HarpSong™️ Harp Podcast: A Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® (Maureen Buscareno)
Explore every episode of HarpSong™️ Harp Podcast: A Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions®
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2020 | Pilot - Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® Podcast | ||
Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® Music and Theatre go together. You’d have a hard time separating them. Even my undergraduate degree in English is a welcome traveler with Music and Theatre. We create, we share, and we find ourselves seeing the world in new and beautiful ways. | |||
| 22 May 2020 | “Enjoy the Journey” an Interview with Harpist Sunita Staneslow | 56:17:00 | |
Sunita’s joy and love of life is infectious. She puts her heart into everything she does and she reminds us to enjoy the journey. Sunita was raised in Minnesota, but has made Israel her home since 2000. Her love of the world is reflected in her versatility and exploration as a musician and her travels around the globe. She was trained classically, but also finds joy in playing and arranging Jewish music and Celtic music for the harp. Her arrangements are beloved of harpists around the world and she is a sought after performer and instructor. She and fellow harpist, Kim Robertson also started an intimate harp festival called Harps in the Glenn that takes place in West Bend, Wisconsin every July. Additionally, Sunita works as a therapeutic harpist at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Israel. In our interview we discuss the healing power of music, especially in a hospital atmosphere. You can find Sunita walking her dogs by the sea in Jaffa or playing in a session at a local Irish pub. In fact, in our interview one of her pups fell asleep and started snoring. Sunita and her husband also run boutique harp tours of Scotland and are in the process of renovating an old stone house in Shetland that will become their spring home. Sunita’s website Sunita’s youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpmVhrHP_0x-ul1mgpeX3Bg Harp Tours of Scotland https://www.sunitaharp.com/1970/01/roots-of-harp-scottish-journey-with.html Harps in the Glenn https://www.sunitaharp.com/2000/01/harps-in-glen-with-sunita-kim.html Folk Harp Society Harpist Kim Robertson Island Mountain Harp Festival http://support-imarts.com/2020-harp-and-cello-program International Harp Festival Israel http://www.harpcontest-israel.org.il/ Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel https://www.schneider.org.il/eng Virtual Harp Summit https://virtual-harp-summit.thinkific.com/courses/virtual-harp-summit-2 | |||
| 23 Apr 2020 | Interview with Harpist Kim Robertson | 27:02:51 | |
Links Kimrobertson.net Crimson Series of Gurmukhi meditation music in collaboration with vocalist Singh Kaur. Somersetharpfest.com Dance of the Lambs https://harpcolumn.com/music/all-music/artists/kim-robertson/dance-of-the-lambs/ https://harpcolumn.com/academy/kim-robertsons-studio/ Suggested songs for beginning harp students Brian Boru March Skye Boat Song All Through the Night Chanter’s Song Partial Discography Shady Grove – Gourd Music Tender Shepherd – Gourd Music Searching for Lambs – Gourd Music Christmas Lullaby – Gourd Music Highland Heart – Gourd Music Wood, Fire & Gold The Spiral Gate Gratitude Moonrise Dance to Your Shadow Celtic Christmas I Celtic Christmas II Wild Iris Waterspirit Love Song to a Planet Angels in Disguise Windshadows Vol. 1 Windshadows II Treasures of the Celtic Harp | |||
| 30 Apr 2020 | “Knitting the Strings” an Interview with Scottish Harpist Rachel Hair | 42:32:00 | |
Please do yourselves a favor and support Rachel’s and the other musicians and festivals mentioned in the podcast. You’ll find links to their websites in the show notes below. Harp at Home https://www.rachelhair.com/harpathome/ Edinburgh International Harp Festival https://www.harpfestival.co.uk/ The Somerset Folk Harp Festival (Parsippany, NJ) http://www.somersetharpfest.com/ NHS and Rainbow Drawings https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52050089 Rachel and Ron performing, “Looking at a Rainbow through a Dirty Window” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyp3p3gRQcQ Looking at a Rainbow through a Dirty Window (Rachel teaching it at the virtual Edinburgh International Harp Festival) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBe5BpIAnZA Fèis Ross https://www.feisrois.org/residential-feisean/adult-feis/ Amazing Musicians mentioned in the interview Jenn Butterworth http://www.jennbutterworth.co.uk/ Ron Jappy Corrina Hewat Ímar Catriona Mckay and Chris Stout http://www.mckaystoutmusic.co.uk/ BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Mera Royle from the Isle of Man https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-43656906 Delve Deeper Turlough O'Carolan Harp Festival Nobber, Ireland https://www.nobberharpfestival.com/ Scottish Mouth Music Puirt à beul | |||
| 07 May 2020 | Interview with Irish Harpist Gráinne Hambly | 00:40:55 | |
Ever since I first saw Gráinne Hambly perform at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival I’ve been inspired. No other performer on the harp influenced me as much as Grainne did early on in my harp journey. I first heard her perform at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival and was wowed at what the harp could sound like. The jigs and reels just fly from her fingers. She makes it look and sound so effortless. It’s gorgeous to hear. The first album of hers that I ever purchased was, “Between the Showers”. I can’t tell you how many copies of this album I have purchased for friends and family over the years. It’s still one of my favourites. Here’s Gráinne’s bio taking from The Harp Agency Website: Since 1998 Gráinne Hambly has been touring extensively throughout the United States and has not only garnered an ever-growing following of devoted harp enthusiasts but has managed to cross over and capture the Irish music fan with the taste for the fast, driving reels and jigs of traditional music. She has broken the genteel parlor image and elevated the stature of the harp right up there with the fiddles and pipes in the realm of dynamic dance music. Add to that the unsurpassed expressive quality the harp has in her hands in the rendition of age-old airs and laments and you have the masterful performance of an experienced and renowned player. A lifelong County Mayo resident, Gráinne has not rested on the laurels of winning the senior All-Ireland titles on harp and concertina in 1994 and then the prestigious Keadue and Granard harp competitions. Her three critically acclaimed solo CDs, The Thorn Tree (2006), Between the Showers (1999) and Golden Lights Green Shadows, (2003) are "must haves" for every Irish harp player and fan. She has also recorded with numerous other artists. She has also published two books of her arrangements. She tours most of the year and has appeared at most of the major harp and Irish music festivals in the U.S. and Europe. She and William Jackson teamed up and began touring as "The Masters of the Celtic Harp" in 2005 and have been traveling together ever since. They live now outside of Claremorris in County Mayo. Be sure to check out Gráinne and Billy’s free online concert on May 23rd at 3:00pm EDT. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grainne-hambly-and-william-jackson-live-online-registration-103535543598 And check out Grainne’s Website And FB page https://www.facebook.com/hamblyjacksonmusic/ Notes for Grainne’s Podcast http://www.somersetharpfest.com/escape.html May 23rd 2020 Free online concert with Billy Jackson Grainne’s Website On FB https://www.facebook.com/hamblyjacksonmusic/ Harp Agency: Grainne and Billy Jackson http://harpagency.com/artist1.htm Harp Column: Grainne’s sheetmusic https://harpcolumn.com/music/all-music/categories/artists/grainne-hambly/ Planxty Sweeny On guitar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd0awzUshG0 On harp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IeolSC7QeU The Thistle and Shamrock show on NPR: Harpers https://www.npr.org/2013/12/11/250235583/the-thistle-and-shamrock-harpers Tunes Mentioned Planxty Sweeney Soft Mild Morning Bright New Morning The Taylor’s Twist Queen’s University Belfast https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/ael/Study/Arts/Undergraduate/Music/ http://www.somersetharpfest.com/ Turlough O'Carolan Harp Festival Nobber, Ireland https://www.nobberharpfestival.com/ Bunting Manuscripts at Queen’s University Belfast http://digital-library.qub.ac.uk/digital/collection/p15979coll9 The Irish Song Project http://irishsongproject.qub.ac.uk/ Harp Tour of Ireland http://www.harpersescape.com/harptour.html The Belfast Harp Festival of 1792 http://www.androichead.com/whats-on/2017/8/3/edward-bunting-the-belfast-harp-festival-of-1792 Society for Ethnomusicology https://www.ethnomusicology.org/default.aspx A History of The Trinity College Harp https://gifts.tcd.ie/the-trinity-college-harp-a-history-by-brian-manners Carolin Marathon at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival http://www.somersetharpfest.com/greatstuff.html#jam Carolin Marathon “Starter Kit” http://www.somersetharpfest.com/carolan-marathon-list.pdf Harpist Janet Harbison https://www.janetharbisonharp.com/ Harpist Kim Robertson Belfast Harp Orchestra https://www.janetharbisonharp.com/janet-harbison/harp-orchestras/belfast-harp-orchestra Janet Harbison and Grainne Hambly performing, “Bright New Morning” at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival 2019 | |||
| 15 May 2020 | “Creating a pool of beauty that we can draw on”, an Interview with harpist/composer Maeve Gilchrist | 44:10:00 | |
If you were to ask me about Maeve Gilchrist, the words that come to mind are musical, encouraging, masterful, literary, and a player who has the unique balance of technique and vision. A chat with Maeve is as inspiring as seeing her perform and can’t but help make you want to contribute to what Maeve discusses as the, “idea of creating a pool of beauty that we can draw on when times are bleak. I think any student picking up any instrument can do that for themselves if they attack their practice in the right way”. ON TEACHING Mave loves performing and composing, but is also a passionate teacher, The biggest gift I can give as a teacher is the gift of encouraging the student to utilize their own imagination in creating a practice regime that is perfect for them. Because nobody knows our playing better than we know our playing. I asked Maeve what learning an instrument entails for anyone who has not had the opportunity to learn an instrument, “It’s a combination of math and imagination and discipline”. We discussed teaching music and how important it is to let the instrument sing: If you can have a practice which is covering the fundamentals in a way that’s building technique and general musicality why wouldn’t you also want to incorporate creativity into that practice. HARP TALK Harp Talk was created by Maeve to bring harp players together to discuss the instrument and chat about songs and inspiration. It is an online meeting place for harpists of all sorts geared towards musical growth and cultivating community. The next episode will be this Saturday May 16th and is presented every other Saturday. www.facebook.com/pg/harptalk THE SOMERSET FOLK HARP FESTIVAL Maeve has been teaching and performing at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival since she graduated from Berklee College of Music and has been wowing audiences ever since. The Somerset Folk Harp Festival takes place every July in Parsippany, NJ. This year due to COVID-19 the festival is going to be held completely online. All 120+ workshops and numerous concerts will be available from the comfort of your homes. The festival is one of the largest of its kind in North America and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. http://www.somersetharpfest.com/ You can check out past performances on the festival’s youtube channel. Here’s Maeve’s performance at the 2017 festival. This is her original song, “City in the North” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dZqyT11Vrs&list=PL9D65C1CB3E5F87C4&index=23 MAEVE’S BOOK: Rhythm and Hand Separation Exercises Mave has a wonderful book of hand exercise etudes to help with technical issues and rhythm to free up your harp playing, but I think it is a great help to any musician, especially pianists who want to work on separating hands and rhythms. ON PRACTICING The biggest gift I can give as a teacher is the gift of encouraging the student to utilize their own imagination in creating a practice regime that is perfect for them. Because nobody knows our playing better than we know our playing…. Music to me is not dots and lines on a page. This music is so alive and it’s so full of shape and dimension. Also as a teacher it is so important for me to share with my students how I envision them creating these shapes and breathing life into the music. Because it’s all about the music. It’s not about me or them. It’s about how we can together can bring the music to life through our vehicle of the harp. THE INSTRUMENT AND THE PLAYER’S RELATIONSHIP Just as a garden both sustains us and we sustain the garden, music and our instruments have a relationship that nurtures both the musician and the instrument as well as the listener. Even someone new to their instrument can create beauty right from the start and allow the instrument to speak. Maeve envisions how, “the tiny sounds of the earth” would sound. A leaf falling to the ground, the sound of new flower shoots as they come out of the ground in the spring, etc. And she believes that, “the instrument [provides] for the player”. By teaching everything and by playing everything with this ideal of creating something beautiful it doesn’t just answer the question of why in the music, for me it answers the question of why am I doing this at all. Why is there music? It's such a deep question. And if even the most beginner musician or the most beginner harp player can start their journey with the harp with this answer to why, it will bring them places they’d never dream of otherwise. WHY MUSIC? Whether we are playing music, teaching, or dreaming we all long, especially in times of great sadness, to create: I love this idea of creating a pool of beauty that we can draw on when times are bleak. I think any student picking up any instrument can do that for themselves if they attack their practice in the right way. WORDS AND MUSIC “But really, as a songwriter, the only thing I do is make jewelry for the inside of people's minds. That's it.” -Tom Waits I spoke to Maeve about her newest album coming out later this year. It is called, “The Harp-Weaver” and is based on the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Words and music are so linked together”. Maeve discusses her experience visiting Millay’s home, Steepletop, in upstate New York in the podcast. Maeve’s collaborations are magical whether she’s performing with dancers Nic Gareiss and Colin Dunne or The Silkroad Ensemble, or Esperanza Spalding, to name a few Or composing for a small ensemble or an orchestra. INSPIRATIONAL MUSICIANS A small portion of musicians who have inspired Maeve in how they transport us with their sound. It’s about the soul and spirit of the playing. Nina Simone Tom Waits Jonie Mitchell Alice Coltraine Yo-Yo Ma Traditional Musicians Frankie Gavin Martin Hayes Kathleen Loughnane (Maeve’s Aunt) Baroque period of music in Ireland Music Hall music Isobel Mieras EIHF I hope you enjoy this episode and are just as inspired as I am to create. Maeve’s Website Harp Talk www.facebook.com/harptalk Silkroad Home Sessions Maeve’s Performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ55DGoe4XA Turlough O Carolan pieces discussed Loftis Jones Mr. Connor Elenor Plunkett Edna St. Vincent Milay’s home Steepletop http://www.millay.org/visitsteepletop.php The Edinburgh International Harp Festival | |||
