Greeting 2018

Wishing you all the best in 2018!

Happy Christmas!

Wishing you a joyous Christmas!

The Holidays are fast approaching – got your shopping done?!

The holidays are zorching up fast! The shopping game is in full swing.  Do you need to get any last-minute gifts? Or do you want to buy yourself something to be sure you get at least one gift that fits you perfectly? 

Look no further!  Gift certificates are here and available in convenient sizes!  Here are just a few of the things available as a gift certificate:

• Lessons  Want to pick up a package or regular lessons? Buy ten lessons, get one lesson free
• Coaching Want to have a coaching session or a tune up but don’t want to commit to regular lessons?  Pick up a Coaching Gift Certificate for a single coaching session or more if you're preparing for a specific event.
• Weddings  Book a wedding within calendar 2018 and save 10% off the total price.
• Tours and trips Book on the Harp in the Highlands and Islands tour before 31 December and save!
• Workshops  Schedule a workshop in 2018 and see a savings.

Always the right size and color – contact me for pricing and to get your e-certificate.  You can email your gift (if you really have waited until the last minute!) or you can print them gift package!

The Nights are Long

As the year draws to a close, the nights are long.  We have time to reflect (ok, we make time to reflect since the nights are so long!). 

I hope you have had a full and fulfilling harp year.  My wish for you remains primarily that you enjoy making music, that you have learned and shared and grown and loved the time at your harp.   

I hope you are both pleased with your progress and that you hunger for more.   

I hope as you look back over the year you see your continued development and that you have begun to form new goals.  And I hope you have flourished and stabilized and that you are becoming the musician you want to be.   

I hope you are happy with yourself and with your journey and with your music. 

Reflect, and enjoy what you see!

Storytelling

The last bit of self care for November is injecting more of yourself into your music.  

Like a lot of music, holiday music tells stories. And like other music, it can get trite pretty quickly, especially since you get to play it repeatedly but only for a few weeks.   

One of the easiest ways to infuse life into the music (to alleviate boredom) is to become a storyteller with the tunes.  Think about the words (what could be easier – they’re all right there to read!) -

• What is the mood?   
• Where does the story go? 
• Who is in the story? 
• What is the action? 

Decide the story you want to tell – and use the music to share that story with your listeners.  You have all sorts of tools to tell your story – tempo, dynamics, techniques (p.d.l.t, harmonics, damping, ornamentation, arpeggiated chords, etc.).

Modify your arrangement so that you and your story come shining through.  And each time through, the tune can be a different chapter of the story. 

Stuck? Not sure how to start?  Try this: Play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  Now play it angrily.  Now play it playfully.  How about impishly?  What about as a march?  Now as a great tragedy. Finish it as a lullaby or as Wagnerianly as possible. 

Make yourself laugh…or cry… or feel pain! Relax and enjoy the story!