Practicing Harp Happiness: Recent Episodes

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Congratulations - you finished your piece! Well done! It's time to take a breather and relax before you get onto the next piece. But that's the problem. What piece is your next piece? How can you choose one that you like, that is a challenge but not too hard, and one that you can finish in a reasonable amount of time so that you still like it when it's done?

If you're currently working with a teacher or coach, you know you can rely on their expert advice as you choose your next piece. But if you're trying to make this choice on your own, it can seem daunting. There are so many wonderful pieces, how could any harpist possibly choose?

This is a topic that we all deal with repeatedly, so I thought it might be a good time for us to revisit a podcast I aired over a year ago, on May 5, 2025, Cinco de Mayo actually. I wouldn't mention Cinco de Mayo, except that it played a role in that episode, as I suggested five categories of pieces you could consider, just as a way to narrow the field somewhat. These categories are still relevant, and I know they will be helpful for you now, if you're nearing a decision point about new music.

But I've also added a little bit to the end of the episode, two brand-new ideas (at least new to my podcast) than can help you clarify your choices even more by helping you plan not just your next piece but your entire practice strategy and creating more of a sense of direction with your choices. It's al about making decisions and these new frameworks should help.

First you'll hear the replay of episode 207, and then stay tuned for the new decision frameworks I want to teach you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Blog post on arranging by Louis Anthony deLise, D.M.A.
• Join me at the Chrysalis Music Workshop in September. Register now.
• Get a different perspective with this blog post: The Easy Way to Choose an Arrangement
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-274

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If you have been playing the harp for any amount of time, you will have already discovered the key truth about music study: whatever you have learned, whatever you have practiced for however long you have been practicing it, you will have to do it again. That's not a prophesy of doom or meant to discourage you. It's simply the way music works.

Music is an art of the moment. We play a piece one day, and we have to play it again the next day. The instant we pluck a harp string, the sound begins to disappear into the air. It is ephemeral and elusive.

So today we are revisiting a topic I've talked about before on the podcast. In fact, every week during the month of August, I will be reposting an episode that has information that I think needs repeating. Today we begin with a very basic but key technical skill. We're talking about how to play octaves. Basic -yep. Important in just about every piece we play - you bet.

The episode you are about to hear is from episode #62 of the podcast, first broadcast on July 25, 2022. If you heard it when I released it four years ago, it's definitely worth a revisit. And if it's new to you, I think you'll find it helpful. And at the end of the episode, I'll be back live with you to add a few more things for you to consider about how to make your octaves sound just the way you want.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Learn more about the Chrysalis Chamber Music workshop.
• Why Chamber Music Is Different blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-273

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I love to read. Maybe you're like me, with several books in progress at once. I seem to have a book in every room that I can pick up when the fancy strikes. Plus, I always have at least one book on my Kindle and an audiobook going for when I'm in the car. I like to think I spend more time reading each day than doing anything else, but that's probably not accurate, just aspirational.

Summer reading is always my favorite. It feels indulgent to sit outside on the deck or at the beach or under a shady tree and just read. Maybe it is actually indulgent, but it's never wasted time. And today, I'm going to share some of my summer reading with you, books that have particular interest to harpists and other musicians, or at least books I have found interesting.

When I read about music and musicians, I find I'm not just learning facts. I'm releasing myself from the "doing," from being absorbed in practice and playing and all the practicalities that go with my day to day harp life. Instead, I'm able to gain a fresh perspective, to see the musician's life or ideas about music from the outside. I discover possibilities which have gotten buried by my daily practice routine. I learn about the struggles that shaped the lives of other musicians, as well as the breakthroughs that finally led them to their music. I finish a book like that feeling inspired, thoughtful and grateful.

So find a comfortable chair. We're going to talk about books about music and musicians I enjoyed reading. It's a little bit of a hodgepodge - some biographies, some memoirs, even a novel and an audiobook. I expect that some of these will appeal to you more than others. I found them all worth reading, but I urge you to choose the one or two that seem most intriguing to you and dive in. I've put links in the show notes to the easiest place to find each of the books, too, so you don't have to waste a moment on the internet when you could be reading out on the deck with a glass of iced tea beside you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Harpo Speaks! by Harpo Marx on Amazon
• Henriette Renié: Living Harp by Françoise des Varennes on Amazon
• Pentacle: The Story of Carlos Salzedo and the Harp by Marietta Bitter on Amazon
• The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather on Amazon
• Every Good Boy Does Fine by Jeremy Denk on Amazon
• Beginner's Mind by Yo-Yo Ma on Audible (US)
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-272

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Ok - I talk about harp happiness a lot. Really a lot. That's because playing the harp has always brought me happiness. Sure, playing the harp is hard work sometimes, and I've had my share of frustration too, but for me the challenges are outweighed by the joy every time. It's the joy that keeps me going and I hope that your own harp happiness sustains and inspires you too.

I mention this because I have a special guest on today's show and she positively radiates harp happiness. Her name is Alexandra Chang, and if you haven't heard of her already, just listening to her talk about her love of music and the harp is going to make you fall in love with her.

Alex is an electric acoustic harpist and composer and as you will hear, much of her performing is collaborative improvisation, particularly with the Rock City Falls Trio, a cross-genre ensemble. She recently completed a Jazz and Sonic Music residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity for performance and composition and premiered the work A Shared Woven Melody at the Jazz and Sonic Arts Concert as part of their 2024 Gather Listen Hear Summer Arts Festival. She was awarded the 2025 Art Connects Artist Grant. Art Connects is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts & New York State. She teaches at Rutgers University as an Associate Professor of Practice at the Arts, Culture and Media Department. She is also the co-director of Improv Spaces and runs the Improv Spaces Music Festival, based in upstate New York, with creative partner percussionist Adam Forman.

But before I play our conversation for you, I want to preview three things she mentions that give a more complete picture of her musicianship than just the raw facts from her bio. First, she practices the pedal harp every day. Second, she always has music by Bach on her music stand. And third, she's only been playing the harp for six years. Yep, I couldn't believe it either.

I will play a clip from one of the selections on her album at the end of our conversation. I want you to hear from her first. So without any more delay, here is my conversation with harpist Alexandra Chang.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Where to find Alex:

• Her website: https://www.alexchangmusic.com/
• Her bandcamp link: https://alexchang.bandcamp.com/
• The Topos Festival where Alex will be playing with the Rock City Falls Trio: Improv Spaces | Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC)
• Improv Spaces Music Festival on Sept. 6: Improv Spaces Music Festival | Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-271

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There are lots of ways to get our music ready for the holidays. Yes, I know it's only July and we have months to prepare, but that's actually the point. You could wait until the week before your first Christmas gig in December to practice your music, and I have to say that there were times in the past that was my strategy. As you might imagine, it isn't a course of action I'd recommend.

Or you could try the standard Christmas in July method. You learn your holiday music in the summer and then try to hang onto it until the holidays eventually come around. Granted, it's a much better plan than waiting until December, but as a preparation strategy it leaves a lot to be desired. If you've learned your music by the time summer ends, what do you do with it for the next three months?

Naturally, there are a lot of different approaches you could take, and some of those are going to feel more natural to you than others, just based on your personal practice preferences. There are external influences that might play a role as well. For instance, perhaps this is the year that you have ben asked to play Britten's Ceremony of Carols for the first time. The difficulty and scope of this piece will require a more focused approach than standard church or party holiday music.

While I used to be fairly undisciplined in my approach to my own holiday repertoire preparation - and believe me, I paid the price for it more than once - I am unwilling to let my students suffer the same way. So I have a few "always" ground rules and a couple of "never" caveats that I try to share with them. These have their roots in my own learning the hard way.

However, I also have a system that seems to work pretty well for most of my students. The odd thing is that I haven't really told any of them about it. We've used the system but I've never given it a name before. So here it is, making its official debut: my 5-4-4-3 plan for holiday music preparation. My students will recognize it, or at least most of it, and I hope this will organize more clearly what we have talked about already. If you haven't studied with me, I'm happy to share this with you for the first time ever.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join Compose for Christmas and get the best holiday headstart ever!
• Register for the Chrysalis Music Workshop
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-270

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This past weekend was a big one for us in the United States. Not only were we celebrating our July 4th Independence Day as we do every year, but it was an anniversary year for us, our 250th. The parties were more festive, the fireworks more explosive, and all of the celebrations focused on freedom and independence.

I talk often about independence, but naturally I'm usually talking about Independence of our fingers or hands in our harp playing. A key focus of every harpist's technical practice is developing more independent motion of the fingers and more independent playing of the hands. We want our fingers to be able to be equally strong, capable, flexible and expressive. We want our hands to be able to work together to create the music.

But today, I'm going a slightly different direction. I want to talk not about the independence of our hands, but about the interdependence of our hands. It's not a battle where each of our hands is fighting for independence from the other, even if it feels like that physically at times.

I think it's more to the point to consider the way our hands make music together. This goes beyond trying to figure out how one hand will do one kind of fingering while the other hand does something entirely different. This is about the role that each hand plays at any given moment in a piece of music, how each hand fits into the overall musical picture.

So what I'd like to explore with you today is a more musical approach to our two-hand coordination, one that goes beyond the usual "hands separately, hands together" practice plan. I'd like to show you three distinct ways our right and left hands work together in a piece of music. You'll see how this could completely change the way you practice, with the result that you'll get to the expressive quality of the music more quickly and, I believe, with much less struggle.

There is a lot of practical information that we'll cover, but remember this is really just about putting the music first, about seeing a little - just a little - beyond the notes to the bigger musical concepts. Don't think this doesn't apply to you because you're just a beginner or you only play a specific kind of music. Wherever you are in your harp journey, if you haven't learned this way of looking at music before - and I'm betting you haven't - you're going to be so glad you listened to this episode today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join Compose for Christmas and get the best holiday head start ever!
• Register for the Chrysalis Music Workshop
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-269

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In 1782, Mozart was corresponding with a fellow composer about the art of composition. Mozart made the point that the true essence of music lies not only in the notes themselves but also in the spaces between them. That thought was echoed a century later by Claude Debussy who said, "Music is the silence between the notes."

Silence is powerful. One part of the power of silence is its ability to define the notes around it. The spaces between the notes create rhythm. Lengthening spaces create a ritardando. Shortening spaces create an accelerando. Actual silence, created by a rest in the music, causes tension that is only relieved, or possibly heightened, by the next note.

For us harpists, creating silence as we play is challenging. Our music naturally rings and resonates as each string is played. In those moments when we need to stop the sound, it becomes a physical and intentional act. We create silence on purpose.

But what of those moments between the notes, when we want a note to sustain and to hold the tension into the next one? Do those moments need special attention? I believe they do.

So today, I'd like to explore the two different kinds of silence we harpists have to consider: what each means and what we need to do to observe those silences with artistry and musicianship. And as we get started, here is another quote to let roll around in your mind. It's from Kate Kennedy's book, Cello: A Journey Through Silence to Sound. She writes this: "Silence is the opposite of music, but it is also its lifeblood — the breaths between the phrases, the drama, the anticipation, and the quality of the breathless hush between final note and applause."

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Compose for Christmas Challenge
• Register for the Chrysalis Music Workshop
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-268

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As I look back on my childhood and my very first music studies, I realize that I was incredibly fortunate, blessed, actually. Not because I was gifted or because my parents were not only willing but were able to support my harp lessons. Not because I was in one of the music capitals of the world and had access to world class teachers. Not because I had so many opportunities and people that encouraged me along my journey.

Well, yes, I was blessed because of all those things, certainly. But I want to talk today about a different gift that was given to me, one I didn't realize the value of until much later. The gift was this: I was always encouraged to play music outside the box. Let me explain.

I started piano lessons when I was four years old, and my piano teacher was not only a fabulous musician, but a creative and generous teacher. My lessons included all the usual piano exercises - which I hated - and sonatinas - which I loved - and she also made sure that she gave me performance-worthy arrangements of popular music. I played arrangements of "Blue Moon" and "People" from Funny Girl and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" that were written by pianists like Roger Williams. These were fancy arrangements that took quite a bit of technique and a lot of practice to play well, and I enjoyed them.

But my teacher never stuck exactly to the printed page. She always had some alterations to add a little more pizzazz to the arrangement. We were always taking bass notes down an octave or playing another part up in the high register like a music box, or changing dynamics and tempo. What she taught me was that music was self-expression. It was about so much more than just playing the written notes. It was about making the notes say what you thought they should say.

Please understand; we didn't take liberties with the classics. She made sure I played absolutely every note that Bach wrote on the page. But I learned very early on how to be creative in my music-making, and that has been a tremendous gift. I've never shied away from arranging, and in fact, it's one of my favorite things to do.

I'd love every harpist to learn the freedom of making their music their own, and that's what this show is about. I actually went back about two years into the podcast archives to pull out this episode which speaks directly to this. If you've ever wondered about what it takes to make an arrangement, or how to go about it, this is the episode for you. And afterwards, I want to tell you about an opportunity - a new challenge, in fact - to work with me on your own arrangement.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get creative with the Compose for Christmas Challenge
• Go even further at the Chrysalis Music Workshop
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-267

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I don't know if you've ever had this experience, but there's something that happens when you realize that you have to shift your understanding of someone. It's a little unsettling, as if that person belonged in one little box in your mind and now you find out it's been the wrong box all along, and in fact, they don't really belong in a box at all. Your appreciation of that person takes on new meaning and your friendship finds a new level.

I found that kind of new level with my good friend and esteemed colleague Dr; Louis Anthony deLise, who is my guest on today's show. Louis and I became acquainted because we were both part of the freelance musical circles in Philadelphia, where I knew him as a percussionist. I didn't discover that his real metier was composing until much more recently and not only has that deepened our friendship, but it has brought a lot of new and wonderful music into my life, for which I am very grateful.

Louis is one of my collaborators on the Chrysalis Music Workshop event for flutists, harpists, and composers that is happening this September in New Jersey. So I thought this was the perfect moment to introduce him and his music to you. As you listen to our conversation, I want to you listen for the words that he uses as he describes composing and composers and musicians, words like adventure, experiment, game, and heart. You have heard me use those kinds of words often, so I know you'll understand why I value my work and collaboration with him so highly.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register now for the Chrysalis Music Workshop
• Listen to To Dance With You by Louis Anthony deLise on Soundcloud
• Purchase Celebrations! sheet music
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-266

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Let me start by saying that technique was a struggle for me. You may have heard me talk before about how my double-jointed fingers wouldn't do what my teacher wanted, let alone what I wanted. I had been playing the harp for nearly ten years before I was able to develop proper mechanics, to make my fingers play with the form and strength necessary for the level of playing I aspired to. Granted, I was still a teenager at the time, so my fingers have endured decades of technical work beyond that, but I want to tell you that harp technique is still something I work on daily, not because I want to, but because I have to.

It's true that our technique gets stronger and more reliable over time. That's the good news. The more we focus on developing the proper mechanics, along with flexibility and speed, the more dependable our technique becomes. However, the results of our technical work can leave us in a moment.

There is a well-known quote attributed to the celebrated violinist Jascha Heifetz about this very thing. He said, "If I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it." Granted that most of us aren't playing regularly in the same concert halls that Heifetz was, but we notice the same disheartening phenomenon: our technique requires constant attention.

I'm going to make a big assumption here, that you don't have hours every day to spend on your harp technique. Frankly, I don't either. I have to put time into my technique daily, but it's never as much time as I'd like, or as much time as my technique needs. But having spent years working through my own technique challenges and guiding students through the ones they face, I have three specific aspects of technique that many of us don't spend enough time on.

These are three very specific and actually very basic technical skills. If you pay attention to these three things, you will be on your way to solving many common technique glitches that prevent your music from flowing the way you want. These aren't cure-all remedies. They are three basic skills that truly matter to your playing. Most exercise books include them, but they don't tell you why they matter. That's what I want to tell you today.

Here's the thing: if I simply told you what the skills were, you'd probably dismiss them, thinking you already know how to do them, or at least two of the three. The difference comes once you know why they are so important, what they really mean for your playing. Even better, when they show up in a piece you are learning, you'll spot them and know exactly how to make that tricky passage smooth. Are you intrigued a little, maybe a lot? I hope so.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Missing the Live Monday Warm-Ups? Click here to join My Harp Mastery to keep the momentum going!
• Blog post on octaves mentioned in the show: Play Better Octaves Today!
• Podcast episode #64 on scales: Spice Up Your Scales for Technique, Flexibility and Speed
• Finger Independence for My Harp Mastery members: Advance Level of Build, Extend, Advance Course.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-265

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Here are some numbers to give you a little perspective before I introduce my guest today. The average length of a marriage in the United States is 20 years. Business partnerships don't do nearly so well, with nearly 70% failing within the first five years. We are not a society geared toward longevity.

But musical partnerships are different from business partnerships and certainly different from marriages, although they certainly have elements of both. My own musical collaborations tend to be quite longlasting, and the one I'm going to share today has not only survived, but grown and prospered and is now in its 40th year. That's right - that partnership is celebrating its ruby anniversary this year. And I'm proud to say that this partnership has been one of the most meaningful in my life.

So it's about time I introduced you to my musical partner of 40 years, my flutist friend Joan Marsh. Together Joan and I have performed and recorded together since 1986. Our partnership as the duo SPARX has been a constant through the births of our children and now our grandchildren. It's been there through our own marriages, house movings, individual playing commitments, individual business ventures and countless hair styles.

While in this conversation, we share all the usual details about how we came together, our duo history over these 40 years and why our partnership is still so important to us, I want to make sure you understand this one point: a shared musical journey is more rewarding than you can imagine, if you haven't tried it, and vastly more rewarding than we will be able to tell you. But we're going to try.

One of the reasons I want to bring this to you today is that together with our composer friend, Louis Anthony deLise, we have created a new event that speaks directly to the joy of making music together, and in the course of our conversation, we will tell you all about it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Learn more about Chrysalis Music Collaborative Workshop
• Live Monday Warm-Ups and Practice Labs are now exclusive to My Harp Mastery members. Join now with this discounted link so you don't miss out!
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-264

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There are plenty of things that make me feel old, for instance, when I remember that I used to have to go to the library to do research or that I didn't know who was calling me before I answered the phone. Here's another one that makes me feel positively ancient, and I promise you I'm not that old: I remember my mother handwriting music that my teacher wanted me to learn but was out of print. We didn't have easy access to a copier, although sometimes my dad could make a copy at his work. So, if I needed a piece of music that wasn't very long, my mother wrote it out for me. That feels practically Stone Age now.

When I started arranging music and publishing it back in the 1990"s, there were two programs that most composers had to choose between - Finale and Sibelius. I chose Sibelius on the recommendation of one of my teaching colleagues at Curtis, and I still use it today. It had a pretty steep learning curve when I first started, and it is still a powerful program that takes a little while to figure out, probably too long for a casual user.

In the years - okay, decades - since then, many more music notation programs and apps have come along, some of them as powerful, or nearly so, as the flagship programs, and for the most part, much simpler to use. This has meant that anybody with a modicum of patience for things technical can produce a professional-looking copy of a piece of music. That means progress for composers and arrangers.

It also means progress for any of us, even those of us who just want to learn to play the harp better. That's because these apps aren't just for writing down music you've composed. They can also be useful practice tools.

So on today's show, I'm going to give you my take on three of the most popular and most user-friendly music notation apps, explaining the best features and the potential deal-breakers of each. I'll also share some strategies to use these tools to help you in your harp playing, whether you are interested in composing, arranging, or just a little curious.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• For My Harp Mastery members: Bob Dexter's Musescore Presentation
• Love the Monday Warm-ups? Use this limited time discount to join My Harp Mastery so you don't miss out.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-263

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When I was a young harpist, there was no internet. I know that would shock a young harpist today who has grown up with the wealth of resources that are available with a single click. I was curious about when exactly the first internet-savvy generation grew up, so with a quick search - everything is clickable - I found the Gen Z'ers are the first internet generation, born between 1995 and 2010. That means those Gen Z adults are now between the ages of 16 and 30 or thereabouts.

While the internet may feel like a birthright of Gen Z, the rest of us have come to rely on the internet too, and it's a tremendous resource for us harpists. If my teacher wanted me to learn a new piece, I had to go to the record store (I'm hoping there are some of you who remember those!) to look for a recording. Most often, I was out of luck, but I got into the habit of buying any harp record I found in the store, just in case I might want it someday.

Today, everything is turned around. There are more harp recordings available to a harpist than anyone could possibly listen to. This makes it simple to hear someone else play the piece you want to learn. You might even be able to hear many players with vastly different interpretations, which is an education in itself.

But even now, there are those times when there is no recording of the piece you want to learn. When that happens, how do you begin? Where do you start? Are there things you can do before you play the first note to help you learn it more quickly and with more confidence in your approach?

I want to give you a framework for that today, one that will not only help guide you through approaching a piece when you have no idea how it sounds, but one that will develop a set of skills which will shorten the time it takes you to learn any piece. We're going to explore what you can know about a piece just by looking at it, and what you can guess. You may be surprised at how much useful information you have been ignoring until now.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• My Harp Mastery course: Making Music Without Your Harp
• Podcast episode #147: How to Study a Piece: Look, Listen and Apply
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-262

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I'm always wary of instant cures, of instant solutions. You know what I mean, those ads that promise you can lose 10 pounds overnight or become a fluent French speaker in 2 weeks. The funny thing is that nobody believes the promises in the ads, but still we buy the products - just in case.

There is something powerful about an instant win. It's the tantalizing idea that we could get exactly what we want for almost no effort or investment of time. It never seems to matter that the instant results seem improbable, The idea of something for nothing, or almost nothing, is too powerful to resist.

So today, when I tell you that I'n going to share three things that will make your music smoother almost instantly, I wouldn't blame you if you're more than a little skeptical. But I'll bet you keep listening. And I hope you do, because although these three things aren't easy to put into play, they will make an incredible difference in how your music flows. It's not snake oil; it's just solid harp playing.

Making our music smooth is just about the most important thing we need to do, and yet our desire to make our music right, sabotages the smoothness with every note. Do we play a wrong note and keep going, even when we practice? Should we correct our mistakes so we don't get into bad habits? Do we do both? Neither? Are you confused yet?

There really are several things you can do which will change the way you practice and play. They will make your music smoother, not because they're magic, but because they teach you to think about how you play and what you play differently. Even more importantly, they are critical for each one of us, whether we are used to playing music smoothly or not. So if you're an old pro like me, this is a valuable reminder or maybe even a reset. And if you're just trying to figure out how to make your music flow, this podcast will save you a lot of time and trouble.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Stay in touch with everything that's happening: get the Harp Mastery® app!
• For another take, check out this blog post: Beyond the Bar Line: The Secret to Seamless Music
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-261

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Here's the picture: it's the most unusual shipwreck in history. Somehow or other you have ended up alone on a desert island with just your harp. It's interesting to consider how this might have happened. Did you swim to shore after the shipwreck with your harp strapped to your back? Or maybe you used it like a raft and your harp is what saved you. But somehow, against all the odds and flying in the face of reality, you ended up on this island with your harp. Even more amazing is that your harp is in tune, no strings have broken, and the weather is exactly what your harp needs to stay happy.

But just wait - there's more.

As you explore the island, you discover a charming hut which will be a perfect shelter for you and your harp, and when you enter the hut, you discover a harp bench, a tuning key, and a music stand. As you move closer, you realize that there is some sheet music on the stand, three pieces of music in fact, and they just happen to be your three favorite pieces in the world. Wow. Unbelievable.

Alright, yes, this is unbelievable. This harp version of Gilligan's Island isn't going to happen. But thinking about your three "desert island" pieces is fun. Which pieces would you pick, if you could only choose three pieces to have with you? And what do those pieces say about your harp journey so far, and your harp dreams for your future?

Your desert island pieces can actually help you focus or refocus on what is important to you in your music. They can be a source of motivation or inspiration or growth or all of the above. They are both a reflection of what music means to you and where your harp happiness lies. Thinking about what your desert island pieces would be can tell you a lot about what you love, what you do well and what you should be doing next.

If you're like me, the choice isn't an easy one. I have closets and shelves and cabinets filled with music. Just picking three pieces feels impossible, but I have done it, and I will share my choices with you, as well as tell you why those choices are important to me, not only because they are pieces I love, but because they remind me of what I need to be doing right now in my playing.

It's a fun scenario to think about and I think you'll enjoy it and find a little enlightenment too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Email me your desert island pieces at podcast@harpmastery.com
• Music on Your Desert Island List blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-260

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Playing music is hard. Trying to evaluate how well you are playing it is even harder, much harder.

If this were a sport, a game like baseball, our efforts in relation to those of the opposing team would be reflected in the score. In an individual sport like golf, your score is a marker of your performance against the challenge of the course, the weather and any number of other factors. In an artistic endeavor, such as art or music or dance, there isn't an objective numerical scale to score the outcome. I think that's why I am always ambivalent about Olympic figure skating judging. I understand that they have tried hard to find objective measurements for all the aspects of a skating performance, but there is still room for debate. There isn't always a clear right or wrong.

When we practice, we aim for "right;" we want to get the notes right, our technique right, the fingering right, the pedals right, the dynamics right. And as my friend MJ says, we get all wrapped up in right. When we get wrapped up in right, we lose our perspective on the music. It's not seeing the forest for the trees. I'm sure you get that. Yet somehow we still focus on being correct. In fact, I believe we actually overvalue being correct.

That's why, on today's show, I'd like to explore the actual damage that overfocusing on right can do, how it can sabotage the music you're trying to create. Never fear - I promise I won't tell you to play wrong notes, and I won't leave you without some ideas for refocusing. We'll get you back on the right side of right.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• For another look at this topic, check out this article: Perfection or Performance? It's Your Choice
• Experience the freedom of faster learning, more expressive playing, and the confidence to play like the harpist you know you can be with a My Harp Mastery membership.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-259

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When was the last time you took a moment to just play some chords on your harp and let yourself simply enjoy them? When you hear that rich, resonant sound, you know that this was what your harp was meant to sound like. Perhaps hearing someone else play chords like that was why you decided to play the harp. It's goosebump territory, for sure. You can feel it in your bones, in your core.

I don't know that there is a more beautiful sonority than a big beautiful harp chord, perhaps lushly rolled. But, I also know that there isn't a day goes by that I don't have to stop in my practice to check my chord placing to make sure I can play those chords the way I want. Just because they're beautiful, doesn't mean they're easy, but you already know that.

One of the first things we harpists learn about chords is that the key to a well-played chord is in the placing. Getting the right fingers on the right strings at the right time is the biggest hurdle we face. I'm reminded of a famous quote of J. S. Bach: "There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself." This seems to me to reveal an over-developed sense of humility on Bach's part. Playing an instrument is definitely not that simple, but when it comes to playing - and placing - chords, getting our fingers on the right strings at the right time is certainly a good place to start.

Today's show is indeed about placing chords, but I want to offer you a different perspective, one that is less about the technique of placing chords and more about the musical situations that may call for strategic changes in the way we think about how and when to get our fingers on those right strings. In other words, I'm going to talk about when the usual "right time" isn't the right time, when you should consider breaking those rules I know you worked so hard to learn in order to make your chords sound the way you want. So get ready to break or at least bend some rules today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Podcast Episode #205: Placing Chords: How to Find the Right Strings the First Time
• For extra clarity on placing techniques: How to Play Four Note Chords Without Finger Fumbles blog post in the archives.
• Experience the freedom of faster learning, more expressive playing, and the confidence to play like the harpist you know you can be with a My Harp Mastery membership.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-258

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A number of years ago, I wrote a blog post comparing practice styles to two breeds of dogs: a German Shepherd and a Greyhound. This was my metaphor for discussing a topic I found really hard to address with my students, the fact that their natural practice style was a determining factor in the speed of their progress. Let me explain.

I had some students who were committed to doing everything correctly and as a consequence learned carefully and thoroughly, but rather slowly. I had other students who wanted to play the music right away. Their enthusiasm and energy got them to the finish line quickly, but we often had to go back to pick up some important points they had missed along the way. Both learning styles were good, to a certain point. But at that certain point, each style needed to incorporate the strengths of the other one in order to get the music to the finish line.