| 28 May 2020 | How Do You Find You?: An Interview with Harpist and Educator Robbin Gordon-Cartier | 01:22:15 | |
In this special extended episode I speak with harpist and educator Robbin Gordon-Cartier. Robbin’s website: www.robbingordoncartier.com/ Moon Over the Trees Website: moonoverthetrees.com I met Robbin at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival where I work as the concert manager. She has inspired me to be a better music teacher, performer and human being. I’m really not saying that lightly. You’ll see in this interview how Robbin doesn’t sugar coat the pain of life. She is always encouraging people and truly sees them. She sees her students, she listens, and she transforms her pain into something that builds her and those around her up. Her vulnerability is one of her biggest strengths as is her talent, huge heart, welcoming smile, and laugh. I’ve never had so much fun covering such a wide range of important topics. We discuss education, understanding, truly seeing the humanity in each other, her own struggles growing up in the late 60s and early 70s, her own diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis, and her courage to reach out to help others and truly change lives for the better. Links: https://www.robbingordoncartier.com/ Robbin Performing, “Danny Boy” at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival in 2017 as the audience hums along with her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WDLaz6bsqY Children’s book based on Robbin’s childhood, “The Girl Who Didn’t Want to Practice by Lisa J. Michaels https://ljmichaels.weebly.com/robbin--the-girl-who-didnt-want-to-practice.html The Somerset Folk Harp Festival http://www.somersetharpfest.com/ Robbin’s Harp program at The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts https://nj02207379.schoolwires.net/Domain/1169 Robbin Gordon-Cartier and her students from Cicely L. Tyson School of Performing & Fine Arts with the West Shore Symphony. https://www.hipharp.com/blog/32848
https://rmg-images.com/2019/08/09/in-life-just-smile/ PBS American Portraits: https://www.pbs.org/american-portrait/story/2299/robbin-g-east-orange-nj-a-days-work-is https://www.pbs.org/american-portrait/story/2331/robbin-g-east-orange-nj-my-parents-wanted-me-to Beginning in the Middle http://www.beginninginthemiddle.com/ | |||
| 05 Jun 2020 | Finding Your Voice: An Interview with Harpist and Episcopal Priest Debbie Brewin-Wilson | 39:37:00 | |
Debbie’s Website www.harpagency.com/artist3.htm Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions moonoverthetrees.com Harper’s Escape www.somersetharpfest.com/escape.html#top The Somerset Folk Harp Festival www.somersetharpfest.com/ I met with Reverend Debbie Brewin-Wilson via Zoom at her Sparta, NJ parish to chat about her love of the harp, teaching, Scottish music, and spirituality. I honestly couldn’t tell you exactly when I met Debbie, but it was probably at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival when I was just beginning to learn the harp. She has always been encouraging and kind and has helped me along my journey. One of Debbie’s passions is teaching beginner harpists and helping them find the joy that she finds in the instrument. She and Kathy DeAngelo started a yearly weekend event called, “The Harper’s Escape” as an event for lovers of the harp to get together to learn new songs and to experience the camaraderie of the harp community. It began in 1992 and is now part of the larger Somerset Folk Harp Festival which takes place in Parsippany, NJ every July. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival and Harper’s Escape will be conducted online. This will give more people from around the world an opportunity to attend the workshops and concerts and will hopefully inspire more people to learn the harp. Debbie has a great interest in folk music and folk traditions, especially the music of Robert Burns. She has written arrangements of his work for harp in addition to other Scottish tunes that are taught at The Escape. These arrangements are available in the Harper’s Escape’s three books of tunes , which are a wonderful way to build up a repertoire of Irish and Scottish traditional music. “There’s so much wonderful music out there and that is in the folk traditions that’s going to be lost if people aren’t playing it.” History of Celtic music in the church “Ancient Celtic monks traveled with a small harp and they’d tie it on their belts and carry it along to accompany their singing.” Debbie has a special connection to St. Colombia of Iona and we discussed how he is pictured with his harp and how she hopes to inspire people to bring themselves and their love of music into their own spirituality inspiring people to find that connection for themselves. A beautiful way Debbie helps facilitate that connection is through her book and CD, “Harp of My King”, which is a compilation of Celtic Tunes New & Old for Christian Worship. Debbie has also been creating chants based on bible passages or devotional readings like the Taizé community music from, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. These chants are meant to be something to help people calm down and center themselves into a more prayerful place. She would like to eventually record this collection of chants. | |||
| 12 Jun 2020 | INVENTION AND ALCHEMY: A STORY OF PERSISTENCE: an Interview with Harpist/Composer Deborah Henson-Conant | 01:15:24 | |
Always pushing the boundaries in all that she does whether that is in her performing, composing, or even pushing the limits of her instrument, Deborah Henson-Conant is a force of nature. Her positivity, energy, and perseverance have inspired her fans and students. “That is the job of us as artists. To step out of our darkness with that light that we don’t even know how to shine and then to do the best we can and hope that by touching someone else it will illuminate it for us and for others.” As a teacher DHC, as she is lovingly called, works with her students to find the music within people and shows them how to bring that out. “Invention of a single person, the invention that happens in our mind. Because it is a beautiful thing, an invention, but It doesn't come to life until we are in collaboration with others.” Deborah has a wonderful TEDx talk about a collaboration she had with the French harp company, Camac, to bring about her vision for a portable electric harp. The DHC Camac harp is now one of the most sought after harps inspiring artists from around the world. “The instrument has allowed me to reveal myself and to give my hands a voice that they did not have and to be able to share that.” DHC’s online school has grown during this time of COVID-19 and has filled a need in the harp community. “ Because I have an online school and I know how to use the technology I was able to jump right in and connect with harpists from around the world and make that connection... It all happened because of the harp. It’s given me a voice that I didn’t have.” Perfection is really about hiding. As we become willing to let go of perfection and actually show ourselves and when we have a safe environment to do that, that is such an important part of this… It’s about touching another world. (playing music) Can I distill why I’m here and what I’m doing? I’m an ambassador to the world of music and imagination and that’s why I’m doing what I do. And anyone can be an ambassador to the world of music and imagination. Something whispered in our ears and we responded. Be sure to check out the premiere of her piece, Invention And Alchemy, on July 10th and the events leading up to the premiere. This is to raise money for The Grand Rapids Symphony. Website: http://www.HipHarp.com TEDx talk: https://youtu.be/EOtEkRtk5IA Academy: http://www.HipHarpAcademy.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HipHarp Blog: http://www.hipharp.com/blog/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/HipHarpist YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/hipharpist LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hipharp Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hipharp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hipharpist/ | |||
| 19 Jun 2020 | Kathy DeAngelo and The Somerset Folk Harp Festival’s 20th Anniversary | 01:05:27 | |
I had a chat today with Kathy DeAngelo about the harp, teaching, and The Somerset Folk Harp Festival’s 20th anniversary this July. The deadline to register is June 30, 2020. http://www.somersetharpfest.com/registration.html Somerset Folk Harp Festival -40 Live Workshops -10 other live events: concerts, Somerset’s Got Talent, a Carolan Marathon, Irish Sessions, Scottish Sessions, and more. -Recorded Workshops -Virtual Vendor Booths where you get to meet the luthiers and other vendors -Two access levels to the festival -$100 discount if you sign up before June 30th!! I have known Kathy DeAngelo since 2001 when I was introduced to her by my friend, Eileen Gannon, who is a phenomenal harpist and teacher in St. Louis. Eileen and I met at The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick and I was inspired by Eileen to learn how to play the harp. Before I even met Kathy I attended The Somerset Folk Harp Festival when it was still in Somerset, NJ and was wowed by the harp world and so impressed by how giving and kind the harp community is. Kathy has been the festival’s director since 2008 and has grown the festival to be one of the most beloved and well organized harp festivals in the world attracting people from all over the globe. This year has been a challenge for artists and I applaud Kathy for her perseverance and care to keep the festival going despite the fact that we are not able to meet in person this year. Kathy truly cares about the performers, the vendors, the luthiers, and the attendees of the festival and the musical community that she has been fostering for most of her life. Somerset Folk Harp Festival http://www.somersetharpfest.com/registration.html Kathy’s Harp Agency, “You Gotta Have Harp” | |||
| 29 Jun 2020 | Podcast Episode #10 Online Festivals and Theatrical Events | 15:38:00 | |
Episode #10 podcast Welcome to the moon over the trees music productions This is Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® Podcast’s 10th episode. I am so thrilled at how this listening community has grown so much in such a short time. The theme music for this podcast was co-written by myself and my friend Arish Khan, also known as King Khan. This was written during the COVID lockdown and the record will be released later this year. This track is called, “A Hard Rain’s Gotta Fall” and it’s off of the Space Jazz album, The Infinite Ones. I’ll let you know when it’s released. I’m playing harp on it. I’m so thrilled that Arish asked me to play on this album with so many other talented musicians. SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT FESTIVALS AND EVENTS I want to share. This whole episode is about sharing. This episode was inspired by my friend, and amazing Scottish harper, Rachel Hair, whom I interviewed in an earlier podcast episode. She started putting together a list of festivals and workshops going on this summer and this fall that are pivoting and going online. I want to share that list with you. And because music and theatre really go hand in hand, and since I work in theatre and I love it so much, I wanted to mention some exciting theatre events that are happening online and ways you can support the theatre community. THE HUDSON VALLEY SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL So, first up is The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. They are located in Garrison, NY, which is about an hour train ride from New York City. They are right on the Hudson River. You can check under their “Events” menu. Check out their, “Tent Talks”, they have something called, “Shakespeare Shaken and Stirred” and every summer they have this thing called the, “Bake Off”. They invite professional and non-professional playwrights to come in and write a play. They give you, what they call “ingredients” which are certain things that they need you to add to your stories to give you inspiration for your writing. And if the winner is chosen those plays get performed by professional actors. These performances usually take place at the Philipstown Depot Theatre, but this year they will be performed via Zoom. HAMILTON On July 3rd, 2020 you will finally be able to get those tickets to, “Hamilton” thanks to Disney+. STREAMING BROADWAY SHOWS Find information on https://www.theatermania.com/guide/theatrical-streaming-content-broadway-lockdown Additional