You were so nice to ask if I was OK! So I'm going to tell you 2 stories about things that happened to me this month, one of which relates to this blog. #1: I ordered something off Amazon.com, and a woman in California was mistakenly billed for it. I am not sure that she called to have the charge removed. But she Googled me, left 4 increasingly angry voicemails on my landline, and then she went to Facebook and looked at my photos (which I had thought were private) and read all of my blog postings. So when I called her to tell her to knock it off, she proceeded to tell me how beautiful my house was and how wonderful it was that I played the harp. Yuck, I still feel nasty about this. (And if you're that woman reading my new post, yes I have saved all 4 voicemails, and yes, what you did is called harrassment...) And story #2: We finished mixing our little 3-track CD and began to play it out at coffehouses, etc. I was not sure how to pronounce the composer's first name - Catriona - so I messaged a famous American harpist whose name you would recognize, who is friends with me on FaceBook, to ask her the correct pronounciation. She then messaged me back 5-6 paragraphs about copyright, ethics, etc. As I was not expectiing a lecture, just the composer's name, I was a little (well, alot!) taken aback and maybe even offended. I am over that now, but needed to take a bit of time off. Thanks for listening, ladies!
Now, about playiing the harp!! So far this month we have mixed our little CD, and we have an interesting little pre-loaded program on our computer that lets us make a laser-inscribed label for it, so that's been fun designing. I love, love, LOVE my new tuner, thank you so much for the recommendation. Since it looks like I won't be having knee surgery this summer after all, I was thinking of driving to the Vermont Carolan weekend. Will I feel out-of-place because everyone will know everyone else and I'll be a goober on the sidelines? I can actually play quite a few O'Carolan tunes because I love the Sue Richards book, but if everyone plays let's say Grainne's arrangements maybe I'll just look like an amateur. (On this subject, do either of you know why Sue Richards is not on the docket at Somerset?)
End of the Month Wrap-Up
Played at a new-to-us coffeehouse last weekend. We were assured by friends who've performed there previously that it was a quiet little affair. All acts toss their names in a hat, and then the order of performers is determined by the order that names are pulled out. 2 song limit unless you're the featured act. Our name was pulled third from last, and we waited 2 HOURS to perform!This is not good for a person with performance anxiety (well, it's probably not good for anyone)! Had committed everything to memory, but by the time we went on was sure I had forgotten everythng. Hands shook, fumbled through occasionally, but survived as usual, and MC said following our performance "THIS is why it pays to stay 'til the end of the evening." Sending off our new 3-track CD to a New Hampshire museum that pays $350 for a 2-hour gig. We think we're the only Celtic harp/guitar duo in the state, so anything is possible. Happy Memorial Day to you both!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Oh the Merry Month of May
Week 1 (April 28 - May 4) In honor of May I have been reviving Samradh Samradh (Summer Summer) which is an easy little tune, but for some reason I never learned it fully. It was taught to me 15 years ago by Janet Harbison when I took her week long harp intensive in the Antrim Glens.
I've also been learning The Shire Song (Concerning Hobbits) and though I've spent a lot of time on it the second longer and more complicated part is still barely formed. I can play the first part and then go into another tune, but really should learn the whole thing properly.
I really jumped the gun with my busking idea as the weather has been windy and cold and a bit wet. I went walking yesterday in the Dales and needed gloves, hat, scarf, multiple layers. So yeah, I'll leave it til temps and conditions are more summery.
I did practice a good amount this week, up until Friday. We went to Manchester to visit Mike's family on the weekend.
We have a play-together at one of the ladies' houses on Sunday and I'm going to teach a tune by ear. I have decided on The Rakes of Clonmel as it's one I've taught before and it's one of the first tunes I learned, so should be doable.
Open mic night was last night. I stumbled a lot. Once I get unhinged I find it really hard to recover. A bit nervous, a bit too dark, hard to see the strings, lost the red and blue ones to the background. It was a mess. Here are a few pics from some recent nights:
Practiced loads on Tues, Wed, and Thurs. Got myself booked in to a sort of open mic that I've done once before with the harp group I play with. Our group (Pennine Harps) will be doing it next month, but this month I'll be on my own.
It's a bit more formal than an open mic with a program and everything. Everyone gets (only) 10 minutes. So I'm going to play Black is the Colour / Nellie Your Favour I'm Afraid I'll Not Gain, Teatotaller / Morning star, and Soft Mild Morning. 10 minutes exactly.