So to help my students understand this better, I chose two wonderful dog breeds as representations of the two learning styles, a German shepherd and a greyhound, both wonderful dogs with very different characteristics. While the German shepherds maintain order and discipline, the greyhounds race to the finish. My goal was to give my students a non-judgmental way to think about the way they liked to learn and inspire them to step outside their comfort zone a little so that they could make more predictable progress and enjoy the process a little more.

It seemed to work, to capture the imagination of harpists who had felt they were missing something but weren't sure exactly what it was. A few years later, when I started this podcast, I added a third breed of dog, the beagle, the joyful investigator, into the mix. In fact, that podcast episode was the very first episode of the show, and you'll find the link to that in today's show notes.

What I want to do today is to talk about what to do when your practice style needs to shift, or when you find yourself drawn to a new way of practicing that's different from your usual style. Of course, I'll review the traits of all three breeds of practice styles and I'd like to add a fourth, too, the golden retriever.

By the end of our show today, you should have a pretty clear idea of your primary practice style and why it works for you, when it doesn't work for you, and how to step into the shoes, or should I say, paws, of another breed when you need to. It's a different lighthearted look at your practice today. Oh, yes…I'll share my own practice breed with you too, although maybe you can guess. We'll see if you're right!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Episode 1 of the podcast: Find Your Practice Style: Style No. 3 "The Beagle"
• My Harp Mastery member resource: Practice Routine Refresh class
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-257

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I think one of the biggest challenges in music study is that it is very difficult to really measure our progress. It's so easy to lose track of what we've accomplished when we're faced with new challenges that often seem to be more of the same ones we've been struggling with all along. The notes are still hard. Our fingers still aren't moving fast enough. We still can't make our music flow.

The reality of music study is that we will continue to face the same challenges at every stage of our harp journey. At the same time that we find new levels of facility or expression, we find new levels that we want to attain. It can feel as if we aren't getting anywhere, even when we truly are making significant progress. I like to think of it as a spiral staircase, where we are dealing with the same skills but at increasingly higher levels.

Naturally, there are ways we can remind ourselves of the strides we have made. Reviewing pieces we played long ago or reading old practice journals can be powerful evidence that what was hard for us then isn't hard for us now. Participating in exam systems can give us the stamp of approval from an objective source that in effect certifies our progress.

But it can be frustrating to feel like you're not progressing, even if you actually are. And it can be more frustrating to wonder if you will be always stuck playing beginner level music, even advanced beginner level music. Or course, we know that these levels aren't standardized in any way, and we must recognize that our own skills have strengths and weaknesses that make some pieces easier than others for us. Even so, it would be nice to know what skills really mark the step up from beginner to intermediate. That's what I want to help you clarify today.

I've talked before about skills that I consider "level up" skills, but today I want to look at a wider range of skills and show you how they translate to that important, if ill-defined, jump from advanced beginner to intermediate music. And if you're a solid intermediate level player and you'd like to push yourself to a more advanced playing level, this will show you how to move up that skill ladder too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• For My Harp Mastery members: Climb the Scale of Success.
• Related resource: The Line Between Difficult and Too Difficult blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-256

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Spring is finally settling in where I live. You might be weeks ahead of me or behind me or in a totally different hemisphere, but in the spirit of sharing what's on my mind and what's happening in my world, I want to talk about spring cleaning today. Naturally, though, I'm not talking about cleaning windows and carpets and closets. I want to talk about spring cleaning your harp life.

When I first decided to focus on spring cleaning for this podcast, I didn't want to take the easy way out. It would be easy to talk about harp care - changing strings, cleaning your harp, the right products to use, etc. But I wanted to go deeper and look at what matters to your harp playing even more than new strings or polish. I want to talk about your playing, your practice, your music.

We all get into a practice routine, and in general, having a routine is a good thing. It helps us stay on track more easily by creating a habit that can be nearly effortless to follow. But those same habits that support our playing can become ineffective when they go from being effortless to being mindless, and sometimes we aren't even aware of It happening.

Here's a simple example. Maybe you like to warmup with a particular scale or arpeggio pattern or perhaps a favorite short piece. There's nothing wrong with that at all, unless you find yourself playing it so automatically that you aren't paying attention to those things we want to watch in a warm-up: our posture, our relaxation, our finger action, and so on. Sure, we're still warming up our fingers, but our focus is really elsewhere.

This is where we can decide to do a little spring cleaning. We can try a different warm-up, or rotate between several warm-ups. We could play our warm-up in different keys. There are a million things we could do, but the refresh is the point.

So in our spring cleaning planning today, I want to focus on two big objectives. One is refreshing or renewing some of what we are doing, whether it's part of our practice routine or maybe the music we're playing. We want to spruce things up a bit.

The other objective is to simplify, to investigate what's working for us and what isn't, to eliminate extra work so that we can do more of the playing we love. Think of it as decluttering your harp playing. We will start by simplifying and then we'll get on to the renew and refresh part. And it's going to be fun.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Check out this blog post from the archives: Spring Clean Your Technique: 5 Days to Fresher Fingers
• A five day guide to understanding music at a deeper level: Playing More Musically: 5 Days of Discovery
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-255

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If you came to me for a lesson and said you wanted to work on music theory, my first reaction would be to do my happy dance. I admit it - I am a theory geek. I love talking about the building blocks of music and exploring the way composers use them to create the kaleidoscopic variety of music we love to play.

But after my happy dance, I would ask you this question: why do you want to learn music theory? It's not a test question; there is no wrong answer. But I have often found that harpists make assumptions about what theory knowledge will do for them, and those assumptions, if they aren't completely wrong, aren't always on the mark.

Knowing more abut the inner workings of music, the nuts and bolts of it, is undoubtedly important for any musician. It is also certainly true that some elements of music theory are immediately applicable to our playing. Most harpists, for example, realize that if they understood more about how chords work, they would be able to learn their music more quickly, sight read more easily and memorize faster. That sounds like a superfood for your playing, and lots of harpists are ready, willing and eager to add that to their practice diet.

But before chords will make sense to you, before they will be really useful, before you can become fluent with them, you need to know your major and minor keys. You need to know them cold, not have to figure them out, just know them as well as you know your alphabet. This is a step that too many harpists fail to take. They try to jump right into learning about chords without the foundation that makes their construction and sequences inevitable and logical.

So that's where we are starting today. I want to be sure that whatever your goals are with music theory, you have the knowledge that everything else in our system of music springs from: scales and keys.

One caveat - don't think this is going to be basic baby stuff. I promise unless you're a complete theory geek like me, you'll learn something today that you didn't know before.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Blog post Musical Understanding Starts with Key Signatures
• Podcast Episode 6: Minor Keys [A Scale of a Different Color]
• Join us in My Harp Mastery.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-254

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I was recently at the home of a harpist friend, and she showed me her stack of diaries, her appointment books from past years. There were decades of them. She was deciding it was time to get rid of them, but she wasn't quite ready to do it. I had to admit that I pitched mine long ago, and that occasionally I have wished that I still had them. They would be fun to look through.

Those entries, even the most prosaic ones, recall so many memories. They bring to mind places, people and events that you have nearly forgotten. Suddenly, you are transported to a different time and place, even a different version of you, and this can give you a different perspective on where you are, and even who you are, now.

But we aren't talking about calendars or diaries today; we're talking about practice journals, and the variety of ways that you can use them. Right off the bat, I will say that some of those ways are more impactful than others, in terms of promoting your progress and growth. For instance, if you've been using your practice journal as a simple way to keep track of what you've done, I think you're underutilizing your journal. It can be an engine for forward momentum, not just a log of today's practice. And we're going to explore some of those ways today.

One disclaimer here: I am not one of those people who are natural journalers. Although many of my friends in our teen years kept diaries of all kinds, I was never able to. It always seemed like a good idea, but I didn't really enjoy it. I appreciate that some people are very good at this and enjoy it, and I wanted to be clear, in case you're more like me, that I am not one of those people.

However, I do use a practice journal and so I know firsthand how valuable it can be. So if you're a journal-lover, you're going to find some new ideas for journaling today, at least I hope you will, and if you're a little reluctant to dive into this journaling thing, be patient because I understand where you're coming from, and I have some key tips for you too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Try the Spark Practice Journal, available in print or PDF versions
• Practice: A New Definition blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-253

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Playing by ear is one of those things that musicians either know they can do or think they'll never be able to do. Those who are practiced at it seem to have endless tunes at their fingertips. Name a tune, and if they know it, they can play it. To those who can't do it - at least not yet - it seems nothing short of magical.

But ask someone to explain how they work this magic, and you will likely get an answer that isn't much of an explanation. They might talk about understanding and learning to hear chords. Or they might say they learned by trial and error, trying to play along with songs they liked. Or they might simply shrug and tell you they have no idea. But it's only rarely that you encounter someone who will actually attempt to explain their process.

Notice that I said, "When you meet someone who is practiced at it." Playing by ear is something you can learn. Like so many other apparent feats of magic, there's no real trick to it once you learn how it's done. I'm not saying it's easy, but it's certainly doable. Even better, if you decide to experiment with the practice ideas we're going to talk about today, you'll find that you will begin to notice things in your music that you never paid attention to before, things that help you learn and understand your music at a deeper level. That's why playing by ear is really not a magic trick, but a serious musicianship skill, and that's why I wanted to talk with you about it today.

What you're going to hear is a part of a live seminar I gave a while back for our My Harp Mastery members. This call was followed by a workshop where I guided them through the practice techniques from the seminar so they knew how to continue developing their skill in playing by ear.

This is the kind of thing we do inside the My Harp Mastery community. We have a live call each week where my coaches and I guide you through every aspect of playing the harp, whether it's learning new music together, or learning how to learn a piece of music, or working on technique or working through our Scale of Success curriculum. If you like learning about topics like this and getting expert instruction on how to be a better harpist and musician, I strongly suggest you check out everything that we include in our My Harp Mastery membership and join us.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Become a My Harp Mastery member.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will he access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-252

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I know it's cliché, but when I was a young harpist, I wanted to be just like my teacher, the same way children want to be just like their parents. Specifically, that meant to me that I was going to play in a big orchestra someday. It was years later when I discovered that not only were there other paths harpists could pursue, but that some of those paths actually suited me better. I've certainly done my share of orchestral playing, and I enjoy it, but I have always found more scope and more musical opportunity in chamber music and solo performances.

When I was still in high school, I began to freelance, to play a variety of music in various settings to earn my living. Don't get the wrong impression; I didn't have to earn my living in high school. My freelance playing at that age set me up very well to earn a good living freelancing in college and beyond. I reveled in the variety, in the unusual experiences I had, in the interesting places my playing took me. I still do some of that kind of playing, albeit less than I used to, and I still enjoy it.

On today's call, I am speaking with harpist Dr. Kristina Finch. Some of you may know her as one of our Harp Mastery® Certified Coaches. She has an extremely busy freelance career which has taken her all over the world. And now, she has a new harp path, in addition to playing and teaching; she and her husband are the new owners of the Harp Centers in Atlanta, Virginia and New Jersey.

I asked Kristina to join me on the podcast, because I wanted you to hear her story about change, about refocusing her harp career and the insights that she has gained in the process. Our conversation was fun – it's always fun talking with Kristina – but I think it will give you some insight as well, and perhaps some takeaways about realizing your passion and balancing your own harp life.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register now for the Atlanta Harp Center Festival
• Visit the Atlanta Harp Center
• Visit the Virginia Harp Center
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-251

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Today's show is a masterclass, a show where I get to dig in to how to do something. We aren't just talking big picture concepts; we're going to get down to the nitty gritty.

I have to say this is my favorite kind of show to do, because it feels like teaching, almost like we're right here together in the same room, and I'm sharing what I've learned to help you learn too. I love that.

And I really enjoy this topic too.

Our topic is how to make an etude from a piece you're trying to learn. Let's say you're working on a piece and most of the piece is ready to go, but there's one part that just won't come together. You could take that section and make an etude out of it. Or perhaps the piece you're learning is really a little above your head, and you're not really stuck, but the going is very slow. There are etude possibilities there too.

I'm sure many of you already do something like this, whether it's playing that section in different rhythms or just keeping the tempo slow while your fingers get used to the patterns.

But today, I'm going to show you a different way of doing it, a way that I have found to be more effective and one that will help you get to the music faster. We're going to look behind the notes to what's really going on, so that we can find the key to unlocking that passage or technique for you. So grab a pen and paper so you can take some notes and we'll get started with our masterclass.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Renie, Au bord du ruisseau on IMSLP.
• Study with Harp Mastery® Certified Coach. Start here.
• Related resource: Etudes: The Case For and Against blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-250

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Are you ready to talk about page turns? I realize that page turns may not seem like a captivating topic, However, if you've ever had a page turn go wrong in a moment when you don't want to have anything go wrong, you know how important page turns are. Even in the age of bluetooth pedals, poorly prepared page turns can mar an otherwise lovely performance.

I'm warning you right now that page turning is a subject that I am liable to rant about, just ask my students. At our harp camp, Harp Quest Summer Live, the evening before our closing concert is spent making sure that all the students who have forgotten to prepare their pages take care of them. The mantra they hear from me is this: "No loose pages!" And then I usually tell them this story:

I was fourteen years old and accompanying our high school choir in a performance of Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. This is a difficult work for chorus, and we were doing the version that is accompanied only by harp, organ and percussion. In the orchestral version there are two harp parts, and they are combined into just one part for this version, so you can imagine that the part is challenging.

This performance was a big deal for me, because I was still in junior high, and for this concert, actually two performances, I was accompanying the big kids. It felt really important. The first of the two performances went well. The second one was at a church. They provided a music stand for me, and it was one of those folding metal stands that are commonly referred to as wire stands.

Here's where the page turns come into play. We were at the beginning of the third movement, and I went to turn my page and the music stand collapsed. That alone would have been a moment to remember, no matter how much I would want to forget it, but it was worse than that. The choir director had given me a photocopy of the original part to practice from, and that's what I was using for the concert. Here's the rub: I had never taped the pages together. So when my music stand collapsed, the pages went everywhere.

A good samaritan in the audience jumped up and gathered my pages and then I had to find the right ones and jump back in to play. While I wasn't scarred for life, I did learn a powerful lesson about how to prepare and prevent page disasters in a performance.

Over the years, I learned a lot about the art of turning pages, not just taping them together, and I want to be sure you know them too. So trust me, you actually need to know how to manage, prepare and practice your page turns, whether you're using paper or a pedal. And yes, you ned to practice them too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Last call for the Harpist's Breakthrough Blueprint
• Plan ahead for your young harpist! Harp Quest Summer Live
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-249

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It's time for another "Answers to Your Questions" episode. I love these episodes because I get to speak to topics that are on your mind, rather than just talking about topics I think you want to know more about. And we have two really great questions to talk about today.

Before I tell you what those questions are, I want to say that my personal criteria for choosing these questions is when I have been asked the same question by three or more people in a relatively short time frame. Usually the questions come in response to something I've talked about in the podcast, like our first question today, or something we discussed on one of the Live Monday Warm-Ups. Today's second question came up on a recent warm-up.

My feeling is that when three people have asked it, there are a bunch more harpists who would have liked to ask it but didn't. And so I know that there are lots of harpists who really would like to have the answer, even if they let someone else ask the question. So if you're one of those who asked the question, I thank you, and so do your fellow harpists who let you ask for them. If you're not one of those who asked the question but want to know the answer, remember that next time you can be the brave one and do the asking. If you're on a live call with me, I can tell you that I always pay attention to the questions that arise. But if you haven't been on a live call with me, you can always email me here at the podcast, and I'll register your question or comment that way. The email is podcast@harpmastery.com.

So what are our questions today? The first has to do with tuning by ear and why I feel it is so essential, not just because your harp needs to be in tune, but because it's an easy way to intentionally focus on your aural skills, which are key to your learning music faster and playing with more security.

The second question brings up a really vital point about playing without tension. It's this: being relaxed before you begin playing is one thing, but staying relaxed while you play is another, more difficult one. How do you keep relaxed and keep tension away while you're playing? It's a topic that is so important to all of us; aren't you glad those three people asked?

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Don't miss the webinar, Your Breakthrough Year
• Let's plan the rest of this year together in the Harpist's Breakthrough Blueprint Intensive
• Live Monday Warm-Up from February 2, 2026 where I talk about sticky placing, tone and tension. View it on the Harp Mastery® YouTube Channel
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-248

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Today we're talking about control. Control is a word that comes up a lot in our harp playing, whether it's about controlling our fingers, our dynamics, tempo, tone, focus, or a hundred other relevant things. It feels like we're always trying to gain control over something in our playing, or over ourselves.

But the path to mastery isn't about asserting control; it's actually about letting go of control.

If you search, you can easily find dozens of books that explore the idea of control in music, and nearly all of them start out with the idea - sometimes it's even written in the title - that we gain control by letting go. It's a simple enough concept, but it comes with a big paradox: letting go of control essentially requires us not to do what we've been training ourselves to do. For example, we train ourselves to play the right notes, which usually requires a lot of focus, concentration and sometimes sheer willpower, in other words, control. But if we don't let go of that control, our music doesn't flow.

Another example is our technique. We work hard to teach our fingers to play the right way, and we want to make sure that they behave themselves. So we keep paying attention to them; we keep them in our control. Of course, this means that we don't have the attention to spend on making the music expressive, and we don't let our fingers play naturally, because we want to make sure they play correctly.

Perhaps the best example is when we try to play faster. We want to stay in control, and the challenge of playing a passage or a piece faster, creates chaos. We resist the chaos, with the result that we never achieve that faster tempo.

The crux of the dilemma is this: we need to control many different elements in our playing, but if don't let go of control, we can't achieve the expressive, fluid musical playing we want. And practicing not controlling these things feels uncomfortable and even wrong.

But today, I'm going to show you how to let go of control without the fear and without feeling like you're on the brink of disaster in your playing. I'll teach you a three-step system for keeping your controlling instincts in check, to allow them to serve your music instead of hold it back.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for my free webinar, Your Breakthrough Year
• Let me help you create your personalized Breakthrough plan on the Harpist's Breakthrough Blueprint Intensive
• Learn control practice techniques in my Kaleidoscope Practice e-book. [LINK to shop]
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-247

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Have you ever started learning a piece that seemed like it should be relatively easy to learn, and then discovered it was actually much harder than you thought? Of course you have; it happens to all of us.

In this situation, we have a choice. We could persist, digging our heels in and fighting our way through the piece anyway. Or we could put the piece aside for the time when we are ready for it. (By the way, that time only comes when we are very focused on leveling up our skills.)

Neither choice feels good, mainly because we feel like we aren't growing. We feel like our playing is staying at the same level. In fact, one of the reactions I see from harpists in this situation is that they choose to put aside the challenging piece and play another piece by a composer or arranger whose works they know they can play easily. Unfortunately, this can mean that the music they're playing and the finger patterns they are learning don't stretch them at all, but actually keep them stuck in the same place.

Obviously, there's a gap we need to bridge. It's the gap between our actual skill level and our perception of our skill level. It isn't that we think we're better than we are; it's not a case of inflated ego. It's just that we can't see the holes we need to fill before we are actually ready to learn the piece. Sometimes the holes are missing technical skills, like independence of the hands that makes playing hands together fluid and easy. Sometimes it's a musicianship skill, maybe fluency with a rhythmic pattern or quick chord recognition.

My point is this: you shouldn't have to take baby steps with your music. It's important that you play the music you truly want to play, not feel trapped playing music that isn't what you really aspire to. But you don't have to take such a giant step that you're struggling to learn a piece in a reasonable amount of time.

If you've ever ridden the Underground in London, you may remember the signs and announcements alerting you to "mind the gap" as you step from the platform onto the train. That's my idea for today; I'm going to show you how to mind the gap between the music you can play and the music you want to play so your journey will be faster and easier.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Plan your growth with The Harpist's Breakthrough Blueprint. Register now!
• Last call for the Getaway Retreat.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-246

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If you've listened to me for a while or taken any of my classes or workshops, you know that I love finding the solutions to problems we harpists face and creating the step by step plans to take action to solve them. I've discovered over my years of teaching that it's not hard to define the problem, at least the surface problem. For instance, if your left hand can't play the notes in two specific measures of your piece, then that's the problem, and the solution is easy: drill the notes.

Sometimes, however, the real issue lies a few layers down. Maybe the reason the left hand can't play those measures isn't the notes. Perhaps there is a technical issue, or maybe reading bass clef is the sticking point. It could be a counting issue or even not quite understanding what the meaning of the music is at that moment. So when I'm working with my Gold Circle students, we often spend some time digging a little deeper to see where the real issue is. Then we can define the proper steps to address it.

I'm mentioning this, not because we're going to talk about solving problems today, at least not exactly. What I want to point out is that music study isn't as linear as we would like it to be. It would be terrific if we could practice a piece, put extra time on the hard spots, polish it up and play it, but we all know that it doesn't always work that way. That's because when we play music, we are using a very complex set of skills that involves much more than just playing with our best technique or learning the notes. This is the skill set that comes under the heading "musicianship."

In today's podcast episode, I want to talk about the specific musicianship skills we use everyday in our playing and how to keep them growing and developing. These skills are truly key to your growth as a harpist. I'll help you understand how they connect to each other and to your playing, and we'll talk about how to integrate more intentional musicianship skill development into your daily practice. And we'll do that using a concept I developed called the Sensory Triangle.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get organized with The Harpist's Breakthrough Blueprint Intensive - register now!
• Cracking the Code: The Better Way to Read Music blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-245

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If you heard last week's podcast, you may remember that this month's podcast episodes are all about growth, your growth as a harpist and the systems and skills that are necessary for that growth.

Last week, we talked about three key systems that you need to have in place for growth. This week is all about technique. I know it may sound like a dry as dust topic to some of you. Harpists generally fall into two distinct camps: those who hate doing technique exercises and those who love them. So if you love your Grossi and LaRiviere or whatever exercise book you use, this podcast is going to be right up your alley. We'll dive into how you can use what you're doing now to get to that next level of technical proficiency.

If you're in the other camp, one of those who feels like exercises are torture when all you want to do is play pretty pieces, I hear you. I'm talking to you as a convert. Granted it was many years ago when I finally realized that exercises weren't just for solving problems, that they were more like the gas in my harp-playing engine. I totally understand just wanting to play music. What I want you to get from today's podcast episode is that a consistent plan for strengthening your technique will take your playing further faster than just about anything else. And this plan doesn't have to be all exercises either. We're all about harp happiness here, and that includes when you're practicing your technique.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for The Harpist's Breakthrough Blueprint Intensive
• Podcast episode #243: Architect Your Harp Playing Growth with 3 Key Systems
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-244

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A system is comfort. When we have and follow a system, whether it's for completing tasks, or crafting, or making a grocery list, our mind can be at ease. Why? Because we know we have the steps to complete our task, and all we have to do is to follow the steps and the task will be done.

When it comes to harp playing, people frequently make one of two mistakes. One is thinking that harp playing is inherently creative, and therefore a system is not only unnecessary, but it will rob your music of its soul. The other is trying to systematize everything about your playing in an attempt to get consistent results or make consistent progress.

If you heard last week's podcast, you know that the word "progress" is one of the words I'm trying to steer clear of this year, but it is one I am going to find hard to avoid. What's interesting, though, is that systematization is one of the "progress" traps. Progress, meaning in this case growth either overall growth or integration of a single piece of music, defeats every attempt we make to predict it. But that doesn't mean that systems are useless for us; in fact, it points out how much we need systems. We just need the right ones.

So today I'm going to give you a systems roadmap, three systems that can predict your growth. I know these systems are powerful, and I hope that today's show will convince you to look at how you do what you do with your harp playing, and give you some quick and easy ways you can make an upgrade.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Still some spots left at the Getaway Retreat. Register today!
• Related resource 5 Steps to Expand Your Vision and Achieve Your Goals blog post
• Harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-040

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-243

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For me, and I think for many people, this last week of the year is a supremely hopeful one. The rush to get ready for Christmas is behind us and the promise of a new year is finally in focus. We're faced with possibilities for a change, instead of pressure.

I realize, of course, that for many of us those possibilities for the new year include uncertainty, worry and fear which are beyond any assistance I could give on this podcast. I can merely offer prayers that the universe grants us all the courage and resources we need to face the circumstances before us. And I will stick to what I know best, how to help you find more meaning, joy and fulfillment in your harp playing,

It has become a fairly wide-spread practice at the beginning of the year to choose a word or a phrase to be your touchpoint throughout the year, to inspire you, motivate you and keep you focused. As I was thinking through my word for 2026, I realized that many of the words I have been using frequently in my teaching and in my own practice are words that carry too much weight. They have a charge, a negative charge like a negative ion. Some of those words didn't start out that way in my vocabulary. In fact, more than one of them I intentionally chose to use to reduce the negative connotation of another word. Still, it's the right time to rethink them.

Words shape our thinking. They can create boxes that limit us, that hold us back from achieving what we want in any area of life, including our harp playing. Or they can free us to love what we do and to find new energy for doing it.

I'll tell you my word - it's actually two words - for 2026, but before I do that I want to share the words that I am rethinking for the coming year. My goal is to be more mindful of my language in my teaching, and that includes my teaching you on this podcast. These are words I use all the time so it will be an adventure for me, for sure, but if my 2026 vocabulary words help you reduce any negative charge that is impacting your harp playing, it will have been more than worth the effort.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Time is running out to join us at the Getaway Retreat. Register today.
• Make your harp dreams come true this year - work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-242

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Playlist Program:

All selections performed by Anne Sullivan All selections arranged for harp by Anne Sullivan

Largo, from Winter by Vivaldi from Break Forth CD

Two from Messiah by Handel LINK TO SHEET MUSIC

Mozart in a Minute LINK TO SHEET MUSIC

Ave Maria by Schubert from Break Forth CD

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach)/Ode to Joy (Beethoven) LINK TO SHEET MUSIC

Peace, a Fantasy on Dona Nobis Pacem LINK TO SHEET MUSIC

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It's Christmas week, and for me, this is a week to finally settle into the holiday mood. This is the time we decorate our tree, get in touch with friends and family, and start reveling in the spirit of joy and peace that feels so elusive other times of the year.

So this is not the week I want to dive into a heavy teaching topic here on the podcast. What I want to do today is spread a little holiday harp happiness with a short musical program for you to enjoy.

The theme of the program is "Classics for a Relaxing Holiday," classical music that is appropriate for the holidays, but isn't specific to this time of year. In other words, no jingling bells or Santa Claus songs - just calm, perhaps even meditative harp music, assembled from my various recordings and videos.

I've listed the program in the show notes, and for some of the pieces, you'll also find links to sheet music arrangements in our Harp Mastery® shop. I've also included spoken introductions to each piece to give you a little of the background to the piece or what I love about it. But I realize you might want to make this music part of the background to your holidays without the narration, so in the show notes I have put links to alternate ways to download or listen to the music. One is a bonus podcast episode that has only the music, without the speaking. The other is a link to the music on YouTube where I've added some harp photographs that I have taken on my recent travels.

PROGRAM: all arrangements by Anne Sullivan

• Largo, from Winter by Vivaldi from Break Forth CD
• Two from Messiah by Handel LINK TO SHEET MUSIC
• Mozart in a Minute LINK TO SHEET MUSIC
• Ave Maria by Schubert from Break Forth CD
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach)/Ode to Joy (Beethoven) LINK TO SHEET MUSIC
• Peace, a Fantasy on Dona Nobis Pacem LINK TO SHEET MUSIC

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Download the playlist to your device.
• Listen to the playlist on YouTube
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-240

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I'm kind of a Christmas carol geek, if there is such a thing. I've always enjoyed playing them and even as a young person, I was fascinated by where they came from: their origins, translations, composers, text sources, etc. For me, the stories behind the carols were a kind of history and geography lesson rolled up into the magic and meaning of Christmas.

