Saturday, June 24, 2017

A Bit of June and All of July

                                                  

Two of my loves


Hooray!  Who knows why but I've been playing the harp lately after a long hiatus.  I'll be going to CIAW in a few weeks -- where I am loaning my Fisher to Michael Rooney for the duration.  I hope he'll fill it with wonderful vibes.   Anyway, I am signed up for MR all day every day while I am there. 
I'm going through my "list" -- the 100 or so tunes I do like a lot or know that my friends like to play.  Working hard.  Some days it might only be fifteen minutes, but it is better than the big null minutes that has been the pattern of late.


Adding on:  CIAW -- Catskill Irish Arts Week in East Durham.  Michael Rooney will be teaching harp for A WHOLE WEEK!  He hasn't been across the pond in yonks, so I am truly excited.  I debated doing part concertina part harp, but that never works, it's best to pick one instrument and do only that even if you end up only going to a morning or afternoon class.

I am also loaning Michael my Fisher for the week because, well, because he should have the best he possibly can while here. Although Grainne is my harp goddess, Michael is in a parallel spot as not only a great composer and teacher but very very fun to be in class with.  I think I had my first harp workshop with him at CIAW in 2003!!! Dear Kathy took my Camac which has been living in Philadelphia lately, across the Delaware to someone who will bring it up to East Durham tomorrow, so I will have a decent harp to play for the week.  I have a tiny Dusty and I was debating using that, but the reality is that the Camac will be better.  That, by the way, probably has a buyer up here, which will be a good thing.  I have no business having so many harps (I have four) although it is nice to have loaners.

My list of 100 (which I think is not an exact number).   Easily remedied, I will attach a link to it (if I can figure out how to do that!)  the pluses you see on the page mean I've actually played it within living memory (in 2017).  Lots of pluses mean I've decided to work hard on it.   It's meant to be a practice indicator -- there are a number of tunes I barely play that have no pluses as well as several I play very well that I just haven't gotten to this year.

Scratch the above idea -- I'll copy and paste.

Just home from Irish Arts week in the Catskills where Michael Rooney was teaching.  Been listening to the tunes he recorded for us -- every single one is a wonder!  I have enough work to keep busy for ages.  Very happy!


4 comments:

  1. Yahoo!! So good to hear this!! What is CIAW?? I am clueless! I got to meet Andee face to face in Lisdoonvarna in May, when traveling with my husband- what a hoot! She is a doll! And my daughter just got to meet Janet Harbison and hear a concert while she is there doing a work to live stint with horses, and Janet is at the Bog Hill Centre! Love it! Keep giving the music some time- I know how easy it is for weeks to go by and suddenly you realize "Yikes!" where has the time gone and no fingers on harp strings! I am also trying to be mindful of prioritizing...do I need to do the laundry right this minute, just because it is calling me?! Haha! I would love to know what 100 tunes are on your list! Maybe you could share that at some point. Take care! Have fun! Harp on!!

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    1. Trying my best to add the link, but I can't figure out how to put in a file from my computer. If I have to will take photos and add those.

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    2. well I will keep checking! Hope your summer is going well!

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