Almost June; How My Harp Found Me

Once upon a time I played the piano pretty seriously. It was my instrument in college, and because I played by ear, it came easily. Once upon a time, I came home from work and played to relax...played my daughter to sleep...played to learn more of the Baroque music I loved.

But then, I just.....stopped playing. I had a beautiful Yamaha school upright, and gradually I stopped playing, and even stopped getting it tuned. We bought an old, old cape way down a dirt road, and I spent time researching decorating and gardening ideas. I missed being a musician, but I was involved as a music teacher, and eventually I sold the piano ( and bought the most beautiful DRDimes chair with the money!). I bought a small virginal, and played it now and then, but I was basically not playing anything. Since I'd had a piano from the age of three, you'd think I'd miss it, but honestly I didn't.

And then one night I went to our local coffeehouse -haha, the one I'm so busy managing now!  - and a lovely woman brought her harp onto the stage. I was so transfixed that I changed seats to make sure I could see her hands. Maybe my Scots ancestry zoomed in on the Celtic tunes. I was afraid to approach the woman, but spoke with her after the concert, and found out a few details.

And then I rented my first harp, a Pratt. I loved the wood and the pillar, but it was a mistake to begin on gut strings when my fingers were so weak. I found a teacher, but she wasn't a good fit, and because I wasn't a beginning musician as well as a beginning harpist, she didn't know what to do with me. So I stopped taking lessons with her and I returned the Pratt. I took a 2-month break, and did a lot of research.

I went to the Harp Connection with a check in my hand, and I asked my favorite saleswoman, Lily, to play me every Celtic harp they had in stock. I don't know, maybe I listened to 20 harps. I was so green, I didn't know to ask the right questions. But boy, I knew the harp I wanted the minute I heard it: rich, a beautiful deep first octave, mellow and serene upper octaves, and a walnut soundboard to die for.

Thank you, Sharon, for introducing me to the Celtic harp, an instrument I never knew I would love so much, and that would fill the empty spot I didn't know I was carrying!