contact me and finish up your shopping!

Don’t Miss! WAFHS Getaway

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The 2016 Washington Area Folk Harp Society (WAFHS) Annual Harpers’ Getaway will be held November 4 – 6, 2016 – you don’t want to miss it!

As always, there are two excellent presenters coming and you won’t be able to help but to learn a lot. There’s also the concert, the fellowship, and the venue – all things to look forward to. But there isn’t much time left to register.

The presenters this year are the irrepressible Haley Hewitt from Boston and the amazing Judith Peacock Cummings from Seattle via Scotland.

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The Getaway is at Shepherd’s Spring near Antietam Maryland in Sharpsburg, MD. There will be excellent learning opportunities, lovely social opportunities, and of course, the Silent Auction!

Deadline to register is October 21. Go to http://wafhs.org/getaway/ for the details and the forms. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Where do tunes come from?

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I often get asked about tunes, their provenance, their history – in other words, where do they come from?  Whether you are just generally curious, preparing for a Scottish Harp competition, or you simply want to correctly catalog your tunes, knowing where the tunes come from can tell you a lot.

First the easy answer – tunes come from all over and are held everywhere (and sometimes nowhere).  Many people learn the tunes they pick up in lessons or workshops, enjoy them immensely and go on.  Some learn tunes from popular books (such as Sylvia Woods’ many collections or the copious books available from MelBay, Afghan Press* and others) and play them for their own enjoyment. Some musicians learn tunes, play them, and are there for the tune and nothing more.  Take off your judgment hat – because there is nothing wrong with that!

tune-collectionsThe second answer is a little more nebulous – tunes are everywhere.  Some are breathtaking, but difficult to find and others are in every book you pick up (or so it seems) – so where do you find new tunes?  Here are seven places to look for your next best loved tune:

  • You can go to workshops – some workshop tutors are known for their scholarly approach to the tunes and you can learn a great deal at these events.
  • You can listen, listen, listen.  Find tunes you like being played (and remember to look beyond the harp – there are spectacular tunes out there being presented by pipers, fiddlers, whistle player, concertina, guitar, piano – it’s the tune that’s the thing, the instrument is simply the vessel.
  • You can hunt up stuff on the internet Part I – there are a lot of interesting nooks and crannies in the web, patience, perseverance, and a good scratch pad are all you need (the scratch pad is to note the search terms you have already tried and to capture ideas for additional search terms as you go.
  • You can hunt up stuff on the internet Part 2 – there are also some easy to find caches of tunes including thesession.org or www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/ or abcnotation.com.  these are a bit “wiki-er” so they are a great place to start but if you are searching for authenticity, I’d suggest keeping on looking after you find a tune you like.
  •  You can hunt up stuff on the internet Part 3 – YouTube – while this might be a corollary of the first bullet, you can often find a couple of different renditions of a tune (which for me makes it easier to “hear” the melody).  This works best if you look for a specific tune title and then daisy chain yourself through a bunch of links.
  • You can chat up a music librarian or the reference librarian at the local university or community college – it’s amazing what is in those libraries.  Of course this is much easier if you live near a music school but, don’t let those plain facades fool you, libraries hold some amazing stuff!
  • You can  build your own assemblage of published collections books.  There are loads of collections, printed in various ways (I have hardbound, softcover, pdf). Some are old (like use gloves and turn pages ever so carefully old) and some are new (like smell the ink new).  Some are noted for piano, fiddle, pipes – remember it’s the tune that’s the thing so the notation just gives you an idea where to go.  Many of the collections include other important information that is helpful – the story of the tune, the composer, the times, all of which might be helpful for arranging the melody when you decide to present it.  And you know, the appropriate number of books to own is much like the appropriate number of harps – one more!  You’ll find these collections on line, in (regular) bookshops, and in used book shops.

Do your homework and you will be delighted to find your next favorite tune!

* I don’t have the good sense to do affiliate marketing so this is just my opinion – there’s no kickback from Sylvia or Mel Bay or Afghan Press, this is simply an observation.

Put on your thinking cap

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I don’t know about you – but when I’m excited about learning a new tune I want to get right into it. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200, just start playing. I want to sink my teeth into the music and hold on for dear life while I learn it.

How dumb is that?

There is a smarter way – an approach which would probably allow me to learn the tune faster and get past the ugly stage sooner so I really could get to the part where it’s pretty much just a joy to play. How, you might ask, would that work? I’m so glad you asked!