I also got myself booked in for the Kirkkstall Abbey Music in the Abbey Series. All of the deli markets were booked up but they brought back the music in the abbey series which they didn't do at all last year. I did it two years ago. There's less exposure as the deli market won't be on that day, but if the weather is good there could still be loads of people (which there was two years ago). The acoustics are better because I play just inside the abbey (facing onto the grassy area in the courtyard cloisters). Last time there was over 60 people milling around, sitting on lawn chairs and picnic blankets, etc listening! I get a two hour slot and can play for however long I want. I did and hour and a half two years ago. Mike joined me on several tunes and did a few songs on his own. We'll do it that away again this year.
Week 3
At our play together today we had at least 10 harps again! I taught Rakes of Clonmel by ear and they all learned the tune, right and left hand and they all loved it! Yay!
Week 4
I didn't post much last week, but I did practice! Last night was the Bradford Music Club which is a bit more formal than an open mic. I did great! I wasn't nervous at all and only made one little mistake--yay me!
Today I had rehearsal with the Pennine Harps ladies and we worked on our usual stuff, getting ready to do the Bradford Music Club for next month. We're getting a double slot to allow for a few solos as well as our common repertoire. I enjoy playing with the ladies very much, but don't ever get very excited about the tunes to post much here about them. A couple Welsh tunes, Princess Royale (my choice, of course), Ashokan Farewell (which I have adopted into my own repertoire), a couple others. I think for my solo I'm going to do Eleanor Plunkett / The Rights of Man.
Also, have to decide what I'm going to do for our usual open mic night which is tomorrow night...
End of May
We never made it open mic last week as Mike had to much work to do. The next one is next week. Been working on much of the same stuff. One new thing is I'm re-working (re-learning) The Blackbird (set dance).
It's May, Tra La!
I'd like to see how we all feel about a monthly 'Post' format - the weeks seem to fly by too fast. Over the course of a month maybe I can set some loose goals and then comment week by week informally (as in, daily or when I feel like it, within that week) how it is going and then do some kind of summary.
This is the time when I need to start seriously focussing on Carolan for the upcoming Festival. And then the month after that the Carolan session at Somerset which was my big fat idea, so I feel like I should be psyched and involved. (You might want to check the Vermont event out, Pam - Just put in Carolan Festival - Vermont 2013 and it should pop up, probably a 2-3 hour drive for you, not too bad) where I've taught a few times. This year I've been asked to help with the sessions at the festival, which means it is time to practice Carolan....... they come back quickly, but they fall out quickly too and I'd like to add a couple of new ones if I can. I really like Hugh O'Donnell, I must say.
Have I told you the story, Andee of my rebellious students at this festival? I will, I promise!
General goals will be to go over my Carolan list. It is divided into the tunes that are really very solid but need to be 'brought up', tunes that I've never quite quite quite gotten to where I want them, tunes that are a mess, and one or two I am determined to add to the soup. Other than that, I will be learning my Clare tunes mostly - this week will be Patsy Geary's and The Battering Ram..... both jigs.
Week One May 1-4 (short week).... buffed Kean O'Hara which Grainne taught ages ago - Most people seem to just play that first bit once and then move on - for some reason I got into the habit of playing those first four.... or so.... measures twice. There is also a place where I don't count quite right. I'll have to give it a good listen and maybe peek in the book. I started the O'Donnell, but can't find anyone playing it really nicely on youtube though, too bad. I'll have to poke around.
Week Two May 5-12 Oh yes, I think this set up is much much better!!!! Less stressful. Well you will have a fit Andee, if I remember correctly - last night we went down to Barre VT to see MARTIN HAYES and he was, of course, sublime. Been awhile since I saw him in concert and Knox hadn't seen him ever and was blown away. (Have I told you Knox has taken up the Small Pipes??? He is coming along slow but steady - doesn't practice enough). We're all fired up to tackle The Castle and The Nightingale.
On the harp I'm making steady progress through the Carolan tunes I know and are in the booklet that the Carolan Festival folks use (really just reprints of the tunes that have been taught/played a lot at the event). Anything I sort of know I'm trying to improve so I can at least play it on the concertina and there are a couple of others, the above mentioned O'Donnell and also the oh so lovely Lord Inchiquin! I'd like to add those, one way or another, to the repertoire. Along with Madame Maxwell and and and and
I have no idea what I was going to say there...... but I'll just leave it as is. Tonight is Clare class - Patsy Geary's (jig) and The Battering Ram which I have finally learned.... so I won't have to sort of fake it as sessions anymore...... or just sit there like a dummy. I had the middle section but not the 1st and 3rd both with little tricksinesses. It's the 10th now and I'm working on our next set, reels this week, The Ewe Reel (also known as The Green Blanket) and the Bell Harbour Reel. The Ewe Reel is a bit of a stinker with a lot of back and forth of f naturals and sharps. I can't really imagine tackling it on the Harp. Bell Harbour maybe.