information on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and streaming https://www.playbill.com/coronavirusupdate MUSIC IN THIS EPISODE Erik Ask-Upmark “Polska Presto” off of his album, “Winter is Coming” Grainne Hambly, “Flying to the Fleadh” off of her album, “Between the Showers” Other traditional music played in this episode was recorded by me. UPCOMING INTERVIEWS Nicolas Carter https://www.nicolascarter.com/ Swedish multi-instrumentalist Erik Ask-Upmark https://erikaskupmark.bandcamp.com/ Martha Gallagher https://www.adkharper.com/ William Jackson http://www.harpagency.com/artist1.htm Corrina Hewat https://corrinahewat.com/ Tristan Le Govic http://www.tristanlegovic.eu/ CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRADUATES Wishing you the best. I’m so fortunate to have worked with all of you in music and theatre. Break a leg! APP REVIEW Vulcan Harp App https://apps.apple.com/us/app/star-trek-vulcan-harp/id740110925 I am a techie and a Trekkie. This is a Star Trek Vulcan Harp. It’s a $2 app for your iPad. It lets you play a virtual Vulcan harp like the one Spock played in the Original series. It also lets you record and it has tracks to accompany yourself. It also lets you set the key or mode you want to play in and it lets you record your creations. FESTIVALS AND MUSICAL EVENTS ONLINE On the Facebook Celtic Harp Group Rachel Hair started collecting a list of some available online harp festivals. Even if you missed them this year, a lot of these festivals have content that you can stream months after the event has passed. Or you can put them on your calendar for next year. INVENTION AND ALCHEMY A concert that harpist and composer Deborah Henson-Conant created and performed with The Grand Rapids Symphony. The concert is being re-released on July 10, 2020. Deborah chats with me about the concert in (Season 1 Episode 8). This is a fundraiser for the symphony. DHC’s Invention and alchemy with Grand Rapids Symphony (Season 1, Episode 8) Here’s a link for a preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-90lzAEmeY And How to get your free online access to the event: https://ds0n9pwn.pages.infusionsoft.net/ Here’s a link to the DHC Camac electric harp that she uses in this performance https://www.camac-harps.com/en/harps-en/electric/dhc-36-blue-light/ MARTHA GALLAGHER AND JUST A MOMENT MUSIC Martha Gallagher is one of my upcoming interviews. She is a harpist, performer, composer, and teacher who makes her home in the NY Adirondacks. She has a lot going on, but I wanted to mention her Just a Moment project where every day she delivers a short instrumental meditation on the harp to your email inbox. A wonderful way to start out your day. FESTIVALS Ohio Scottish Arts School June 29th-July 3rd https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/ Catskills Irish Arts Week starting July 12th https://www.catskillsirishartsweek.com/ Not just harp. They offer classes in fiddle, guitar, concertina, etc. When the festival is happening in person the town of East Durham, NY is filled with music. Wherever there is a space for musicians to sit a session is bound to start. Some sessions going on ‘till 4 in the morning. They aren’t meeting in person this year, but you can check out classes with world renowned musicians from all over the world. Common Ground on the Hill June 28 - July 3, July 5-10, July 12-17 I’ve never been, but I’ve heard great things about it. https://www.commongroundonthehill.org/traditions-weeks-home.html Somerset Folk Harp Festival July 16 - 19, A mixture of both live and pre-recorded workshops, with a HUGE selection of presenters, styles and levels http://www.somersetharpfest.com/ I’ve been working at the Somerset Folk Harp Festival for the past ten years, so it’s near and dear to my heart. This year, yes, we are online. -40 live zoom workshops -100 pre-recorded workshops with topics from celtic harp, jazz harp, latin american harp, historical harp lectures, therapeutic harp, and more -There’s also an online vendor hall where you’ll get to meet the vendors and have a chat with them and in some cases you’ll be able to take a virtual tour or their workshops. -There will also be concerts on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at lunchtime and in the evenings as well as a talent show, Irish Session, Scottish Session, and a special Carolan Session to celebrate the 350th birthday of the famous Irish composer, Turlough O'Carolan -With the full festival registration you’ll be able to watch and rewatch ALL of the workshops until the end of the year! So, if you’ve ever been in the situation where you wanted to take a class, but it conflicted with another class, worry no more! You’ll have the opportunity to take as many of the classes as you like till the end of the year. If Scottish harp and language interest you the, Fèis Phàislig July 21 pre-recorded videos includes an improvers clarsach (Scottish harp, not wire) class and an advanced class (which has myself as tutor, so you know it'll be harp friendly!) https://feisphaislig.com/ Cromarty Harp Village September 18th-20th is run by the super talented Corrina Hewat Not sure what is happening with this festival yet, but you can check for updates at https://corrinahewat.com/ https://www.cromartyartstrust.org.uk/the-harp-village Dusty Strings: Harp Seattle October 2020 https://store.dustystrings.com/p-6681-harp-seattle-2020.aspx Sue and Ray, the founders of Dusty Strings in Seattle are such warm giving folks. They even converted part of their workshop so they could make protective face shields for hospital workers. Oh, and their instruments are GORGEOUS. Island Mountain Arts http://support-imarts.com/upcoming-workshops/2020/8/17/34th-international-harp-and-cello-school Is going online this year. Two of the instructors: Sunita Staneslow (Season 1 Episode ) Tristan Le Govic (Season 1 Upcoming episode) Cairde Na Cruite June 28th - July 3rd https://www.cairdenacruite.com/ Plenty of great online concerts Maeve Gilchrist will performing on July 1, 2020 Check out my interview with Maeve (Season 1 Episode 4) And don’t miss her teaching at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival She also has a book and an album coming out this year. | |||
| 10 Jul 2020 | “The Harp is Like a Gem” An interview with Paraguayan harpist Nicolas Carter | 01:11:24 | |
the harp is like a gem… Music is one of those magical things that can bring people together. It brings people from different backgrounds together to create. Nicolas Carter is a performer, teacher, and storyteller who combines his love of the Paraguayan harp with storytelling to give back to the world. The arts are essential Nicolas and I discuss how the arts and how they are being utilized to help deal with what is going on in the world and how more harmony is being created. Nicolas was born in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of Minnesoita and started his music career there after growing up in Paraguay. Some of our conversation does touch on the unrest in the world and how he and I hope that some good will come out of the protests to create a more just world. He believes that music, and especially the harp, will help people to communicate and heal. A bridging of two different worlds North and South America “It’s [The Paraguayan Harp] something from Latin America that is beautiful and wonderful. And so, what brings people to love somebody else is what do they do that is beautiful and wonderful? This is what the Paraguayans, their history, they gave a lot of importance to doing this, playing the harp. There’s a family of people that have devoted energy, enthusiasm, passion to developing this harp, this instrument. So I am sharing that love, that excitement, that passion from that group of people to this group of people here. It’s bringing the best of Paraguay to the United States. Nicolas was moved when I said that he was an ambassador for Paraguay and the harp. His parents were missionaries in Paraguay and he believes that they shared the best of the United States with the people of Paraguay and he hopes to do the same “Latin American people and music bring joy to the world.” On Teaching at the Somerset Folk Harp Festival “It’s one of a kind in all that it has to offer.” “If you want to expand ways we think about the harp, ways we think about rhythm and how we learn, these are great introductory classes.” The Power of Music There’s a world that’s starving for making music together. Gathering around the bonfire telling stories in community. Happiness has to come from within. In many ways it’s the purpose of my life. We want to bring what’s the best in all of us. Nicolas’ Website https://www.nicolascarter.com/ Nicolas’ Workshops at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival https://www.somersetharpfest.com/presenters.html#carter | |||
| 25 Jul 2020 | COVID-19’s Impact on Therapeutic Music | 01:36:37 | |
A guest panel discussion at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival on the effects of COVID 19 on Therapeutic Musicians. Present were Edie Elkan, Dr. Laurence Furr, Sister Margaret Mary McBride, Jocelyn Obermeyer, Karen Peterson, and Mary Stevens. The panelists were generous enough to allow me to share. www.moonoverthetrees.com/podcast Edie Elkan Dr. Laurence Furr www.laurencefurr.com/therapeutic-musician.html medicalmusicianinitiative.org/ Jocelyn Obermeyer www.harptherapyinternational.com/ Karen Peterson Mary Stevens Martha Gallagher and Just a Moment Music | |||
| 14 Aug 2020 | “If this is my life and my adventure, let’s explore!”: an Interview with Harpist/Composer Martha Gallagher | 01:12:52 | |
https://justamomentmusic.com/ways_to_use.html “If this is my life and my adventure, let’s explore!” Anyone who has met Martha Gallagher has witnessed this sense of adventure in her. Martha is the kind of person who says, “Yes!” to life. She’s the kind of person who Walt Whitman would have loved, “sounding [her] barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world”. “I find inspiration everywhere. I just try to use it. That’s what our lives are made out of…we have these big glorious moments, but a lot of life is made up of these little beautiful moments.” Martha finds inspiration everywhere: in the woods and mountains of the Adriondaks, in the waves crashing on the shore, in the thyme that she uses to make focaccia bread, and even in scrap wood that she noticed at Dusty Strings’ workshop. While out in Seattle Martha spent some time visiting Sue and Ray Moore’s harp workshop at Dusty Strings in Seattle she noticed that there were some harp pieces left off to the side. Ray called them their “Orphans” because they were left over pieces of harps that are good enough for a harp, but they don’t have enough pieces in the same type of wood to build an entire harp out of them. Martha became inspired and asked Ray if they could build an, “Orphan Harp” for her. After some persuading, the harp Martha lovingly named, “Hope” came to be. Hope is Martha’s main performance harp and she appears on Martha’s new project, “Just a Moment Music”. This is a subscription service where every day you receive a moment of music to start your day. Martha wanted to find a way to bring the healing power of music into people’s lives. It is her hope that in the stressful times we live in she can persuade people to take just a minute for themselves. Here is a quote for one of the subscribers: “Hello Martha, In times as they are, your moment is a beautiful way to pause and take a breath before my day begins. I love that your moment comes at the wee hours of the morning and drifts away at day’s end making room for a new moment to carry me through the new day. Today’s gift felt extra special.” Martha didn’t start out as a harpist, but fell in love with the instrument just as she was finishing college. She even built her first harp. She studied music arranging/performance and recording in college. She sang in jazz and rock bands, played folk guitar and classical flute. Her love of singing with the harp and playing with the voice of the harp highlights the versatility of the instrument going from the flowing peaceful music that most people associate with the harp to playing blues, rock and improvisation on the instrument. Another one of Martha’s projects is “Martha’s Music Monthly”, It is a sheet music subscription where players get an opportunity to play some of her original compositions. “Beach Sketches”, based on her time playing harp on the beach, was first in the series. Martha decided to compose more music so subscribers could receive a new piece of music every month. At the end of our interview Martha leads us in one of Thich Nhat Hanh’s guided meditations. The background music is one of Martha’s, “Just a Moment Music” compositions. What a lovely way to end our interview and to remind everyone to take a few moments every day for yourself to recharge. | |||
| 26 Aug 2020 | The Nordic Harper: An Interview with Erik Ask-Upmark | 01:33:14 | |
http://www.ask-upmark.se/harp/ As with many of the harpists on this podcast, I met Swedish multi-instrumentalist Erik Ask-Upmark at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival which takes place every July in Parsippany, NJ. Erik is not only a world renowned harpist, pipe player, historian and historical reenactor among other things that we’ll discuss in this interview, but Erik has a sense of humor that his audiences and students love. Erik is a professional performer of the Celtic harp, arpa doppia (two-row Baroque harp), and the Swedish bagpipes, among other instruments.. Erik has a great love of Celtic music and arranging Scandinavian folk songs. He has even earned the title of "Riksspelman" (Master Musician of the Realm) in his native country of Sweden. He is sought after for his solo performances, teaching, and the work he does with his ensembles Svanevit, Dram, and Falsobordone. Erik’s latest Nordic Harp album is Winter is Coming. He also has another new release this year with Medieval ensemble Falsobordone's "1350" Music for a Plague with music from the year - 1350. I don’t know if I have ever met a musician who plays and performs music from the 7th Century pre-Viking age to playing piano for silent film and DJing music from the 1920s and 30s. Yes, Erik also DJs as DJ Prohibition playing 78s from the 20s and 30s on hand crank gramophones.
