Celebrate Peace

Sunday was Armistice Day, and the 100th anniversary of the end of the war to end all wars.

Ok, so they didn't get that bit right.

Armistice Day, Veterans' Day, Remembrance Day – no matter where you live, it is an opportunity to remember the fallen who gave their lives, and those who pledged their lives so we could enjoy ours in peace and freedom.

That seems like a good reason to give them their due the way we are best able – through music.  

There are so many things you could do at this point.  You could do nothing, of course.

But instead, you could commemorate the original Armistice and play the tunes of the day – there was some great tunes written at that time including Keep the Home Fires Burning, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, or Carry Me Back to Ol’ Virginie.

You could play music from other post war eras including anything from Irving Berlin.  Or you could just play music of our own time - which we enjoy because of those that came before.

You could compose your own pieces.

And you could play in a number of places including a Veterans' Home, for a veteran’s group, or another civic group.

Just play – and enjoy that you can do so in peace!

Just say “Yes!”

Music can open so many doors.  People are genuinely interested in how we make music – our instrument, ourselves, our repertoire.  And we should be honest – making music is a rare gift.  We are very fortunate.  Did you know that a Gallup poll indicated that 96% of adults surveyed thought music could be learned at any age?  Perhaps more surprising, a whopping 85% of adults wish they had had music lessons as a child!  And 70% stated that they’d like to learn to play an instrument.  Further, 66% stated that there were too many impediments to learning to play*.  And only 5% of adults are proactive and arrange to have music lessons in their own lives**.

That makes those of us who took up the harp as adults a rare breed!  And whether we were trained in music as children or came to our instruments as adults – we are making music and we are extraordinary!

You may not feel special.  You may not feel accomplished.  You maybe still comparing yourself to others and therefore maybe unwilling to share your music.  But maybe it’s time for you to just say Yes.

Yes – to those people who visit you and ask you to play for them.

Yes – to going into schools to share your instrument and your talent with young people who might not otherwise ever see or hear a harp – and certainly are unlikely to ever get to touch one!

Yes – to volunteering to play at a local care home on a regular basis.

Yes – to your local church or civic gathering.

Mostly, say Yes to yourself – Yes, I am a musician who is continuing to grow and Yes I will share with others.  Yes I will commit to investing in myself and my practice.  

Just Say Yes to plucking up the courage to do more with my harp!

* https://www.namm.org/news/press-releases/new-gallup-survey-namm-reflects-majority-americans%20

** https://gb.abrsm.org/en/making-music/4-the-statistics/

Make yourself practice - do some good

If I were to be honest out loud, there are more days when I have to force myself to practice than I care to admit.  There are always so many other things that need to be taken care of and which require my attention.  And often sitting and playing feels too decadent to be work - making it even more difficult to practice and do the work.  I know many of us have this same challenge.  (And we know this is different from the occasional, “I just don’t feel like practicing! ” malaise we sometimes find ourselves in!)

I recently came across a quote that is modifying my perspective on all this.  This is an excerpt – it was part of a talk delivered by Karl Paulnack, Music Director of The Boston Conservatory*.  I thought he made a good point – about taking ourselves seriously.  He said - 

"If we were a medical school, and you were here as a med student practicing appendectomies, you'd take your work very seriously because you would imagine that some night at two AM someone is going to waltz into your emergency room and you're going to have to save their life. Well, my friends, someday at 8 PM someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft."

And he's right!  There is little more rewarding than chatting with an audience member after a performance and learning that you have created an experience that touched that person very personally and specifically.  

He goes on to say more, about our value as musicians, the effect we can have, the good we can do.  All of these are important – and we need to remind ourselves of these truths. No matter our level of play or our amount of experience, we have something to contribute, a good to give – and we have to work to bring our best when we are sharing. 

So, go practice – the world is counting on us to do our craft.

* read the whole address here 

Celebrate Peace

Today is Armistice Day, Veteran’s Day, Remembrance Day – no matter what it is called where you live, it is an opportunity to remember the fallen who gave their lives so we could enjoy ours in peace and freedom.

That seems like a good reason to give them their due through music.  There are so many things you could do at this point –

• You could commemorate the original armistice and play the tunes of the day – there were some great tunes written at that time including Keep the Home Fires Burning, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, or Carry Me Back to Ol’ Virginnie
• You could play music from other post war eras including anything from Irving Berlin
• You could compose your own pieces
• you could play in a number of places including a VA home or for a veteran’s group or another civic group
• You could, of course, do nothing 

Just play – and enjoy that you can in peace!

Planning for everything

Recently, a harp friend died.  This was a tragedy as she was a lovely person and a very good harp player. I had known her almost all of my harp life.  

 

Not long after that, her family wanted to move on and part of that was to assure that her harps went to good homes.  And so I was fortunate to be able to help the family in finding each harp a new loving home.  But it got me to thinking.

It was very difficult for the family – it’s a difficult time as it is, but having to figure out how to move these harps along was just another burden for them.  Because we love our harps and our harp friends/family so much, we may forget that to our “real” family isn’t as plugged in to our harp world.  They don’t know how we communicate, how to “shift” a harp, where to go for help, how to move on.

In addition, while our families might try to meet all our wishes, we may not have shared what we would like to happen to our harps (and their assorted detritus!).  You may want to be sure that your harps go to a chosen friend or you might want them embedded in a local organization’s harp rental program, or you might want your local (or favorite) school to receive your bounty.  But if you don’t tell anyone, no one will know.  Be specific – remember that it is likely a loving, non-harper will have to attempt to do what you want, so guidance from you would be a big help!

Therefore it is important to document and share your harp wishes with your family.  Think about (and plan for) where you’d like all your harps to find a new place when you will no longer need it. If you will donate to an organization – be sure that the organization knows it will eventually receive your bounty.  Be as lovely and generous as you always have been and others will appreciate your kindness.