Show Notes
Are you ready to talk about page turns? I realize that page turns may not seem like a captivating topic, However, if you've ever had a page turn go wrong in a moment when you don't want to have anything go wrong, you know how important page turns are. Even in the age of bluetooth pedals, poorly prepared page turns can mar an otherwise lovely performance. I'm warning you right now that page turning is a subject that I am liable to rant about, just ask my students. At our harp camp, Harp Quest Summer Live, the evening before our closing concert is spent making sure that all the students who have forgotten to prepare their pages take care of them. The mantra they hear from me is this: "No loose pages!" And then I usually tell them this story: I was fourteen years old and accompanying our high school choir in a performance of Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. This is a difficult work for chorus, and we were doing the version that is accompanied only by harp, organ and percussion. In the orchestral version there are two harp parts, and they are combined into just one part for this version, so you can imagine that the part is challenging. This performance was a big deal for me, because I was still in junior high, and for this concert, actually two performances, I was accompanying the big kids. It felt really important. The first of the two performances went well. The second one was at a church. They provided a music stand for me, and it was one of those folding metal stands that are commonly referred to as wire stands. Here's where the page turns come into play. We were at the beginning of the third movement, and I went to turn my page and the music stand collapsed. That alone would have been a moment to remember, no matter how much I would want to forget it, but it was worse than that. The choir director had given me a photocopy of the original part to practice from, and that's what I was using for the concert. Here's the rub: I had never taped the pages together. So when my music stand collapsed, the pages went everywhere. A good samaritan in the audience jumped up and gathered my pages and then I had to find the right ones and jump back in to play. While I wasn't scarred for life, I did learn a powerful lesson about how to prepare and prevent page disasters in a performance. Over the years, I learned a lot about the art of turning pages, not just taping them together, and I want to be sure you know them too. So trust me, you actually need to know how to manage, prepare and practice your page turns, whether you're using paper or a pedal. And yes, you ned to practice them too. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Last call for the Harpist's Breakthrough Blueprint Plan ahead for your young harpist! Harp Quest Summer Live Harpmastery.com Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at [email protected] Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-249
More from Practicing Harp Happiness
We're approaching one of those dividing lines in the year. The season is changing, and in many ways it feels like a time we can make a fresh start. When I was young, I always looked forward to the new school year. New clothes, new classes, new books - the possibilities seemed limitless and exciting. The energy that the new school year created was almost automatic. The date of the first day of school was on the calendar. All we had to do was to get ready and show up. Finding that same level of energy for a new year of harp playing may not be so simple. Of course, there are ways to create it; a first lesson of the year with new plans and goals is a good one, in part because it enlists the support of your teacher. But I think there are more things to consider. I went back into the podcast archives and found a very early episode - episode 82, first aired in December of 2022 - that talks about ways to refresh your harp playing at another obvious reset point, the beginning of a new calendar year. That episode was all about opening new possibilities for your harp playing by thinking "different," as the old Apple computer commercial put it. I'd like to replay that episode for you now, and then come back and talk about another way to look at possibilities, not as something new to you, but as something more you. I'd like to explore the ideas which sound more similar than they really are: the ideas of refreshing, resetting and reconnecting. I know that sounds a little enigmatic, but I promise to explain when we get there. First, a rewind of episode 82. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Is Chrysalis for you? Find out and register today. Speed up your progress by becoming a My Harp Mastery member. Harpmastery.com Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at [email protected] Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-277
What most of us want from our daily harp practice is to be able to see progress. We want to know we are moving forward, improving, becoming more skilled and more musical, more like the harpist we want to be someday. What most of us discover as we work to create progress is that progress shows up in its own time and in its own way. It's a natural process, but that doesn't stop it from being incredibly frustrating at times. What's even more discouraging is that doubling down on our efforts often doesn't make any difference, other than to make our fingers sore. What most harpists never discover is how they are the biggest obstacle to their own progress. Even worse, the more dedicated you are, the more likely you are to fall into some of the practice traps that actually hinder your progress. I know it sounds counterintuitive and, frankly, unfair, but the harder you try to stick to the tried-and-true habits that got you to where you are today, the slower your progress will be. In this podcast episode, which is a rebroadcast of episode 174, which was originally released in September of 2024, I identify five habits that you may have, and if you do, how they are likely keeping you stuck. Understand this: if you have any of these habits, or even all of them, it indicates that you are one of the dedicated ones. You're following the guidelines that your teachers set out for you, and that has been a big factor in getting you this far. What I'm telling you in this episode is that you need to release those habits and replace them with ones that are appropriate for your current stage of learning. It's the old saying, "what got you here won't get you there." So you'll learn about five of the most common good habits that are keeping you spinning your wheels, what to start doing instead, and at the end, I'll come back with you to share one more powerful progress-generating habit. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Is Chrysalis for you? Find out and register today.