I think the origin stories are what really held my interest. The writing of "Silent Night" because a church organ in Austria was damaged, or the composition of "O Holy Night" as a dedication piece to a renovated organ in France are stories that aren't just interesting, though. They shape how I think about those songs and how I play them, certainly how I arrange them as well.

Today, I want to share the back stories to three carols. I know you're familiar with these carols, but you may not be familiar with their origin stories. If you're like me, you love hearing insider scoops and these are back stories you probably won't hear anywhere else. What's more, these three carols all share similar ethnic roots; they are all, to some degree at least, Czech.

I think all of these stories are interesting, and I think I can guarantee that at least one of these connections will surprise you. What I hope is that you learn something that will give you a new connection to the music itself, so that when you play these carols or even when you hear them, they resonate in a little more personal way because you know just a little bit more about them. It's kind of like discovering something new about a friend you've known for years, something that adds a new layer of interest and delight.

So sit back with your cup of coffee and I'll tell you a story.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Blog from the archives: 7 Surprising Facts about "O Holy Night"
• Blog from the archives: Not So Silent Night: Going Viral 200 Years Ago
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-239

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My first ocean cruise was a cruise from New York City to Bermuda. I'd never been on a big ocean liner before. Although I've done a couple other ocean cruises since then, I'm not really a fan. I love exploring, and there is only so much exploring you can do on a ship in the middle of the ocean.

But on this first cruise, I did love the feeling of being in the middle of the vastness of the ocean with nothing but water all around. The feeling of not having any landmarks - literally - was a little exhilarating and more than a little awe-inspiring. Naturally, I wasn't really frightened; I assumed, logically and correctly, that the captain and crew knew where we were heading and how to get there. I myself wouldn't have had a clue, but I never doubted that I could rely on them to get me safely to Bermuda and back.

Nautical navigation is a mystery to me, and I was impressed by the notion that all the power and energy of the ship would have been useless if the captain hadn't set a direction and followed that direction with purpose. And that ties in with what I want to talk about with you today - the power of purpose.

Our energy, our passion for playing the harp, is useless without a purpose. As I see it, purpose has two important ingredients. One is directional. When we have a goal we want to accomplish, we need to have a clear idea of how to get from here to there. This gives our practice a purpose every day.

But purpose also encompasses meaning, specifically what our harp journey means to us. Without that meaning, our goals will not be as personally compelling and our progress will not be as swift. This is about our passion for playing the harp, not passion in a dramatic way, but simply our deeply felt conviction that we love playing the harp.

Today, I'd like to help you consider your passion and your purpose, and how you can align them to make progress faster and to make both the process and the results more easily achievable and more deeply fulfilling. Real progress in our playing comes from the alignment of our energies and passion - the ship in my example - with a direction and of course, the courage to pursue it.

So if you're feeling ready to be a little courageous with me, let's get started.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Discover your path to progress at the Getaway Retreat, February 27 - March 3, 2026 in Kissimmee, Florida.
• Do You Need a Reason to Practice? 3 Ways to Find One blog post from the archives.
• Podcast Episode #94: 7 Skills That Mark Your Growth
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-238

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I don't do very many interviews on this podcast. I started the show as a way to help harpists with their learning and I wanted, and still want, to be able to use this podcast to teach, to encourage and to inspire harpists all over the world.

But over the last year, I have realized that there are other voices I want to be sure that you hear. After all, learning comes in many forms and hearing a variety of voices and viewpoints enriches us and our harp playing in so many ways. So during 2026, one of my objectives is to bring you into conversations with harpists, musicians and others who inspire me. These are people I want you to meet, even if it's only in this podcast format, because I want to share the inspiration that they have brought me with you.

So today, I want to introduce you to a new friend of mine, Leah Kim. Leah is a violinist and her story starts in South Korea. Her story is truly an awe-inspiring one, and as you will hear, she shared a lot of it in our conversation. Since coming to the United States, she has performed and taught extensively, and currently she is Fine Arts Department Chair and Director of Music at Villa Maria Academy High School, founder/director of Villa Maria Conservatory, a violinist in Fairmount String Quartet, La Croix Quartet, and founder/Director of Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra and Chamberstrings Summer Camp. But it is her latest project that caught my attention and that was why I wanted to talk with her today. This year, she founded Music Angels, a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire and educate music students and musicians about the healing power of music, particularly through music therapy. Music Angels aims to be a bridge of hope and healing for those troubled, lonely, or sick, harnessing the transformative power of music. What you will discover as Leah and I talk is how Music Angels is not just about performing for others; it is about the ways in which we as musicians are enriched by sharing our music. You can see why I felt this fit right in with our focus on harp happiness.

So let's get right to my conversation with Leah Kim of Music Angels.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Read more about Music Angels, Inc.
• Don't miss any of the 12 Days of Harp Happiness
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-237

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It's time for a confidence boost.

You've been practicing your holiday music and feeling like you're making good progress, but it's not quite there and the performance date is coming up soon.

Your music is mostly fine. It has up days when everything goes perfectly and down days when it feels like you've never played the piece before. Maybe it's not quite up to tempo. Or maybe there are just a few measures - or maybe more than a few - that are resisting all your attempts to learn them and play them smoothly. Whatever the issue is, it's starting to be a little concerning because time is getting short.

We never want to feel unprepared or less ready than we would like for a performance, but sometimes it happens, despite all our planning and preparation. Believe me, I am the last person who would try to tell you that you should have started learning the piece sooner, or practiced more. I know all too well from my own experience that sometimes music just takes longer to come together than we expect.

But since we can't change the performance date, we can't wait for the issues to resolve themselves. We have to figure out a way to make everything work. That's something every professional harpist knows. There's a time when more practice is not an option. You have to look at where the music is today and make some choices. It's not giving up and it's definitely not staying up late to cram practice. Trust me - that never works.

What I want to share with you today are seven things I have done when I have needed to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. These are things you can do which will save you stress and worry and allow you take a breath and relax. Even better, they will let you play beautifully, with confidence. You may have tried some of these, or maybe even all of them, yourself, but if you have a performance date coming up a little sooner than you feel ready for, consider this a reminder.

It's also permission. You don't have to make this hard on yourself. That's not what music should be about, and it certainly isn't what harp happiness is about.

So sit back, take a sip of tea and let's dive in.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Retreat Early Bird Pricing
• Free PDF: 20 Ways to Crush the Rush
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-236

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I know what I'm going to talk about with you today could be controversial. It could sound totally off target to you. Nevertheless, I hope you will hear me out.

I want to share with you why and how I think most harp beginners start wrong, even if they are working with a teacher. It isn't exactly that we teachers aren't teaching the right things or that we aren't dedicated to the success of the students who are trusting us. It's that the path we walk with them feels so slow.

Every individual comes to the harp with a unique skill set and level of musical experience, with their own learning style and level of commitment. But each student comes to the harp with the same objective: to play music on the harp. That's why I started the harp, and it's almost certainly why you did too.

So today I want to talk about the things that hold beginners back, that keep them from making the progress they want, from playing the music they want, in a timeframe that feels right to them. Most of these things are simply misunderstandings about how music study works and what really leads to growth. Whether you're a beginner or not, some of these ideas may open your eyes to a faster way of learning, to a shorter path to the music. Specifically, we'll review the steps that most beginners take and why those steps actually lead them away from progress.

Some of these ideas may seem uncomfortable, even a little crazy, but I hope you approach our discussion today with an open mind and a willingness to investigate a different way of learning. I know I'm preaching to the choir here; you wouldn't be listening to this podcast if you weren't committed to playing the harp and to investigating anything that might help you do so a little better and a little faster.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for the Pro Tactics for Beginners Seminar
• Don't miss the Early Bird pricing for the Getaway Retreat
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-235

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I was moving the harp the other day and once again, it occurred to me just how much stuff we have to carry around with us. Granted, I move my harp all the time for rehearsals and concerts - it's a big Lyon Healy Salzedo model harp - so you would think I'd be used to it by now. I guess I am, mostly; I don't have to think about what goes in the car, and my harp bag is always ready to go. But when I start counting the number of trips I have to make between my car and the concert hall in the pouring rain, I start wishing for a Star Trek transporter.

But recently, while I was moving the harp, my bench, my stand, and my bag, I had a flash of insight; we harpists carry a lot of baggage with us. Not a revelation, I know, but it led my mind to consider the other kind of baggage we harpists carry, the stress that accumulates in our practice and performance. That's a kind of baggage that piles up in a sneaky way until one day, we find it has overwhelmed us. The physical stress that is part of practicing, the mental stress that can come with intense focus and the emotional stress of wanting to do our best when we play can add up to a potentially toxic level.

The worrisome part is we rarely acknowledge the stress as it is building little by little. There is simply a moment when we know we can't take any more, often as we are in the final stages of preparing for a performance. That's when we want to be at our most focused, but our mind and body are shutting down, trying to protect us from too much stress. I'm better at managing stress than I used to be, but stress used to be baggage that I always carried with me to some degree. It came and went in cycles, and I'm embarrassed to admit that it never occurred to me that this wasn't or shouldn't have been normal.

I don't want to be all doom and gloom here. What I want to talk about today is how to recognize that sneaky cycle of stress and release yourself from it. We'll talk about the hidden symptoms of stress and how to recognize them and how to keep them from coming back. It's time to ditch the excess baggage and feel free to play.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Are you a beginner? Register now for my free seminar, Pro Tactics for Beginners.
• Register for the Getaway Retreat now at Early Bird Pricing!
• Stretches for Harpists, by Mary Jane D'Arville
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-234

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Over the years I have had questions about my practice: how much practice I do, what I do in my practice, and so on. There has also been the occasional request to sit in and listen to my practice. I have always thought that my own practice routines and what I do on any given day in my practice wouldn't be useful to share with most harpists, the reason being that the demands on my time and on my playing are vastly different from what the majority of harpists experience. And I have never believed that anyone could benefit from watching me practice or listening to my practice.

But gradually I have been led to rethink that opinion. My thinking started to change with the introduction of Practice Labs in our Harp Mastery® Hub.

In case you don't know what our Practice Labs are, I will fill you in. They are online meetups that any of our Hub members can join, and all that happens is we practice in the same virtual space for an hour and a half. Our cameras are either on or off, and our microphones are off, so that although we can see everyone else on the call, we can't hear them. We are all just practicing together. It's a little like a practice study hall, where we are all doing our own work together. We hold them twice a week, on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons.

The point of the Practice Lab is that it creates a scheduled practice time with a little nudge of accountability. No one takes attendance; you show up when you want to, if you want to and stay for as much of the time as you like. Sometimes we have a good number of people; other days just a few. I don't make all of the Practice Labs myself, although I show up most days.

And it was on the Practice Labs when I began to notice that some people wanted to show up just to watch me practice. It didn't make sense to me at first. But now I have a different perspective, and that's why today I want to share this behind-the-scenes look at my practice. If this sounds like a "why would I care about this" topic, I get it. But if you have any curiosity about what I practice, when I practice, how I practice and most importantly why I practice, then you will want to keep listening.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Getaway Retreat registration is open! Register now to get Early Bird pricing.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-233

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So you decided to learn a new piece for the holidays - good for you! When I think of all the years I've been playing the harp, it's a little amazing that I still feel a little thrill when I pick up a new piece of music to learn, and I'm sure you feel the same. Starting a new piece is a voyage of discovery with the promise of adventure, new notes to conquer, a few challenges to meet along the way, and finally, a beautiful piece of music we can play.

Of course, the voyage is often a little rougher than we anticipate. It can take longer than we thought and can be more discouraging. We can't always eliminate the difficulties or estimate exactly how long it will take us to learn a piece. However, we can give ourselves the biggest advantage we can by getting the strongest and fastest start we can to the piece.

One of my frustrations with the way harp learning is often taught is that it teaches the student to be slow. Certainly playing slowly and learning carefully are necessary to developing good habits, to creating and maintaining a strong technique and to playing with relaxation and fluidity. But slow playing doesn't have to be the first step in learning a new piece; in fact, it really shouldn't be. It may be the way you learned to start new pieces when you were a harp newbie, but you have become a more experienced harpist since then. If you're still learning with the same processes, it's time for an update.

So today, I'm going to give you a faster system for starting a piece. It works for any harpist at any level, and even if you've already started your piece, you can put this system in play now and you'll cut out days or maybe weeks of your learning curve. But don't think this is all about playing faster. It's about starting with the music, so you can end up playing the music, instead of just practicing it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Watch for our Getaway Retreat registration flash sale!
• Need help with your six week practice plan? Work with Anne!
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-232

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It's nearly the end of October and already my daily practice is revolving around what I will need to play this holiday season. Yours might be too. The smart harpist knows that this is the time to plan your practice carefully so that you don't have to cram practice time into an already overloaded holiday schedule. If we feel prepared to play going into the holiday rush, it makes everything about the holidays more fun.

So now is the time to plan. We have about six weeks from now until the end of November. In my own planning I usually use our Thanksgiving as my target date to have my music ready. If you're not up to speed on American holidays, our Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November, so date-wise, it's a movable feast, but as it marks the kickoff for our holiday rush, it's a great target date for music readiness.

Today, I want to share what I think is the easiest and most realistic schedule for making sure whatever music you have to play this December will be ready. I start by looking at the three most critical decisions: what "ready" means (and believe me, it's different for each piece, each player and each performance), how much practice time you have and how to divide that time among everything you want to practice and play. Once you have made those decisions, it's about making a realistic and flexible schedule that allows you to get your music ready without the stress and lets you feel confident that you are ready to play your best.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Arpeggios with E.A.S.E. Course - last chance to get in!
• Join the Community in the Hub through the Harp Mastery® app.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-231

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I once had a student say this to me: "But it doesn't work when I do it that way."

We were trying to fix a passage in a piece she was learning. When she played the passage for me, there was an obvious stumble spot, and I had a definite idea about what was wrong and how to fix it. But after a week of trying to implement my suggestion, she came back to me, saying that her old way, even though it wasn't really working, worked better than mine and so she was sticking with her way.

Please understand that the student didn't doubt the solution I was offering. She had tried it, just as I had suggested. She had confidence in my ability to help her surmount this difficulty. The frustration for her was not just that the solution I offered didn't work; it was that her old way was actually better for her, at least at that moment.

At that point in our lesson, I could have responded with the all-time favorite response of music teachers everywhere - you have to give it some time. That would certainly have been a correct response in that it was true, but that doesn't mean it would have been very helpful. But if I didn't want to trot out that old standby answer, I had to provide a different one. It was clear to me what she needed to know. She needed to know why.

This was years ago. I hadn't published all the resources that I have now. I didn't have the teaching experience that I have garnered in the years since then. But even back then, I was a good teacher, one who not only knew the right way to do things, but was skilled at seeing the underlying problem that a student needed to address. What I needed to learn, though, was how communicate my methodology, not a technique method necessarily, but how I knew my way of solving the problem would be better in the long run.

When "just trust me on this," or "because I said so" aren't good enough answers, the better response lies in the reason, the explanation, and that requires a teacher to dig deeply into her own expertise. After all, it's likely been a long while since we teachers asked for those explanations ourselves. We're at a point where we simply know, and that's good for us, but less helpful for our students.

So today, I'm hoping to share with you the reasoning behind some of those potential "because this is the way it works" answers. Whether you're a student or a teacher, or just a harpist who has an inquiring mind, I'm sure at least one of these will click for you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Sign up for the It's Not Working Webinar
• Join the Arpeggios with E.A.S.E. Quick Study Course
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-230

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If I were to ask you what you think the most important skills are for any harpist, what would you say?

There are lots of obvious choices. You might include technical skills, like scales or arpeggios or putting hands together. You could mention skills like note reading, or sight reading, or rhythm skills or knowing basic music theory. What about working with a metronome or playing expressively? All of these are important, and none of them is particularly easy.

While all of these are crucial, I consider them all just part of playing the harp. Every harpist develops these skills continually, every day, over a lifetime of playing. Some of them come more naturally than others, but we become more skillful in all of them over time. It’s also a fact that neglecting one of these essential elements - and my list was by no means a complete one - will limit our playing at some time in some way.

Today, though, I want us to think about a different category of skills, skills that are less about actually playing the harp and more about the mindset we bring to our playing. Our ideas and attitudes play a big part in the pace of our progress, the ease with which we practice and play, and the satisfaction and fulfillment we experience along the way. I’ve seen too many harpists struggle in their playing, simply because no one ever told them how musical growth really happens, or shared with them the specific instructions that will enable them to make the progress they want, to play the music they want. These aren’t musical instructions; they are mindset instructions. They relate to our playing, but they also guide the way we work, how we spend our time at the harp. So while they aren’t “do this, don’t do that” directions, they are “put this on a sticky note on your music stand” reminders, and I’ve picked three big ones to talk about with you today.

So get out your sticky notes, and let’s get going.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Arpeggios with E.A.S.E. Quick Study Course.
• Get connected! Join the My Harp Mastery community.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-229

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Do you have to memorize your music? Of course not. How’s that for an easy answer? Okay, the podcast is over and we can call it a day. But of course, the answer isn’t that simple.

No, you don’t have to memorize your music, but the fact that you’re asking the question tells me that you’re almost certainly thinking about memorization the wrong way, or at least very differently from how I have learned to think of it.

What I want to help you understand today is the role that memorization can play in your musical growth, how it can make you a better musician, how it can help you learn music faster, not necessarily because you are memorizing, but because the act of memorizing brings your focus to the music in a different way.

But not if you’re trying to memorize the way you may have when you were young. The kind of effortless assimilation that came so easily to me when I was younger, and perhaps to you too, doesn’t happen with my aging brain. I still memorize, but I use a process that is more conscious, less automatic, and I can tell you that the conscious process is easier, more secure and more interesting. When I memorize this way, I know I know my music. That’s practically confidence in a bottle.

What I’m going to help you understand today is the true value of memorization, whether or not you ever play without your music, and how you can develop your powers of memorization, even if you can’t remember where you left your glasses. Memorization isn’t about remembering. It’s about learning and knowing, done purposefully, and it’s not as hard or as scary as you may think.

If you’re already a confident memorizer, then that idea won’t be new to you, but keep listening, because there will be a few important ideas and strategies in this episode that will help you too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Arpeggios with E.A.S.E Quick Study Course.
• Want more memorization tips? Check out podcast episode 158, Memorization Basics: How to Make It Stick
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-228

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When I was a beginning harp student, the technical method I was learning - the Salzedo method - was something I took very seriously. From my very first harp lessons, I learned the important points of technique, as Salzedo taught it. I wasn’t studying with Salzedo, of course, but my teacher, Marilyn Costello, was a student of his, and his method was what she taught her students.

For a long time, I played the harp in innocent ignorance of the fact that there were other harp methods. In fact, it was a revelation to me in those early years when I discovered that most harpists in the world didn’t use the Salzedo method. Truly, all the harpists I knew in the Philadelphia area were Salzedo method players, and it never occurred to me that this wasn’t true across the wider harp-isphere.

Once that realization hit, I went into what I’ll call Stage Two of my education about harp methods. That was the stage where I believed that everyone who didn’t play Salzedo method wasn’t playing the right way and they would never be good harpists. Ah, the foolishness of youth! It didn’t take me long to realize how ridiculous that was; after all, there were many harp legends I admired who weren’t Salzedo players. Time for another outlook adjustment.

My outlook has undergone many such adjustments in the ensuing years, mostly due to the evolution of my teaching philosophy. The basic underpinning for my thoughts on harp methods can be summed up like this: the method itself doesn’t matter. What matters more is that you follow one. Without a method, your technique and your technique practice is merely a collection of skills. The method is the organizational plan that brings together skills, sound, ergonomics, and more, and unifies them with a cohesive set of why’s and how’s. A method doesn’t leave you guessing about how to do something; it gives you the system to find solutions.

In this episode, I will talk about the key points of technique that every method addresses and I’ll explore a few of the differences in approach between some common harp methods and why each approach works. It’s not about one way being right and the other wrong; it’s about having a plan you can follow. I’m hoping that by expanding your ideas about technique, I can encourage you to consider how following a harp method will make everything about your technique finally make sense to you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Fast track your progress - work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach.
• Looking for a teacher near you? Check out our Accredited Teachers.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-227

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I’m sure you’ve seen that famous optical illusion picture that can be perceived either as two faces in profile looking at each other, or as a vase. That image is named the “Rubin Vase,” after Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin, who authored a book in 1915 called “Visual Perception.” This image, and others like it, have stimulated much scientific debate about how our brains understand and process images.

What fascinates me is that moment when my understanding of the image shifts, that instant where I can see the second interpretation of the picture. Naturally, there’s a technical term for that; it’s called a Gestalt switch. A Gestalt switch occurs when you change your perspective from one view of an image, a sound or an experience. As with the Rubin vase, you first saw it one way - as a vase - and now you see it another way - as two faces. There is much debate about the cognitive processes that allow this switch to happen, but there seems to be general agreement that the switch is hard for an individual to control. Sometimes you just can’t see the faces; you only see the vase.

Nevertheless, we are talking about the necessity for you to be able to make that switch in your harp playing.

Here’s the premise for this show. Making your piece sound like music isn’t about what you do; it’s about your perspective. In case I’ve made this sound too difficult, let me reassure you that I am positive you already do this in your playing. You just haven’t thought of it this way before. If you weren’t making this perception change, you would stay stuck on one measure and never get to playing the entire piece.

What we’re going to explore today is how to make that perception shift intentional. Why would we want to do this? Because when we shift our perspective from playing the notes to playing the music, we play the music better.

If this sounds a little mysterious, be sure to listen to the rest of the show, because this discussion will help you find more freedom in your playing. It will help you learn and finish a piece faster and allow you to play with more musicality and confidence. I know that sounds like a big promise, but I’m confident I can deliver on it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join us at Back to School Night
• Are you ready to work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach? Click and find out.
• Work with a Harp Mastery® Accredited Teacher.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-226

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Imagine you’re looking at a box of chocolates, knowing you’ve already had at least three too many. Your hostess is holding out the box to you, saying, “Have just one more. It couldn’t hurt.”

It’s hard to actually know what one more would do. That “one more” candy might be the one that pulls out your filling. That “one more” episode of your favorite Netflix show might turn into an hours-long binge watch. That “one more” task before you leave the house might be the one that makes you miss your train.

But there’s the other side of “one more” too. The extra rep in the gym that builds muscle and stamina. The extra pinch of spice that makes a dish delectable. That extra touch to anything handmade that makes it unique and treasured. Those are just a few examples of the beneficial power of “one more.”

There are lots of opportunities for “one mores” in our harp playing, both helpful and distinctly unhelpful. When you know which of those extras you should avoid, you can stay out of some of the most problematic pitfalls for any harpist. When you know which ones have the power to move your playing ahead, that’s almost like magic.

But there’s no magic to it, just a little information, and that’s what I’m going to give you today. I’ll give you the do’s and dont’s of the extra step, when it’s worth it and when you’d be better off having stayed in bed. In fact, I’ll share three things that you absolutely must avoid, and I’ll tell you why.

And we’ll counter those with seven “one more” things that will multiply your efforts in ways you might not expect. There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get started..

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join us at Back to School Night
• Are you ready to work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach? Click and find out.
• Work with a Harp Mastery® Accredited Teacher.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-225

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How often do we say, “If I only knew then, what I know now”? Sometimes it’s about life experience, like surviving teenage drama. Sometimes it’s about turning down an opportunity, like not buying stock in Facebook before the company went big.

Obviously, we aren’t able to go back in time and really have a “do over.” I imagine that if we could, It’s more than possible that the result wouldn’t be what we expect. We can never know how our world would have been altered, if we’d taken the other fork in the road. We can only guess.

Here’s my “if I only knew then” statement for today: If I only knew as a young harp student what I know now as a harp teacher. The fact behind this is key. The fact is that everything I learned about being a good student, I learned from trying to be a good teacher. If I had known as a student even half of what I’ve learned through my teaching, my harp life might have been so much easier.

Most teachers of any subject will tell you how much they learn from their students. One of the most powerful things I have learned is how many different paths there are to being a harpist. Discovering how to craft a course designed with each student’s strengths, needs, goals and desires in mind is not easy. But I have found it indescribably rewarding. I have such deep respect for my students - for their efforts, for their achievements, for their trust in me, for the incredible people they are.

But we aren’t talking about me or my students today, at least not exactly. What I want to share with you are the four most important aspects of being a harp student or a harp teacher. They have nothing to do with repertoire or technique. They are applicable to every student/teacher relationship, and they apply equally, but differently, for both students and teachers. I’m offering them to you today in the hope that they inspire you to bring a different mindset or intention to your study or your teaching or both.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Teachers Retreat registration closing this week. Register here.
• Level up! Work with one of our Harp Mastery® Certified Coaches.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-224

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Mirror, mirror on the wall. If only my mirror could show me all.

We humans love our mirrors. At some deep-rooted level, we love to see ourselves. Maybe you remember the famous scene in the movie Lawrence of Arabia when Peter O’Toole playing Lawrence first puts on the white Arab robes and headdress. He is for the moment all by himself in the desert, so there is no dialogue. According to the film’s director, David Lean, the only instruction he gave O’Toole was to improvise what this young man Lawrence might have done in this situation.

O’Toole experiments with the sweep of his robes by running and spinning, feeling the gleaming white cloth swirl about him. Then he stops, and with no mirror to hand in the desert, takes out his shiny silver dagger from his belt and tries to use it as a mirror to see how he looks. David Lean remembers remarking under his breath during the filming, “Clever boy!”

Looking into a mirror, though, only gives us a limited perspective. We can only see what is in front of us. It takes multiple mirrors for us to be able to see our backs. Frankly, we have blindspots, spots that are difficult or nearly impossible to see. I always rely on a friend who can tell me if my hair looks okay in the back or if the tag on my shirt is sticking out.

From time to time it’s a good idea to check your harp blindspots too. These blindspots are usually related to inefficiencies in our practice or skills we need to develop. They may be hampering or slowing down our progress. And the good news is that once you see the blindspot, just like the tag that is sticking out, you can fix it.

So in today’s show, we’ll review 7 common blindspots. If none of them are yours, at least not right now, that’s great. You’ll have some additional knowledge you can use to keep them in check. But if you think your harp playing should be moving faster than it is, perhaps one or more of these blindspots will show you what you haven’t seen before, and you can get started removing that spot right away.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• New blindspot courses in the Harp Mastery® app!
• Want to take the Blindspot Quiz? Click here.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-223

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There’s a moment — sometimes only after someone is gone — when we finally see the full measure of their influence. We may have known they mattered, but loss has a way of sharpening our perspective, of showing us just how much they shaped our world.

Some people use the word legendary too easily. For harpist Susann McDonald, it’s no exaggeration.

Susann McDonald, who passed away this past May at the age of 90, left an indelible mark on the harp world. She was an acclaimed performer, a respected author, an extraordinary teacher, and a passionate advocate for our instrument. She co-founded the World Harp Congress and nurtured a global community of harpists, uniting people across continents through music.

But her story is more than a list of titles and accomplishments. It’s about the way she created a sense of belonging — for every harpist, no matter your style or skill level. Whether you play concert halls or in your living room, her influence has touched you. And today, we’ll celebrate that — her life, her music, her lasting legacy — and consider what it asks of us as harpists now.

This isn’t just a biographical podcast, though. I want to explore the idea of legacy, of the connections we have to our harpist forebears that empower and guide our playing every day. Legacy isn’t just about what’s left to us; it’s our springboard to the future.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Watch our video series specially for harp teachers.
• Our Teacher Retreat registration is still open.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-222

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Not all mistakes are created equal. Sure, some need to be addressed and fixed. But others? They’re signs of progress. They tell you that your ears are sharper, your awareness is expanding, and your technique is evolving.