Week Three already! I'm inching along with Inchiquin and also reviving Festus Burke - I've never really gotten the B section (or is it C - that's another issue) up to speed- most of it is easy, just one little bit, of course. Otherwise I'm working mostly on the stuff for class, see above. I meant to go to the Montpelier session yesterday but one thing and another intervened and then it was too late - if I go I like getting there a wee bit early for a good seat. Thursday already!!!!! Class was good, survived the two reels credibly, on to the last three tunes of the season - 'the growlers' apparently they are called - Rolling the the Barrel, something or other, and the Earl's Chair...... I've sort of half learned the last and have certainly heard the other two plenty of times. I'll plug in the name of tune two after I remember what it is. I'm on a short writing retreat and I brought the harp as well as the c'tina and since I am by myself I should have some time to keep working on Lord Inchiquin and O'Donnell, which are newer ones. I'm experimenting in just playing a single note as accompaniment to work on flexibility in playing different chords - single note, then open fifths, then octaves, tenths etc. fit in here and there but trying to loosen up. I tend to learn a tune JUST ONE WAY and never play it another way comfortably. Want to see if I can get anywhere by doing something like this.
Week Four Hm. things are pretty much the same - I'm on a writing retreat and so am alone, and when I need a break I play music or take a walk or do some chore that needs doing. I sort of have learned the last Clare tunes for the last class on Tuesday (see above) and for some reason then I got obsessed with a set of tunes that Billy and Grainne taught back to back at one workshop - Johnny Will you Marry Me and The Braes of Mar - the Scottish one is the original tune. It's fascinating to go from one to the other.
I should post a pic of the wisteria on the porch where I am, it is incredible - the hum of bees is constant all day.
...... A few days have gone by..... last Clare class was last night. No music yet today, but our monthly session is tomorrow night, so I hope (now) to practice a few tunes I'm likely to want to play or that will be played..... and probably a little bit of Carolan. I keep worrying the same few tunes, so I'm going to try to move on. One issue I have is with Carolan's Quarrel - Grainne taught it at a workshop and I subsequently have spent wayyyyy too much time playing it exactly as she taught it which has proved impossible to get right. I've been wanting to take it apart and simplify an accompaniment that won't tangle me up hopelessly..... I love her rendering but ultimately adhering to it rigidly just isn't going to work.
.....Confession - I've become obsessed with putting together a Master List of all the tunes I've learned in the last three years in this class with Hilari and Benedict - it's over 100 tunes! Incredible. The idea is to put just enough letter notation by each tune name to help bring it back to mind. I'm going to organize them a couple of different ways, by class and by type. I have to test each one, to get the letters right, and I use the harp to do that, so I guess that is a form of playing...... I have learned a few of these on the harp. When I finish I'll attach it.
Week Five The Clare class is ended, so now it is time to focus EXCLUSIVELY on Carolan tunes for the festival on the 15th. The problem is not getting overwhelmed and darting about from one tune to the next. Oh help!
This is the time when I need to start seriously focussing on Carolan for the upcoming Festival. And then the month after that the Carolan session at Somerset which was my big fat idea, so I feel like I should be psyched and involved. (You might want to check the Vermont event out, Pam - Just put in Carolan Festival - Vermont 2013 and it should pop up, probably a 2-3 hour drive for you, not too bad) where I've taught a few times. This year I've been asked to help with the sessions at the festival, which means it is time to practice Carolan....... they come back quickly, but they fall out quickly too and I'd like to add a couple of new ones if I can. I really like Hugh O'Donnell, I must say.
General goals will be to go over my Carolan list. It is divided into the tunes that are really very solid but need to be 'brought up', tunes that I've never quite quite quite gotten to where I want them, tunes that are a mess, and one or two I am determined to add to the soup. Other than that, I will be learning my Clare tunes mostly - this week will be Patsy Geary's and The Battering Ram..... both jigs.
Week One May 1-4 (short week).... buffed Kean O'Hara which Grainne taught ages ago - Most people seem to just play that first bit once and then move on - for some reason I got into the habit of playing those first four.... or so.... measures twice. There is also a place where I don't count quite right. I'll have to give it a good listen and maybe peek in the book. I started the O'Donnell, but can't find anyone playing it really nicely on youtube though, too bad. I'll have to poke around.
