You already know that all of us are back from the Harpa
Scotland 2019 Retreat. If the photos,
videos, comments, and smiles are any indication – it was another brilliant
success. Harpa is so much fun because it
has a simple formula:
HARPA =
amazing musicians + fantastic tour guide + incredible roadie =
sharing music joy + enjoying each other + adventure!
You’ve heard the maxim that travel is broadening – and not
just from delicious cakes and scones! As
you travel with your harp, you develop or hone many sterling qualities including
forbearance, faith and patience! Whether
you like it or not, you must let go, trust the Fates, and be patient (outside
the “Oversize Luggage” belt mostly!).
Most of us are control freaks (especially about our harps). Many of us do not know this about ourselves
(or if we do, we underestimate). Few
things will test your mettle like traveling with your instrument and entrusting
it to the TSA. And while American
(airline) may hate guitars, I’m pretty sure it’s the TSA that hates harps. Or at least, hates harp cases. I qualify this, though, to say that although
I have gotten my harp back partially latched or completely unlatched, it
has always weathered the journey (Forbearance? Faith? Probably both).
But more than that, traveling with your harp opens doors you
might not even know were there otherwise.
We have been places we likely would have gone right by – simply because
those places opened themselves up to the possibility of us playing there! We have never played anywhere dull. This openness on their parts helps us to be
more open on our part – to see new things or to see familiar things differently
(including toilets, refrigerators, and door locks!). And once we are opened, adventures appear around every bend.
Our trips are always small – this time we had seven. This allows us to go places often overlooked
or bypassed. It also ensures we don’t
travel as a band of tourists – simply observing, never venturing outside our
comfort. But it also generates a
community and engenders sharing with one another - we gel in ways that big groups never get. We become a traveling family, if ever so
briefly. We share our experiences – and our cookies! And that sharing is part of the fun. And the more fun we have together, the more
fun we find. And so it grows!
But perhaps the best bit is that we meet other people – in restaurants
and cafes, at attractions, in our accommodations. We were invited along to a stramash by
someone we met at one of our concerts.
See how that works?! At the time we weren't sure we knew what a stramash is, but we kinda thought we did, and we went along to
it. It was a blast! We got to play tunes with local musicians, we
heard some new ones, played some shared favs and heard some lovely singing. We got to share the joy of making music – in a
fun, organic, very Scottish way! (Just to confirm, a stramash is a seisiun). We met
a delightful couple at a fish and chips restaurant…because they photo bombed one
of our group selfies! It is these brief interactions
punctuating the trip that not only make great memories, but really define good
travels. While chatting with an audience
member we learned of a museum that none of our research had unearthed. And later, once there, we met and chatted
with more lovely locals and learned more than just looking at some displays
would ever have wrought.
All that leads to learning more about yourself. You learn where your unknown assumptions and
ignorances lie and have the opportunity to examine them. These assumptions and ignorances are not good
or bad, but examining them means you can rethink their utility. I’m not talking about bigotry but rather biases
like what we select for our concert program, how we introduce ourselves and our
music to the audience, and how we meet them where they are when we perform (and
appreciating when they’re not where we thought they’d be!). A small group also learns to accept more -
the morning person must be patient while the not-morning person strives to not be
cranky at the start of the day (and vice versa at the end of the day). We help one another – with luggage, and art
supplies, and fingering, and leftovers, and making tea (and more tea, and yet
more tea!).
And best of all – each trip is different. The harp attracts all kinds – players and
appreciators and audiences. We make
lifelong friends and brief – but enriching acquaintances. Even if we return to a place, it is new, and
we grow in it. And being invited back is a pleasure and a privilege.
So Harpa 2019 is in the books – an unqualified success. We’re all home, laundry cycled (mostly), gifts
given, postcards received (mostly). And
we look forward to the next time!
Once we sleep off our jetlag, we will start planning the
next Harpa outing!
But we’re also finalizing plans for the 2020 Harp the
Highlands and Islands trip – details coming soon. Would you like to be broadened (by travel and cakes)? Want to be part of the action and first to
know the details? Leave me a comment to that effect below!
PS: Photo credit for this week and last go to the Harpaniks and especially Donna Bennett, Therese Honey, and Robin Pettit.
Blogspotters - I am gradually moving the blog over to my website -
please go over there, subscribe (on the upper left of the screen) so
you don't miss anything. Unfortunately, blogspot doesn't have all the
functionality available on the website, so this site will eventually go
away. Until then, I'll post the same content but please begin to watch
that space!
Posts
