Hello out there! It's July already! Anybody else playing??

Greetings!  I have an excuse!  I was in Merry Old England for 3 weeks from May 21st til June 10th, and have been flat out playing catch up, instead of just playing, ever since!  Well, no, we have also been going thru all our pictures, and talking about the incredible travel experience we had in the UK, and how we want to go back, like immediately!  It was a success, on every level.  Except, did not get much local music in it somehow.  Only made it as far north as Perth, but doing too much sight seeing, I guess.

At any rate, besides playing catch up, I actually have begun making time for Colleen the Harp in earnest.  And learning some new simple Scandanavian tunes from Sue Richards book, and I am brushing up Eile Gheal (sp?) and the Electric Jig....and wondering how I never learned Star of County Down until now??!!  Such a sweet piece, and sounds so iconic, actually.  Like the quintessential Irish tune.  Maybe not, but, at any rate, enjoying it immensely.

Also, very relieved that my one (of longer duration) harp student, who has been going at her lessons in fits and starts, and is an amazing musician already, has finally begun to click with her hand position and technique!  Just when I was beginning to despair that I was not a very good instructor after all.  I did tell her, it would click, and then it would be like a new world- and it has, so PHEW!

So, my far flung harp friends, what is going on with you?  Still making music or heading off to completely different pastures of creative endeavor?  I am not going to Somerset, yet again, but I have a harp friend staying with me for two days before she heads south to do just that.  I am planning to go back to Lubec, Maine and Summerkeys, at the end of August to study with Sue again, and am bringing one harp student with, and meeting up with good buddies in class while there.  And have a trip to Greece planned for September, with my cousin, and a workshop on the Psalms at Holy Cross Monastery on the Hudson River in Oct, being led by one of the founding members of Manhattan Transfer (pretty jazzy music!) and will be allowed to bring my harp to play in the off hours of the retreat/workshop.  So, planning to keep the music going lots of places, as well as at church, on several levels.  It will help cure this ailing world, raise the spirits of the oppressed, depressed and overwhelmed; and give expression to our humanity in ways only art and music and dance and creative writing, etc, can do!!  Keep the faith- make music- share the love- spread Peace!  Hope you are all well!