16th Annual Harp Camp 2011 - Raising the Bar

Well, you already knew that Harp Camp was going to be fun and that everyone would learn a lot in a very short time and that we would have a good time doing it.  You were right!

Directed Ensemble is hard work!

Learning to tie a good string knot may not sound exciting but
 it is one of the most important skills a harper needs!

Reading, counting, playing all together - they are sight reading
 a new ensemble piece and bringing it alive for everyone else.

This year's theme was "Raise the Bar" - and boy, did we!  We had a small but motivated group who worked hard, learned so much, and were just a joy to share with.  And they clearly had a good time making music with each other.  We had people who are young but experienced, older but brand new to the harp, young with some experience, older with a great deal of experience.  You know what they say - it takes all kinds!

We played music, played games, performed on multiple instruments (including a kazu chorus), and made crafts.  We had delightful catered lunches and Kasbah was a hit as usual.

And as teachers, we had a blast!  Our workshops focused on learning to read better, learning to learn by ear better, counting more complex rhythms better, improvising left hand better as well as learning about a "harp personality" and learning to really feel the beat.  These very diverse workshops were well received and fun to teach.

I hope you'll be able to join us for the 17th Annual Harp Camp.  You'll learn a lot, you'll be exhausted when its over, but you'll also be so inspired and ready to "Raise the Bar"!