I have some exciting announcements coming up for the podcast next week and some fun new things I have in store for all of you to put a smile on your faces and music in your ears. So, tune in to my next episode for more information or sign up for my newsletter. Just head to my website moonoverthetrees.com/podcast to sign up. | |||
| 16 Sep 2020 | Here’s Some Fun Things from Me to You | 08:51:00 | |
Hi! Thanks for joining me today. So, today I wanted to do something a little different. I created Moon Over the Trees to foster Community. Creativity. And Collaboration So, here’s some fun things from me to you: I am so excited to share all of the exciting and fun things I have planned! I've been working really hard to bring you new podcasts and courses. I have an album release this October 30th! It's called, “The Infinite Ones” an album by King Khan. I’m super excited about this project! My friend Arish Khan, better known as King Khan, contacted me earlier this year just as lockdown had started. I'm playing harp on a few tracks with Arish and a few members of The Sun Ra Arkestra, Calexico, and other amazing musicians. A very cool jazz album influenced by Sun Ra, Marco Marconi, Alice Coltrane, and more. This meditative psychedelic jazz album is absolute magic. So thrilled beyond belief to be a part of this special project. Pre order your gorgeous Aqua Blue and Bone with Black Splatter Vinyl. Official album release on October 30th!! This podcast’s theme music is one of the tracks off of the album, "A Hard Rain's Gotta Fall". (I play the percussion and harp on the track.) Pre-Order your copy here: https://khannibalism.bandcamp.com/album/the-infinite-ones-2 THE BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE HARP COURSE I’ve been getting so many requests for a beginner/Intermediate harp course and I’m excited to announce that it will be launching in October. In this six module harp course I’m going to show you how to become more confident in your musical abilities, learn songs to add to your repertoire, accompany your singing, and really enjoy playing. I’m going to walk you through everything from tuning your harp and proper posture and hand placement to learning songs by ear, basics on reading sheet music, and simple, but beautiful ways that you can use to accompany your singing. I know learning a new instrument can be overwhelming. I’ve designed this course with bite sized lessons that will give you focus and make you feel like a rock star on the harp. By the end of the course you’ll have the tools to continue your harp journey with confidence and joy. Send me a message on Facebook, Instagram @moonoverthetrees or on my website moonoverthe trees.com/contact THE BLOG New Blog posts are in the works as well to help out my fellow theatre professionals with navigating the world off stage and on the virtual stage. My next blog will give you some suggestions for shows and resources on the logistics of how to make your production a success. Check out my wealth of resources below to inspire you. I really love that you are joining me on this ride of Collaboration. Creativity. and Community. Dive into information to inspire you, your music, or theatrical projects, tips and tricks for planning shows, inspiration for your learning and teaching and more… THE SHOP I also have new shop items that will be rolling out in the next few months! Meditation packages that offer you music and other goodies to help you relax, super soft eco-friendly t-shirts with sayings to inspire, water bottles, candles, and journals along with some of my favorite things for every musician to help tired hands. Keep a look out for special offers and discounts that I'll send in my next newsletters. moonoverthetrees.com/contact THE PODCAST Be sure to check out past episodes of the podcast. The last episode is an interview with Swedish harper/piper, Erik Ask-Upmark. Upcoming podcast interviews include Bretton harper Tristan LeGov and Scottish harper/singer Corrina Hewitt. I’m also just interviewed the amazing guitarists/songwriter: Deke Dickerson.https://dekedickerson.com/ Here he is playing “Merle’s Boogie” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VBeqdhwXfk His start on Norton Records with his band, Untamed Youth http://www.nortonrecords.com/249-untamed-youth-untamed-melodies-cd-249/ We talk about his new book on Merle Travis that is coming out this Spring, along with how his work to keep American roots music alive. We’ll also chat about the music he’s written for different films and his albums and shows. I’ll also be interviewing Detroit musician Eddie Baranek this month. Some of you may know him from his band, The Sights. Eddie is An accomplished musician and songwriter, whose toured all over the US and Europe. He was also nominated for an Emmy in 2011 as songwriter for the theme of PBS/s Under The Radar Michigan and was also the Michigan Notable Book Award recipient in 2014 for, Taken Alive: The Sights’ Rock and Roll Tour Diary. I’ve got loads of other surprises in store for all of you! Drop me a line if there’s anyone you’d like to hear me interview. Here’s Eddie’s newest band, The Scrappers. https://www.thescrappersband.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=52&v=rZ5Ms1X5N8Y&feature=emb_logo Please keep in touch! info@moonoverthetrees.com, IG @moonoverthetrees or moonoverthetrees.com/contact | |||
| 24 Sep 2020 | A World of Inspiration: An Interview with Breton Harper Tristan Le Govic | 01:39:06 | |
My interview with Tristan was recorded on June 4th of 2020 via Zoom from his home in Brittany. Since then Tristan welcomed his daughter Lena into the world. Tristan also has a new album, Dañs, Historical and modern dances from here and there . You can purchase it from Tristan’s website here: www.tristanlegovic.eu We chatted about how COVID has united the world and helps us appreciate the people we love and little things even more. People are turning to the arts more and more these days and are playing music, painting, writing more and more. Tristan is working on his PhD on the Breton harpist Kristen Nogues who was a contemporary of Alan Stivell. Alan Stivell was central to the revival of celtic music. In 1971 he released his famous album, “Renaissance of the Celtic Harp”, which is a must have for any fan of Celtic Music; and in 1972 he launched the celtic revival. Kristen Nogues chose a different path from Alan Stivell by mixing folk, traditional, and jazz in her music, which was very unusual in the 1980s In the 1980s. Kristen was a pioneer of the Camac electro harp and developed a very unique sound along with an interesting way of approaching music. She was a pioneer of the Camac electro-harp. When Tristan was sixteen he met Kristen Nogues. Much of her inspiration came from the space she kept in the music which gave musicians a chance to express themselves and share a unique spirit of the music, which was a huge influence on Tristan’s playing. Through Nogues’ variations, ornamentation, and improvisation she shared her take on the spirit of the music. Music is more than what is written down it’s what you do with what is written down. It’s about figuring out how it works. There is a link between jazz music and traditional music in these ways of variation, ornamentation, and improvisation. “We are in an open world.” What happens to our neighbors far away affects and influences us. Breton music has changed a lot through the influence of the world on its music. It’s still Breton music, but there is a swing of a jazz influence. “The swing goes with the dance.”, as Tristan observes. The harp as an instrument has gone through a type of dance. As it changes and evolves the music being played has also changed. The newer harps can be tuned to A 442 instead of A 440 creating a brighter sound. The levers on the harp move smoother so changing keys is faster. Also the electro harp has influenced musicians and their playing. Development of the electric harp was inspired by musicians wanting to play on stage and be able to be heard. Musicians like Kristen Nogues, Alan Stivell and Deborah Henson conant. The harp makers saw an opportunity for something new on the market. They wanted to make a harp that people could play at home with headphones so they could practice without disturbing anyone. Or for group harp lessons so all the students could be practicing at the same time. Alan Stivell’s idea of the electric harp was so his harp could be heard on stage when he played with the traditional Breton instruments, the Bombard and Binioù during the Breton Fest Noz. The electric harp is a very different instrument from the acoustic harp. The basic technique is the same, but the decay on the electric harp is much longer so the player has to control the note more, not unlike the technique used on a wire strung harp. The Fest Noz Tristan uses two harps when he plays at The Fest Noz, the electric and the electro-acoustic harp when on stage. He is always amplified when playing with his bass player and drummer. He also plays with Bombard and Binioù during the festival as well. Often when playing at a Fest Noz musicians know each other and collaborate and play. Much of the playing is very organic and spontaneous like musicians coming together at an Irish Session sharing tunes that are common in the Fest Noz community. Historically, each village had its own dance and you wouldn’t dance another village’s dance, but in the modern open world dances from other villages are shared. In Fes Noz everyone dances together, all ages sing and dance freeing the mind and being with others. UNESCO added Fest Noz dance to the world heritage list. “Our time is very unique because we have so many harp players and we can play in so many different ways we are much more creative, we see so many different ways to play” It is an exciting time in history with the new technological developments to the harp, but also have older recordings to look back on. There are many more harp players from which to draw inspiration. “It’s about how does the music and dance make you feel?” “We need connection” On teaching Tristan loves to teach the harp and Breton music and share the tradition. He is a regular instructor at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival which happens in Parsippany, NJ every July. (This past year the festival was presented virtually to great success.) “The thing [that a teacher does] is to keep that sparkle.” On the Irish composer Turlough O'Carolan “He is an open window onto the past” Collectif Arp http://www.tristanlegovic.eu/blog.php?pennad=collectif-arp Clotilde Trouillaud, Cristine Mérienne, Alice Soria-Cadoret and Nikolaz Cadoret. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=ApLA7i7vERQ&feature=emb_logo Tristan’s blog http://www.tristanlegovic.eu/blog.php The revival of the celtic harp and the rise of its popularity. The development of the celtic harp around the world and the community of the harp. “It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you’re from. Just play.” “The harp world is an image of the society there are all ages.” “It’s my part as a teacher to remind them that it doesn’t matter who they are, they can do something.” “It’s all ages, abilities, and cultures.” It is an open world. It’s not just about playing a tune, it’s knowing the history of your instrument and the story of the songs. We are lucky to have this history of the harp. It is an epic history. Tristan’s Website: http://www.tristanlegovic.eu/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tristanlegovic Tristan’s Blog: http://www.tristanlegovic.eu/blog.php Somerset Folk Harp Festival: https://www.somersetharpfest.com/ | |||
| 14 Oct 2020 | “The Best of the Tradition is Yet to Come” an Interview with Scottish Harpist/Composer Corrina Hewat | 59:08:00 | |
moonoverthetrees.com https://corrinahewat.com/ My guest today is Scottish Harpist/Composer/Singer Corrina Hewat. Corrina is a skilled and innovative composer and arranger having created large scale commissions as well as being a music director, choir director, and has created a variety of original productions. She is widely recognized as one of Scotland’s most unique and innovative musicians. Corrina is also one of the company directors for Dragon Song Productions where she composes music for shows geared toward children 5 years of age and under working alongside puppeteers. Their production, “Moon Dragon” was quite the success at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019. Some of you may also have heard of “Unusual Suspects”, a 22 piece band that Corrina helped co-found and direct. Corrina also has a series of online workshops coming up this November called, “Harp In Scotland”. “We have such a broken tradition in Scotland. In a way, the Scottish tradition is being shaped by all those players who are adding to it even now.” -Corrina Hewat As Martin Hayes once said, “The best of the tradition is yet to come.” and that is so true of Corrina’s belief that the tradition is, something that you are, “Constantly passing it on” to others. We discuss what drew Corrina to the harp and composing and dealing with perfectionism. “ It’s when you’re more vulnerable, not trying to be perfect, you’re just real…that is when I get most feedback on the music I’ve played or how I’ve made people feel” -Corrina Hewat The Cromaty Harp Village where she runs a small harp festival for the past ten years, and how music and the musical community are helping people in this difficult time of Covid. Corrina has been running The Cromaty Harp Village for over ten years. It’s a wonderful harp gathering that brings harp lessons to the Scottish Highlands. People come from all over the world to gather and share music on the harp. It isn’t happening in 2020, but we did discuss how that festival came to be. | |||
| 03 Nov 2020 | William Jackson: Scottish Harper/Composer/Multi-Instrumentalist | 54:19:00 | |
www.moonoverthetrees.com/podcast wjharp.com “Things that we’re doing now are going to be the tradition of tomorrow.” William Jackson is one of Scotland's most well respected and sought after performers and teachers of the Scottish harp. Billy’s humor and graciousness are a constant as his fans from around the world will agree. Billy’s musical journey started with classical piano at the age of 11 and when he became interested in traditional music he took up the mandolin. At 15 he started playing the double bass and bass guitar and joined the band Contraband in Glasgow. Who or what inspired you to play the harp? When Billy was in London he noticed a lever harp in the window of a store that piqued his interest. He had been listening to harpers Alan Stivell, Derek Bell, and Alison Kinnaird. He didn’t buy that particular harp, but in 1975 he decided to sell his bass and buy a harp. He played harp, Uilleann Pipes and whistles with the band Ossian for fourteen years starting in 1976. A band that continues to inspire traditional musicians from around the world. Some refer to them as, “The Scottish Planxty”. Like any other instrument the harp is constantly being developed. “It’s like a tree and it grows different branches.” Arranging tunes and playing the bouzouki The bouzouki has changed a lot. Tuning that’s good for Scottish music. only been used in Irish and Scottish music since the 1960s. They work really well with traditional music. It uses open tuning. Like having a drone on the bagpipe with the melody over it. Dance music would not have been accompanied originally in traditional music. That whole sense of harmony has gone onto the harp. Often when playing dance music on the harp and in a lot of the old harp pieces as well, there is so much going on with the ornamentation and variations you actually don’t have to do tons [with your accompaniment] anyway.” The melody often speaks for itself and the melody’s always telling you what the harmony could be. Scottish tunes are hugely influenced by the Scottish Pipes. On Uilleann Pipes, you can actually block the chanter on your knee and close all the holes and you can actually make a silence, you can even switch the drones off. But, it’s the melody that is the important thing. The drones can be continuous But the melody could have actual gaps or silences between the notes, so that’s a different style. But, in the Scottish bagpipe to make the second note to make trebles and doubles, you have to use cuts and ornaments to make the rhythm because it’s one long continuous sound there’s no silence. So that is hugely influential in fiddle music and harp as well. A lot of the old harp music would have a simple melody and a whole series of variations. And that’s kind of the form of the Scottish bagpipe, the Pibroch. You’re always hugely influenced by every musician you’ve ever worked with.