Let’s put it in context. We live in a world that’s constantly trying to correct us. Type an email, and autocorrect will instantly jump in. Google will underline a word in red, and we assume it's wrong—just because it looks unfamiliar. But autocorrect doesn’t always get it right. And neither does your inner critic. Just because something feels like a mistake doesn’t automatically mean it is.

In harp practice, this same principle applies. That little stumble in a piece might not be a sign of backsliding. It could mean you're playing at a higher level and noticing subtleties you didn’t even hear before.

Consider this: I was deadheading flowers in the garden the other day. At first, I only saw a few to snip. But as I trimmed those, more and more faded blooms seemed to appear. I hadn’t missed them before—I just hadn’t noticed them. My attention had shifted, and I was seeing more clearly. Not because the garden got worse, but because I was more tuned in.

This is exactly what happens in harp practice. The more you refine your skills, the more aware you become of tiny imperfections. And that’s not failure—that’s progress.

But here’s the tricky part: this increased awareness can lead you down a rabbit hole of endless correction, and that’s where momentum can stall. If you’re constantly fixing, reworking, and over-analyzing, it can feel like you’re never getting anywhere.

In today’s episode, we’ll talk about how to change your outlook so you can recognize the difference between real issues and natural growing pains. We’ll explore how to use mistakes as guideposts, not roadblocks, and how to keep yourself out of the pit of perfectionism. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to keep your progress moving forward—even when your practice feels messy.

Just remember: all mistakes are not created equal. Not every mistake is a problem that needs to be addressed. Some mistakes are actually signs of growth and momentum.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Finish strong in the final week of our Hub Summer Challenge
• Check out the new Learn section in the Harp Mastery® app.
• Join the group coming to our October Teachers Retreat
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-221

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You’ve heard me say this before: I had wonderful teachers throughout my musical life. From my very first piano teacher when I started piano at age four, through my harp studies from age eight and my college years at the Curtis Institute, my teachers were all I could have wanted. They nurtured me, encouraged me, pushed me, and took me to task when that was required, and believe me, it was required from time to time. Most importantly - and this is one of my core teaching principles to this day - they were as invested in my musical journey as I was. They took my learning and my musical growth personally, not as a reflection on them, but as a mission that mattered to them because my music mattered to me.

It would be easy to say that they were the inspirations for my own teaching path, but truly, the path itself showed up more or less by accident. But as is the case with so many blessings, it showed up when I needed it and led me in directions I could never have expected. At each step along the way, I have learned more about what it means to me to be a teacher, and more particularly, to be the kind of teacher I want to be for those I am honored to teach. I’ll share a few more specifics about some of the steps on that path in a few moments.

But my primary mission today is to share with you a few things I have discovered about how the ways we teachers think about our teaching, and how many students think about their learning, can be either useful and productive or possibly not. These are “big picture” concepts that may help you, if you are a student, get even more value from your lessons. If you are a teacher, perhaps these will inspire you to keep bringing the joy to the students you are privileged to work with. Or if you’re a harpist who is neither teaching or taking lessons at the moment, there might be some ideas that will give you some food for thought, maybe even energize your harp playing in a new way. I certainly hope so. That’s part of my job, coaching you here on the podcast today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for our October Teachers’ Retreat

• In the Hub: Week 9 of our Super Summer Challenge

• Check out the new Learn section in the Harp Mastery® app.

• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-220

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I know I’m dating myself, but here goes…

Back in the 1960’s there was a television show called “Sea Hunt.” The show centered around a free-lance scuba diver named Mike Nelson, played by Lloyd Bridges. Mike Nelson was a former Navy diver and a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. As a free-lance diver, he was hired for all kinds of dangerous underwater work, everything from salvaging precious cargo from wrecked ships to rescuing people trapped in caves. Each episode had dangerous situations and villains who were ready to slash the hoses on Mike’s air tanks.

In nearly every episode, Mike would have to make a hasty ascent from the depths, which he would attempt to time carefully to avoid “the bends,” a potentially fatal condition more formally called decompression sickness. On occasion. Mike would have to spend time in a decompression chamber.

Watching this as a child, I was fascinated by the danger of too hasty a return to the surface. On the one hand, Mike would be running out of oxygen and would need to get back on the boat quickly. But on the other hand, making his return too quickly could prove fatal. Talk about a dilemma.

Today’s show is not about the bends, but it is about the possible downside, although not a potentially fatal one, of returning to your regular practice routine too quickly after your vacation. If you’re like me, you may come back from vacation with your fingers itching to get back on the harp strings. If you run right to the harp however, you might find it more challenging or even frustrating than you expected. Broken strings and creaky fingers are annoying enough to deal with, but the real issue is that the pieces we were working on seem so far from where we left them. In my experience, diving right into your usual kind of practice can instantly deflate your post-vacation high. Instead of being able to keep that feeling of freshness, relaxation and renewal, you’re right back into the practice grind you left.

What’s the fix? The good news is that we don’t need a decompression chamber. All we need is the right mindset and a plan, and I have both of those for you today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Calling all Harp Teachers! Registration for our Teachers’ Retreat is open!
• Listen to Episode 60: Enjoy a Guilt-Free, Harp-Free Vacation with the Perfect Re-Entry Plan
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-219

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Here’s our question for today: what makes a piece of music a “harp piece”?

Does it have to have been originally written for harp? Or composed by a harpist? Or could any piece of music, no matter what instrument or instruments it was written for, be a harp piece if you play it on the harp?

I happen to think that the third answer is the correct one. Mostly. Let me explain.

If you play a piece on the harp, it has absolutely become a harp piece whether it started out that way or not. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it should have become a harp piece. Some pieces just don’t work on the harp. Take the “1812 Overture,” for example. This piece was written by Tchaikovsky to commemorate Russia’s victory over Napoleon. It’s 15 minutes long, It requires a full symphony orchestra (minus a harp), an additional brass band, a bell carillon and a battery of cannons - yes, cannons. How could a single harp play a meaningful rendition of this monster work? You could play some of the themes from the piece. You could shout “BOOM” when the cannons are supposed to fire. No matter how hard we try, though, it will never really sound like the original.

Okay, that’s an extreme example. However, we harpists are known for borrowing music liberally from the piano repertoire. While that’s a good idea in general - after all, the harp and piano have a lot in common - some piano pieces never make good harp pieces, even when the piece translates easily from piano to harp. Sometimes, something gets lost in the translation.

So what makes a piece of music a harp piece? What are the essential qualities and the specific characteristics that identify a piece as being written for harp, or that, on the flip side, mark it as definitely not a harp piece? Today, we will talk about those characteristics and how you can use them to spot pieces that might, or might not, be good ones to transpose or arrange for harp. This information will also be very useful when you’re playing someone else’s arrangement, and I’ll tell you why in just a minute.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Check out our brand new courses in the Harp Mastery® app!
• We’re halfway through our Super Summertime Challenge. Are you in?
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-218

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Happy Bastille Day! This isn’t a French themed podcast episode, and we won’t be breaking the bars on any prisons today. However, while the French national motto of liberté, égalité, fraternité is sounding across the globe, we should give some thought to the unequal treatment we give our hands. I mean the difference in the demands we place on our right and left hands.

Probably you’ve thought about the very different roles that our hands play musically. Most often, the right hand plays a melody and the left hand plays an accompaniment. But think about it in a practical, action-related way for a moment. If our right hand specializes in melodies, then it likely is accustomed to connected, legato playing, along with some chords and arpeggios.

Our left hand, though, because it serves to support the melody, is more used to jumping between low bass notes and chords above them, or playing a series of octaves, or playing continuous arpeggiated accompaniments. That is a very different skill set from the one your right hand has. Just try playing a left hand accompaniment with your right hand or a right hand melody with your left hand, and you will find it a little uncomfortable. Try playing hands together with that role reversal, and it may feel extremely awkward. If you’ve ever had to try to balance a left hand melody line with a right hand accompaniment, keeping the right hand softer than the left, you know how deeply ingrained those right hand/left hand roles are.

Of course, most of the time, each hand plays the kind of playing it does best. But what about those occasions when the roles are reversed? How do you prepare for them, so they don’t stop you in your tracks? That’s part of what I will help you with today. Even more importantly, I’ll give you a plan for developing more independence between your hands, and that sounds like a fitting topic for Bastille Day.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Christmas in July Week 3 workshop.
• Are you keeping up with the Summertime Challenge? Join here.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-217

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This week I started my yearly ritual of going through my drawers of music and pulling out new pieces to play. Actually they aren’t all new; some are old friends that I haven’t played in years. Others are pieces that have been sitting around waiting for me to get to them. Others are favorites that I seem to pull out every summer and play for a while.

It’s a summer thing for me. Perhaps because my playing schedule is a little lighter, I don’t feel as pressured or as driven. Also, though, I just want to play music, music that fits my vacation mindset.

So this week as I was looking through the stacks, I thought maybe I could give you some ideas of pieces that might fit your summertime mood. Or if it’s not summer weather for you right now, maybe these pieces will add some sunshine to your harp playing.

Some of these are classics from the harp repertoire or classic transcriptions for harp. Others are newer compositions you may not know. I’ve thrown in a couple popular music selections, just because. And I’ve themed them in a very summer-ish way: music about water, the sky, the garden and daydreams. It’s a little fanciful, but that’s really the whole idea. I’ll play some bits and pieces of some of them for you, too.

And if you feel inspired to check out any of these for yourself, I’ve put all the selections I am mentioning today in a handy list for you, which you can download right in the show notes. You’ll be able to find these at the usual harp music retailers, like Harp Column Music, Atlanta Harp Center, Vanderbilt Music Company, Harp.com and more. If you have trouble finding one of them, just post a message in the Harp Mastery® Hub, and we’ll help you find it!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get the PDF of pieces mentioned on the show.
• Week 2 of Christmas in July Live call tomorrow.
• Super Summer Challenge continues.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-216

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There’s a third kind of shortcut, though, that I want us to think about today. It’s the kind of shortcut that comes with experience. I remember when I was learning to sew and following all the directions very carefully so that I wouldn’t mess up. I even learned which pattern companies had the clearest directions, and which seemed to presume that I knew more than I did, so there were steps missing. Those missing steps weren’t shortcuts, per se; they were just knowledge that a more experienced sewer would have.

One day, I watched a professional seamstress start to cut out a dress. She was making a concert dress for me, and I was excited to watch her start on it while I could watch. What turned out to be an even bigger thrill was to see that instead of painstakingly pinning the pattern onto the cloth, the way I learned in Home Ec class, she just laid a few weights on the pattern to hold it lightly in place and cut around it. What a shortcut and a timesaver! And why had I never thought of that?

Of course, I had never thought of that because I didn’t have the experience and the confidence that comes with that experience to see that as a possibility. I was still following the directions, step by step. That step-by-step method was an important part of my learning, because it showed me what was necessary to get the best result. It wasn’t necessary to pin every pattern piece in place. It was necessary to lay out the pieces on the cloth correctly and to cut them carefully; the pins were a helpful tool, when you needed it, but not strictly necessary.

Harp playing has those kinds of shortcuts too. There are practice and learning strategies that are important at some stages of our harp journey that we can rethink and adapt as we gain more mastery. If we cling to our old learning habits too long, we end up slowing our progress and growth.

So today, I want to help you learn about harp shortcuts, not specific shortcuts, although I’ll mention a few, but how to look for and discover the shortcuts that could make a difference for you right now. This is about using your experience and your knowledge from all the harp playing you’ve done to help you learn faster, practice more effectively and play more confidently. It’s about making it easier, and who wouldn’t want that?

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our Christmas in July celebration is starting and you’re invited! Join the weekly live calls, videos and mini-workshops from the Hub, our YouTube channel, or our Harp Happiness HQ Facebook group!
• Our 2025 Super Summertime Challenge is in full swing!
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-215

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It’s summer time here and time for a little R and R, rest and relaxation, maybe even time away. You might be feeling like you need some time away from whatever stress you’ve been experiencing. I hope it isn’t your harp playing that’s been causing the stress, but even playing and practicing the harp can cause frustration and burnout. If you’re feeling like you need a break from your harp playing, I’m here to help and to make sure you take that break in a way that will bring you more confidence and more joy in your harp playing again.

Actually, at the time you are listening to this, I am on vacation with my husband. We are in Bermuda, which is one of our favorite places to vacation. We went there for our honeymoon and loved it so much that we planned to go back every five years. We’ve missed a couple of those five year milestones; COVID was one of the reasons, of course. But this year, we’re going back and I can’t wait.

Often people will ask me if I take a harp when I’m on vacation, and I rarely do. If it’s an extended trip, or I have a special project or performance coming up, then I will take one, but I firmly believe that no matter how much we love the harp, it’s beneficial to take some time off. Like the old Coca-Cola slogan, “it’s the pause that refreshes.” It’s good for us physically to relieve our fingers of the stress of practice. It’s even better for our perspective. It forces us to pick up our heads, let go of the busyness of practice, and reconnect with the harp and with music. Aside from having to coax slightly sluggish fingers back to work after we get back, there are no negatives to taking a break.

I realize we have podcast listeners all over the world, and if you’re living in the southern hemisphere, you’re starting a winter season, not a summer one. But you don’t have to wait for summer to try out this framework. It can help keep you balanced all winter long!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get on board with our 2025 Super Summertime Challenge!
• Related podcast: Small Steps to Break Through and Grow - PHH 200
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-214

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Have you ever made something and it turned out ok, but somehow it just didn’t look right? Maybe you thought those two paint colors would go together, but now you’re not sure. Or maybe the furniture arrangement in the living room looked great on paper but it sort of doesn’t work now that you see everything in place.

I think we’ve all had those moments. I had one not long ago with a photo I was doing. It wasn’t quite right, but since I had to get it done, all I could do was to shrug and sign off on it, whether it was right or not. But if a piece of music we’re working on doesn’t sound right, we want to fix it, not forget it.

I’m sure you know what I mean. You’ve been working hard on a piece. You muster up your courage to do a recording of it and after a lot of takes, you come up with one that you think is pretty good, without noticeable mistakes or hesitations. Then you listen to it, and something’s not right. Is it too slow? Are you not making the dynamics clear? How come it doesn’t sound the way it sounds in your head?

This is truly a challenging point, because it can be difficult to know the precise things you need to do to make the music sound the way you want. Assuming that the notes and the rhythms are correct and that you’re playing reasonably expressively, what else is there? That’s the question we’re going to answer today. I’m going to identify three things that are essential to make any piece of music sound “right.” These three are the same whether you are playing a classical piece or a folk piece or a hymn or a pop tune. When each of these is in place, your piece will sound like you want it to.

And the bonus is that you have choices. Every one of us harpists makes these choices, but you may not realize the power behind them. These choices are what makes one harpist’s interpretation of a piece sound different from another harpist’s, even though they both may be beautiful performances. My friend, you have the power to make your music sound right to you; all you need to do is exercise your freedom to choose.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our 2025 Super Summertime Challenge starts today in the Hub. Participate and win!
• Download the free Harp Mastery® app.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-213

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Since you’re here with me today, I know you are the kind of harpist who knows that technique matters. You take your warm-up seriously. You have exercises and etudes that you play regularly, maybe even religiously. You subscribe to the motto, “If your fingers can’t play it, you can’t play it.” But there may be times when you, even as dedicated to your technique work as you are, need a new direction, some more motivation, inspiration and know-how to move your technique to the next level.

Here’s the thing we don’t want to think about. We have our favorite exercises and they fit perfectly into our practice routine. We know how they go, so we don’t have to struggle with notes, and we can focus on our fingers. Unfortunately, if we are that comfortable with them, they probably have lost some of their value for us.

Now I’m not going to tell you that you have to abandon the exercises or drills you love. I’m just like you; I have my favorites, and I am not about to give them up. But I am going to suggest - very strongly - that you need to switch them up with some that will provide you with a little more challenge. When I started doing this in my own practice, I found that it sharpened my technique, not just because my fingers were learning new patterns, but also, precisely because I had to pay attention to the notes for a change, I was even more focused on what I was doing. No chance to go on autopilot, even for a minute.

So today, I am going to share information about three exercise books you might not know, but that I think you should. Why? Because your technique work should be about leveling up, and if you’re doing the same-old same-old, you definitely aren’t leveling up.

I’ve also included links to each of the books, so you can find them easily, but you can purchase them from any retailer you like. I don’t get a commission from these links; they are purely for your convenience.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our 2025 Super Summertime Challenge in the Hub starts next week. Join the Hub today so you don’t miss it!
• Big Book of Exercises for Harp by Isabelle Frouvelle
• Exercices et Etudes by Edmond LaRiviere
• Conditioning Exercises by Carlos Salzedo
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-212

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Every time I talk about putting more fun into your practice, I hear feedback like, “I enjoy my practice,” or “I really like doing the challenging work,” or “My favorite part of practice is my exercises and etudes.” All of those harpists are enjoying their practice, and that’s terrific. But that’s not what I mean.

Much of what we do in our practice can accidentally disconnect us from the music we want to make. We identify and correct mistakes. We drill our technique. We repeat passages over and over again. That’s all part of practice, and it is part of what enables us to play well. But there’s so much more that we could be doing in our practice, so much more that is truly aligned with why we are playing the harp.

Here’s an example that may help you understand what I mean. A young person wants to be a doctor because she likes helping people. She goes to medical school where part of her training involves working when she’s physically exhausted. Part of her training also helps her learn the ability to detach from her patients, so she can view their cases objectively and clinically, and so that she doesn’t burn out emotionally. Is it any wonder that some doctors lack an empathetic bedside manner? Those doctors may be gifted physicians, but they also may be in danger of losing the connection to their patients.

That’s a broadbrush kind of example, and I certainly have had doctors who were both gifted and compassionate. But I hope you see my point as it applies to our harp playing. If all we do in our practice is critique, correct and repeat, we put ourselves at risk of losing the connection to what brought us to the harp in the first place. We risk losing our joy.

Today, I would like to help you put more fun playing into your practice. I’ll share a few of my favorite ways to help recapture the rapture and put more creativity and yes, fun, into every day you play the harp. Remember it’s not about right or wrong - it’s about the music.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Download the Free Harp Mastery® app and connect with us!
• Are you a harp teacher? Tell us what you’d like to do on your fall break!
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-211

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Four friends went to an orchestra concert. Afterward, they went out for dessert and compared notes on the concert, talking about what they heard. Here is what they said:

One person heard the person in the row behind crackling a cough drop wrapper.One person, a flutist, heard that the clarinet wasn’t in tune with the flute.One person, a harpist, heard that the orchestra drowned out the harp solo.One person heard that the piano soloist was humming to himself while he played.

Oddly enough, when the review of the concert appeared in the newspaper the next day, it seemed the critic had gone to a completely different concert. The critic described the pianist as being an impassioned player with a fiery technique, the orchestra as presenting a colorful, well-balanced and nuanced interpretation. There was no mention of out of tune clarinets, or inaudible harps or even noisy cough drop wrappers.

Yes, this is a fictional scenario, although I’ve been part of very similar discussions. I wanted to relate this to you today, though, to highlight the way we channel our listening. We pay attention to the things that distract us, like noises or mistakes. That’s not in itself a bad thing; it’s part of being observant. Often, however, our listening stops there.

Think about how you listen to yourself. You pick out the flaws, the things that you wanted to do better. How often do you take time to identify what you have done well? Would you even be able to identify what you are doing well?

Today, we are going to talk about listening for growth, not for comparison or fault-finding. I’ll help you discover how to listen with open ears and an open mind so that the next time you listen to that amazing harpist play the piece you’re struggling to learn, you can find the precise elements in that performance that will help you make your own playing sound the way you want it to. And we’ll talk about how to listen to yourself so you don’t end up in the depths of despair. It’s all about what you listen for.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach this summer!
• Harp teachers! Are you interested in learning more about our Fall Break Retreat? Email me at anne@harpmastery.com.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-210

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Today I want to talk with you about hard work. I don’t mean how to buckle down and do the hard work. We all know that playing the harp is hard, and we spend a lot of time working out practice techniques, strategies and routines to help us play the music we want in spite of the difficulties.

No, what I want to talk about today is how to get out of the “just buckle down and do it” mindset. The truth is that when it comes to playing the harp or even music in general, sometimes trying harder is counter-productive. For instance, the harder we try to get that harmonic to ring, the more it just thuds. The harder we try to play faster, the more our fingers become tense and so they don’t have the flexibility and agility required for speed. The more we drill those recalcitrant two measures, the moe they refuse to flow.

But if hard work isn’t the answer, what is?

Let me be clear. Hard work, or at least work, is necessary. But the way we approach a difficulty in our harp playing shouldn’t be - cannot be - the same way we solve other kinds of problems. The solution to these difficulties usually lies in the music itself, which is something we most often ignore as we try to do what seems impossible.

The approach I want to explore with you today is about looking at challenges, difficulties or frustrations through a musical lens. You truly don’t need to hammer away at that thing that isn’t working. You can use more creative and much less stressful ways to solve it, with the added benefit of keeping the musical and expressive goals front of mind. I have three very specific suggestions for you, ones that are simple to implement and which will give you surprisingly quick results. It’s time to stop beating your head against the wall, don’t you think?

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Summer is a time to grow with Harp Mastery® Certified Coaching
• For My Harp Mastery members only: NEW “Curated for You Courses”
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

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Is studying music theory really useful? Yep. You heard right. I really said that, and I’m a total theory nerd.

I’m not going to leave you in suspense. Of course, knowing music theory is useful and helpful and part of being a good musician. But only - and this is a big “only” - if you know how it’s useful.

Did you ever take a class in school and the whole time you were sitting in class you were thinking, “I’m never going to use this stuff”? Of course, you did. I remember sitting in my calculus class in high school - which, incidentally, I really enjoyed - knowing that I was going to music school and very unlikely to ever use any of this kind of higher mathematics again. Maybe your useless class was a math course, or it could have been just about any other subject. Sometimes we discovered later that we were wrong; for instance, a little understanding of chemistry is helpful if you’re trying to work out ingredient substitutions in a recipe. At the time, though, the information falls into the category of “good to know, but I’ll never need it.”

I taught classes like that when I was teaching at Curtis. The theory and ear training classes I taught were certainly full of information that would be necessary for a professional musician, but that didn’t mean that any of it seemed relevant to students who just wanted to practice. You may sympathize with that feeling, if you’ve taken theory courses with the idea that these courses would help your harp playing significantly. Please understand - I know with every fiber of my being that music theory makes you a better musician and can absolutely be of benefit to your playing. But unfortunately, I have found that most of the time, harpists take theory courses and are left wondering what use they can make of all this hard-won knowledge. These courses don’t come with a hands-on way to apply this knowledge at the harp, a way to make it really useful. That’s what I will share with you today, some common sense ways to make theory practical.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Did you miss the “Sharpen Your Focus” clinic? Catch the replay here!
• Related resource Unlocking the Key to Key Signatures blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-208

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Shel Silverstein wrote a beautiful and supremely short poem that perfectly fits today’s topic. The poem is called “Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda,” and in just seven short lines, Silverstein sums up the ultimate way to prevent regret. He tells us that all those woulda-coulda-shouldas vanish with one little “did.” Doing beats wishing every day.

So if we were sitting in the same room together, sharing a cup of tea, and you asked me what I thought your next piece should be, I’d have to ask you a question right back, “What do you think you want to do?”

Life is filled with “shoulds” and “have tos;” our music doesn’t need to be. Our music is personal to us. The music we play, our repertoire, is something that reflects what we like and who we are. It is a personal expression at every playing level. Your personal musical expression starts from the very first day you are capable of playing a melody on the harp. Your music is in you and your music is you.

So if you need to choose your next piece to learn, it should be something you want to learn. Back to our conversation at the tea table. When I ask you what piece you’d like to do, you are probably going to tell me you don’t know. So we’ll dig a little deeper.

If you are thinking that there is a skill you need to develop and you’re looking for a piece that will help you do that, that’s great. I can suggest half a dozen pieces that will help you with that specific skill. But have you considered trying a sort of piece you’ve never done before? Or what about that bucket list piece that you aren’t sure if you’re ready for? This is the problem; there are too many choices.

There is simply too much music in the world, and it’s impossible to play everything we want to. So we need to choose. And what if you chose to make your next piece one that created a “did,” filled a want, or prevented a future regret. That’s what I want to help you with today. I want to give you a little system to help you choose.

I also decided to take a sort of light-hearted, fun approach to this topic, so since today is the fifth of May, I’ve created five possible categories to choose from in honor of Cinco de Mayo. After all, we can’t take ourselves too seriously!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Today is the last day to register for the “Sharpen Your Focus” clinic.
• Shel Silverstein poem, “Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda”
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.co

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-207

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Fact number one: Your focus is in your control.Fact number two: Your focus is a critical factor in your success and harp happiness.Conclusion: What you focus on matters… a lot.

In the last episode of the podcast, we were talking about focus in terms of placing your chords. I cited one of my favorite Zig Ziglar quotes, “You hit what you aim at.”

I’m going to put a different spin on that today. We aren’t going to talk about focusing on a goal exactly. We’re going to discuss how to shift your focus to get you beyond a sticking point or a challenge. Here’s my idea in a nutshell: when we focus on the hard thing, we lose perspective on why we are doing the hard thing to begin with. That can cost us a lot in terms of time, energy and enjoyment.

Consider some of the things we focus on that can leave us with a feeling of letdown or even loss. We spend weeks preparing for Christmas, only to realize on December 26th that we didn’t really remember to enjoy the day. Or we put days of effort into making a special meal - Thanksgiving dinner comes to my mind - and everyone is finished their meal and watching the football game almost before we’ve sat down to our own plate. Or we prepare so much for a special performance that we don’t know what to practice the day after it’s over.

What about the things we focus on when we’re practicing or performing? Are we focusing on the things that will help us grow and move us forward? Or are we only concentrating on the difficulties that are in front of us, whether those are wrong notes or stumbles or performance nerves?

I believe that often we are looking through a microscope at too many of those moments, when we really should be using binoculars to see what lies ahead, beyond the hard part. Instead of going into the rabbit hole where our perceptions are distorted (that wrong note really doesn’t matter that much!), we need a healthier perspective on what we’re actually trying to do, so that we can get past the sticking point and get back to loving the music.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register now for the “Sharpen Your Focus, Elevate Your Performance” Clinic
• Take lessons with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-206

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The great Zig Ziglar, much-beloved author and motivational speaker, never played the harp as far as I know, but one of his most often quoted remarks is perfect for today’s topic. Zig said, “You hit what you aim at, and if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.” If you have ever had difficulty placing the notes in your chords, today I am going to teach you how to fix your aim.

Of course there is more to placing and playing chords than just aiming at the strings, but you do have to get to the right ones. This is what makes three-note chords more difficult than two-note intervals, and what makes four-note chords even more challenging. And then there are those four-note chords in both hands at the same time! The more fingers you have to put on the strings, the more possibility there is for error, which is why we’re going to take our time today and really explore what you need to know as well as what you need to do to increase your chances for success. Naturally, none of us gets every note right every time, but when we can read the notes faster and place our fingers more automatically, even the biggest chords are less daunting.

By the way, the techniques we will be talking about work for placing arpeggios too, so it’s a double win today!

• Register now for the “Sharpen Your Focus, Elevate Your Performance” Clinic
• Experience the power of individual coaching. Get started with Harp Mastery® Certified Coaching today.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-205

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Do you review your pieces? If you don’t review your pieces regularly, then keep listening because today we are going to explore the different reasons you might want to start and a few different methods for review you might want to try.

But here’s the thing; if I asked a dozen harpists who say they review their pieces how they do their review, I will get a dozen different answers. Some people schedule it; others set a rotation. Some people do both. Some harpists are trying to develop a repertoire list of music they can play at a moment’s notice. Others are trying to keep the last piece they learned in their fingers. (By the way, we’ll talk today about what that phrase, “in your fingers,” means. )

I last talked about review on this podcast in episode 99. That episode is called “The Shortcut Way To Build And Maintain A Repertoire.” In that episode I outline some step-by-step frameworks to grow your repertoire with simple review tactics. I have linked directly to that episode in the show notes, or you can find it by searching for episode 99 in your podcast app.