Analyze your music

Well, you can think first! By spending some time focusing on analyzing the tune, you can save yourself a lot of grief and be playing sooner. Now, this isn’t sexy and it might not be fun, but it sure does work.

You can analyze a lot of things about the tune, all of which will help.  Identify the time signature.  What scale is the tune in? How does the tune lie on the harp? What are the big patterns? What is it telling you?

And do not assume that this can only be done for written music. Although the analysis is done differently – by reading the dots or by listening, the bottom line is the same. Find the patterns, where they repeat, how they move, and more.

Put on your thinking cap, do that work up front and you will be able to move into new tunes more quickly and maybe even more confidently!

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.

What are you afraid of?

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It’s nearly spring which means that it will very soon be competition season! Competitions are a great way to push yourself to learn, to grow, to be a little bit daring, to find out something about yourself.

I know a lot of people (especially adults) are very quick to say that competition is not for them. And that is true for some people. But for most people, it really is a great opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

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Really – where else will you have such a good chance to make great strides in your playing? What holds you back? There are plenty of reasons – some of them good. Many people are afraid of the potential pain of stretching. Some have a running list of questions – What will the other harp players think? What if I don’t play perfectly? How will I walk away without dying of embarrassment?

But competitions are a great way to collect the answers to these questions! What will others think? Well the ones you’re competing against are typically focused on what they will play (or asking the same questions of themselves) to worry about what you’re thinking (and it’s likely that the people who aren’t playing are wondering “what if”  and how great you’re doing). What if you DO play perfectly?!? Did you ever think of that? And typically you cannot be too embarrassed to walk off the stage – and it’s hard to be embarrassed when all those people are applauding to show their appreciation and enjoyment of your performance!

It’s not about winning – in fact you learn so much more when you don’t take first place. You learn more about yourself, you meet new people, you get great feedback and specific actions to make yourself better, you become better, and you know it. So, I would strongly encourage you to push yourself, just a little, to get out there, to enter a competition, and enjoy answering your own questions!

I’m off to Oberlin!

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I’m not going to try to kid myself that I’ll get a post off this week – I’m at the Ohio Scottish Arts School – learning from amazing tutors including Wendy Stewart, Haley Hewitt, Ann Heymann, Charlie Heymann, Sue Richards, and from my fellow OSASers who are incredible harpers in various stages of development – why aren’t you here?!?

 

Time to tune up

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In the summer, there are so many camps, workshops, programs and they all suggest that you start early to get your fingers toughened up because you’ll be playing more than you usually do.

GREAT SUGGESTION!

But what does that mean? How can you get ready for these events? Here are seven ways to tune up for a workshop so you can get as much out of the last session as the first: Picture1

  1. Make a schedule – you know you have a finite amount of time to prepare, so plan to use it – each day increase your time on the bench a little (add no more than 10% each week – just like running).  A small increase allows you to build up without adding too much at once, which will help you stay on track). Be sure in also increase the number of times each day that you sit at your harp – the workshop might be 8 hours a day but that won’t all be on your bench so you might want to practice sitting to your harp 3 times a day rather than one really long stretch!
  2. Work your plan – it’s all well and good to make a plan but then you have to actually use it! Be sure that you actually do the things you set up in your plan
  3. Be realistic – if you never have time to practice on Sundays (for example) – build that into your plan, don’t think that suddenly the time will appear. This is especially true if you are working around your current schedule – if you only have 30 minutes a day to practice, do not think that suddenly you will find 3 hours a day to practice.  However, if you are so strapped for time that you can only practice for 30 minutes a day – know that you will need to modify what you expect to get out of each day of the workshop.
  4. Remember your braces: when you had braces, you didn’t expect all the movement at once – it was gentle progress you were after – same thing here – gentle positive progress will not only allow you to feel better about your work but will result in a noticeable benefit.
  5. Warm up – this is not the time to skimp on the fundamentals – do plan to spend a little time warming up (and when you get to your workshop, don’t forget to do this!)
  6. Stretch – just as you know that a good warm up is essential to avoiding injury, a good stretch at the end of your time at your harp is also important while you are increasing your time on the bench. And when you are at your workshop, stretching will also be important – you will be working hard.  In addition, workshop participants are often a little stressed (concentrating, wanting to “do well” (whatever that means – everyone is learning!), trying to learn a lot in a little time with the tutor all add to your stress).
  7. Journal – keep a record of what you are doing and how it is going – while this is always a good idea, it’s especially important when you are trying to prepare.

Summer workshops, camps, and other events are a great way to learn, meet new friends, catch up with old friends and really expand your harping – be sure you are ready to make the most of the event!