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| 27 Nov 2020 | Give the Gift of Music - A Roundup of this year’s interviews | 00:22:28 | |
Hi! Well, the holidays are right around the corner. One of the things that has helped us get through this crazy year of 2020, which feels like it’s been going on for over twenty years now, is the arts… Music especially. Also, support your local booksellers if you can. Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for IndieBound independent booksellers and Oblong Books so I do get a small percentage of these purchases when you use the book links. And if you like what I’m doing here, please consider becoming a supporter. You’ll get special content, discounts, and more: jemi.app/moonoverthetreesmusic&theatre
I can’t think of a better gift for you or your loved ones than music to listen to and to learn. Here are links to music of the artists that I have interviewed on my podcast. You can purchase these beauties directly from the artists’ pages so the money goes directly to them. Also, if you play piano the harp arrangements translate nicely to the piano.
Please subscribe to the podcast and check out the interviews with these amazing artists: Listen on Apple Podcasts, Listen on Spotify or Listen on Stitcher
Upcoming interviews with: Janet Harbison, Ailie Robertson, Deke Dickerson, and Eddie Baraneck.
I’m happy to announce that my flagship podcast is being rebranded as, “HarpSong”. Join me over on Facebook in our discussion group. Meet the artists and chat with fellow harp fans. | |||
| 16 Dec 2020 | Scottish Composer/Harpist Ailie Robertson | 42:28:00 | |
I first heard Ailie Robertson’s music this past summer when I was moderating workshops at the online Somerset Folk Harp Festival. Ailie is one of Scotland's leading composers and a sought after harpist. Life has a way of sending you down paths that you might not have originally considered. In our chat Ailie talks about how she studied genetics at Cambridge University for four years then decided to take a gap year to pursue a masters degree in Irish Traditional Music at The University of LImerick’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, my alma mater. Working with Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and others at UL helped Ailie start down a path that has led her to be an in demand composer and performer. Her newest project is fittingly named “Adenine'' after one of the four nucleobases in the nucleic acid of DNA, a nice connection to Ailie’s years of studying genetics at Cambridge University. Here’s a description of the album taken from Adenine’s Kickstarter page: This solo project creates rich, multi-layered soundscapes with use of an electric harp, a myriad of pedals, field recordings and a modular synth. Ailie is joined by an illustrious cast of musicians including a groundbreaking string quartet, and producer Jim Sutherland. This album is a homage to the harp and a celebration of it's multifaceted possibilities as both an ancient instrument and an undeniable force in contemporary music. Nial Keegan, Course Director for the MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance, is quoted as saying that Ailie’s, “synthesis of Irish, Scottish and contemporary harping technique into an individual style represents the realization of otherwise unimagined possibilities for the Celtic harp.” The music that we are listening to is, “The Exploding Bow” from Ailie’s album, “First Things First”. Ailie is also a founding member of The Outside Track who just released a Christmas album that is fantastic. LINKS: Adenine on FB: https://www.facebook.com/adenine Adenine video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlxMu47cUM4&feature=emb_logo Ailie’s Website: https://www.ailierobertson.com/ The Outside Track: https://www.theoutsidetrack.com/ OTHER LINKS: Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick, Ireland https://www.irishworldacademy.ie/ Composer Ēriks Ešenvalds: www.eriksesenvalds.com/about/biography | |||
| 13 Jan 2021 | Part 1: Janet Harbison - Music Telling the Story of Our History | 00:58:18 | |
moonoverthetrees.com https://www.janetharbisonharp.com/ Janet Harbison is one of the most well respected celebrators of the Irish Harp and Traditional Irish Music. She has had a profound influence on the harp and trad community teaching some of the most well known harp players in the tradition like Grainne Hambly, Michael Rooney, and Laoise Kelly. Her new solo album, “By Strangford Water” is a collection of Janet’s compositions. The one you are hearing in the background is the title track from the album. A meditation on the country and landscape of Northern Ireland. There is also a companion book of the compositions on this album available on Janet’s website. Janet and I covered quite a bit of information in our chat so I decided to break this interview into two parts. In this episode we discuss her new album, her development of courses to train teachers of traditional Irish music, Northern Ireland during Brexit and COVID, the history of the Belfast harp Orchestra as well as her involvement in the peace process in Northern Ireland. In Part 2 of this interview we’ll get into her relationship with Camac harps and the story behind the making of the Camac “Janet” harp and other interesting topics. | |||
| 31 Jan 2021 | Part 2: Janet Harbison - The Story of Camac’s “Janet” Harp, tips to playing Harp in Irish Music Sessions and more… | 01:17:43 | |
Land, landscape, history, and music… Janet Harbison is one of the most well respected celebrators of the Irish Harp and Traditional Irish Music. She has had a profound influence on the harp and trad community teaching some of the most well known harp players in the tradition like Grainne Hambly, Michael Rooney, and Laoise Kelly. Her new solo album, “By Strangford Water” is a collection of Janet’s compositions. There is also a companion book of the compositions on this album available on Janet’s website. We discuss her relationship with Camac harps and the story behind the making of the Camac “Janet” harp, how to interpret slow airs on the harp, and other interesting topics. Janet likes to remind players that when playing a slow air, knowing the text and how you can tell the story of that song through the music is so integral to your musical interpretation.
-Janet Harbison (on interpreting a song)
What does it mean to learn music in the tradition? “The way people are learning now, mostly is in workshops by rote. It’s learning by ear, but it’s not traditional. To be traditional is to start with the basics and then to evolve the arrangement yourself using a free form of ornamentation and variation and accompaniment. None of that should be present.” -Janet Harbison Janet believes that a musician should be able to converse with and, “be in community with the [other] players otherwise “You’re limiting yourself”. “It’s a natural thing for a student to emulate their teachers, but it shouldn’t be that they only can play what they’ve been formally taught, by ear or by any other means. It’s about teaching somebody a language so they can speak it. And that they feel confident to commune with it with the other tradition makers. For me that’s the purpose behind teaching.” -Janet Harbison Playing Harp in Irish Traditional Music Sessions “Harp players have a unique opportunity to do the traditional stuff in a traditional way that is still also ahead of the fashion, if you like.” -Janet Harbison On Accompanying: “It’s all about dressing up and dressing down any piece of music…The tune is the story and the accompaniment is the fluff. “ -Janet Harbison Session Etiquette Janet encourages harpists to play with the best musicians you can find, not to play in slow sessions, but go and try to stretch yourself. You don’t have to play every note, but let your playing breathe and get into the feel of the music. Janet reminds us to “Watch how the musicians look at each other and the unspoken communication”. Harpists and Poets “The harpists had a partnership with the poets. The poets composed the epic verse. [The verse] would never be performed without the harper providing the emotional impact in the music of the suantraí, geantraí and goltraí.” -Janet Harbison According to tradition, there are three types of Irish melody – suantraí, geantraí and goltraí. Suantraí (lullaby) was a tune that put you to sleep, geantraí caused laughter or merriment, whereas goltraí brought the listener to tears. Janet is passionate about training and teaching traditional Irish Harp and believes that, “Irish harp music should have a much higher profile in harp music worldwide.” LINKS Janet’s Website: www.janetharbisonharp.com The History of The Belfast Harp Orchestra: www.irishharporchestra.com/history/short-history-of-the-belfast-harp-orchestra/ Janet and Grainne Hambly performing, “Bright New Morning” at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival in 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSc7qcqg1KA The Camac “Janet” Harp: www.camac-harps.com/en/harps-en/lever/janet/
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| 10 Feb 2021 | Harp, Stars, and Magic: An Interview with Author and Harp Enthusiast Shveta Thakrar | 00:35:22 | |
Welcome to this week’s episode of HarpSong™️ Shveta Thakrar, is a writer and lover of the harp. The heroine in her new novel, “Star Daughter”, plays the music of the stars on her harp, after all, she is half star and half human. In this, Shveta’s first novel, she spins a story of magic, of stars, of a young woman’s strength, her friendships and family. The world in this novel moves between New Jersey and the stars and Vedic Nakshatras, or constellations. Music is the heartbeat of this book and the harp makes a prominent role in the story. Shveta is a proponent of the We Need Diverse Books movement and is passionate about portraying positive representations of women of Indian descent. She also plays the harp and has taken lessons from my friend, Kathy DeAngelo , who runs The Somerset Folk Harp Festival which will take place online this July 22nd-25th 2021. I’m so glad that Kathy suggested I interview Shveta. I hope you enjoy our chat and get inspired. “Star Daughter”, ended up in at least nine subscription boxes in 2020. Boxes like Owl Crate are where young readers get exciting boxes filled with inspiring books and fun items that go along with them. Shveta spent a good portion of 2020 singing over 30,000 books for the subscription boxes! I got to catch up with Shveta just after she finished a draft of her next novel, “The Dream Runners”. She has certinally had a busy year. This February 17th she will be doing a reading at the KGB bar in New York City. More information can be found on their website. www.kgbfantasticfiction.org/upcoming-readers/ If you are interested in learning more about Indian Literature, Folklore, and Fables here is the link to the comic books that Shveta recommended www.amarchitrakatha.com LINKS Shveta’s Website: www.shvetathakrar.com We Need Diverse Books: diversebooks.org The Somerset Folk Harp Festival: www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtml Owl Crate Book Subscription Boxes: www.owlcrate.com/blogs/owlcrate KGB Bar NYC Fantasy Fiction Readings: www.kgbfantasticfiction.org/upcoming-readers/ Amarchitrakatha Comics: www.amarchitrakatha.com YA Author Laini Taylor: www.lainitaylor.com | |||
| 04 Mar 2021 | A Preview of a Harp Packed March and 7 Things to Help Bring You Joy | 00:16:28 | |
Hi and welcome to this week’s episode of HarpSong™️ Presented by Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions®. This month marks the first anniversary of my founding of Moon Over the Trees and as a thank you to all of my listeners and folks who have supported me along the way, this week’s episode is all about you. If you are enjoying the podcast please let me know by writing a review. For the first 20 people who post a review I’ll send you some fun Moon Over the Trees merch. Just send me an email along with your iTunes name. It feels like this year is flying by. March brings us the Spring Equinox and warmer sunnier days ahead and of course, St. Patrick’s Day. But, first, this week’s episode of HarpSong™️, is all about you! In this week’s episode I’m giving you 7 tips for things that will help you be kinder to yourself. Let me know: What are your biggest challenges musically? Are you new to the harp and don’t know where to start? Do you need some concrete advice on how to get started recording yourself? Would you like a step by step guide on how to use audio and video editing software? Do you want to hear more about getting started on the harp/piano/voice lessons? Are you looking for inspiration? Ways to relax and unwind? Are you interested in meeting up with folks in the Moon Over the Trees community to share music and theater ideas and inspiration? Did you know that Ireland is the only country that has a musical instrument as its national emblem? What better way to celebrate the harp and Ireland than to discuss the history of the Ancient Irish Harp, its origins, and its music.
My upcoming guests on HarpSong™️ will include:
The revival of the Clarsach (The harp of The Gaels in Ireland and Scotland) Ann Heymann - Ann is one of the world’s foremost performers and researchers of The wire-strung harp, or Clarsach, which was the harp of the Gaels of Ireland and Scotland. Ann is central to the revival of the Clarsach. This year she is receiving two lifetime achievement awards. One from The Somerset Folk Harp Festival and one from The Historical Harp Society of Ireland. There is so much to cover of Ann’s 50 year career that I will break my interview with Ann into two parts. And be on the lookout for an article on Ann in the Folk Harp Journal. Speaking of The Historical Harp Society of Ireland: Siobhán Armstrong will also be a guest on the podcast this month. Siobhán founded The Historical Harp Society of Ireland and is passionate about encouraging the revival of The Ancient Irish Harp. She is also director of Scoil na gCláirseach—Festival of Early Irish Harp, which takes place each August in Ireland.