However, I think review is more than keeping your music fresh and ready to play. I believe there is an important learning component as well, because review develops a unique skill set, if you set about it the right way. Review isn’t the same as practice, but it isn’t exactly the same as playing either. It fills in the middle ground, that place where the imperfections get polished out and where we develop a deep familiarity with the piece, one that can surmount the challenges of performance.

So today, we are going to explore what review is and is not. I’ll give you some simple ways to work on that unique skill set, and I’ll show you how the simple act of reviewing your music can help you grow as a harpist. It’s so much more than just keeping music in your fingers. I’m excited about this topic, and I hope you are too!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our April Seminar Rhythm Makeover is still available
• Register now for our special Clinic in May: Sharpen Your Focus, Elevate Your Performance
• Coaching registration is open.
• For more on review, check out podcast episode 99: The Shortcut Way To Build And Maintain A Repertoire
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-204

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My harp background is in the Salzedo method. This is the technique method devised and taught by legendary harpist Carlos Salzedo. It was at the time, the early part of the twentieth century, a startlingly different concept of harp playing and harp technique and the aim was to bring the harp into the modern world. The aesthetic of the method varied in almost every way possible from the French tradition in which Salzedo was trained.

But we aren’t discussing physical technique today. We are discussing practice technique, one practice technique in particular: slow practice. Please understand that slow practice has always been a part of harp studies and for very good reasons, which we will discuss shortly. Salzedo, however, was known for teaching his students to practice slowly and loudly.

I need to quickly add a couple of disclaimers. First, the loud and slow practice attributed to the Salzedo method is a broad statement, and as such, is not completely accurate. Second, and more importantly, it wasn’t the only kind of practice he advocated. Third, please remember that slow practice isn’t only for Salzedo method harpists; it’s important for us all. That’s the point of today’s podcast: why slow practice is vital for being able to play your pieces accurately and expressively at the goal tempo.

I want to explore with you what slow practice is all about and how you can start your own habit of slow practice. We’ll talk about the practice strategies themselves, but I also want to focus on how to use slow practice to eliminate mistakes, strengthen your technique, eliminate hesitations and pauses in your music and to be able to play with more expression and musicality.

While I think slow practice can work miracles, there are also times when slow practice is not helpful, and I’ll go over those with you, too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join our April Seminar series, “Rhythm Makeover.”
• Study with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-203

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

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If I had the opportunity to teach music to an absolute music newbie, someone without any previous musical instruction or experience, I know exactly how I would begin. I would start without printed music.

That’s hardly revolutionary. The German composer Carl Orff is known today not only for his most famous work, Carmina Burana, but for the innovative methods he brought to musical education. Émile Jaques-Dalcroze created Eurhythmics, not the 1980’s pop band with Annie Lennox, but a system for teaching music through movement. Music schools throughout the world have been teaching young children with the method developed by Shinichi Suzuki which begins by emphasizing learning by ear rather than by printed music.

All of these educators believed, as I do, that music is within us and that by learning without the printed page, we can create connections that allow us to develop our natural instinct for how music is organized, in notes and rhythms and chords and more. Our musical notation system is really just a code that we use to transmit and share musical ideas between composer and performer. The actual music doesn’t live there.

Please understand; I’m not suggesting that we should all learn exclusively by ear. My meaning is that when we become so accustomed to using the page as our only path into the music, when we sublimate our instinctive musical understanding to deciphering the dots on the staff, we make playing harder. In short, we ignore the very innate connection that brought us to music and to the harp in the first place.

Today we are going to explore some very fundamental rhythm concepts through this lens, focusing on the experience first, then the notation, rather than the other way around. I promise I won’t ask you to try playing by ear or to memorize everything or to light candles and repeat affirmations. What I want to do is to give you some very simple ways to change how you think about rhythm. We’ll do a couple of small experiments that I designed to help relieve any confusion or uncertainty you have about basic rhythmic concepts. Even if you feel totally confident about your skill in deciphering and playing complex rhythms, these little drills will help you reconnect to what is truly important about the rhythmic element of our playing.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get more rhythmic confidence with our April Seminar, “Rhythm Makeover.” Join now!
• Join the Live Monday Warm-Ups in the Harp Mastery® Hub.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-202

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Here’s a question we’ve probably all wondered about at some point: am I practicing enough?

As a teacher, I can tell you that my experience has demonstrated that if a harpist - and this includes me - has to ask the question, the answer is probably no, you’re not practicing enough. But of course, the real answer is likely a little more complicated. It depends on what you’re trying to do.

On the light end of the practice spectrum, if you’re just trying to keep the rust off either your fingers or your pieces, you probably only need a few minutes each day. On the other end, if your ambition is to learn a piece or stretch your technique or develop a skill, you are going to need more time. I know it would be helpful to know exactly how much time you’re going to need, but coming up with a number would just be guessing.

Even so, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some factors that can guide you that will keep you from overworking yourself or underutilizing your time. Simply put, your goal is to practice enough to make progress, but not so much that you actually sabotage your efforts. Today I’ll tell you what this means and how I think you can find the right amount of practice time for you.

I’ve talked about practice time with you before on the podcast. In the first show of this year, 2025, I shared an acronym to help you remember what to include in your practice. That acronym spelled the word “practice” and the letters stood for Play, Review, Aspire, Create, Technique, I, Connect and Enjoy, That’s episode 190, and I will link to it in today’s show notes.

In episode 148, I taught you about practice bursts, short 15 minute chunks of time that you could use to keep on track when your schedule won’t allow you a longer practice session. I will link to that episode in the show notes too.

But today, we’re taking a different approach. We’re going to look at why we practice, how our practice can help us maintain the status quo, or help us achieve a goal or help us stretch our skills and grow. We’ll talk about time and how we need to manage it and how to truly enjoy the time we spend at the harp. Because that’s what harp happiness is all about.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the April Seminar course, Rhythm Makeover.
• PHH #190: Transforming Your Practice in 2025
• PHH #148: 10 Surprising Benefits of Practice Bursts
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-201

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How do you measure something that is unmeasurable? How do you quantify something that can’t be contained or counted? How do you assess something that is completely subjective? You might think you can’t, but yet, that’s what we attempt to do every day in our practice.

We try to gauge our progress. We try to determine exactly when a piece is “finished.” Exact measurements aren’t possible in music. We can’t time our progress. “This piece will take exactly 37 days to learn to the degree of polish that I personally want.” If only we could have that degree of certainty, the whole practice thing would be so much easier.

I realize I am guilty of perpetuating this unreality. I often use notional percentages to represent stages of “finish” for a piece. For instance, I’ll call a piece 80% done if I can play most of the notes correctly most of the time at a tempo that’s at least 80% of my goal tempo. It’s hardly scientific, but it gives me and my students a way to judge where we are on our journey with a piece.

So what about you? Do you know where you are with that piece you’re trying to finish? Are you at that 80% mark? If so, that’s great, because you’re almost there. By the way, I don’t believe in 100%; perfection is not a practical goal. Instead, 90-95% is what I would call finished. If you’re playing at Carnegie Hall, that’s not good enough, but it should do for just about everywhere else.

Or maybe this is what you’ve experienced: you get your piece to 80% without much trouble, but then it gets stuck there. It just won’t get over that last hump to the 90% mark. That hump - and how to get over it - is what I’d like to talk about with you today. I want to talk about the factors that contribute to progress and to growth, as well as how to find the way to close that gap between where your piece is now and where you want it to be. We can’t exactly create “progress by the numbers,” but we can find the steps that will pull you out of the place you’re stuck and move you forward.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join our March Seminar
• Learn how to close the gap with my Finish It Course
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-200

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I’ve been playing concerts with my flutist friend Joan Sparks for more decades than I care to admit. Our work together has included concerts, being Artists in Residence at schools and retirement communities, producing our own concert series, recording multiple CDs (actually even a couple of cassette tape recordings back in the day) and commissioning some significant works for the flute and harp concert repertoire. In fact, one of those works turned into an actual question on the TV show ”Jeopardy.” I’ll tell you that story at the end of the podcast.

Of course, our collaboration hasn’t all been about work. We don’t travel as much now for concerts as we used to, but we did a lot of traveling earlier in our career and naturally we are very close friends. In that time, I also learned a lot about the flute.

One of the biggest revelations I had was listening to Joan practice her long tones. Now this won’t surprise any of you who have played melody line instruments, but as a harpist with some years of piano lessons in my youth, long tones were practically a new concept. On the harp, we don’t hold a note. We simply play it and it goes effortlessly into the ether. No need to practice long tones.

But this also means that we have no control over a note once we’ve played it. We can’t make it crescendo or decrescendo. We can’t add vibrato to intensify it. We can’t create a true legato, where one note connects seamlessly to the next.

I think this is partly why we harpists tend not to pay enough attention to phrasing. Yet, phrasing is the breath of the piece. It’s the living component of the melody. It’s what makes the song sing and the piece flow.

So today’s podcast is essentially a guide to phrasing for harpists. We’ll talk about everything from what a phrase is and how to identify it, to how to practice it so your melodies can sing. If you’ve been wondering how to get that “flow factor” into your playing, this will be important information for you, so stay tuned.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join our March Seminar, “Variations on Bendemeer’s Stream”
• Announcing the Finish It Course with The Quick Start Guide to Learning Like a Pro
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-199

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Fact number one: harp technique is hard. That’s a given. Making our fingers steady, stable and strong enough to play in mid-air, defying gravity with every pluck, is very challenging. That’s a fact.

Fact number two: our technique is a major factor in our playing. It enables us to play the music we want to play. Or it limits us. If our fingers can’t play it, we can’t play it. It’s that simple.

Fact number three: If you feel like your technique is holding you back, there are ways to fix that. And today I want to suggest two ways you might not have explored. These are two ways to use etudes and I think you will find that what we’re talking about today is not the usual etude practice.

I often talk about etudes as the missing link between the exercise drills that we do and the music we play. They provide a way to use a single technical skill like a specific fingering pattern in a musical context that is not as complicated as a regular repertoire piece. Practicing etudes in this way allows you to add expression, rhythm and other musical elements that aren’t usually present in finger drills to the skill you’ve been practicing, but without all the challenges that show up in a “real” piece.

This doesn’t mean that etudes are easy, not by any means, But they do provide a way to step up a little more gradually to more intricate music. You practice your arpeggio exercise, then you practice an etude that uses those same arpeggios. Then you’re ready to tackle the piece that has those arpeggios in it.

But that’s not the way I’m looking at etudes today. Today, I want to tell you about two different ways to use etudes that will give you additional benefits, benefits like playing with more speed, more flow and helping you learn music faster. If you’re the kind of harpist who loves etudes, you’re going to absolutely love these ideas. And if you’ve been lukewarm at best about etudes, you might find yourself dusting off that etude book, because now you’ll understand why etudes have been part of every musician’s studies for hundreds of years. Simply because they work!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach in our new Lessons program.
• Learn my new “Variations on Bendemeer’s Stream” in our March Seminar course.
• Become a My Harp Mastery member - join today!
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-198

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The day this podcast episode is released, we will be living Day 55 of this year 2025. According to the calendar, we’ve already had 55 days this year to get things done, to grow, to accomplish. We’ve had 55 days to play the harp.

If you set goals at the beginning of the year, this is a good time to check in on them. Are you where you thought you’d be? Are you ahead of the game, checking things off your list and moving on to your next steps? If you are, here’s a huge high five from me. That’s the way to create harp happiness.

Today we are going to revisit your goals. We’ll look at how far you’ve come, confirm your direction and realign your course if necessary. We will focus on the progress you’ve been making and where your next steps may be.

But if you haven’t seen the progress you had hoped for or expected, no worries. Progress is tricky to measure and sometimes hard to spot, even when it’s happening. When you’re walking the path, you can’t always tell how far you’ve come or how far you still have to go, and that can be unsettling or even frustrating.

We’re talking today about how to create progress and, more importantly, how to measure it. I’ll share the three things I think are absolutely necessary for you to make progress, and I’ll give you some ideas for progress markers you can use to make sure you’re moving in the right direction.

I want you to keep this in mind too: sometimes all you need is a fresh look at where you want to go and what you need to do to get there. It is often that simple. And I think that’s what our time together today will help you do, find those simple next right steps to move you and your harp playing forward.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach in our new Lessons program.
• Learn my new “Variations on Bendemeer’s Stream” in our March Seminar course.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-197

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They say that familiarity breeds contempt. Unfortunately, familiarity also breeds secure and confident music. We want to play our music well, and so we need to know it inside and out. That takes time.

Learning music also takes time. And the longer we take to learn our music, the harder it can be to stay interested in it. No matter how much we love a piece of music, it is possible to get bored with it.

Also, there are times when we are required to learn a piece that we don’t really like, perhaps for a performance or an exam. Practicing a piece we don’t like can feel like torture.

I believe there is no upside to playing or practicing a piece you are bored with. If you’re trying to learn it, your practice won’t be focused; your heart won’t be in it. If you’re performing it, your lack of interest in the piece will communicate itself to the listener. It might be a flawless performance but it won’t have you - your personality, your energy - in it, and those are the things that bring a performance to life. This is true not only for concert performances; this is true for every performance, whether it’s a video for Facebook or playing in church or playing for friends. If you are bored with the piece you’re playing, you are, in effect, cheating your listeners.

So I want to start by saying right now that you can choose to stop playing any piece that bores you. You have the power to choose; you could even say you have the obligation to choose. You owe it to yourself not to spend your time on something that doesn’t interest you, and you owe it to a potential listener not to present something that you don’t care about.

But maybe you don’t want to just put the piece aside, or maybe you can’t. That’s a situation worth investigating. When is it worth persisting with a piece that you don’t like or has become boring to you? When should you just put it away? And if you decide to persist, what can you do to make the piece interesting to you or to at least to help you endure practicing it? I have some valuable ideas to share with you today. Even if you haven’t run across a piece that bores you - and maybe we should say “haven’t yet” - you can use these ideas to keep that musical love light burning.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• February Seminar Series
• Become a My Harp Mastery member
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-196

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When I was a kid, even before I had started harp lessons, I used to go to summer camp in the mountains. I grew up in the Philadelphia area, and the closest mountains to us were the Pocono Mountains. These aren’t mountains by Rocky Mountain standards, not nearly as high, peaked or impressive, but they are beautifully wooded and green, with rivers and lakes.

In order to get to summer camp, we had to drive through the Lehigh Tunnel which fascinated me. Driving through an actual mountain was a little scary. Of course, the scariness was part of why it was my favorite part of the trip.

Tunnels are truly an engineering miracle, in my opinion, especially considering that tunnels can be drilled from both sides to meet - if the calculations are correct - in the middle.

The earliest known example of a tunnel that was dug from both sides is the Tunnel of Eupalinos, in the Greek isles, constructed in the 6th century BCE. WIth pickaxes, chisels, hammers and shovels, two teams dug through Mount Kastro from both sides and managed to meet in the middle. The tunnel has some zigs and zags, but the fact that they actually met and broke through is a testament to their engineering prowess.

Why is this relevant for us today? Because we’re going to approach the technical requirements of our music from the other side of the mountain. I know you’ve heard me talk about the importance of doing your technique work daily. And naturally, our pieces require our technique to be used in very specific ways. These are the two sides of our mountain: ongoing technical development and piece-specific technical demands. We want them to meet in the middle, where the music is.

Today we are going to focus on arpeggios and three different ways arpeggios are used in our music. These aren’t the only ways arpeggios are used, of course, but these are common enough that they are worth our time and attention. We’ll look at these technique challenges and how to meet them from both sides, with exercises that will help you build the necessary skill and with the understanding of the underlying principles that will help you develop your technique for that particular musical instance. It’s all about skills in context today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• February Seminar
• Become a My Harp Mastery member
• Books mentioned in today’s show:
• Grossi, Method for the Harp: p. 129, no. 24; p.120, no. 14; p. 108, no. 2.

• Friou, Exercises for Agility and Speed: p. 44; p. 23; pp. 33-37.

• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-195

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When my husband and I moved into our new house four years ago, we were moving from a very small house that was part of our business in the mountains to a nice, roomy house in a neighborhood. When we moved to the mountains, we had too much furniture to fit in the little house; for instance, we had dining room furniture but the house had no dining room. We had to put the furniture that wouldn’t fit in storage.

When we moved to the bigger house, though, we were able to bring it all out again. It was a little like Christmas or at least meeting up with old friends. But there were some spaces in the new house that needed furniture that we didn’t have, and one of the things we decided we would like to get was a desk, specifically, a desk with pigeon holes for sorting papers and a lid that closed, so we didn’t have to look at those papers all the time.

Pigeonholes are great for organizing papers or mail or stamps or paperclips. They keep everything in their proper place. They keep the right things in, and the wrong things out, which is precisely why they are so damaging to our harp life.

I can hear the screeching of your mental brakes from here. “What? How did we get from a desk to harp playing?” I’ll tell you how. It’s the pigeonholes.

Most of us harpists aren’t aware of the pigeonholing we do with our playing. Our warm-ups, exercises and etudes stay neatly in their respective pigeonholes, as do each of the pieces we’re practicing. We may see the intersections but we don’t exploit them.

We also try to put our learning in those little boxes, labeling our pieces and even ourselves as harpists by a skill level. Who can tell you that you are an intermediate player or an advanced beginner or a beginner advanced player? There isn’t even any clear definition of what any of those terms mean, and no harpist fits completely into any one of them. We all have individual strengths and weaknesses that make our “level” unique to us and no one else.

The worst result of pigeonholing, I think, is that it shuts the door on opportunity. When we choose a label for ourselves as a harpist, we overlook possibilities for growth and for pleasure in our playing. So today, I’d like to reveal to you some opportunities you may be missing. I’d like to show you some different ways to think about your playing and about yourself as a harpist, ones I hope will help you find more joy in your harp journey.

By the way, my husband and I did get our pigeonhole desk, and while the pigeonholes are organized, the smartest thing we did was to get a desk with a lid that we can close. There’s a lot going on in that desk!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• February Seminar
• Become a My Harp Mastery member
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-194

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Today’s episode focuses on the music of harpist, singer and composer Sophia Dussek. It is partly music history, partly harp history and partly harp technique. But it’s really about connection. I want to help you feel a connection to our roots, to some of the musical and harp traditions that aren’t merely history, but are part of the fabric of our daily harp playing.

There’s an African proverb that says,”Walk like you have 3000 ancestors walking behind you.” We harpists so often feel that we’re all alone on our journey. The truth is that we are only the newest leaves on a tree with many other branches full of other leaves, a tree whose roots were formed long ago. Every time we play, we are continuing the traditions of those harpists, so it makes sense to learn a little bit about them. The things we learn about our roots can help us connect to the music we are learning today in a deeper way.

That’s why I chose “connection” as the fifth of the five growth areas I identified in my book, Kaleidoscope Practice: Focus, Finish and Play the Way You’ve Always Wanted. When you take time, even occasionally, to enrich and enlarge your musical experience that is apart from your playing, you bring more understanding and dimension to everything you play. And in today’s podcast, I will help you make those connections between the music of 200 years ago and the music that you’re playing now.

So today our musical “way back machine” will take us to the turn of the nineteenth century when harp playing had yet to be eclipsed in the drawing room by the piano. Picture any screen adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” you’ve ever seen, and you will have the right atmosphere. In fact, our heroine for today, Sophia Corri Dussek, was born in the same year as the author Jane Austen. So put on your best muslin frock and we’ll get going.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Finish It Clinic
• Our February Seminar Series is available.
• Find out more about my Kaleidoscope Practice book
• Online resource for music by Sophia Dussek
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-193

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Do you remember when you were a harp newbie? Maybe you still are, or maybe you’ve been playing for a long time and the time you were a beginner is a distant memory. That’s me, of course, I was a harp newbie a very long time ago. However, I can remember clearly the excitement I felt in my early days of harp playing.

You may have heard my harp story, but here’s the short version in case you don’t remember: Apparently, I heard the harp on the radio when I was two years old, asked my mother what it was, and told her that was what I wanted to do. I don’t remember that part, but I do remember my first harp. My parents had gotten some very good advice and started me with piano lessons when I was four, with the understanding that I could start harp lessons when I was eight years old, if I still wanted to play the harp by then.

So - no surprise - when I was eight I got my first harp, a Lyon Healy Troubadour. I had a very high stool to sit on too. That was the beginning for me of a very long love affair with the harp. That’s not to say it hasn’t had its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade any moment of it.

In the decades of harp teaching that I have done, I have seen many students start their harp studies with that same love of the harp and a passion for learning how to play. Some of them maintain that energy, and some do not, not because they’re doing anything wrong, but often they find that learning the harp just isn’t for them. If you’re just starting your harp journey, I’d like to offer you my thoughts on the most important things you can do to speed your harp journey, to maintain your enthusiasm and to find even more harp happiness along the way.

If you’re not a harp newbie, I think you may find these things helpful for you, too. These are basics that we tend to lose sight of when the music gets more complicated and we involve ourselves in the details of playing. So don’t stop listening; this may be confirmation that you’re on the right path, or it may be the refresh you need to get you to that next level. I had a lot of fun preparing this show, boiling down the myriad details of playing the harp to just four key concepts that are powerful enough to make big changes for you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Sign up for the Finish It Clinic live call on January 28th
• Watch for our February seminar series coming soon!
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-192

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What do fingers, flow and faith have to do with each other? Absolutely everything. The three things are totally interdependent. You can think of them as three corners of a triangle, each corner being connected to each of the other corners. And, just like the legs of a three-legged stool, all three support your playing.

I’m guessing you haven’t thought of these three elements together before, or how together they form the core of your playing, so I’ll give you a quick sketch of what we’re going to talk about today. Also, I should be clear that we’re not talking about religious faith on the podcast; we’re talking about trusting yourself.

The idea is this: your technique, your fingers, produce flow and give you faith or confidence in your playing. You have to have faith in your fingers doing what you have trained them to do, because they really don’t need you to micromanage them. And you have to have faith that the flow of the piece is what you need to communicate the music. And focusing on flow frees your fingers and gives you faith in your expression of the piece.

I know that short explanation probably raises more questions than it answers and that’s what the rest of this show is all about, answering those questions. My hope is that by the end of this episode, you’ll have a new perspective on how your technique could be serving you better, how focusing on flow can make your music come together faster and how faith in the process will free you to get to the music (and out of the slow practice) a little faster.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Focus your 2025 harp goals with our January Seminar Series.
• Activate your 2025 harp goals with me at our Getaway Retreat.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-191

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Happy New Year! I’m excited about 2025. I’m excited about all the harp happiness that you and I can add to the world together. I’m excited about the harp goals that I am putting in place for myself this year. And I’m extra excited about the opportunity to talk with you about your goals today.

We aren’t actually going to be talking about goals as much as we will be talking about the most important step you will take toward achieving them. Of course, there are a lot of things that are important to the success of your harp goals: your motivation, your time, your choice of goals, whether or not you are working on your goals alone or with the support of a teacher or coach. But perhaps the single factor that is most important to accomplishing any type of harp goal is this: your practice.

Without practice, your harp goal is just an idea. Practice is the engine that drives your goal. Whether you want to improve your technique, develop a repertoire, play a concert, learn to improvise, speed up your fingers, or anything else, you can’t do it unless you practice. Your practice makes whatever you want to do with your harp playing possible. Without practice, you may be on the right track, but you aren’t going anywhere.

That’s why I chose to make the first podcast of 2025 about transforming your practice. Today I want to give you some different ideas about practice that I hope will help you find new direction, new energy, new purpose and more fun in your practice this year. And not only this year, but starting today. After all, isn’t fun a big part of what playing the harp should be? I think so!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Focus your 2025 harp goals with our January Seminar Series.
• Activate your 2025 harp goals with me at our Getaway Retreat.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-190

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We are in the final days of 2024, and I, for one, am looking forward to the new year. Every year, as December draws to a close, I am intrigued by the mysterious possibilities that may lie ahead. What opportunities will I discover? What challenges will I need to overcome? Who will I get to meet or know better this year? I am always excited to start the new year, and I hope you are too.

I’m also setting goals for the new year, planning new projects and creating new ways to grow, not just for the harpists in our various Harp Mastery® programs but for myself as well. I have so many ideas that it’s hard to choose which are the key ones to focus on, but over the years I have found that limiting myself to a few goals is critical. If I have too many goals or plans, none of them get the focus they need. On the other hand, if I don’t plan at all, things tend to drift, and I don’t make any real progress. But once I choose my goals, I need to figure out how to accomplish them.

I have a sort of checklist that I like to use as I set my goals. It consists of five factors that I have found to be absolutely vital to achieving any of my goals. I call these my multipliers, because I know that whatever goal I set, my progress will be steadier and faster when these five are in place. Like those sneakers that were around when I was a kid, they help me run faster and jump higher. And they can do the same for you.

By the way, we’ll be talking about these multipliers in harp terms, but I’ll show you how to apply them to any other goal too. What works for the harp, works for life!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join our January Seminar Series.
• Become a My Harp Mastery member.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-189

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A special holiday music mix just for podcast listeners!

• Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming, arranged by Anne Sullivan
• I Wonder as I Wander, arranged by Anne Sullivan
• Ave Maria, by Franz Schubert, arranged by Anne Sullivan
• Sinfonia, from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, arranged by Anne Sullivan
• Slumber Sweet, a medley of Christmas lullabies arranged by Scott Lavender
• In Dulci Jubilo, arranged by Anne Sullivan

All harp solo selections are from my Break Forth CD.Flute and harp selections are from the SPARX Christmas Echoes CD.All CDs are available for digital download in our online shop.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Listen to our Harpy Christmas playlist on Spotify featuring music by Anne Sullivan and other harpist performers.
• Find some great holiday sheet music or a CD in our shop.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-188

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As you probably know, one of the reasons I started Harp Mastery® back in 2012 was because of the number of adult harp students I was meeting who were frustrated by their lack of progress. Although these harpists were at different stages and interested in varying kinds of music, what they had in common was an incredibly strong desire to play the harp, a desire that kept them practicing despite the challenges they were encountering. Although I hadn’t come up with the term “harp happiness” yet, I knew that I had to help these harpists find a path that would give them the joy and satisfaction they were looking for in their harp playing.

But years before that, I had already discovered something that shocked me about adult harp students. I had started a class for beginning harpists of any age - the classes usually had teenagers and adults - and I became intrigued by the reasons these students wanted to play the harp. Many of the adults had wanted to play the harp since they were young and were finally able to pursue their dream. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but it had not really occurred to me before that there were so many people who had always wanted to play the harp but, for one reason or another, hadn’t been able to.

There was the woman who told her parents she wanted to play the harp, and they bought her a clarinet. Another who wanted to learn the harp in high school, but her high school only offered harp lessons to one student every other year, and she was in the wrong year. A third was told by her parents that a harp was simply out of the question and she could either play the piano they already had or not play music at all. Not all the stories were like this, but there were enough, in fact, too many. As an aside, I will say that there’s another very happy story connected to this class and I’ll share that with you at the end of the episode.

What’s important about these stories is that for these people, the dream of playing the harp never went away. Life took them away from the harp, but their desire to play was never extinguished. We all have dreams or bucket lists, things we want to do but feel unable to do now. As a harpist, maybe there is a special piece you want to learn, a place you want to play. Maybe you want to develop a repertoire or learn how to serve others with the harp.

What I want to talk to you about today is how to start making those harp dreams happen. Your dreams shouldn’t be gathering dust on a shelf. And it’s no use telling yourself that those dreams don’t really matter, because I can tell you, from my experience with those harp students in my first class and hundreds more that I have worked with since then, your dreams do matter, and they don’t go away. We’re quickly coming up on a new year. Imagine how exciting this year could be for you if you were able to make your dreams into your reality. It’s not as hard as you think.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Act on your dreams at the Getaway Retreat
• Join the January Seminar Series
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-187

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One of the things I love about watching virtuoso artists perform is how easy they make it look. For instance, just this past summer I attended a reunion of many of us who attended the Salzedo Summer Harp Colony in Camden, Maine. One of the highlights of that weekend was a concert of music written by Carlos Salzedo, and the star performer on that concert was Judy Loman. She is in her eighties, and she walked onto the stage with as much comfort and ease as if she were in her own harp studio at home.

