It’s a new year!

Welcome to 2016!  It’s a new year so it’s time for annual goal setting! 

This is a much loved (and hated) annual tradition in which we try to make plans for the year.  If we are just playing along because everyone around us is making goals (or resolutions) then we have no intention of meeting those goals.  But if we actually want to make progress, then this is one of the most important parts of the year - when we set out to define what we are going to do all year with respect to our harp playing.

However, we don’t actually want to start with identifying our goals.

WHAT??

Yup, you heard me, we don’t want to start there.  We have a much more important place to start – last year.

What were your goals for last year?  How did you do? If you did really well and met your goals, how did you do that?  What tools, techniques or strategies did you employ that worked for you? 

Didn’t get where you had originally thought you’d like to? Why not? What happened?  What didn’t work?  Why didn’t it work for you?

There are some common reasons goals don’t get met – did any of these apply to you:

• You didn’t really define a goal (for instance, was your goal something like: “I want to play better”?)
• You bit off too much goal for the time frame (for instance, are you a first year harper with the goal, “I’d like to play Carolan’s Concerto at tempo by the end of the year”?)
• You didn’t keep the rest of your life in mind (for instance, was your goal “I will practice every day from 6 – 7” without recalling that that is dinner/homework/family reconnect time so you were never going to get to practice then?)
• You didn’t write your goals down and by March you couldn’t remember what you had thought was so important in the first place (for instance, was your goal “I will practice scales every day for 30 minutes” but by April it had become “I’ll be glad to sit at my harp for 5 minutes any day this week”?)

There’s a lot to be learned from last year, so review 2015 and glean the nuggets that will help you develop better goals for 2016 and we’ll work on whipping those goals into shape later this month!

Happy New Year

All the best in the coming year! See you next week -

Need a last minute gift?

Are you still looking for that special holiday gift?  Need something that doesn't have to ship but will definitely delight?  Why not give the gift of travel and join us on the Harp the Highlands and Islands Tour in 2016!

Love the idea of getting to see Scotland from an intimate perspective but not keen on playing the harp all week (or too afraid you won't be "good enough"*)?  Join us on the Highlands and Islands Distillery Tour instead!

We'll have a great time no matter which trip you choose.  And if you book before the end of the year, enjoy discount pricing.  Feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Wishing you all the best for Christmas - 

hope you got all the time you needed to play your harp!

*pishposh - we have had people come along who've never played the harp before the Tour, so you're destined to be good enough!

My tune a month goal

Earlier this year I shared with you my goal to learn one new tune a month.  I didn’t do as well as I had planned, for a variety of reasons.  To be honest, I did better than it would seem but, because I didn’t keep good enough records, there are tunes not listed here that were in the challenge but I don’t remember what I didn’t know before!  I did learn a lot though:

1. I learned that I have to write everything down! My new plan is to have a single planner/calendar/journal so I always have all the info I need at hand rather than a collection of tools which actually created more confusion. 
2. I did better some months than others….and that’s ok. 
3. I’m externally motivated – although I love to learn new tunes, I mostly get them into my head for specific events or activities…. I don’t just learn to learn….and that’s ok. 
4. Some of the tunes I learned: 

• Fair Maid of Barra 
• Caol Muile 
• Alan Friendly (comp. Corinna Hewat (to be fair, that was rocking along but I got sidetracked and it’s not strictly there yet, but I’ll get back to it because I love it!))
• Don Oiche m’Bethel 
• The Wizard 
• The March of King of Laois (which I’m embarrassed to say I hadn’t learned earlier) 
• Atholl Highlanders (another I never really got into my hands) 
• Josephine’s Waltz ((Comp R. Tallroth) a tune all my friends play that I needed to catch up on) 
• Amazing Grace (I’m slightly embarrassed that I didn’t know this cold – but that’s been fixed) 
• Auld Lang Syne (another that I should have known but somehow had managed to not learn previously!) 
• I reprised and worked on a few tunes including Malcolm Ferguson, Banks of the Lossie,  McIntosh’s Lament, and (given the date) a number of Christmas tunes I hadn’t played a lot before

I need to set myself a challenge like this more often because it helped me focus and learn! 

Of course, it’s nearly a new year so I can get back down to the business of the plan for 2016!  I have a good idea when I could start.

How did you do on your goals? 

Holiday Gift Giving

“Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another” – George Elliott

“When you play, never mind who listens to you.” ― Robert Schumann
 

“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” ― Albert Einstein

These quotes jumped out at me – all by great artists – one painted with words, one with music and one with math.

This is the time of year when many are emboldened to play out of their practice space.  Many are perhaps more motivated than at any other time of the year.  Which is convenient since there are so many more opportunities to play during the holidays of the shorter days. 

  

Be encouraged by the spirit of the season, the crispness of the air, the general openness of people to festive experiences. Share your music, your gift, and that little piece of yourself that you impart when you play for others.

Share your energy – the influence of your loving human soul - to the extent you are comfortable (or maybe just a little farther from your comfort?).  Don’t worry about people listening to you – never mind who listens to you - but maybe share beyond the curtains and the cats. Don’t worry about being not perfect, about embarrassing yourself.  You won’t – you’ll hear the compliments paid honestly, from people who are grateful for your sharing.  Accept this praise not only of your music but also for touching someone else in a positive way. The compliment is them showing you that they understand.

And what better gift can you give and receive at the holidays?