Today, as I have been doing all this month, I am revisiting one of the podcast episodes that I think we need to hear again, and today's topic is one on which we can all use a refresher course. It's about playing without looking at the strings. Yes, I know we need to look at the strings to be sure we are going to play the right ones. And I'm not forgetting that the strings are off to one side and they aren't easy to catch in our peripheral vision all the time, particularly for aging eyes. Nevertheless, we can and we absolutely must learn to play without being dependent on looking at the strings. Even better, I know that you would be able - right now - to play more than you think you can without looking. It's not a miracle. It comes from experience and practice. So I want you to listen to this episode. It's episode 101 and it aired originally in April of 2023. You'll hear why this is such an important skill and how to practice it. After the episode is done, I'll be back with another thought or two for you. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Join us at Chrysalis in September. Register now.
Congratulations - you finished your piece! Well done! It's time to take a breather and relax before you get onto the next piece. But that's the problem. What piece is your next piece? How can you choose one that you like, that is a challenge but not too hard, and one that you can finish in a reasonable amount of time so that you still like it when it's done? If you're currently working with a teacher or coach, you know you can rely on their expert advice as you choose your next piece. But if you're trying to make this choice on your own, it can seem daunting. There are so many wonderful pieces, how could any harpist possibly choose? This is a topic that we all deal with repeatedly, so I thought it might be a good time for us to revisit a podcast I aired over a year ago, on May 5, 2025, Cinco de Mayo actually. I wouldn't mention Cinco de Mayo, except that it played a role in that episode, as I suggested five categories of pieces you could consider, just as a way to narrow the field somewhat. These categories are still relevant, and I know they will be helpful for you now, if you're nearing a decision point about new music. But I've also added a little bit to the end of the episode, two brand-new ideas (at least new to my podcast) than can help you clarify your choices even more by helping you plan not just your next piece but your entire practice strategy and creating more of a sense of direction with your choices. It's al about making decisions and these new frameworks should help. First you'll hear the replay of episode 207, and then stay tuned for the new decision frameworks I want to teach you. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Blog post on arranging by Louis Anthony deLise, D.M.A. Join me at the Chrysalis Music Workshop in September. Register now. Get a different perspective with this blog post: The Easy Way to Choose an Arrangement Harpmastery.com Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at [email protected] Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-274
If you have been playing the harp for any amount of time, you will have already discovered the key truth about music study: whatever you have learned, whatever you have practiced for however long you have been practicing it, you will have to do it again. That's not a prophesy of doom or meant to discourage you. It's simply the way music works. Music is an art of the moment. We play a piece one day, and we have to play it again the next day. The instant we pluck a harp string, the sound begins to disappear into the air. It is ephemeral and elusive. So today we are revisiting a topic I've talked about before on the podcast. In fact, every week during the month of August, I will be reposting an episode that has information that I think needs repeating. Today we begin with a very basic but key technical skill. We're talking about how to play octaves. Basic -yep. Important in just about every piece we play - you bet. The episode you are about to hear is from episode #62 of the podcast, first broadcast on July 25, 2022. If you heard it when I released it four years ago, it's definitely worth a revisit. And if it's new to you, I think you'll find it helpful. And at the end of the episode, I'll be back live with you to add a few more things for you to consider about how to make your octaves sound just the way you want. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Learn more about the Chrysalis Chamber Music workshop. Why Chamber Music Is Different blog post Harpmastery.com Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at [email protected] Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-273