The Ancient Irish Harp in Museums: Nancy Hurrell Nancy Hurrell is a performer and harp historian. She is the author of the definitive biography on nineteenth-century Irish harp maker John Egan, The Egan Irish Harps: Tradition, patrons and players.She has taught early harp classes at the Boston Conservatory, Brandeis University, Benslow Music (England), and workshops at Somerset Harp Festival (NJ), UK Harp Festival and for the Historical Harp Society and the American Harp Society. With academic degrees in harp performance and fine art, Hurrell presents lecture-demonstrations of rare harps in museum collections.
Speaking of rare and ancient harps STEAM and The Ancient Irish Harp: Karen Loomis Consultant Organologist In the New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, organology is defined as “The systematic investigation of the history, design, technology, and functions (musical, social, symbolic, etc.) of musical instruments of all times and places.” Karen conducts construction and craftsmanship analysis of historical musical instruments using her expertise in non-invasive techniques. Karen provides technical information for musical instrument makers, musicians, museums, collectors, and other researchers.
She has led groundbreaking work studying the historical harps of Ireland and Scotland, and recently led a project funded by the Arts Council of Ireland to undertake analysis of the Hollybrook harp at the National Museum of Ireland for the Historical Harp Society of Ireland.
Previous work includes scientific analysis of the Lamont and Queen Mary harps. This research is now being used by musical instrument makers to produce informed replicas of these historical harps. Harper Dominique Dodge will also be a guest as well as my friend Missy Graff-Ballone of Wellness for Makers. Missy works with textile artists, silversmiths, and musicians to help them find mindful movement and avoid repetitive strain injuries. We will be focusing on healthy hands and different techniques to increase blood flow, circulation, and flexibility, and energy. Missy has a “Hands of the Maker” bundle on her website complete with tools to help you stretch and maintain good hand and forearm health.
March Music: Music for Beginners and Beyond I'm working on pre-recorded online harp lessons where you can learn new tunes, learn how to tune your harp, get more comfortable with improvisation, learn how to improvise for meditation, basics of recording, and more. Workshops for beginners and beyond. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to work on.
New Recordings! I have new recordings coming out with music for meditation and relaxation and have teamed up with some local artists who have made some goodies to add to your listening moments of “ahhh”. Hudson Valley potter, Muddy Rib is making custom limited edition harp themed mugs for you to enjoy the special tea blends that my friends at Tea & Absinthe are putting together for you in this musical box set of relaxation. For more information on the 7 Things that have helped me be kinder to myself and help others head on over to my blog. www.moonoverthetrees.com/blog/7-things-that-have-helped-me-be-kinder-to-myself-and-help-others
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| 12 Mar 2021 | Dominique Dodge | 00:55:38 | |
My guest today is harper/singer dominique dodge. Dominique has a deep love of the music and song traditions of Cape Breton, Ireland, and Scotland and has a passion for melody-driven dance music and responsive, rhythmic accompaniment, as well as for songs, airs, and 18th century harp music. A former Fulbright Scholar, Dominique has an MA from the University of Limerick in Irish Music Performance and a BA Honours in Scottish Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. She is also a dedicated learner of Scottish Gaelic. Dominique has extensive experience in traditional arts education and maintains a busy and vibrant teaching practice. She has been performing, recording and teaching traditional music on both sides of the Atlantic She has a new CD this year all in Scottish Gaelic called Canan nan Teud, The Language of the Strings. This year also marks Dominique’s fifth year directing the Somerset Folk Harp Festival’s, Youth Harp Program. While Dominique was living in Cape Breton she lived on a farm and during the pandemic while she can’t tour she is engaging with the land and spending more time farming and out in the wild and working with the land and singing Gaelic songs in the garden. It’s also allowed her to pick up another instrument, the concertina. In our chat we discuss her love of traditional music, community, teaching, and sharing her knowledge to keep the tradition alive. The selections of music in this episode are from Dominique’s newest album which is available for purchase and download on her website. Website: www.dominiquedodge.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKfss38PuHrxQ9pX8m1MnTA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DominiqueDodgeMusic/
Online Concert: https://www.cabotarts.org/upcoming-events (March 19th, 2021)
Archival Cape Breton Sources:
Gaelstream: https://stfx.cairnrepo.org/islandora/object/stfx%3Agaidheal
The Beaton Institute: https://beatoninstitute.com/
An Drochaid Eadarainn: https://www.androchaid.ca/
MacEdward Leach: https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/ Language in Lyrics: https://languageinlyrics.com/about/ Somerset Folk Harp Festival: https://www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtmlwww.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtml | |||
| 08 Apr 2021 | All the Strings to My Bow: An Interview with Harpist and Historian Nancy Hurrell | 01:15:29 | |
https://hurrellharp.com
Nancy is the author of the definitive biography on nineteenth-century Irish harp maker John Egan, The Egan Irish Harps: Tradition, patrons and players. She has taught early harp classes at the Boston Conservatory, Brandeis University, Benslow Music (England), and workshops at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival, the Historical Harp Society and the American Harp Society. With academic degrees in harp performance and fine art, Nancy presents lecture-demonstrations on rare harps in museum collections.
Join me over on Patreon for an extended interview with Nancy as we talk about inspiring student harpists and the next book she has in the works among other fun harp related topics. | |||
| 15 Apr 2021 | Rachel Hair and Ruth Keggin: Manx Song, music festivals, and the Crowdfunder for Their New Album | 00:41:35 | |
In this episode I have a lovely chat with Scottish harpist, Rachel Hair, and Manx singer Ruth Keggin. Rachel and Ruth are planning on recording an album of Manx songs later this year. Their crowdfunder is still up if you would like to be a part of making their new album. Some of the gifts to supporters include: early access to the album or you can pledge for harp lessons or Manx language singing lessons. Rachel has even offered to make Scottish Tablet to send to folks in the UK for a pledge. Scottish Tablet is a bit like fudge. We discuss this tasty sweet in the interview and how making it is its own workout. Ruth is also offering to do calligraphy artwork in Manx lyrics for anyone interested in pledging at that level. At the time this episode is airing the Edinburgh International Harp Festival will have just ended, but there are still some videos up on their website and a harp themed merchandise page. So, if you’d like to support the festival, head on over and pick up a harp tea towel, jewelry, music books, or harp stained glass. There is so much wonderful information in this episode for you to explore. Head on over to Rachel and Ruth’s websites and consider purchasing some of their music. Pop by their crowdfunder page and support them and other artists. Other events going on: Colmcille1500, of which Ruth will be participating in, celebrates the life and legacy of Colmcille or Columba,1500 years from his birth. It promotes the heritage of the saint whose abbey of Iona linked Ireland and Scotland and beyond. You can find information here about the events,heritage, educational resources, and suggested themes. https://colmcille.net/colmcille-1500/ The Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS) June 28-July 2, 2021 https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/ The Somerset Folk Harp Festival July 22-25, 2021 https://www.somersetharpfest.com/ Common Ground on the Hill June 28th - July 2nd | July 5th - 9th | July 12th - 16th https://www.commongroundonthehill.org/class-category/harp Festival Interceltique de Lorient August 2021 LINKS Rachel and Ruth’s album Crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/rachelandruth Rachel Hair’s Website: The Edinburgh International Harp Festival: https://www.harpfestival.co.uk/ Ruth Keggin’s Website Culture Vannin Information on The Isle of Man: Learn Manx for free on Zoom The North American Manx Association Colmcille1500, of which Ruth will be participating in, celebrates the life and legacy of Colmcille or Columba,1500 years from his birth. It promotes the heritage of the saint whose abbey of Iona linked Ireland and Scotland and beyond. You can find information here about the events,heritage, educational resources, and suggested themes. https://colmcille.net/colmcille-1500/ Creative Scotland https://www.creativescotland.com/ The Isle of Man Arts Council The Apex Singers https://www.theapexsingers.com/ Music Festivals mentioned: Festival Interceltique de Lorient August 2021 The Somerset Folk Harp Festival https://www.somersetharpfest.com/ The Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS) https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/ Common Ground on the Hill June 28th - July 2nd | July 5th - 9th | July 12th - 16th https://www.commongroundonthehill.org/class-category/harp | |||
| 22 Apr 2021 | Happy 1st Anniversary to the HarpSong™️ Podcast and Upcoming Festivals | 00:13:26 | |
Hi! Thank you for being here with me today on HarpSong™️. Today, April 22nd 2021, marks the first official anniversary of the podcast. That’s the date I uploaded the pilot episode. I didn’t know where it would take me, but it’s really kept me in touch with so many artists from around the world. Many have become good friends of mine. Some I’ve seen more of this year, thanks to zoom and the podcast, then I’ve seen before the strange year 2020 entered our lives.
And it’s those friendships and collaborations with these amazing folks that inspired me to start this podcast.
I’m also sharing a list of upcoming festivals and events with you today.
When I’m coordinating the concerts at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival, when we are in person, I start contacting the performers months in advance. This is where my music performance background meets up with my theater directing and theater tech background. I love helping performers feel comfortable on the festival stage, with their sound checks, lighting, and timing of their sets. (Yes, I’m the one giving the performers the five minute signal. Believe me, most times I want them to keep playing, but after a long day of workshops a two plus hour concert needs to stay on schedule.) After the day’s workshops are over and everyone’s had a chance to drool over the ballroom filled with harps to buy, people grab a bite to eat, get changed and head to the concert.
While all that is going on after the last workshop has ended and we have finished at the lunchtime concert stage, the concert staff gets to work on prep for the evening festivities. This usually starts with us trying to figure out what to eat that will be quick. Sometimes I’ll run out and get Thai or Indian food or pizza for the concert crew. That’s when we can start soundcheck and that’s where I get to chat with the artists and oftentimes share with them some of the local take out.
We swap stories of songs and of performing, of tours and teachers and after the concert oftentimes an adult beverage and some snacks. Everyone brings a little something like cheese and crackers, or fruit and we put it on a table for all of us to share. This is where luthiers talk to artists and sound technicians about the harps and amps, etc, and exchange ideas, this is where one person picks up a guitar and another their harp or a flute or concertina and just starts playing music and sharing stories. It’s where new ideas happen and friendships are born.
What does this have to do with the podcast? Well, I feel so fortunate to get to have conversations with these amazing people and I wanted to share some of that candidness and inspiration, laughter, and commadardarie with you. Workshops are great, but you really don’t get a chance to ask in-depth questions of the artist, and concerts are amazing, but, as I mentioned before, there’s really not enough time for telling stories on stage if you want to have time to play some songs.
Originally I wanted this podcast to cover harp, jazz, rock and roll, education, and theater...basically all of the things that got me to create my company Moon Over the Trees. But, when Kathy DeAngelo, the head of the Somerset Folk Harp Festival, decided to put the festival online in 2020, I thought it was the perfect time to start the podcast by interviewing the harpist and harp makers at the festival. So, HarpSong™️ was born. I have met so many wonderful people through this podcast and I continually make more and more connections in a never ending stream of sharing and discovery.
I would love it if you could subscribe to the podcast. When you write a review be sure to email me at info@moonoverthetrees.com so I can send you some thank you merch. Also, head on over to my youtube channel where I’ve started to put videos of interviews, concerts, and songs. Please subscribe to the youtube page. As soon as we reach 100 subscribers I’ll be able to customize the YouTube url for the page.
I’m also starting a Choose Your Harp Adventure set of lessons. I loved those choose your own adventure books when I was a kid, so I’m developing a series of classes where you will be able to choose your own harp journey of learning. Be sure to sign up for more info on the lessons page on the website.
Join me over on Patreon where you’ll be able to listen to uncut interviews, get access to lessons, and interact with the Moon Over the Trees Community.
Check out the HarpSong™️ Facebook Podcast group and the Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® FB page.
I also created another podcast called, Beat Your Heart Out™️, where I interview rockabilly, jazz, rock, and punk artists from around the world. Later this year I will also be launching a Theater podcast.
Whew! That’s been a busy year! And thanks to all of you I’ve been able to make it grow even more.
Speaking of a lot going on, Hi! I’ve put together a list of upcoming harp festivals. Please include any that you'd like me to list for others to know about. Send me an email at info@moonoverthetrees.com or find me over on Instagram @harpsongmoonoverthetrees or pinterest. I’ll have all of these listed in the show notes.