One of the pieces she played was Salzedo’s Variations on a Theme in the Old Style. This is a monster piece, very long and very difficult. She told the audience how she first heard and fell in love with the piece when she was taking lessons with Salzedo in Maine in the summer as a young child - I think she was ten. As she was walking to her lessons, she heard this piece wafting from the windows of houses where other older harpists were practicing it. She asked Mr. Salzedo if she could learn it, and he told her she could learn it when she was fourteen years old. I believe he actually let her learn it when she was twelve. She said she still loves it and has been playing it ever since.

So here she was on stage, over seventy years later, playing the Variations for us. This wasn’t just brilliant playing for an eighty-something year old. Hers was just incredible playing. And here’s my point - she made it look so easy. Most of us harpists break a sweat when we play this piece. When we finish, we are mopping our brows and feel like we’ve run a marathon. But not Judy. It looked - and sounded- as easy for her as playing a simple little ditty. Every motion was just what it needed to be and nothing more. I’m not talking just about arm motions or raising. Her arms and hands were calm when she played. Hers is an efficient technique, one that allows her to play with security and strength and without extra energy. That kind of efficiency, that kind of stillness, is what we should all strive for in our technique, and it’s never more important to think about than now when the holiday frenzy is in full swing.

Today, we’ll talk about how you can add stillness to your harp playing right now in your technique, in your playing and in yourself. I have some simple tips that will help you feel more relaxed not just in the holidays but after the holidays too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Last chance to join our 12 Days of Harp Happiness
• Plan ahead for 2025 and register for our 2025 Getaway Retreat.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-186

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This is the time of year when, more than any other time, it pays to be an efficient harpist. Just what do I mean by efficient? There are lots of ways we can add more efficiency to our harping, for example, practicing more efficiently. But at the holiday time, efficiency takes on a different look.

At the holidays, we have more music we want to play, more places we want to play it, and less time to practice, let alone learn anything new. This is where a little creativity and some experimentation can help ease the crush and the rush. Specifically, I want to show you how creating variations from one piece of music can stretch your music without stretching your practice time.

Here’s a scenario that might sound familiar to you. You’ve been asked to play background music for a holiday luncheon. They want an hour of holiday music but you only have 30 minutes that you feel prepared to play. What do you do?

Well, you have several choices. You could learn new music, but you don’t have the time for that. You could turn down the engagement. Nope, don’t like that option. You could play everything twice. That’s a good idea, but you’re already playing four repetitions of “Good King Wenceslas” and another four might be pushing the limit. What if you could make those extra verses sound more interesting and creative? Now, there’s an idea, and that’s what I want to teach you today, how to create variations for your holiday carol. I’m talking real variations, not just playing the melody an octave higher.

The theme and variations form has been around for hundreds of years. It’s interesting to play and to hear. Plus, from a busy harpist’s perspective, it’s learning just one piece and getting loads of extra value from it, musical value and technique value too. We’re talking variations today, so grab a cup of coffee and we’ll get those creative juices flowing!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join 12 Days of Harp Happiness 2024
• See the “Mozart on the Housetop” PDF sheet music in our shop
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-185

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There are three ways we learn how to play the harp. The first and most obvious one is by doing. Playing and practicing is our “go to” method for learning. You can’t actually learn to play the harp without playing it.

When my son was about 12 or 13, he fell madly in love with football. There weren’t any teams he could play on at his school or in our community, so he had to be content with playing football video games. Not the same thing, of course. Even so, when he got to high school and finally had the opportunity to play on a real team, he was actually surprised to find out how different the game was when he was on a real field instead of a virtual one.

The second way we learn is by instruction, by having someone show us how to advance our skills or teach us new ones. In today’s world there are countless ways to get instruction: lessons, coachings, videos, online courses. But instruction can teach us more than how to get our fingers to obey our commands. For example, a music theory class can help us learn the elements of music like keys, harmony, melody, structure and form. That’s an important part of our harp playing too.

Today, though, we’re going to talk about the third way to learn to play the harp, and that’s through music itself. This is the part of learning that goes beyond the doing, beyond the fingers, notes and rhythm, to discovering how music communicates and learning how we can communicate it through our harp playing. This may be an advanced concept, but the methods we are learning today (going back to learning method two, instruction) are ones every harpist at every skill level can and should use. We are going to talk about how music can show you how to be more musical. If that sounds a little circular, don’t worry. I’ll sort it all out for you.

Our particular focus areas today will be two techniques that are extra challenging for harpists, more so than for other instrumentalists. We’re talking about legato and rubato, and we are going to be looking at them through the music of two pianist/composers, John Field and Frederic Chopin. Whether you’ve played their music or not, there is a lot for us all to learn from them, so get ready for some beautiful music and some ideas you can use to make your own playing more expressive and beautiful.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join our 12 Days of Harp Happiness 2025: Nocturne for a Midnight Clear
• Related resource Maybe Your Music ISN’T Romantic blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-184

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Are you feeling a little bit scattered or unsettled at the moment? It’s no wonder. Chaos is all around us in this crazy world, and there’s precious little we can do to fix it. But the chaos in our own personal harp world is something completely different. If you’re feeling any chaos or overwhelm about your harp playing, I have good news for you; this kind of chaos is something you can fix. Absolutely.

Even in a year when we aren’t bombarded on every side by messages of gloom and doom, these last few weeks of the year are hectic. In the midst of the holiday festive preparations and the holiday music preparation, we struggle to find focus. There have been times in the past when I have alternated between frantic practice sessions and times when I’ve tried to practice but ended up just sitting at the harp, unable to figure out what I should be practicing. There was so much I felt I should be doing, that finding the focus to actually do any of it was nearly impossible. Those were frustrating and demoralizing times, for sure.

Of course, that “too much to do and too little time to do it” feeling isn’t exclusive to the holidays, but today, as the holiday countdown is beginning, seemed like a good day to sort out the harp overwhelm so you can put these ideas for finding focus into action now. We’ll talk about the three kinds of overload - the overload we create, the overload we accept and the overload we imagine - and I’ll share how I deal with them. I also want to help you explore the most common “focus fiends,” the habits we think are helpful but are actually robbing us of our time, energy and yes, harp happiness. We’ll banish the sneaky “focus fiends” and start hanging out with some new “focus friends.”

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join our 2024 12 Days of Harp Happiness celebration!
• Related resource Giving Thanks Daily: A New Practice blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-183

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“What can I do to make my music more expressive?”

If I’ve been asked that question once, I’ve been asked it a thousand times. This isn’t a beginner question, either. It usually is a question of an intermediate level player. Once harpists achieve a fair level of technical competency, they have enough bandwidth to consider how to make their playing more musical. Until that point, it’s all about getting the right fingers on the right strings.

Naturally enough, most of us look to the dynamics to make our music more expressive. It’s a good plan. Following the dynamic markings that the composer has included allows us a glimpse of what the composer intended the music to be. Dynamics create differentiation in the music that helps a listener hear the intent of the music as well. And dynamics add variety so our music is more interesting. Dynamics are a great place to start if you’re ready to make your playing more expressive.

Usually, however, the harpists who ask me about making their music more expressive are already working at the dynamics. That’s why they’re asking the question; they aren’t sure why their music still doesn’t sound the way they want.

Today, I’m going to share my ideas on the techniques of musical expression that lie beyond the dynamics. I’m talking big picture concepts here, ideas that will, I hope, change the entire way you approach your music from practicing to performing it. These ideas are for every harpist at every level; beginners can use them and advanced harpists can always use a reminder about them.

Every piece, whether it’s super simple or virtuoso concert repertoire, can and should be played expressively and beautifully. It’s not about the number of notes you can play or the speed or facility of your fingers. It’s about finding the musical heart of what you play and not being afraid to put your own heart into it. Don’t let that scare you, though. I have some ultra-practical strategies for you that will help you make your music as expressive as you want it to be.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join me at our February Getaway retreat. Register today!
• Don’t miss our November Seminar Series, “On a Roll.”
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-182

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When you think of harp music, is there a characteristic harp sound that comes to mind, a musical gesture that belongs to the harp more than to any other instrument? A glissando, maybe? That’s certainly one of them, and a favorite of mine. Another one that I find very powerful and very harp-y is a rolled chord.

Harps were meant to play chords, especially rolled chords. They sound liquid and rich, even plummy. You can listen to an orchestral recording and when the harpist plays a rolled chord, you know it. It’s almost as if everything melts for a moment. If you want to check out some of those moments, just stick with me because we’ll be talking about a couple. But I also want to talk to you about how to make your rolled chords sound just that magical.

In my opinion, we often forget that our rolled chords play a significant role in our musical expression. I hear so many harpists playing their chords blocked or flat when the music clearly calls for a chord that’s more lush and romantic. In fact, this is one of my pet peeves and something I’m likely to go into a rant over given the opportunity. I’m not ashamed about this though. I felt totally vindicated when I was in a workshop given at the World Harp Congress by the famous French harpist Isabelle Perrin. She was talking about the opening chords of the Fauré Impromptu, and suddenly she was off on a rant just like mine. The frustration she expressed was that too many harpists play blocked chords all the time, when rolled chords would be infinitely more musical. She didn’t know it, but she was ranting to the choir, where I was concerned.

Rolled chords are part of the native language of the harp. Today I want to help you roll them well, to understand how to fit them in and most of all, how to use them to add expression to your music. We’ll explore the differences between flat, cracked and rolled chords. We’ll deal with some of the critical technical aspects of rolled chords, too. But mainly, I want you to learn how to love them and how to use them to create more depth of expression, more beauty in everything you play.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our November Seminar series on rolling chords is starting - join today!
• Related resource: Podcast episode #92, Quick Fix: Roll Your Chords Right
• Listen to Marilyn Costello with the Philadelphia Orchestra, playing Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherezade; the Pas de deux from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, and Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-181

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The sinking of the unsinkable Titanic still fascinates us all over a hundred years after the disaster. It’s the subject of all sorts of speculation and theories, and there’s one of those that is actually relevant to our topic today. The question is this: if the Titanic crew had performed all the safety drills they were supposed to, if there had been enough lifeboats and if the passengers had been drilled in lifeboat procedures, would so many have perished when the ship went down?

Some people have noted that a routine safety drill on the fateful Sunday morning was not held. This has been attributed to several factors including high winds and the morning church service on the ship. Even with that, however, there was only lifeboat accommodation for about half of the passengers and crew onboard. Was the ship thought to be so well-designed that safety preparedness could be relaxed?

Probably not. But the safety regulations for passenger ships that we have today came in part out of the hard lessons of the sinking of the Titanic. In fact, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was established in 1914 following the disaster, and mandated, among other things, that ships carry sufficient lifeboats for everyone onboard.

So what’s relevant in this story for us? If you’ve ever worked hard to make your piece bullet-proof or crash-proof or otherwise “unsinkable,” you may have been ignoring some of the important preparation to help not only prevent performance disaster, but to recover from it. When you’re preparing to play a piece, expecting that mistakes will happen and learning to recover from them is the most important part of your practice. You can hope that you won’t make any mistakes, but if you haven’t prepared for how to meet them if they happen, you’re playing a dangerous game. The icebergs are there and you may or may not hit them. But just as some emergency preparedness may have saved lives aboard the Titanic, your harp emergency preparedness could save your performance too.

On today’s show, we’ll explore the myths around mistakes, perfection, excellence and safe performance preparation procedures. There’s a lot for you to learn in this episode, so grab your cup of coffee and let’s get started. And - safety first! - don’t forget to buckle your seat belt!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• We’ve announced our November Seminar Series - join now!
• Related resource Perfection, Productivity and Performance blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-180

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A little while back, I did a podcast episode about the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and why I believe studying and playing that music is so important for harpists. If you want to go back and listen to that episode, it is Episode 154, and I will put a link to that episode in the show notes.

Understandably, after that podcast aired, I was asked why I was emphasizing the music of Bach who didn’t write anything that we know of for harp, when there are brilliant harp composers whose music we could study. I agree that studying music written for the harp is important for every harpist. But the music of Bach has been considered foundational for generations of music students, and it’s no less important for us harpists. In fact, it is precisely because Bach didn’t write for harp that we need to be extra-intentional about including his music in our studies.

There is a drawback, however. The difficulty factor of much of his music makes it inaccessible to beginning students, and beginning students, particularly adult beginners, could benefit so much from studying his music. So today, I have three goals. First, I’ll show you what you can learn, even as a beginner harpist, from Bach’s music and I’ll demonstrate how you can learn it. Second, I’ll share a practice page that you can use as a warm-up or for more practice on this material. And most importantly, in the course of our time together today, I want to help you connect with the beauty in Bach’s music. Even though he never wrote anything for harp, he surely did write music that is beautiful, even transcendent, when it’s played on the harp.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Download your free Bach Study Sheet PDF
• Related resource 3 Bach Pieces Every Harpist Should Know and Why podcast
• Get the Harp Mastery® app for iPhone and iPad
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-179

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There are plenty of things we can muscle through: fatigue, a headache, the last email, the last pot to wash, paying the bills. But we can’t muscle through harp playing, especially when it comes to our fingers. For all that we talk about strong fingers and considering how hard we work them, they and the bones, tendons and muscles that support them are relatively fragile. So when we talk about strengthening our fingers, we don’t want to do any more heavy lifting.

Today on the podcast, we are going to talk about how to train your weakest fingers to be stronger by training them the right way, gently.

What do we mean by saying a finger is weak? How do you know if a finger, or even more than one finger, is weak? Weak fingers can manifest themselves in one of four ways.

First, you may have knuckles that collapse or lock up. When this happens, your finger may feel like it gets stuck on the string or frozen; it won’t move when you want. Or it may play unevenly or unintentionally play more than one string at a time.

Second, it may not have the same tone or volume as the other fingers. It might be louder or softer. It can feel like the volume knob is broken.

Third, it may feel awkward or uncoordinated, compared to your other fingers. It may not place accurately. It may not play well in combination with other fingers.

Lastly, it may not be independent. Actually, lack of independence is at the heart of some of these other issues, too. When your fingers can function independently, they have good dynamic control and can play evenly and equally with the other fingers in whatever combination is called for. Clearly, this doesn’t mean that every time you stumble over a fingering, it’s because of weak fingers. More likely, you just have a new finger pattern to learn. But a finger that causes you to constantly accommodate it, is a weak finger. And today, you’re going to learn exactly what to do about it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get the Harp Mastery® app for iPhone and iPad.
• Related resource Strengthen Your Fourth Finger blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-178

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Do you have no sense of rhythm? Has someone told you that you have no sense of rhythm? Or do you sometimes wonder if you do?

Right off the bat, let me tell you that if someone said that to you, I know they are dead wrong. In the first place, I don’t believe that people can be so connected and drawn to music that they commit themselves to studying and learning an instrument for years without an innate sense of rhythm. Rhythm, like any other musical skill, is a subject that is studied intentionally in music schools. It’s not a topic that is merely left to chance with an “either you got it or you don’t” philosophy. The great Elvis Presley said, “Rhythm is something you either have or you don’t, but when you have it, you have it all over.” However, his meaning and our investigations into a sense of rhythm are somewhat different.

My point is that if you think you need to develop your sense of rhythm, you probably do; so do we all. A sense of rhythm is completely trainable. After all, we all live our entire lives with rhythm. Actually, we are rhythm - in our heartbeat, our pulse, our breath. Rhythm is as natural to us as breathing; in fact, it is breathing.

So why is it so hard? My observations have led me to the conclusion that although we have a sense of rhythm, we frequently don’t obey it. Even worse, we often actively ignore it. We actually choose not to play in rhythm. Our sense of rhythm is there; we just flip the switch and turn it off. It’s usually not intentional, and that’s the good news. All we have to do is find the switch to flip it back on, and it’s really not so difficult. All you have to do is believe and commit to one sentence, an attitude you need to adopt, at least for the duration of this podcast and, I hope, a lot longer.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get the Harp Mastery® app for iPhone and iPad.

• Related resource Your Metronome Speaks blog post

• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-177

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Ten years ago, I wrote a small book. It was my response to the frustration I observed some harpists experiencing. These harpists were diligent in their practice and dedicated to doing everything right. But they still weren’t able to play their music the way they wanted.

Some told me that they just couldn’t get the notes, the fingering and the placing correct. Others said they couldn’t get their music anywhere near an appropriate tempo. Some couldn’t look at their hands and the music at the same time. Others couldn’t make their music flow. And none of them seemed to be able to discover a solution to their problem.

I started asking harpists questions, in order to find out a little more about what the real source of each of the issues might be. What I discovered was that, although the symptoms manifested differently in each individual, there was really only one problem, one that all of them shared. No one had ever told them how to practice.

What I discovered in my own harp journey was that practice really wasn’t about what I thought it was. It isn’t enough just to play something over and over again until it’s right. The goal of practice isn’t perfection; it’s music. When your practice isn’t helping you make music, you can be pretty sure you’re doing it wrong.

The right kind of practice starts with the right kind of focus. I’m not talking about mindset or concentration. I’m talking about practicing for the results you want, the results that are more than the right notes, results like flow, expression and musicality.

That was the starting point for my book. Kaleidoscope Practice: Focus, Finish and Play the Way You’ve Always Wanted. I used the word focus to describe five focus areas which can serve to direct your practice so that you can actually play the music you start. I’d like to explain those focus areas to you today and give you some of my favorite practice tweaks that may revolutionize the way you think about your practice, the way they revolutionized mine.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get the Harp Mastery® app for iPhone and iPad.
• Check out the Kaleidoscope Practice ebook and PDF workbook, The Harpist’s Playbook in the Harp Mastery® shop.
• Related resource: Don’t practice for perfection! blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-176

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If I had to give the shortest possible explanation of what a daily harp warm-up is, it would be this: your warm-up is the prelude to your practice.

Why a prelude? A prelude is most often defined as a short piece of music intended to be an introduction to a longer one. It sometimes uses musical themes or ideas which appear in the larger work, but the prelude’s most important function is to set the scene, the mood or the tone for what follows.

That’s how I like to think about a warm-up. It sets the scene for your practice. It allows for a transition from your possible hectic daily non-harp life to a more calm and focused musical space. My warm-up, which I will tell you about later in the podcast, is a moment I truly treasure in my practice. It is also a temptation moment, which I will explain later too.

I’ve talked about warm-ups on the podcast before. Episode 98 was a mini masterclass on warm-ups. Episode 120 was about three important skills that your warm-up could help you strengthen. I have linked to those episodes in the show notes so you can find them easily.

But today, I want to talk about the warm-ups I recommend most often to my students and why I think they are so good. These may be warm-ups that you already use, and if that’s the case, I will give you some tips on how I think you can use them to your best advantage. If you have another warm-up that you like, these tips will help you get more out of that warm-up too.

As I mentioned, I will also tell you what I do to warm-up. It doesn’t fit the conventional mold, but it does fit the main purposes that I believe are most important for any warm-up. That’s really the point of this episode today, to show you a different way to look at your warm-up so that your prelude to your practice can save you time, build your skills and be one of your favorite parts of your practice too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for the Learn It Tonight webinar.
• Calling all iPhone and iPad users! Download our new Harp Mastery® App!
• Related podcast episodes: Warm-ups with a Focus and Make Your Warm-up a Triple
• Related resource Cool Down Properly: Your Best 5 Minutes of Practice blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-175

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If you’re like me, you probably hate it when people change the rules in the middle of the game. I don’t necessarily mean in an actual game; that’s clearly wrong. But there are always new and better ways of doing things that require us to make a total change in what we do. Brush your teeth up and down, or side to side or in a circular motion. Drink 6 glasses of water a day, or 8 glasses or 4. Eggs are bad for you; eggs are good for you. It’s hard to keep up.

Of course, these aren’t really rules at all. They’re just conventions, best practices which change in order to keep up with advances or new discoveries.

Your practice is the same way. The habits and strategies that worked so well for you at an earlier stage of your harp life may not be as effective for you now that you have more experience. If you cling to those habits, you will likely slow down your learning speed, spending unnecessary time and energy.

Today I will show you five habits, good ones, that may no longer be helping you. I am sure that you are committed to at least one of these five, and I want to help you move on to a new stage in your harp life. We won't just talk about the habits you should abandon, but we’ll talk about what new habits you should consider adopting to replace them.

Remember, a habit should be a helper, an aid to doing what we need or want to do. But a habit is only a hindrance when we are ready for a better way. That’s what I want to help you discover today, a better way.

Don’t think your practice habits need updating? If you’ve ever thought you could be learning music faster, or sight reading better or wished you had a stronger technique, then you’re ready for a refresh.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for my Learn It Tonight Webinar on Wednesday, September 25.
• Related resource 4 Harp Rules You Can Break blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-174

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Do you remember the story of Chicken Little?

This is a classic children’s story and like a lot of the classic stories there are multiple versions. The basic story goes something like this:

An acorn falls from a tree and hits Chicken Little on the head which leads Chicken Little to conclude, erroneously, that the sky is falling. He decides he has to hurry and let the king know about this calamity. Along the way, he collects some of his bird friends - Henny Penny, Lucky Ducky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey - who are similarly terrified by the idea of the sky falling and join him on his journey to see the king.

The classic story then comes to a climax in classic gruesome children’s story fashion. They meet up with Foxy Loxy who pretends to join them but actually lures them to his den and eats them.

I don’t think any of us are going to be eaten by Foxy Loxy today, but Chicken Little’s flurry of anxiety is not that different from what many harpists experience in their practice and performance. Chicken Little’s misperception of a perfectly natural phenomenon - the acorn falling - created widespread panic which could have been averted with just a little understanding. The panic, anxiety or even chaos that we can feel when we are overwhelmed by performance nerves or when we aren’t sure that our practice is getting us anywhere, can be relieved too. All it takes is looking at it differently.

Today, I’m going to talk about ten things that may be causing you anxiety, hopefully not panic, in your practicing and in your playing. I’ll give you simple ways to change your thinking about each of these, along with definite action steps to counteract the chaos. Trust me; no matter how nervous or overwhelmed you feel, the sky isn’t falling. Every one of those painful acorns could actually grow into a mighty oak that will support your playing, if you decide to plant it rather than run from it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Learn It Tonight: The Flower Duet free webinar
• Related resource Flux-ibility: Staying Focused Through the Next Wave blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-173

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We are the product of our influencers. The current wisdom says that if you want to know what a person is really like, look at their circle of friends. The thinking goes further to posit that if you want to elevate yourself, whether in your income, your fitness, your intellect or your spirituality, you need to associate with those who have the attributes you would like to develop. It’s not just that you adopt the habits and thoughts of the people you associate with; your brain patterns actually change.

In the 1950’s a Swarthmore College psychologist named Solomon Asch observed an interesting phenomenon. A group of volunteer subjects was asked to estimate the length of a straight black line drawn on a white card. Asch discovered that each person’s estimate was dependent on the estimation of everyone else in the group. People actually saw the line differently based on the opinion of the people with them.

Physiologically, the brain craves reward, which it receives when we have our own ideas or thoughts confirmed by the people around us. When our ideas are opposed to those around us, the pain center of the brain, the anterior insula, is activated.

We could choose to remain silent and not express our different ideas. Our brain, however, is wired to change our ideas to conform with those around us. A network formed of the anterior insula and the medial frontal cortex registers the difference between our ideas and those of others as an error and becomes active to try to eliminate the difference. Fascinating and a little scary. Our brain is more active in adjusting our choices and our attitudes than we are aware.

This is why it is so important to choose your circle of friends wisely. This is also why it is important to choose your circle of harp friends, and your harp role models, wisely.

Today, I will share the qualities that I think are important in a harp role model, starting with the qualities I admired in the harp role models I had early in my harp life and how they influenced me in ways I am only just beginning to realize. My hope is that this will help you discover more harp role models to inspire your harp life, and maybe even help you be a role model for other harpists yourself.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join a Harp Mastery® Retreat
• Related resource Do You Have a Harp Hero? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-172

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Do you think of yourself as creative?

From time to time, a harpist will tell me that she doesn’t feel she is very creative, at least not in a musical way. I instinctively challenge this, because I believe that anyone who persists in studying the harp for more than a few months is nurturing a gift and a desire that is, at its essence, creative. I also believe, though, that much of our practice and pedagogy shifts us away from the creative spirit. This is unfortunate, to say the least. We risk drowning our enthusiasm for the joy of creating music in the hard work that is part of studying it and learning to do it well.

There are endless ways to add more creativity into your harp playing. Certainly, musical expression is creative, but that’s just scratching the surface. I’ve linked in the show notes to a blog post in the Harp Mastery® archives that outlines just a couple ways to add creativity to your practice. But there are so many ways that the harp can not only be an outlet for our creativity, but can actually help our creativity develop. One of those ways is arranging music.

Today we are going to explore arranging music as a creative exercise. Maybe you’ve never tried arranging music, at least not beyond adapting a piano piece for the harp. Maybe you’ve arranged lots of pieces and even published your arrangements. Whichever group you fall into, the approach we are going to take today will help you stretch your creative powers in a logical step-by-step, but still creative, way. If that sounds like a contradiction in terms, it is, but that’s where the artistic process of music lies, at the intersection of intuition and intention.

If arranging sounds like something you’d like to do but haven’t tried because you’re not sure how to go about it, you’re going to love this simple step-by-step approach which will work with classical pieces, folk tunes, hymns, pop songs, any kind of music. If you’ve done arrangements before, you’ll find this approach may really simplify your creative process and give you some new ideas to try as well.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Mindset and Method workshops at the Harp Mastery® Fall Retreat! Register today!
• Related resource Practicing Outside the Box: 2 Ideas for Creative Practice blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-171

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I don’t know if you know this, but most Mondays I hold a live video call. I call it our Live Monday Warm-Up, and that’s how it started, as a simple warm-up for anyone who wanted to join me. But like most things, it has morphed over time and now it’s actually a warm-up and a mini-masterclass on harp technique.

I love these Monday calls and look forward to them each week, not just because I love to teach, but because I love to interact with the harpists that show up and participate with me. They are a pretty loyal group and I will take this opportunity to give them a shout out for showing up every week. You can join us any Monday you like. The calls are free and we stream them through the Harp Mastery® Hub and live on our YouTube channel.

On a recent Monday, though, the call went a completely different direction from what I had planned. We were going to practice fourth finger slides, but a chance comment in the chat started me off on a 25 minute discussion about performance nerves. It was an incredible discussion with many powerful ideas on that call, not just from me but also from the other harpists on the call, and I wanted to share the recording with you here on the podcast.

I’ve edited out the actual warm-up portion of the call, and please remember that this was a live call so you’ll hear me talking off the cuff, totally extemporaneously. You’ll also be able to tell how passionate I am about this topic, one that is absolutely vital to every harpist’s harp happiness.

You will definitely want a pen and paper to take notes, because there are lots of words of wisdom here, from me and from the others on the call. And I’ll be back at the end with some final thoughts for you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Want more on performance preparedness? Come to the Harp Mastery® Fall Retreat!
• Join us on the Live Monday Warm-Ups in the Hub or on YouTube.
• Related resource Lose the Lucky Socks: 3 Strategies for Performance Nerves blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-170

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Juggling. Patting your head and rubbing your tummy. Walking and chewing gum.

Coordination challenges come in all levels of difficulty. Playing hands together is another one, but it’s one that we harpists eventually get comfortable with. Your right hand does one thing and your left hand does another. For the most part, everything works out, until we encounter polyrhythm, that is.

What’s polyrhythm? The technical definition of polyrhythm is one of those dictionary definitions that cause more confusion than it clears up. According to the New Harvard Dictionary of Music, polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter. I warned you.

