Please, give me your my opinion on this conversation!

Since I'm home for at least another week, I am practicing every day, and I made a deal with myself: if I could learn KRobertson's The Selkie and finally get O'Ferrell's Welcome performance-ready, I'd allow myself to order the arrangement of Moondance that I like by a famous American harpist that I'm not going to name here because I don't want her googling herself and reading this. This harpist and I are by no means really friends, but we did eat dinner together at Somerset 2 years ago, and I message her when I have harp questions, which she very readily answers. I play her arrangements of O'C's Concerto and Wild Mountain Thyme, and was really looking forward to playing the slurry levers in Moondance, 'though it's beyond my skills, really.

And as I got ready to order, I remembered awhile ago when I ordered Deborah Henson-Conant's New Blues, got it home and discovered that I'd have to tune my harp to C instead of E-flat, (the key I've tuned it in since I owned it) and that I wouldn't be playing that song until I could buy a second harp and keep THAT one tuned in C. So I messaged the harpist and asked her what key Moondance is in, and she said C. So sad, I answered, I probably won't play it, then, until I can afford an additional harp, and here's what she said that floored me: "It just drives me nuts that Dusty and many other harpers tune in 3-4 flats. If I did that I would have most of my levers up, the harp strings do not ring as true, and the intonation is not quite right." She added that Dustys are 'designed' to be tuned in 3-4 flats.

When my levers are up, my intonation is still true, and I asked my husband to play the strings individually while I listened, and heard that there was absolutely no difference in the way the levers-up strings vibrated or lasted compared to the lever-down strings! So now I want to know: is my hearing sensitivity really that bad? Do you ladies notice the differences that this harpist described? And isn't it just bad form in general to criticize a harp company this way? And how do you 'design' a harp to be tuned in a certain key? I have a very bad taste in my mouth after this conversation, and Icould really use another harper's opinion!!!

Thanks in advance. Stay warm!

Ring in the New Year!

So I googled "Corgi playing harp" and didn't quite get that.... but I love the picture!  This dog is not appreciating the music, but saying, "Stop playing, already!  Time for walkies, time for supper, time for ME!"

Which leads me to my theme of 'too much going on'.  That describes my life at present.  Which is not a bad way for things to be, not in the least bit. But it makes focussing on one or even two things next to impossible, which in turn means I am not all that satisfied with anything I am doing.  To make matters worse I seem to have been bitten by a knitting bug.  Now I am knitting those harp wristlets - working out what patterns, type of wools etc. look and feel the best.  While I knit I listen to audio books.  AND since I have a book to edit, a harp to play, a concertina to squeeze, books to read, a dog to take for walks and all the other things I am obliged to do.... this is ridiculous!

Not complaining just stating the facts.  I'm not even desperate enough to do anything about any of it, more bemused!

I did have a few folks over yesterday to play but mostly we chatted and I played horribly since I had barely practiced in a ten-day.

Sigh.

Going Pro in 2015 and Practicing Gratitude

Well my New Year's Eve gig at Kilshanny House Pub in Kilshanny, County Clare was a success!  My first *paid* gig in Ireland!  What's not to be grateful for?  Photos to follow when my friend sends them on.




I've been watching a load of youtube videos on setting and accomplishing goals.  There is a wealth of information out there!  Anyway one thing that seems to be repeated over and over is that your goals must be BIG.  Because it is very important that you get fired up and excited about accomplishing them.  We don't dream big enough is what they are all saying!

With that in mind, here are my harp (and other musical) goals for 2015:

Harp goals

-  Practice EVERY DAY within reason.
- Learn more Junior Crehan tunes.
- Refresh the airs that I haven't played in a while.
- Get more harp gigs including:
   Art openings (Ennistymon Court House Gallery is one possibility)
   Posh stuff like weddings, awards ceremonies.
- Play and record with local musicians (and new friends).
- Bring the harp and play at one of the sessions that EoinO'Neil invited me to.

Fiddle goals (may as well put them down here too as it makes me accountable and hence, more likely to stick to them!)

-  Get sets if tunes you are confident enough to start up in a session if asked to.
-  Bring fiddle to session and play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbxJQpPKygU  (a great motivational video on goals setting and achieving.)

I changed that first resolution and edited it to add 'within reason' as I don't want to put something up as a goal if it is not attainable, so I am happy to practice every day within reason.  I wasn't feeling well on Monday so went straight to bed early in the evening and did not practice that day.

Lucy (or anyone...?) do you play Sheep in the Boat, The Luithreadan (sp?), or The Hills of Coor on harp?  I've got them both on fiddle but an learning them on harp.

We are about halfway through January now and I am happy to say I am pushing forward and practicing a lot, mostly everyday.

Have pretty much got a version of Hills of Coore that I like and almost got Sheep in the Boat, Luachradan is coming along (in D).

Have gone to the pub on my own (not with fiddle--getting there eventually!) and introduced myself to a couple nice musicians (making new friends and connections is part of what I am trying to do).

Went to the Saturday night session at the Roadside last night and was told by Paul Dooley himself that I should just bring the fiddle no matter if I feel confident or not.  And the kind concertina player (Terry Bingham--do you know of him Lucy?) wholeheartedly agreed.  So I will just bring it next week.

I made a nice connection with a man who was watching his wife and teen-aged daughter play in the session that night.  He was really switched on as far as harps and  harpers go (rare to find that in a complete random stranger!) as his three daughters all play harp among other things.  His daughter there that evening was playing concertina.  Turns out he is the owner of the famous Custy's Music Shop in Ennis.  He told me that he would like to organize a harp festival in Ennis at some point.  Also I found out that Michael Rooney's sister Finnula (sp?) is teaching harp in the area.

And, speaking of harps (haha that's what we do here!), I am making a pilgrimage down to Janet Harbison's harp school in Castleconnel (outside of Limerick) in a couple weeks! I will check it out, meet up with Fiana who teaches there and was trained by Janet and maybe have a lesson.  I will stay over Fiana's one night (and pick her brain!) and also meet up with another woman Patti who I met on facebook.  Patti is originally from Texas, knows Kathy, and now lives down that way and takes lessons from Fiana.  Small harpy world it is!