Here's what I have so far: The St. Louis Tionol (tin-awl) “Gathering for the purpose of sharing” is going virtual this year! Join us April 22-25 Gulf Coast Cruinniú June 18-20 Ailie Robertson's Summer Harp Festival 18-20 June Ailie, Maeve Gilchrist, Erik Ask-Upmark, and Michael Rooney https://www.ailierobertson.com/summe.../summer-harp-festival The Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS) June 28-July 2, 2021 https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/ The Somerset Folk Harp Festival July 22-25, 2021 https://www.somersetharpfest.com/ July 25-29 The Festival of Early Irish Harp https://festival.irishharp.org/
Common Ground on the Hill June 28th - July 2nd | July 5th - 9th | July 12th - 16th https://www.commongroundonthehill.org/class-category/harp Festival Interceltique de Lorient August 2021 https://www.brittanytourism.com/.../festival.../ Colmcille 1500 events https://colmcille1500.com/english/ Colmcille1500, of which Ruth will be participating in, celebrates the life and legacy of Colmcille or Columba,1500 years from his birth. It promotes the heritage of the saint whose abbey of Iona linked Ireland and Scotland and beyond. You can find information here about the events,heritage, educational resources, and suggested themes. https://colmcille.net/colmcille-1500/
The music you are listening to in the background is Nancy Hurrell playing Carolan’s Concerto on her Egan Irish Harp. Check out my recent interview with Nancy. Before that I was performing Blessed Be that Maid Marie, The Butterfly, and my friend Tom Clark’s composition entitled, “Jimmy Stewart”. So, again, thank you so much for listening and all of your positivity and support this past year. My upcoming guests include: Ann Heymann, Siobhan Armstrong, Karen Loomis, Eileen Gannon, Sharon Thormahlen of Thormahlen Harps, and more… I’d love to hear from you, so please stay in touch.
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| 01 May 2021 | Siobhán Armstrong: Harp History in Ireland and Building Community by Carrying on the Tradition | 01:22:14 | |
My guest today is Siobhán Armstrong. Siobhán is Ireland’s foremost performer of historical harp music, playing 16th-to 18th-century chamber music and opera with many of Europe's most prestigious historical and traditional performers. Siobhán founded The Historical Harp Society of Ireland and is passionate about encouraging the revival of The Ancient Irish Harp. She is also director of Scoil na gCláirseach—Festival of Early Irish Harp, which takes place this year on July 25th-29th online. The Festival of Early Irish Harp exists to help fill the enormous cultural gap left by the disappearance of the early Irish harp two centuries ago. This year the Festival has teamed up with The Somerset Folk Harp Festival. You can purchase tickets to the Festival of Early Irish Harp as an add on to Somerset or as a stand alone festival. Many of my upcoming guests, including Siobhan, of course, are presenters at the festival. Síobhan is dedicated to reviving and expanding understanding of how the voice and the harp worked together in the past. Síobhan’s particular focus is on figuring out what the harpers played in the lower hand. With eclectic interests, she plays seventeenth-century opera and chamber music with the main baroque directors in Europe; has performed as a soloist on Hollywood film soundtracks and gigs at the world's biggest traditional music festivals. Among her many historical harp copies, she plays a replica of the medieval Trinity College or Brian Boru harp — the national emblem of Ireland — strung in brass and 18-carat gold. Her solo recording on this instrument, Cláirseach na hÉireann: The Harp of Ireland, was released in 2004. She also performs and records with the leading early music soloists, ensembles, and directors, mainly in Europe but also in North America and Japan. http://www.siobhanarmstrong.com/ | |||
| 20 May 2021 | Ann Heymann: “The harp composes and the harp arranges and my hands are trained by it.” | 01:40:58 | |
My dad was a scientist and a genius, and I don’t use that term lightly. He always said that when it comes to truly intelligent people the more they learn, the more they realize how much they don’t know. It takes curiosity, humility, and a sense of awe to realize there is so much more to learn. When I think of Ann Heymann all of these ideals come to mind. Even after her 50+ year career she is still finding new and exciting avenues of discovery and even rediscovering works that she has previously recorded. While she was training horses a friend gave her a copy of The Bunting Manuscripts and she became enamored with how Bunting described the harp tradition as he witnessed it in the 18th century. She studied dressage in horses and had a great respect for tradition and understood there were reasons for doing things a certain way that we might not be able to speculate on. And so, she thought, ok, they played on the left shoulder, I’ll do it that way. Ann is extremely generous with her research and music. She is a firm believer that the center of research for the Early Irish Harp needed to be in Ireland so she inspired Siobhan Armstrong to start The Historical Harp Society of Ireland. This interview is being split into two parts. There is just so much extraordinary information being shared that I want to make sure you get to hear it all and become inspired. In editing this podcast I have listened to it many times and each time I glean something new. Check out the podcast notes for quotes from Ann and links to some of the books, albums, people and places mentioned. A big thank you to the folks at Temple Records in Scotland for giving me permission to use some of Ann’s recordings on this podcast. Check out their website https://www.templerecords.co.uk/ LINKS: Ann’s website: http://www.annheymann.com/ Ann and Charlie Heymann’s band Clairseach: http://www.clairseach.com/ https://festival.irishharp.org/coaching/ann-heymann The Bunting Collection at Queen’s University Belfast: http://digital-library.qub.ac.uk/digital/collection/p15979coll9 The Robert Ap Huw Manuscript: https://www.jstor.org/stable/841428?seq=1 St. Mogue Harp: http://www.earlygaelicharp.info/mogue/ Temple Records: https://www.templerecords.co.uk/ | |||
| 10 Jun 2021 | Part 2: Interview with Ann Heymann | 00:42:23 | |
Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with harpist, teacher, composer, and historian, Ann Heymann. In Part 2 of our interview Ann and I are joined by Kathy DeAngelo, the director of The Somerset Folk Harp Festival, who like Siobhán Armstrong of The Historical Harp Society of Ireland, are each giving Ann lifetime achievement awards this summer. This chat is really where Ann and I talk about how the harp is an icon. We discuss the mythology of the harp, The Dadga, The Tuatha Dé Danann, and legends and metaphors embedded in the harp. As Ann says, “..I realized that encoded within the legends are all of these metaphors which connect. It makes it magic, it makes it true, it makes it real. It’s like a formula embedded...trying to connect the whole world and life…Music was magic.” On Teaching and Learning
Ann is always learning and wanting to gain more insight into her own playing which has prompted Ann to release a new verion of her first tutorial on the harp, “Secrets of the Gaelic Harp”. The second book will be entitled, “Secrets of the Gaelic Harp in the Second Manor.” Some Highlights of Ann’s Career: We discuss highlights of her career including: Her time at Granard and her first harp competition there. After doing the Pibroch Ann got drawn into other things. She was involved in other aspects of the harp and after doing that Ann got involved with doing the Telyn Rawn, the horsehair harp. Ann says that she a learned so much from doing the Telyn Rawn project. She hasn’t released the recordings yet of her performance on The Telyn Rawn at Brecon Cathedral and at Tewkesbury Abbey. Visit Ann’s website to purchase her music, schedule a lesson, read up on her amazing research, and more. Ann will be teaching online this summer at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival and will be receiving lifetime achievement awards from Somerset and The Historical Harp Society of Ireland at their Scoil na gCláirseach, Festival of Irish Harp Festival both happening this July. A big thank you to the folks at Temple Records in Scotland for giving me permission to use some of Ann’s recordings on this podcast. Check out their website https://www.templerecords.co.uk/
Ann Heymann: annheymann.com Temple Records: https://www.templerecords.co.uk/ Brecon Cathedral: visitwales.com/en-us/attraction/historic-site/brecon-cathedral-911451 Tewkesbury Abbey: tewkesburyabbey.org.uk The Robert ap Huw manuscript: pbm.com/~lindahl/ap_huw Granard Harp Festival: facebook.com/GranardHarpFestival The Historical Harp Society of Ireland: irishharp.org/ | |||
| 02 Jul 2021 | Karen Loomis: Finding the Secrets and Stories of Ancient Harps | 02:06:39 | |
| 05 Aug 2021 | A Chat with Sharon Thormahlen: Harps, Composition, Teaching, and Inspiration | 00:44:53 | |
Multitalented and generous come to mind when I think of Sharon Thormahlen. Sharon is a sought after multi-instrumentalist, composer, teacher, arranger, and is part of the duo that heads up Thormahlen Harps. Many folks in the harp world may recognize the Thormahlen name for their outstanding line of harps, ukuleles, guitars and more made in the pacific northwest of the United States. Maeve Gilchrist, Rhett Barnwell and Sarah Deere-Jones are just a few of the amazing artists who love their Thormahlen harps. I met Sharon and Dave Thormahlen at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival. As in 2020, the festival also took place online again this year this. This year Kathy DeAngelo, the festival’s director, created an online experience that allowed festival goers to meet up with friends online. There was also a “virtual vendor hall” that allowed the vendors to chat with festival goers and take us around their workshops. Here’s a video from The Thormahlen vendor booth where Dave and Sharon discuss their harps and Sharon’s sheet music that are for sale on their website. Sharon started out playing folk music on the guitar. Later when her band needed a bass player she took up the upright bass that she played in the band, The Swing Beans, with her husband Dave. Sharon and I discuss how the harp came into her life and how she has used it in music therapy. Sharon also gets to be the first person to play every newly built Thormahlen harp. She strings every harp that Dave makes, helping the newly built harps find their voices. Sharon’s compositions for the harp are available on the Thormahlen website. In the interview you can hear Sharon’s performance of her composition, “Alpenglow” from her songbook, “Moon Over the Mountain”. Sharon’s newest book, Melodías del Arpa, which are arrangements of Latin American Music for Lever Harp, is a collaboration with Paraguayan harpist, Nicolas Carter. Sharon and I also spoke about how she and Dave and a Canadian harp maker are helping luthiers of the "Guayabo" sociocultural project construct harps in Cuba. I hope this interview inspires you to create, play, and explore. LINKS Sharon Thormahlen: www.thorharp.com/pages/sharon Thormahlen Harps: www.thorharp.com International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen: folkharpsociety.org/folk-harp-journal luthiers of the "Guayabo" sociocultural project in Cuba: reuters.screenocean.com/record/1423641 Canada Cuba Luthier Solidarity Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Canada-Cuba-Luthier-Solidarity
Maeve Gilchrist: www.maevegilchristmusic.com HarpSong™️ Podcast interview with Maeve Gilchrist: www.moonoverthetrees.com/podcast/creating-a-pool-of-beauty-that-we-can-draw-on-an-interview-with-harpistcomposer-maeve-gilchrist Nicolas Carter: www.nicolascarter.com HarpSong™️ Podcast interview with Nicolas Carter: www.moonoverthetrees.com/podcast/interview-with-nicolas-carter-paraguayan-harpist Rhett Barnwell: www.seraphimmusic.com Sarah Deere-Jones: www.sarahdeere-jones.co.uk The Somerset Folk Harp Festival: www.somersetharpfest.com | |||
| 21 Aug 2021 | Eileen Gannon: From Generation to Generation Irish Music in St. Louis | 01:02:08 | |
My guest today is harpist Eileen Gannon. I first met Eileen at the University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. We were both studying for our Masters in Ethnomusicology. And I want to thank Eileen for encouraging me on my harp journey.