In terms that are probably more meaningful to you, 2 against 3 is an example of polyrhythm. In a general sense, it is two rhythms that don’t normally go together and that, as a consequence, present a rhythmic coordination problem when you try to play them. A group of two notes, as in two eighth notes, played with your right hand at the same time as your left hand plays an eighth note triplet is a very common example of what I’m talking about. And these rhythmic challenges crop up everywhere from the music of Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms to Chopin and Debussy to folk music.

So today, I’m going to help lower the difficulty factor of these rhythms for you. We’ll start with a perspective which may be a different one from the one you’re used to. Hint: it’s not all about the math. I’ll show you the best ways to practice them and how I think you shouldn’t practice them. If these rhythms always stop you in your tracks, we will try to clear the tracks and get you moving today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• February Retreat registration is now open!
• Related resource Why Counting Counts and Why You Should Be Counting blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-169

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Today I’m doing something different on the podcast.

I don’t usually talk about what’s happening in my life because this podcast is not all about me; it’s really all about you, me and our harp playing. That means I talk about what I think is important for you to be able to enjoy your harp playing at every step of your harp journey. But a few weeks ago, I participated in an event that reminded me about some essential truths, concepts that have made the difference for me in my journey, and which I think may make a difference in yours as well.

That event was the first, and likely the only, reunion of harpists who attended the Salzedo Summer Harp Colony in Camden, Maine. In terms of numbers, the alumni who attended the event represented a small fraction of the harpists who studied there between its founding in 1931 and the early 2000’s when the program ended. But for those of us who were there, the reunion was an event like no other.

So today, I want to tell you a little about the Colony itself, about what studying there was like, about the impact it had on me as a young student and most, importantly, the powerful lessons I learned - or perhaps relearned is a better word - at the reunion. These lessons aren’t exclusive to classical music harp players or those who use the Salzedo technique; they are for us all. And I guarantee you will enjoy learning a little about this unique harp experience, one that no longer exists and will never be replicated.

I would like to also state clearly that although I am no spring chicken, I never studied with Carlos Salzedo. I did study with his pupils for almost all of my harp life, including my summers in Camden. I just wanted to be clear about that in case you try to put a timeline together in your head as you listen.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Attention teachers! Register now for our Teacher Accreditation Course!
• Link to the Salzedo Harp Colony Reunion article in the Penobscot Bay Pilot.
• Related resource Rejecting Perfection blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-168

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Right now, I’m in a tug-of-war with myself.

Usually, I’m all about helping my students and pushing myself to set goals, to find the next level, to discover more harp happiness through progress and growth. But it’s summertime, and I’m facing a tough choice between leveling up or lazing in the sun. I will admit that sometimes the sun wins.

This struggle isn’t just a summertime struggle, though. In our harp playing, we are continually caught between two opposing ideas: to achieve and accomplish or to simply enjoy. It’s not just about lazing in the sun. It’s really the conflict between the two ways we approach the harp each day. Do we practice? Or do we play?

Ideally, of course, we do both. Playing the harp means exactly that - playing music. Practicing the harp includes all the woodshedding, the repetition, the struggle to clean up notes and fingers and rhythms and make our playing (note that word again!) the best it can be. In a perfect world, our practice would be balanced between the two, with both in fair, if not exactly equal, measure.

This idea of harp balance is one that I like to revisit from time to time. It helps me keep or maybe regain my perspective. Am I doing enough in-depth work, or too much, or not enough? Mostly, it helps me remember why I am sitting at the harp in the first place, because I love to play the harp. That’s what underlies every moment I spend improving my technique, or drilling a few tricky measures, or memorizing a piece for a recital. It’s the motivation for my teaching and even for this podcast. I know you love playing the harp and I want to help you continue to love it.

So that’s what we are going to dive into today, how to regain your harp playing balance. We’ll talk about how the various parts of your playing and practice fit together. And I’ll share how to make sure that your harp playing goals don’t get in the way of your harp playing contentment.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Coaching Registration opens soon. Join the First to Know list today!
• Related resource The Pursuit of Mastery blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-167

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Many harpists can remember the first time they saw someone play the harp. The harp itself looked magnificent: tall, majestic, maybe gold. The harpist might have looked magnificent too, maybe a lovely lady in a flowing gown. The harp and the harpist together made an impressive picture. No wonder people want to play the harp. More than any other instrument, the harp is decorative. It makes a visual statement just sitting in a corner. And when it speaks, it’s magic.

We can all agree on that much. But there’s more to a harpist’s appearance than just sitting behind the harp in beautiful clothes. There’s a more important visual aspect to playing the harp, one that draws a lot more debate, and that is what we look like when we play. I’m not talking about any funny faces we might make. I’m talking about how we gesture with our arms.

To an audience, harp gestures look graceful. We harpists know, though, that there is musical purpose behind them. While different harp playing methods have varying ideas about the look of harp gestures, most agree about their importance to our playing. And while they look lovely, those gestures aren’t easy. They are awkward to practice and they feel unnatural at first.

Today, I’ll talk about how to make your harp gestures graceful and musical. We’ll review how to practice them and why you should. Trust me, you absolutely should. It doesn’t matter what harp method may be in your background, the basic principles are the same. And if you’ve always felt just a little awkward or self-conscious trying to be graceful at the harp, this discussion should make you feel a lot more comfortable.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Just for teachers! Register for my new Teacher Accreditation Course on August 10th!
• Related resource Rich, Warm, Round: How to Create Your Sensational Harp Sound blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-166

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I was googling around the internet the other day when I ran into an article that began with this question: “I have completely different fingerprint patterns on both hands. On my right, each finger has a very distinct and similar loop pattern. But on my left hand each finger has a distinct whorl pattern. Why does this happen?” According to the article, there is not a definitive scientific answer for this, but the question still intrigues me, particularly in light of our topic for today.

In harp playing, our right and left hands have very distinctive roles, at least most of the time. Our right hand usually plays melody while our left hand plays an accompaniment. Most of the time, the melody that our right hand plays is made up of connected notes. Our fingers need to place from one note to the next to make the melody sound singing and smooth.

Our left hand accompaniment, though, is often made up of chords and low notes, so that our hand needs to lift to negotiate the necessary jumps between octaves. Our hands may be playing the same harp, but they’re doing very different things.

Usually it’s our right hand that gets the spotlight, but today we are going to focus on the left hand. I want to walk you through the technical details of some of the most important patterns the left hand plays, as well as help you prepare your left hand for those moments when it gets the spotlight. These five key techniques will help your left hand be ready for anything that comes its way.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Just for teachers! Enroll in our 1-Day Teacher Accreditation Seminar
• Free PDF Left Hand Techniques Practice Sheet
• Related resource 3 Strategies for Left Hand Fluency blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-165

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I love riddles. Here’s an oldie but goodie for you. What’s the best way to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

So what’s the best way to learn a piece? One bite at a time, obviously. It’s just that what constitutes a bite isn’t very obvious. How big is a bite? Is it a measure, a phrase or a page? Is it hands separately or hands together? And how come the bites that worked for that piece don’t work for this piece?

Dividing your pieces into sections is the way you create your “bites,” but there are lots of ways to section a piece, and no two pieces will have exactly the same sections.

Sometimes finding the sections is easy. We can look at the piece and see an introduction, a first verse, a second verse and an ending. Those are the kind of sections that help us understand the piece.

Then there are the sections that help us practice the piece. These are typically fewer measures and a little more bite-sized, if you will.

Lastly, there are the spot practice sections, those measures in the piece that are sticking points for us and take extra work.

Of course, it isn’t just about labeling the sections. Understanding how to section your pieces at those three levels, why each of those is important, and how to practice each kind of section will make the difference. Correct section practice will save you practice time, help you structure your practice and help you prepare for performance. Many of the most common mistakes we worry about in performance, like losing your place in the music, recovering from a missed fingering or pedal, and going on autopilot, are easily resolved when you’ve prepared your piece in sections properly.

That’s why I know that sections can supercharge your practice, and that’s what we’re talking about today. So grab paper and pencil and get ready to take some notes. Even if you’re an experienced section practicer, you’re going to get a slightly different perspective on your sections today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Be the first to know. Join the Harp Mastery® Hub.
• Enjoy some Fall Freedom Florida-style at our Fall Retreat. Learn more here.
• Podcast Episode 107: A Cure For The Spots: How To Solve Those Problem Measures
• Related resource No More Memorization Mistakes blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-164

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In my family, my grandmother’s sister was pretty much our favorite aunt. Aunt Dolie was sweet and generous, although she never had very much of her own and worked very hard all her life for what she did have. She was a gentle soul and totally without worldly savvy. She lacked a lot of practical knowledge, what we would call “know-how,” But that didn’t mean she was without courage. Hence, this family legend I am about to relate to you.

When Aunt Dolie was in her fifties, she decided she wanted to learn how to drive. As a city person, she had always used public transportation or relied on my grandparents for rides to the store or to the doctors. My grandfather helped her find a driving instructor. He knew that teaching her himself would likely push his patience past the breaking point.

The driving instructor showed up for Aunt Dolie’s first driving lesson. They successfully navigated the difficulties of starting the car and pulling away from the curb. The instructor made sure she stopped at the stop sign at the corner, told her to signal for a right turn and then turn the corner. Aunt Dolie hesitated and asked him, “How many times do I turn the wheel?” At that moment, it became clear to the instructor that she would never become a confident or even a safe driver. It was her last driving lesson and her last attempt at driving.

So what’s the point of this story for us? I am often asked a question that is just as difficult to answer. Fortunately, though, if it’s a question you have had - and most of us have wondered about this sometime - just asking the question doesn’t mean you have to give up harp playing, the way my aunt had to give up the idea of driving. The question is this: how many times should I repeat a passage or a piece in my practice?

It’s a good question, even if it doesn’t have an easy answer. The key lies in understanding what repetition can and can’t do for you. We’ll talk about how to avoid repetition burnout as well as how to be efficient with the repetitions that you really must do in order to play with accuracy and security. Can I give you a magic number? Nope. But I will show you how to find a number that works for you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Plan your autumn harp happiness now. Sign up for the October Harp Mastery® Retreat.
• Related resource Repeat Ad Nauseam: Why You Aren't Finishing Your Pieces blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-163

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I rarely have guests on the podcast, but today I’m so happy to be sharing the show with my dear friend and my former student turned colleague, harpist Candace Lark, If you’re a My Harp Mastery member or in our coaching program, you will already know and love Candace, because she is one of our Certified Coaches and helped me to found our Harp Quest program for young student harpists. But if you haven’t had the chance to meet her yet, you are in for a treat.

Candace isn’t only an extremely busy professional harpist, playing with all kinds of ensembles and in all kinds of venues (spoiler alert: she’ll tell us later about playing at Will Smith’s house), but she has another aspect to her musical life as well. Utilizing her years of performing and teaching experience, she created an online business called The Happy Musician Coaching. Her coaching helps musicians, not just harpists, create and meet specific goals while cultivating a mindset for musical success. That’s what we will be talking about today, success, specifically being successful as a gigging harpist by avoiding some of the career-ending pitfalls and mistakes. Let’s face it; sometimes knowing what NOT TO do is even more important than knowing what TO do.

If you’re an experienced harpist who’s played a lot of performances, you will find a lot of our conversation will resonate with you, and you will find some new ideas to help you make your gigging life easier. If you’re just starting out, Candace’s tips will save you tons of frustration and anxiety. And if you’ve never played a gig because you aren’t sure how the whole thing works, trust me, you absolutely need to hear this.

Be sure to listen to the entire interview, because at the end, Candace has a couple of great resources just for our podcast listeners.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Download Candace’s Happy Musician Workbook, free for podcast listeners!
• Special for podcast listeners! get 50% off a Contract Consultation with Candace when you use the code HARPMASTERY24 (all caps)
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-0162

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They say that only two things in life are certain, death and taxes. But if you’re a harpist you know there is a third certainty; at some point, often at the wrong point, you’re going to break a string.

I remember one performance with my flutist friend Joan when one of my high strings broke as I played it at the end of a glissando near the end of the piece we were playing. When we had finished the piece, I began to change the string while she joked with the audience that the string had broken on time and in tune. We had been playing concerts together for years at that point so she also gave the harp talk to the audience while I finished changing and tuning the string.

Not all string breakage is so convenient, of course. A few years ago, I was playing a big flashy solo piece as part of a program with various performers. The piece was Salzedo’s “Variations on a Theme in the Old Style,” The piece is in G Major and it’s about 12 minutes long. I was less than a minute into the piece when I broke the last string I would have expected to break, the lowest wire G string on the harp. In many pieces, that wouldn’t have been an issue, but this string was part of every variation from beginning to end, and in fact, was in the last chord of the piece. It was critical.

Two thoughts flashed simultaneously through my mind. First, I’m going to have to stop and fix this string. Second, I had not only broken a string, but I had broken the most important rule for any harpist playing anywhere. Instead of having all my strings with me backstage, I had left my wire string set in my car which was in the parking garage a couple of blocks away. Not good.

While a broken string is a fact of every harpist’s life, it doesn’t have to be a disaster, even in a performance, as long as you have the right replacement string and you know how to tie the all-important knot. On today’s show, we’ll review string care, string storage, the different kinds of strings and which to choose for your harp, and I’ll even give you some knot-tying tips. All of these are really important as we here in the northern hemisphere come into high summer, which is a season of high string breakage.

But how did I resolve my broken string dilemma? Here’s a hint: it was solved in a most surprising and simple way and without running to the parking garage. I’ll tell you the whole story later in the show. As they say, stay tuned!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Plan ahead for some focused harp time. Register for the Fall Retreat
• Related resource What’s Your SPF- String Protection Formula? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-161

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Maybe you’ve noticed or maybe you haven’t, but these podcasts are organized into three different categories. One category is “Practice and Performing” and another is “Music and Meaning.” The third category is “Technique and Musicianship.” Technique is one of those self-explanatory items, but musicianship probably needs a little more description.

A common dictionary definition of musicianship is “the skill or artistry involved in performing music.” Other definitions include the word “knowledge” along with skill and artistry. Musicianship as a category is so broad that it actually encompasses everything about playing music except for technique, although technique obviously has a role to play in musicianship as well.

I like to define musicianship as the craft of music. It is the part of playing music that is common to musicians whatever instrument they play, or whether they sing or compose. For us harpists, it’s everything about music that is not specifically related to the harp. It’s note reading and music theory, rhythm and expression, music history and interpretation. There is so much to musicianship that it can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin to start developing your personal musicianship skills?

For our discussion today, I want to start with two important ideas. First, you already have a level of musicianship skills. You’re not starting from scratch. Developing your musicianship is a process, just like developing your repertoire or your technique.

And secondly, I want to offer a new way to consider musicianship. It’s a slightly different perspective, one we will work with today that will help you identify specific things you can do and are already doing to become the musician - and harpist - you want to be.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Hub to access our Live Monday Warm-Ups.
• Related resource One Book, 10 Ways to Become a Better Musician blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-160

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At one of our Harp Mastery® retreats several years ago. I presented a workshop called “Learn Anything Fast.” That sounds like a pretty ambitious topic, and I imagine that some of the retreaters were a little skeptical. After all, learning a piece of music takes time. But my point in that workshop was this: does it have to take as much time as it’s taking you now?

There’s no golden rule about how long it should take you to learn a piece. That’s something students would often love to know, and it would be wonderful if each piece came with a guarantee, like all those infomercials have: Learn this piece in 30 days or your money back!

There is no “30 day guarantee” for a piece, because each harpist approaches each piece with a different set of individual skills and strengths. Each piece requires specific skills, either technical skills or musicianship skills or both. How long it takes you to learn a piece is a combination of the demands of the piece, your own skill development relative to those demands and the systems or learning habits you bring to the piece. That’s where I think we can make big changes, the kind of changes that could drastically shorten your learning timeline for any piece.

So on today's show, we are going to look at what exactly goes into learning a piece, skills you already have in your pocket that can help you learn that piece faster, and I’ll give you some tips to tweak your learning system so you can leapfrog ahead and start playing that piece sooner. In one day? Maybe. Let’s find out.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our next Harp Mastery® retreat is in Kissimmee, Florida from October 9 to October 13. Learn more and reserve your spot here.
• Related resource Practicing Differently: 4 Steps to Faster Learning blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-159

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In a world of sticky notes, Gorilla Glue and tape that can hold a leaky boat together, why can’t we make a piece of music stick in our fingers?

Does this sound familiar? We sit down at the harp on Monday with fresh spirit and energy and we dig into the music we want to learn. Tuesday we repeat the process, feeling very virtuous. On Wednesday, we are a little disappointed that we don’t see any progress from our practice. Thursday, we decide that it just needs a little more effort. On Friday, it seems like our fingers have forgotten everything we’ve been trying to teach them, so we take the rest of the weekend off and hope that next week will be better.

And if we’re trying to memorize a piece, it can feel even more frustrating. It takes so long to see any progress. Our music just doesn’t seem to stick.

We can put the blame in lots of places: the music is hard, we don’t have enough practice time, we’re too distracted to focus, we’re too old. Any of those things could be contributing factors. However, there are three important components in stickiness. One of them we understand; one of them we reluctantly accept. And the last one is the one I want to talk about today.

The three factors are time, persistence, which I am going to call pushy patience, and observation, which I want you to think about as active understanding. The three of these factors together will make your music sticky whether you are memorizing it or not. They aren’t hard to understand in a theoretical sense, but you’ll want to hear the practice strategies I use to help my music stick, so that yours will stick too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Chorale Challenge is wrapping up! Send in your entry by posting it in the Week 5 Challenge Post in the Hub or emailing it to amy@harpmastery.com.
• Related resource The Case for Memorization: Why It Matters More Than You Think blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-158

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I was going through some old music the other day and came across a notation that made me smile. It was written in my best elementary school cursive script and read, “Thumbelina’s having trouble with her thumb.” I don’t even remember what piece of music it was on, but it could have been on just about any one. I always had trouble with my thumbs. In fact, most of my music has the words “Thumbs up” in my teacher’s handwriting somewhere on the page.

I am double jointed, not to any circus freak level but in the more or less usual way. My thumbs bend backwards at the first knuckle. It’s not a big deal, not unless you’re a harpist, that is. It took me until I was sixteen to finally learn how to control my thumbs and have them play properly.

What I learned in the process was exactly how crucial our thumbs are for our harp playing. Our thumbs actually have the ability to free our fingers to be relaxed and supple; used another way, our thumbs can just about immobilize our hands. They can play ringing melody notes or trip us up in a scale. A simple repositioning of your thumb can make all your other fingers sound better.

So we are all thumbs, or maybe it would be better to say, everything you need to know about your thumb, on the podcast today. We’ll talk about how the position of your thumb affects the rest of your fingers and how a “long and strong” thumb can make everything you play a little easier and a lot prettier. And I’ll share 10 things you need to know about how your thumb works and how to make it work better.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the My Harp Mastery community today. Watch our Unveiling Party video on YouTube to check out our new website.
• Related resource: Beautiful Thumbs or All Thumbs? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-157

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Are you a free spirit, a rebel? Or maybe you just hate being told what to do?

I have to admit that sometimes one or more of those labels fits me. Most of the time I toe the line but there are moments when I just don’t want to do the thing I know I should do. Now I’m not talking about anything illegal, immoral or dangerous. It’s more like sometimes I just don’t feel like practicing. Or maybe I’d rather play the new piece of music I just bought instead of slogging through those four measures that are giving me so much grief. Going over and over those four measures doesn’t feel like making beautiful music. It doesn’t feel creative, and even though it may make me feel a little virtuous when I’m finished, it doesn’t always bring me joy in the moment.

Because playing the harp is not only as important to me as breathing but it’s my job, I know I need to buckle down and do the important work, and so I do. But that doesn’t mean that I have to shut my more creative side in a box somewhere. It does mean finding ways to nurture my more artistic side, feed those creative impulses and get my work done too.

I’ve worked with students who struggle with trying to tame their own free, creative spirits and most of the time, trying to tame it doesn’t work. Creativity shouldn’t be, and truly isn’t, a force that hinders your practice. It can fuel your practice, helping you make progress faster at the same time that you’re enjoying it more. So if you’re one of those free spirits who resists having a practice plan, or just has trouble sticking to one, I’m here to help. I want to help you get a new perspective on what your practice could be like if it didn’t feel so much like homework and not like making music. This is also going to help those of you who battle shiny object syndrome and have stacks of music you’ve bought because you heard it and wanted to play it NOW. (Actually, I have to admit I fit into this category myself.) And if you are on the other side of the fence and the practice plan is no problem for you, but you’re not sure how to feel more creative, you’re going to find some interesting ideas in this show too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Come to our Unveiling Party for the new My Harp Mastery website! Join us live in the Harp Mastery® Hub or on YouTube on Friday, May 17, 2024 at 11:00 AM Eastern time.
• Related resource Music Practice for the Free Spirit blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-156

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Have you ever had one of those moments when you wonder if you’ve been doing it all wrong? It might be something you have taken for granted, a habit maybe, or a process, something you thought was the perfect system. You always have done it that way, but suddenly you have a moment of doubt. Maybe it felt like a blinding flash of clarity; the clouds part and suddenly you see the thing in a new light. But just as quickly that clarity fades, and you are left with a nagging feeling that you’re missing something important.

Maybe it’s just me. But I don’t think so. I think we all encounter things that we thought were working, until we see that maybe they aren’t.

I think that many of us actually feel that way about our harp technique. We go along just fine for a while and then we hit a wall. There’s a piece or a performance that shakes things up and all of a sudden our technique doesn’t seem so trustworthy any more. We need to strengthen it, to sharpen our skills, maybe even rethink our technique altogether.

I think that’s the right time to take a step back and look at what we really want from our technique. I’m not just talking about playing faster or with more control or having fingers that work better under pressure. Of course, we want all that. But at the most fundamental level, we don’t want a stronger, more reliable technique itself. We want what that technique will do for us. We want our fingers to make beautiful music.

So today, we’re going to talk about technique a little differently. We are going to look at what our technique should do for us and then look at any changes we might want to make to our technique through that lens. And I have a new way to consider this, with the three s’s. I’ll give you some practice ideas too, and I promise - no exercises today!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Chorale Challenge and Contest in the Harp Mastery® Hub!
• Related resource Three Disciplines of a Trustworthy Technique blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-155

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Johann Sebastian Bach is a name every musician knows. He is revered as a composer whose music defined musical practices in the Baroque era and whose compositions still influence music and musicians today. Learning about his music and learning to play his music is required study for any music major.

But we harpists do feel a little neglected. We play one of the instruments that Bach did not write any music for. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from borrowing extensively from his keyboard music, his violin and cello sonatas and partitas and his lute music. Much of Bach’s music is well-suited to the harp with rippling scale passages or rich chords.

My first in-depth encounters with Bach’s music were in my piano lessons when I was about 12 years old. My teacher was insistent about how the preludes and inventions I was studying should be played: how long each note should be, how the music was made up of melodies played together, or how the harmonies moved in progression. It was my first exposure to the real building blocks of music, besides simple key signatures and chords. Somehow Bach’s music seemed to define and explain much of the rest of the music I encountered.

In my studies in college, at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, I learned much more about the inner workings of Bach’s compositions and the lasting impact it has had, not just in terms of the wealth of beautiful music he wrote, but also in the effects his music had on every composer since his time.

What I want to share with you today is not simply how learning more about Bach will make you a better harpist and all-around musician, but specifically how three familiar pieces by Bach can work together to help you improve your finger agility and evenness, your chords, your melodic flow, and your understanding of a couple of key musical concepts. You probably already know and play at least one of these pieces, and possibly all three. What I want you to come away with today is a new understanding of how these pieces are constructed and how to use this information to become an even better harpist.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Fall Retreat registration is open now.
• Related Resource: Podcast Episode 109 Why Other Musicians Study Bach and Why You Should Too
• Related resource Bach and My Friend Edward Aldwell blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-154

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Today’s podcast is all about tempo, and I have to start by saying that tempo is a funny thing. We define it with numbers or with the familiar Italian words, or less familiar French or German ones, and it still seems elusive.

Much of the time we try to pin a piece of music down to a number, a mathematically precise ratio of beats per minute. Perhaps the composer put it there as a guide for the performer. Perhaps it was added by an editor, an arranger, or a teacher. But it still doesn’t necessarily satisfy us. In fact, everything about this feels wrong. How is it possible to limit a piece of music, a creation that lives in a single moment, to one number?

I remember reading the liner notes to a CD recording by legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein. This recording was made toward the end of his life. He was already in his 90’s, but the producers of this recording wanted to preserve Rubinstein’s interpretations of piano masterworks for generations to come who would not have heard him. The producer writes in the liner notes how he was moved to tears by Rubinstein’s performance in the recording studio of the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. He felt he had witnessed a definitive performance.

The next morning, however, Rubinstein returned to the studio for that day’s recording session and asked to re-record the Beethoven, saying it was too slow. The change in tempo was apparently barely discernible, if at all, to a listener, but it made a difference to Rubinstein.

What made the tempo difference important to Rubinstein? Clearly it wasn’t the metronome mark. Beethoven didn’t include one; the movement is only marked “Adagio sostenuto” and so a range of speeds would seem to be allowable. So from this we can conclude that tempo is more than a metronome marking. But what is it and how do we know what tempo is right or wrong?

Do we have to play a piece at the metronome marking, particularly if we can’t play it at that speed or we don’t think it sounds right at that speed? What do we do if there is no metronome marking? How do we know how fast or slow the piece should go? With so many recordings available to us, it is clear that harpists can play the same piece at very different speeds. Does that make some of the performances correct and the others not correct?

Okay, I just threw a bunch of difficult questions at you, but you don’t have to come up with the answers; that’s my job. I think it’s important, though, that you have a clear idea of what the parameters are for finding your tempo for a piece, a tempo that you can play that sounds appropriate for the piece. In fact, that’s the secret right there. But I have lots more ideas and practical advice for you on this topic so don’t go anywhere.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Harp Mastery® Fall Retreat registration is open now!
• Related resource Tempo is Not a Number blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-153

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When I was preparing for this week’s show, I couldn’t help being reminded of a couple of tired old jokes.

Patient: Doctor, it hurts when I do this. Doctor: Then don’t do that.

And,

Patient: Doctor, it hurts and I don’t know what’s wrong.Doctor: Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

When we’re thinking about our harp lessons, we may sometimes think of it like a doctor-patient relationship. Something is wrong with our playing and we want to get it fixed. Give me the prescription and let me go home.

Or we may think of our lessons in a less transactional, more relationship based-way. Our teacher isn’t just our expert harp guide but our friend as well. We look forward to our lessons as a time to reconnect with our harp and with our teacher too.

While both of those scenarios may be accurate to some extent, neither one truly describes what a music lesson is or should be. If our lessons are transactional - just give me the scrip, doc - we’re missing out on the deeper experience and knowledge our teacher can offer us. If our lessons are mainly relational, we may find ourselves meandering through a succession of pieces and wondering if we’re really making progress. Fortunately, most teacher-student interactions have a little of the best of each of those scenarios, plus a whole lot more beneficial instruction and guidance.

But all that can sour quickly if you have a bad lesson. That’s what we’re going to discuss today.

First, let me say that I don’t like the term “bad lesson.” Oh, yes, I had plenty of them in my student days, the kind of lesson that would leave me in tears, frustrated, angry and wanting to quit the harp. From the perspective I have now, though, with decades of teaching experience, I can see that most of those bad lessons were the best learning opportunities. They were the times when my teacher’s expertise and guidance made the most difference for me. They were the lessons that taught me the most about harp playing and being a harpist. I simply didn’t have the perspective at the time to understand it.