Week Two May 5-12 Oh yes, I think this set up is much much better!!!! Less stressful. Well you will have a fit Andee, if I remember correctly - last night we went down to Barre VT to see MARTIN HAYES and he was, of course, sublime. Been awhile since I saw him in concert and Knox hadn't seen him ever and was blown away. (Have I told you Knox has taken up the Small Pipes??? He is coming along slow but steady - doesn't practice enough). We're all fired up to tackle The Castle and The Nightingale.
On the harp I'm making steady progress through the Carolan tunes I know and are in the booklet that the Carolan Festival folks use (really just reprints of the tunes that have been taught/played a lot at the event). Anything I sort of know I'm trying to improve so I can at least play it on the concertina and there are a couple of others, the above mentioned O'Donnell and also the oh so lovely Lord Inchiquin! I'd like to add those, one way or another, to the repertoire. Along with Madame Maxwell and and and and
I have no idea what I was going to say there...... but I'll just leave it as is. Tonight is Clare class - Patsy Geary's (jig) and The Battering Ram which I have finally learned.... so I won't have to sort of fake it as sessions anymore...... or just sit there like a dummy. I had the middle section but not the 1st and 3rd both with little tricksinesses. It's the 10th now and I'm working on our next set, reels this week, The Ewe Reel (also known as The Green Blanket) and the Bell Harbour Reel. The Ewe Reel is a bit of a stinker with a lot of back and forth of f naturals and sharps. I can't really imagine tackling it on the Harp. Bell Harbour maybe.
Week Three already! I'm inching along with Inchiquin and also reviving Festus Burke - I've never really gotten the B section (or is it C - that's another issue) up to speed- most of it is easy, just one little bit, of course. Otherwise I'm working mostly on the stuff for class, see above. I meant to go to the Montpelier session yesterday but one thing and another intervened and then it was too late - if I go I like getting there a wee bit early for a good seat. Thursday already!!!!! Class was good, survived the two reels credibly, on to the last three tunes of the season - 'the growlers' apparently they are called - Rolling the the Barrel, something or other, and the Earl's Chair...... I've sort of half learned the last and have certainly heard the other two plenty of times. I'll plug in the name of tune two after I remember what it is. I'm on a short writing retreat and I brought the harp as well as the c'tina and since I am by myself I should have some time to keep working on Lord Inchiquin and O'Donnell, which are newer ones. I'm experimenting in just playing a single note as accompaniment to work on flexibility in playing different chords - single note, then open fifths, then octaves, tenths etc. fit in here and there but trying to loosen up. I tend to learn a tune JUST ONE WAY and never play it another way comfortably. Want to see if I can get anywhere by doing something like this.
Week Four Hm. things are pretty much the same - I'm on a writing retreat and so am alone, and when I need a break I play music or take a walk or do some chore that needs doing. I sort of have learned the last Clare tunes for the last class on Tuesday (see above) and for some reason then I got obsessed with a set of tunes that Billy and Grainne taught back to back at one workshop - Johnny Will you Marry Me and The Braes of Mar - the Scottish one is the original tune. It's fascinating to go from one to the other.
I should post a pic of the wisteria on the porch where I am, it is incredible - the hum of bees is constant all day.
...... A few days have gone by..... last Clare class was last night. No music yet today, but our monthly session is tomorrow night, so I hope (now) to practice a few tunes I'm likely to want to play or that will be played..... and probably a little bit of Carolan. I keep worrying the same few tunes, so I'm going to try to move on. One issue I have is with Carolan's Quarrel - Grainne taught it at a workshop and I subsequently have spent wayyyyy too much time playing it exactly as she taught it which has proved impossible to get right. I've been wanting to take it apart and simplify an accompaniment that won't tangle me up hopelessly..... I love her rendering but ultimately adhering to it rigidly just isn't going to work.
.....Confession - I've become obsessed with putting together a Master List of all the tunes I've learned in the last three years in this class with Hilari and Benedict - it's over 100 tunes! Incredible. The idea is to put just enough letter notation by each tune name to help bring it back to mind. I'm going to organize them a couple of different ways, by class and by type. I have to test each one, to get the letters right, and I use the harp to do that, so I guess that is a form of playing...... I have learned a few of these on the harp. When I finish I'll attach it.
Week Five The Clare class is ended, so now it is time to focus EXCLUSIVELY on Carolan tunes for the festival on the 15th. The problem is not getting overwhelmed and darting about from one tune to the next. Oh help!
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