Eileen’s newest album with fiddler Robert Ryan is, “Down the Rocky Road”. This album primarily draws inspiration from Petrie’s Complete Irish Music, a publication featuring over 1500 tunes collected in Ireland between 1850 and 1860, and from the music of the Sliabh Luachra region in Ireland. On this album Eileen wanted to let the harp sing. She would find the harp resonating with the tunes making the overtones and harmonics of the harp shine. We also discuss accompanying other instruments with the harp and how to play harp in a Traditional Irish Session. St. Louis Irish Arts: www.slia.org Eileen’s Bandcamp: eileengannon.bandcamp.com Workout at Home with Eileen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/279418142090331 Down the Rocky Road: robertryanfiddle.bandcamp.com/releases The New Pornographers - Challengers: https://store.matadorrecords.com/challengers The Petrie Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland: Renée Anne Louprette, organ & Ivan Goff, uilleann pipes & Irish flute at St. Patrick’s Cathedral NYC: www.reneeannelouprette.com/recordings/ The Focal Point - St. Louis: thefocalpoint.org The Pageant - St. Louis: www.thepageant.com The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick, Ireland: www.irishworldacademy.ie Nancy Blakes Limerick, Ireland: nancyblakes.ie | |||
| 18 Sep 2021 | Rachel Clemente: A Passion for Music | 00:43:21 | |
My guest this week is harpist Rachel Clemente. Rachel is a New England based pedal and traditional Scottish harpist. I met Rachel at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival. We have so many harpist friends in common who have influenced and inspired her music. Artists like: Dominique Dodge, Rachel Hair, Kim Robertson and Corrina Hewat to name a few. Catch my earlier interviews with these and other amazing harpists to get inspired by them as well. Rachel started playing harp at the age of five and thanks to the Ohio Scottish Arts School she became interested in Scottish music. She studied pedal harp at The Interlochen Arts Academy then went on to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow with a bachelor's degree in traditional Scottish music. Some of Rachel’s accolades include U.S National Scottish Harp Champion in 2016 and the winner of Princess Margaret of the Isles Clàrsach Competition (USA) in 2021. Rachel, based in New England, now focuses on performing, teaching harp and composing. She frequently performs as a duo with piper Dan Houghton. Rachel is working on an album that should be released some time in 2022, but in the meantime check out Rachel’s Youtube channel and her 2018 release, A Quiet Uniqueness. Enjoy my conversation with Rachel.
Rachel’s Website: www.rachelclementeharpist.com Dan Houghton: www.pipingtool-scot.com Rachel’s Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UC-EdkBOqxDXJlcGykyPeD2A Rachel’s Princess Margaret of the Isles Competition 2021 Performance: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvS23BogPIU Harp Column article: harpcolumn.com/blog/rachel-clemente-wins-princess-margaret-scottish-harp-prize/ Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS): ohioscottishartsschool.com Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA): www.shsa.org Interlochen Center for the Arts: www.interlochen.org/arts-boarding-school Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: www.rcs.ac.uk Princess Margaret of the Isles Clàrsach Competition: www.harpfestival.co.uk/2021/04/princess-margaret-of-the-isles-prize-for-senior-clarsach-entry-deadline-extended/ Edinburgh International Harp Festival: www.harpfestival.co.uk Ministry of Folk: www.ministryoffolk.com Waring Harps: waringmusic.com Somerset Folk Harp Festival: www.somersetharpfest.com | |||
| 07 Oct 2021 | Aisling Lyons: Journeys | 01:03:32 | |
I came across Aisling Lyons’ music while reading through some posts from my alma mater, The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick. We did talk a bit about UL during our chat.. The track playing in the background is Aisling’s composition, ‘Buíochas’, which translates to “Thank You” in Irish, was composed as a thank you to UL and it is also a track from her new album coming out later this year. You can find this opening track on Spotify, iTunes & Apple Music, and Bandcamp ahead of the album’s release later this year. Artists joining her on this track are: Fiddle & Viola: Fergal Scahill, Double Bass: Paul O'Driscoll, Guitar: Seán Lyons and the beautiful album artwork was created by County Clare artist Sorrell Reilly. LINKS:
Aisling’s website: https://aislinglyonsmusic.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3VMWWedquxRNHXJiSp3Vbm?si=SYmJGunHTmi4AflNB3jlkg&dl_branch=1 Bandcamp: https://aislinglyons.bandcamp.com/track/bu-ochas Instagram: @aislinglyonsmusic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aislinglyonsmusic
Artist Sorrell Reilly’s Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SorrellReilly Fiddler Fergal Cahill: https://www.fergalscahill.ie/ Seán Lyons: https://www.facebook.com/seanlyonsmusician Tolü Makay: https://tolumakay.com/
Lá na Cruite, Harp Day 2021 takes place on Saturday 16th October: https://www.harpireland.ie/national-harp-day-overview/ Irish World Academy of Music and Dance - University of Limerick https://www.irishworldacademy.ie/
Aisling grew up with music, in fact her parents met through Irish music. Unfortunately, Aisling’s father passed away while she was studying for her masters degree. She decided to take a year off from her degree and focus solely on music. Working on the material for her newest album became a form of therapy for her and helped her with the grieving process.
Along with composing and performing on harp and concertina Aisling is also a harp tutor at UL and most recently collaborated with Tolü Makay to perform for Irish President Michael D. Higgins’ 80th birthday.
Aisling and Tolü Makay’s performance of, “Don’t Let Go '', for Irish President Michael D. Higgins’ 80th birthday https://twitter.com/TG4TV/status/1382738357273378817?s=20&fbclid=IwAR2HzM1KhJhvFfR-HYcnt7Z94yR_mB0KZz4UL65fNSj3xIn6q7KdktddtyI
Aisling will also be participating in the annual Lá na Cruite | Harp Day 2021. And for all of your harpers out there be sure to check out Harp Ireland’s website for more information on how you can participate.
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| 24 Nov 2021 | Tiffany Schaefer: growing a Celtic Music Community | 00:45:36 | |
My guest today is harpist Tiffany Schaefer. Tiffany is a harp teacher and performer based in Ohio. During our chat we discussed the Ohio Scottish Arts School, or OSAS for short, and how, “music is bringing people together and [how] it is ageless that way.” Tiffany grew up in a musical family and started playing the harp in 2007. Her involvement in OSAS and The Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA) brought her into the world of Scottish traditional music. The first harp album she found in her local library was by Sue Richards and she became inspired by Sue’s playing. You could imagine Tiffany’s surprise when Sue was one of her adjudicators at her first OSAS’s harp competition! We talk about many of the amazing harpists who have inspired her, many of whom have been interviewed on this podcast folks like: Rachel Hair, Corrina Hewat, Kim Robertson and more...make sure to check out those episodes in our archives. On competition: Although it can be nerve wracking, “It’s a great way to work toward something and get some feedback from people who know what they are talking about.” Tiffany is passionate about creating community, something that we here at HarpSong™️ and Moon Over the Trees are as well. Tiffany’s hope for her free FB group, “Mastering Celtic Music”, is that it will, “grow into a hub for Celtic music and all different kinds of instrumentalists...not just harpists.” You can also check out her Patreon page for classes, and arrangements for the harp. On performing: Tiffany performs as a soloist and accompanies her own singing and storytelling. Right now she has two ensembles, one plays Renaissance and Baroque repertoire and the other is an Irish Traditional group called, Creggane. Check out her youtube page for more information. LINKS Tiffanyharpandsong.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUqbcWka4EgODStHBzWBUg Mastering Celtic Music FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/347044529772564 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tiffanyharpandsong Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS): https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/ The Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA): https://www.shsa.org/ Sue Richards: https://www.suerichards.net/ The first harp album she found in her local library was by Sue Richards and she became inspired by Sue’s playing. You could imagine Tiffany’s surprise when Sue was one of her adjudicators at her first OSAS’s harp competition! We talk about many of the amazing harpists who have inspired her, many of whom have been interviewed on this podcast folks like: Rachel Hair, Corrina Hewat, Kim Robertson and more...make sure to check out those episodes in our archives. On Competition: Although it can be nerve wracking, “It’s a great way to work toward something and get some feedback from people who know what they are talking about.” Celtic Music Community: Tiffany is passionate about creating community, something that we here at HarpSong™️ and Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® are as well. Tiffany’s hope for her free FB group, “Mastering Celtic Music”, is that it will, “grow into a hub for Celtic music and all different kinds of instrumentalists...not just harpists.” You can also check out her Patreon page for classes, and arrangements for the harp. On Performing: Tiffany performs as a soloist and accompanies her own singing and storytelling. Right now she has two ensembles, one plays Renaissance and Baroque repertoire and the other is an Irish Traditional group called, Creggane. Check out her youtube page for more information. LINKS Tiffany’s Website: Tiffanyharpandsong.com Youtube: Mastering Celtic Music FB Patreon: www.patreon.com/tiffanyharpandsong Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS): ohioscottishartsschool.com The Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA):www.shsa.org Sue Richards: www.suerichards.net 5 Pointe Cafe in Cleveland, Ohio (supporter of local musicians): www.5pointscafe.com | |||
| 10 Feb 2022 | Liza Jensen: “We have to take the opportunities as they come and say yes to the open door.” | 01:20:49 | |
www.moonoverthetrees.com/podcast Welcome to Season 3 of the HarpSong Podcast! Thank you for listening and for your support. I’m so excited to be kicking off this new season with today’s guest, Liza Jensen. I hope you are taking time for yourself for care and for treating yourself with the same kindness that you would show a friend in need…maybe that means playing your harp in the morning or composing a song as you watch the snow falling, maybe just having a cup of tea and taking a breath help you to recharge… Just like us, our harps need some TLC every now and again, too. So, let’s take time to help the harps that help us and also keep nurturing and being kind to ourselves while we take those opportunities that cross our paths. As Liza says in this interview, “We have to take the opportunities as they come and say yes to the open door.” So many of you have sent in questions about harp regulation and taking care of your instrument that I knew I had to have Liza on the show. I’ve known Liza for 10 plus years and she is just fantastic, as you will hear. My interview with Liza was recorded in November of 2021 just before she left for her harp regulation trip to Singapore. It was her first time back there since the COVID-19 shut down. Through curiosity, determination, and sometimes self doubt, we can still welcome opportunity and the gifts that saying yes to life can bring. Liza Jensen, is one of the most sought after harp technicians in the world. Her journey of becoming a harp technician has taken her on her own personal journey of discovery that is sure to inspire. Liza is pleasantly surprised as to how she ended up in this career. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a very musical family. Her mother taught flute and encouraged Liza to learn harp. Liza is also an accomplished flutist Living in a small rural town Liza appreciated how the harp got her out of the house to meet new people and discover new places. Liza’s harp practice got her accepted into The Eastman School of Music where she studied with Kathleen Bride. Liza recalls some of Professor Bride’s wise advice “You don’t need to practice more than three hours a day, because 1. You don’t want to injure yourself and 2., and I [Liza] really took this to heart, you need to have a life to put back into your instrument…to put back into your music. And for that, I really appreciated her.” Even with being accepted into one of the top music schools in the world Liza struggled a bit with Impostor Syndrome. She thought, “Maybe if I understood more of how the harp works, that would give me more confidence.” Liza has always had a mechanical brain and could be found trying to figure out how things work and how to fix them. Even when she was in high school she remembers trying to figure out how to repair the school’s harp. At one point Pat Doogle, one of Liza’s harp tech mentors, made her take the harp apart and reassemble it so that she could see the inside and see how each part is related to the other. It was a big “Ah ha moment” for Liza. Her curiosity, attention to detail, and hyperfocus are some of the things that make her a great harp tech. She is also extremely personable like a doctor with good bedside manners. “This is a big deal to me, one reason it does take me longer [to work on a harp] is that I like to talk to you about your harp. I want to know if you are having specific issues, but also, I have very sensitive ears, so I may hear a buzz that you didn’t even know existed…or even if you come to me with a problem that you do know exists, I want you to understand what it was I did to make it go away. Because a lot of times it’s just something silly. More often than not, it’s something silly like a string end. That’s why I give the classes to give you a checklist of what to check for that you can do easily for yourself, especially in the lever harp world. “ It is no surprise that Camac harps have made her one of their International harp techs. Liza stresses the importance of having your harp regulated. She suggests getting your pedal harp regulated a minimum of once every other year, but if you are a professional, every year. Lever harps, if they don’t move much and depending on their construction they should be regulated around every three or four years. But if your harp does shift more than you will need more servicing. “Not all the harp techs work on lever harps. That’s another way that I feel that they are very neglected. It’s getting better, I think. And I feel that part of that is due to Somerset [The Somerset Folk Harp Festival].” “I feel that there is something special about the lever harp community…the pedal harp community is more formal whereas the lever harp community is more bohemian, but not less sophisticated.” “I don’t know why, but I have this Bob Ross approach” to teaching harp maintenance…”it’s all going to be ok” LINKS: https://www.facebook.com/liza.jensen.16 https://www.camac-harps.com/en/liza-jensen/ https://www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtml#jensen MENTIONS: American Harp Society https://www.harpsociety.org/ Kathleen Bride https://www.esm.rochester.edu/faculty/bride_kathleen/ Harp Island and The Harp Society of Tasmania https://www.harpsocietytasmania.org/past-events Camac Harps https://www.camac-harps.com/en/ Katryna Tan http://www.katrynatan.com/ Emily Hopkins https://www.emilyharpist.com/ | |||