I believe adult students bring a more sophisticated and mature viewpoint to their lessons and usually, so-called “bad lessons” aren't an issue. But they still happen. Occasionally you have a lesson that leaves you feeling demoralized or frustrated, and that’s what I want to talk about. I want to help you sort out the facts from the feelings, help you set clear expectations for your lesson outcomes, and give you my not-so-secret tips for preparing for a lesson so you know every lesson will be a good one. And I won’t ignore those bad lessons; I’ll share my best pep talk with you too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Certified Coaching registration is open. Find out more and register here.
• Related resource Never Have a Bad Lesson Again blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-152

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It’s high time I got up on my soapbox. It’s not often I do a rant on the podcast, but there’s an issue that has me so fired up that I had to talk about it with you.

I believe it’s the result of how we are learning now. There are so many opportunities to learn online, everything from individual live lessons to Youtube videos to video courses to coaching to online masterclasses. And before you mention it, yes, I am obviously a contributor to those online learning opportunities, which makes me part of the problem. I’d rather be part of the solution. Hence, the reason for today’s rant.

You may have heard me talk about the leveling up involved in playing four-finger chords if you’ve been playing mostly three-finger chords. I’m not changing my opinion on that.

But recently I’ve seen that the main stumbling block for many students isn’t just the addition of one more note to the chord. It’s actually more about the way their technique has developed. Their entire technical approach, particularly in the right hand, is based on playing three-finger chords. This means that when they begin to play four-finger chords, their entire technique must change. And with so much learning happening online, particularly without the personal attention of an experienced teacher, harp students don’t know they’re doing anything wrong.

I’ve also very recently come across some hand injuries that could be attributed to the development of a three-finger technique. This is the part that has finally pushed me to think about this topic in a more comprehensive way.

In short, a technique based on three-finger playing can:

• Impede your technical progress, especially if you are an intermediate level player.
• Cause stress from incorrect technique which could lead to injury.
• Prevent you from learning more advanced music.

That sounds to me like a good reason for a rant!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• You’re invited to my special Live Monday Warm-Up on Four Finger Techniques on Monday, April 22nd at 11 AM Eastern. Join me in the Harp Mastery® Hub or watch on Youtube.
• Related resource How to Play Four Note Chords Without Finger Fumbles blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-151

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This podcast episode goes live on April Fool’s Day, and I probably couldn’t have picked a more appropriate day to release it. I didn’t do it on purpose, but today’s topic lines up very nicely with April Fool's. It’s about the fool’s game of self-criticism.

I think the most dangerous pitfall for harpists, or for any musician, doesn’t have to do with performance nerves or losing your place or not having a strong technique or being able to sight read. I think it is being overly or inappropriately critical of our efforts.

Now before you say that you are skilled at keeping your perspective and you don’t let your drive to achieve lead to frustration, I want you to stop and really think. I run across harpists every day, every time I teach a webinar or an intensive, who describe themselves as perfectionists. Most of these harpists know that their perfectionism is slowing them down, possibly even preventing them from enjoying their playing or sharing it with others. Maybe that sounds familiar to you.

Other harpists get caught up in the “shoulds;” I should be playing this piece or working on these skills. Maybe that much is true, but when they start telling themselves they should be better than they are by now, they’ve started down the slippery slope.

Even if this kind of negativity isn’t a regular part of your harp life, it still may show up from time to time and cause you to doubt your skills, your musicality or even if you should keep playing the harp at all. Obviously, that’s not a good thing.

So today, I’m going to discuss self-criticism, how it shows up in our practice and our playing. No more fool’s game, playing around with criticism and calling it “constructive.” We will reframe the way you talk to yourself so you can keep the negativity at bay. Plus, I will give you some strategies that will help you combat it so you can keep your outlook growth-oriented and positive, even when things aren’t going the way you want.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• New Hub Challenge for April: Every Day’s a Play Day
• Related resource Healthy Practice for Harpists: Nourish Your Body, Mind and Music blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-150

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We harpists take our finger placement seriously. Getting the right fingers on the right strings at the right time is paramount. One misplaced finger and a whole passage can go wobbly.

One of the quotes of Johann Sebastian Bach that comes to my mind at this moment is this one: “It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.”

Bach was known for his sense of humor and so, without knowing the context for the quote, I like to think that this was not intended to downplay the difficulty of playing an instrument but was more tongue in cheek. But it’s still a little depressing.

Our physical connection to the harp strings is key, not just for playing the right notes, but for our speed, our tone, our range of expression, our relaxation, even our confidence. When our fingers are too loosely placed on the strings, they can slide up or down or even off the string. This makes for uneven rhythms, a weak sound and inconsistency. Of course, if we grip too hard, we end up with too much tension to play well.

I’ve often wished for magical mini-magnets that would stick my fingers to the right strings at the right time so I could play without concern, almost carefree. But I had wonderful teachers who taught me that I didn’t need magic magnets; I just needed to make my placing stick.

That’s our topic for today’s show, sticky placing. If you’ve never thought about your placing as being sticky or otherwise, you’re going to find this discussion interesting and probably very enlightening. I’ll talk about what sticky placing is (other than a term I think I made up), what it can help you with and how to practice it. The practice techniques may even be ones you’ve heard of and not used because you didn’t see the point. I hope to change all that for you today, so stay tuned.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Hub Challenge wraps up this week. Finish strong!
• Related resource 5 Finger Foibles - Fix Them Now! blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-149

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Call me crazy if you want. I know your ideal day might be a day at the spa, or sitting on the beach with a good book, or going for a hike in the mountains. Although those all sound good to me, my ideal day - or at least one of my ideal days - would be a day when I could practice all day. A day when I only had to practice would be a true luxury for me. That's really not that crazy. I think a lot of harpists would feel that way. Maybe you would too.

Of course, the reality is that most of us are too busy most of the time for that ideal practice day. Usually we are sandwiching practice in between the other parts of our lives and often our harp playing ends up taking a back seat to tasks that are more urgent or the care we give to others. And when we do have time to practice, we don’t feel that we have time to get to everything on our practice list.

It’s not uncommon to feel a little frustrated that we can’t spend the time we would like to with the harp. We sense that our progress is hampered by a lack of consistency or time. On the flip side, too much practice can actually be physically damaging, but it still would be nice to have an uninterrupted hour to really focus on our work or even just enjoy playing.

The solution seems to be to use the time we have, to practice in those small chunks of time in between other tasks or obligations. Achieving focus and getting something accomplished in fifteen or twenty minutes isn’t easy, though. Being realistic, these small steps are often all we have.What I’d like to talk about with you today is how to stop thinking of your short practice spans as a practice compromise.

Rather than thinking of these practice sessions as too short, we are going to give them a makeover. We will call them “practice bursts,” and they can be valuable practice opportunities when we use them strategically. I’ll show you how to get in gear and focus more quickly so you can feel that you are still on the path to progress, even if you have to take small steps. And I will show you 10 ways to make your practice bursts effective, fun and satisfying.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our “Jigging It” Hub Challenge is in Week 3! Join us!
• Get your copy of “Fifteen 15 Minute Practice Ideas” PDF
• Related resource Yes You Can! 12 Things to Do When You Can’t Practice blog post
• Harpmastery.com LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-148

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My husband’s family is German, and even before we were married I discovered that one of the things I had long heard about German housewives was true, at least in my mother-in-law’s house: Germans take a clean house seriously.

By American standards my own house isn’t filthy. I keep it fairly neat and decently clean. But my mother-in-law saw clean in a completely different way. There was no dust in her house, not even in the corners under the beds. She used paste wax to keep all the wood surfaces gleaming. And the only exceptions she made to the “keep your feet off the furniture” rule, were her grandsons. Cleaning didn’t just mean mopping the floor; it meant scrubbing it on your hands and knees.

So why am I talking about this on the podcast? Because just like there are different levels of clean, there are different levels of knowing a piece. Sometimes we find this out the hard way, when we think we know a piece and then try to play it for someone else and discover that we lose our place or can’t make it musical or even forget how it starts.

One of the ways we learn our music at a deeper level is by studying it away from the harp. You know the basic idea: listen to recordings, study the printed music and look beyond the playing of the notes to what the notes might actually mean. Just like deep cleaning, this approach helps you reach the places that regular practice doesn’t reach, like seeing patterns or chord progressions or repeated sections. But studying your music can do much more for you than that, as long as you know what to look and listen for. It can actually help you develop important skills that will apply beyond one particular piece to all your harp playing. Plus, it’s not nearly as taxing as scrubbing a floor.

So on today’s show, I will show you what to look for, what to listen for and how you can speed up your learning with some specific study methods. You don’t need specialized knowledge of music theory to do this, and you don’t need to take a lot of time. But I can pretty much guarantee that you will find this both interesting to do and rewarding. And it’s fun too!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Last chance for the Finish It Intensive
• Join the March Hub Challenge, “Jigging It”
• Related resource The Aeolian Harp blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-147

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See if you can guess the answer to this.

What can sometimes feel gently rocking like a boat on a lake on a calm summer’s day, and other times puts a lively spring into your step? It isn’t hard, but it’s never simple. You’ve almost certainly encountered it in your harp music, and even though you may be able to play it easily, you may not be able to explain it. You might think of it as double trouble or as a triple threat in the way it compounds the challenges in your music. Can you guess what it is? If you’re the type who likes to figure things out, pause the podcast here for a moment and then come back when you’re ready for the answer.

Ready? Here’s one final hint: the answer is a meter signature, and I know it’s one you know. Maybe you’ve guessed it. The meter signature or time signature I mean is 6/8. I know you’ve seen it and played it. “Greensleeves” or “What Child Is This?” is a melody that is most often written in 6/8. It has that gentle lilt to it, like the rocking boat I mentioned a moment ago. Irish jigs - think “The Irish Washerwoman” - are very often in 6/8 time. That’s the other side of 6/8, the rollicking dancing side.

Today I’d like to discuss some of the important characteristics of 6/8, not just how to count it, but why we count it that way. We’ll touch on the other time signatures that share those same attributes, ones that may puzzle you when you first encounter them like 6/4 or 12/8 or 3/2. We’ll also talk about the practicalities of these meters, what kind of fingering or placing strategies are best and why. And along the way, we’ll clear up some of the music terminology that may be confusing. I want you to come away from the episode feeling like you’ve learned something useful and practical, something that will help you play the harp better not just today, but over the long term too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our Finish It! Intensive starts next week. Learn more and register now!
• Our new March Hub Challenge starts today in the Hub.
• Related resource Got Rhythm? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-146

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I am always interested to hear what first attracted harpists to the harp. It’s fascinating to learn the many ways that the harp can draw a potential student. My own story is that I heard the harp on the radio and told my parents that was what I wanted to do. The important part of this story for me is that it wasn’t a gold harp or a pretty dress that drew me to the harp, but the sound that pulled me in. Naturally, there’s nothing wrong with the gold harp or the glamor look, but the sound was - and is - important to me.

Whether or not it was the harp’s sound that first attracted you, sound is important to us. So why don’t we spend more of our time listening to our playing? We devote a lot of energy to reading the notes and teaching our fingers to play the right strings. Somehow there isn’t always time to just spend listening. But it’s an important habit and one that we are going to spend a little time with today.

This is a playalong episode, meaning that I will play and you will be able to play along with me. I’m going to lead you through a warm-up that will help you focus on your fingers and your listening skills. There’s no printed music for this; just follow my directions. If you’ve participated in one of my Live Monday Warm-Ups, then you know how this works.

I realize that podcast listening time is probably not usually harp time for you, but even if you’re not at your harp, you can still benefit from listening now. And of course, you can come back to this episode and play along with me later. However, if you’re driving or doing something that requires your concentration, perhaps anything more focused than stuffing envelopes, be sure to keep your wits about you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for the Finish It! Live Intensive.
• Related resource, The Practice of Listening: Why It’s Essential for Every Musician blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-145

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Let’s take this as a given: our technique is at the heart of everything we do at the harp. Intellectually, we know this to be true, but that doesn’t prevent us from being surprised when we run into a passage in a piece we’re learning that our fingers just can’t manage. What the heck? We’ve been doing our daily exercises and most of the time our technique is up to the challenges in any new piece. So what happened this time?

If you’ve had that experience, rest assured, my friend, that you are not alone. We’ve all been there. Sometimes a moment like that is just a wake up call, reminding us that we’ve slacked off a bit and we’ve been taking our technique work a little too casually. Technique practice done correctly requires our attention and focus. It also requires a plan for growth.

The basic drills or exercises we rely on are scales, arpeggios and chords. In theory, keeping those skills fresh should enable us to play about three quarters of anything we encounter. But I don’t have to tell you that’s not the way it seems to work out. Keeping those skills sharp is just the beginning. We need to keep them growing too.

It makes sense when you take a moment to consider. As we become more experienced harpists, we become more skilled too, which means that we are likely playing more music and more complex music too. If our technical proficiency isn’t growing with the rest of our skill set, we will find ourselves blocked by passages or entire pieces that are beyond the limits of our fingers. You’re with me so far, right? Good, because there’s only one conclusion to draw from this, and it’s one you may not be thrilled to hear. We have to keep challenging our technique so that it keeps up with the music we want it to serve. We have to keep looking for the next level of technical improvement in order to feel confident in the next level of music that we want to play.

Simply put, our technique is our great enabler; it makes playing our music possible. This also means it can be our biggest roadblock, one that will prevent us from playing our music or at least from playing it with the artistry we want. So what do we do? We reach beyond the everyday technique work that doesn’t challenge us and look for some ways to level up our technique to keep pace with our music. So on today’s show, I’ll teach you the three areas to consider leveling up and how to go about it. Just remember, finger freedom is musical freedom!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for the Finish It! Live Intensive
• The Magic of 1% Webinar Replay is LIVE on the Harp Mastery® home page.
• Join our February Hub “Express Yourself” Challenge
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-144

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Today I’m going to tell you how to improve anything. I know that sounds like a tall order, but we harpists are all about improvement. Every day in every way we want to get better and better. Many of us like this idea too: slow and steady wins the race. Yes, but remember tortoises live for a very long time. They can afford to take only the slow and steady approach. Some of us have a little shorter time frame in mind.

I’m a fan of the author and productivity guru Brian Tracy. His book “Eat That Frog” is one of my favorites when I need a little kick to conquer my procrastination. There’s a quote from his book that I considered as a starting point for our discussion today: “Practice the philosophy of continuous improvement. Get a little bit better every single day.”

But something about that left me a little unsatisfied. Yes, certainly the continuity of improvement, like practicing every day rather than once a week, is important for us harpists. However, that same philosophy is what seems to keep a lot of harpists from making bigger progress. When you seek improvement ONLY in small stages, you get only small improvements. And I hear from harpists all the time that they don’t feel like they’re getting anywhere, and asking me to help.

And so I’m going to try today to shake up that “slow and steady” habit just enough to make the improvement that you’re looking for actually visible, to get where you’re going faster. I’ve broken this down into three easy steps and one hard one. I realize that may not sound like the help you’ve been looking for, but I think it will be more encouraging than you might think.

Extra good news - this is a system you already know and have been using, but perhaps you haven’t thought of applying it to your harp playing. It really will make everything just a little simpler and should help you identify what you need to do so that you can actually experience growth.

Sometimes that tortoise strategy of “slow and steady wins the race” isn’t what we’re looking for. We secretly know that the hare was onto a good thing by sprinting ahead. He just didn’t have the good sense to actually get to the end before he stopped. You’re smarter than that, I assure you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Click here to register for the webinar, “The Magic of 1%: Learn the Small Steps That Add Up (Almost Magically!) To Big Progress”
• Join our February Hub Challenge, Express Yourself
• Related resource The Fork in the Road blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-143

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Every restaurant chain, every chef has their “secret sauce.” It’s that unique ingredient that makes their food taste special every time. It's part of their culinary signature.

There is a secret - or maybe not so secret - sauce in musical expression too. It’s rubato. It’s the element of musical pacing that breathes life into music, that keeps it from sounding dull and robotic, that helps a melody sing and rich harmonies unfold with spaciousness.

Today’s podcast is an exploration of what rubato is and how you can use it to add depth and expression to your playing. I’ll explain how to figure out where and when to use it, and equally important, when not to use it. I’ll play some examples for you too, so you can hear exactly what rubato is. I imagine that you are going to have one of those “aha” moments as you are finally able to put a name to that thing that’s been missing from your playing.

I’m not saying your playing is unmusical. But rubato is something most musicians don’t understand, and it is something that is hard for even experienced teachers to explain. Singers and instrumentalists who play a melody line instrument like the flute or violin know a lot more about rubato than we harpists do. That’s partly due to the fact that, unlike a flutist or a violinist, we can’t control the sound of a note after we have played it; we can’t actively sustain it or crescendo as we hold it. As a result, we tend to focus on the coordination of our two hands, on the chords or the vertical dimension of our playing, rather than on the horizontal melodic line, which is where rubato has the biggest effect.

But music lives in both those dimensions - horizontal and vertical - as well as the dimension of time. Using rubato is a way to use time to allow us to express the other two dimensions of music, how we create freedom and flow. And it’s so much fun.

I hope I have intrigued you, because I really want you to listen to the information I’m going to share today. It will likely change the way you approach playing a piece. It may possibly change the way you practice a piece or what you consider a hallmark of a good performance. At the very least, I’m pretty sure that you will want to try it out with one of your pieces as soon as this episode is finished.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join our new Hub Challenge, “Express Yourself.”
• Related resource: Intermezzo sheet music PDF in our shop.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-142

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I might as well get this out of the way. This is going to be one of those podcasts that sounds like it’s telling you you’re doing it all wrong and you’ve been doing it wrong for years. I say it’s going to sound like that, but I want to be clear that’s not the point of our topic today. The real point is finding a path to growth, a path forward, and often finding a path forward means doing something different. So I want you to approach this topic with that progress mindset, because the ideas I’m about to share with you about how I think you could or should approach a new piece might sound a little uncomfortable, and that’s exactly the point.

You may know that the only one-on-one teaching I do is with my Gold Circle students. These students are special, not because of their playing level - they run the gamut there - but because of their commitment to their harp playing. They take their harp playing seriously, and that’s why I feel privileged to be able to work with them and help speed them along their paths.

I’m mentioning this because one of my Gold Circle students, Beverley, shared with me something her French teacher told her when she was studying French in high school. In essence, it was this: the teacher gave the beginning class a rule that she qualified as only a rule for now. As the students became more experienced, she said she would rescind that rule and give them a better one, but that second rule wasn’t something that would be useful for them at this earlier stage of their learning.

Thanks to Beverley for that example, because that’s how I want you to understand what I’m going to give you today. It’s not a grammar rule, obviously, but it’s a way - three ways, actually - to start learning a piece. I can almost guarantee that these ways will either sound exciting and inspiring or terrifyingly impossible. But what’s important is that I think you will see that they make sense as a way to leverage the growth you have already made.

So while you may be comfortable with the system you’ve been using, I’d like you to consider the idea that, although it was a system that worked well at the stage where you were, there might be a better system for the stage where you are now.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• The 2024 Harp Happiness Challenge winner will be announced on Friday! Join me live in the Hub!
• Related resource Practicing Differently: 4 Steps to Faster Learning blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-141

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If I had to choose one finger pattern that I could count on to almost always show up in a piece, it would be an arpeggio. Arpeggios and the harp go together like peanut butter and jelly. In fact, the Italian word for harp is arpa, which has the same first three letters as arpeggio. That’s because the word arpeggio comes from the Italian word arpeggiare, which means to play on a harp. See what I mean? Peanut butter and jelly.

Whether the arpeggios show up as full sweeps of sound over the entire range of the harp or simply a left hand accompaniment pattern or anything in between, arpeggios are everywhere in harp music, so it’s essential to learn to play them well.

The first time a student comes across an arpeggio, they are shown how an arpeggio is really a chord in which all the notes are played one after the other instead of simultaneously. They are taught the rules of placing for arpeggios and given exercises to learn to read them quickly and play them fluidly. But often, when the arpeggios get faster or more complex, those basic skills are not enough.

We don’t simply want to play them cleanly; we want them to sound even and clear.We don’t want to play them only at exercise speed; we need to be able to control the fingers over the full range of tempo possibilities.We don’t want them to sound clunky or plunky; we want them to be beautiful arching gestures.In short, we want them to ripple.

So today, we will talk about the finer points of arpeggios. Naturally we will go over all the basics of placing and playing, but we’ll dive deeper into how to shape your arpeggios, have them sound relaxed and flowing, and yes, to make them ripple.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our 2024 Harp Happines Hub Challenge in the home stretch. Join us!
• Agile Arpeggios PDF
• Related resource 12 Great Arpeggio Pieces – That Aren’t “The Little Fountain” blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-140

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At its most fundamental, music is sound over time. When you take away the rich harmonies, soaring melodies, complex structures and intricate rhythms, that’s all you have left: sound over time. It doesn’t sound very creative or artistic, but those two elements are the basis of all music. How any single performer combines them is where the artistry lies.

However, that kind of time, the meter and rhythm, isn’t our topic for today. The kind of time management I want to explore with you today is more about the practical side of our harp experience than the artistic side. It’s about your practice time: how you spend it, what you focus on and how you set your intentions for the day or for the week.

We’re also going to talk about the time it takes you to learn a piece. I am frequently asked how long it should take to learn a piece, and it’s a question without a simple answer. There are numerous factors to consider, including the amount of time you have to practice and your current skill level as compared to the difficulty level of the piece. But perhaps the most important factor is how well you manage your journey through the different learning stages of a piece.

That journey is a little different for all of us, but I want you to walk away from this episode with a few action steps that you know will make a difference for you. I want you to get to the fun part, playing music, instead of staying stuck in practice mode. So we are going to review seven ways to make better use of your practice time so you can make progress faster, learn music faster. And one of those ways will be adapting the best practice practices to your own particular learning style. We’ll revisit the German Shepherd, Greyhound and Beagle learning styles and give you some specific strategies that will suit your own practice breed.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• We are starting Week 3 of our 2024 Harp Happiness Challenge in the Harp Mastery® Hub. Jump in and join us!
• Related resource Which Is Your Practice Style: Greyhound or German Shepherd? blog post
• Related podcast: Find Your Practice Style: Style No. 3 “The Beagle”
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-139

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The Little Engine That Could was just plain lucky. If you remember that children’s book, when the little engine had to take over for the bigger engines to pull the train loaded with toys over the mountain, he kept telling himself, “I think I can,” even though it seemed clear he was much too small to succeed. While the “I think I can” strategy worked for the little engine, in the real world that mindset is responsible for more failure, frustration and disappointment than we are led to believe. Thinking positively is not what is necessary for a positive result. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s not the only thing, and if it’s not grounded in reality it can be damaging.

You don’t achieve confidence by trying to build confidence itself. True confidence is a natural result of properly directed actions along with a positive mindset. Without the actions and the experience that comes with following through on those actions, a confident attitude will let you down nearly every time. You need the proper ingredients to build confidence. Confidence is the cake that comes out of the oven, but it isn’t what goes into the oven. What goes into the oven doesn’t look like cake at all, but if you’ve followed the recipe, the batter miraculously becomes a cake. That’s the kind of confidence you can count on and it’s much more powerful than just a “can do” attitude.

Think back to the last time you started a new piece feeling confident that you could meet the challenges it would present. Of course, you knew there would be difficulties in the piece that you would need to work on and conquer, but you were secure in your belief that you would be able to finish the piece and play it with assurance. That’s the kind of confidence that comes from positive past experiences, the habit of success. A habit of success allows you to meet challenges and obstacles with the inner certainty that you already have the skills and strategies you need in order to overcome them. Your certainty is built on your track record of growth and achievement; you know you will be able to succeed because you have proof. Obviously the trick is creating those positive experiences that create that inner feeling of confidence. That’s part of what we will talk about today.

We’ll also talk about what sabotages our confidence and how to break a cycle of disappointment, if you ever find yourself losing your confidence. Plus, I’ll share the most important habits I believe you need to make sure that your confidence is baked into all your playing.

By the way, confidence isn't just for performing. We play with more flow, more musicality, and fewer mistakes when we play with conviction and confidence. So whether you want to perform for others or just enjoy your playing at home - my hope is that you’ll do both! - you’ll find today’s ideas invaluable. Just like the Little Engine That Could, you’ll soon be saying, “I knew I could!”

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Our 2024 Harp Happiness Challenge in the Harp Mastery® Hub is starting its second week. It’s not too late to join!
• Related resource Do You Worry About the "What-Ifs" ? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-138

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Happy New Year! It’s the first morning of a new year and I am feeling, as I do every new year, that sense of excitement and possibility that inhabits those empty calendar pages. I can hardly wait to see what 2024 will bring.

Since this podcast is going live on New Year’s Day, I thought it was particularly appropriate to talk today about goals. We talk about harp goals a lot at Harp Mastery® but today I actually want to elevate our viewpoint and look at harp playing goals with a broader perspective.

SMART goals - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based - have been the gold standard of productivity experts for a while. Those five criteria combine in a way that makes success look almost like a mathematical certainty. They feel powerful because they are so concrete.

But music isn’t like that. Music is about creativity. It’s not about following rules, it’s about choosing which ones you want to follow. It’s not about creating cookie cutter results; it’s about developing the experience and confidence you need to create the same piece of music over and over again with each time feeling new and fresh. So when we try to create SMART goals for our harp playing, it can feel like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Sometimes clear and well-designed goals are helpful. We use them in our coaching programs to help keep the coach and the harpist she’s working with stay on the same page. When the expectations and desired outcomes are clearly stated and referenced regularly, there is more traction and progress comes more quickly.

However, that kind of system is less helpful for most harpists working on their own. We have a tendency to over-design our goals or resolutions to the point where they are restrictive and create a cycle of failure rather than of success. Just think about a daily habit you’ve tried to instill. Everything goes along well for a while and then there’s one day when you break your streak. That first time you might get back on track quickly, but when that next slip comes you may be off track for a couple of days. That’s when the guilt sets in and pretty soon you’ve all but given up.

Giving up does not sound like harp happiness to me, which is why we are talking today about un-smart goals, goals that aren’t aimed at making you toe the line but are created to give you freedom to pursue what you love, playing the harp. That sounds like a guaranteed success plan for 2024 to me!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join our 2024 Harp Happiness Challenge in the Hub.
• Related resource Why Being a Better Harpist Isn't Good Enough blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-137

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A special holiday music mix just for podcast listeners!

The program:

• Two from MessiahPastoral Symphony/He shall feed his flock Arranged by Anne Sullivan
• Greensleeves, from Anne’s Break Forth CD,Arranged by Anne Sullivan
• Coventry CarolArranged by Anne Sullivan
• Pat-a-panArranged by Anne Sullivan
• In Dulci Jubilo, from Anne’s Break Forth CD,Arranged by Anne Sullivan Largo from Winter, from Anne’s Break Forth CD,Arranged by Anne Sullivan
• 12 Days of Harpiness Arranged by Anne Sullivan

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Listen to our Harpy Christmas playlist on Spotify featuring music by Anne Sullivn and other harpist performers.
• Find some great holiday sheet music or a CD in our shop.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-136

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The year-end wrap has become a hot trend. The worthy practice of reflecting on the year that is nearly over and the new one about to start is no longer simply a quiet moment with a cup of tea and a journal. It’s an opportunity for businesses to go public with their successes. We at Harp Mastery® have jumped on the bandwagon, too. It’s fun to look back and see what we’ve accomplished. It’s important, perhaps even more so, to see where we missed the mark. Somehow, though, those aren’t the numbers that show up on social media. We like to count the wins.

But this episode isn’t about what Harp Mastery® has done. After all, this isn’t a business podcast. This podcast is about you, me and our harp playing. And that’s what this episode is about too.

I want to share with you my own system for looking back, for remembering what my year was like. I start in the same way you may, by looking back at my calendar week by week and month by month. But my objective isn’t to see how many goals I have achieved or missed. This isn’t a moment for numbers or statistics for me. This is a moment to acknowledge the changes that happened in the year, both positive and not, the harp happiness I experienced and the people that were part of my year. I want this process to provide me with perspective and clarity, and of course, a place to start from for next year.

I’m sharing this with you today thinking that my ideas may help you find more clarity too. Clarity is where growth starts. It’s what gives direction and purpose to our actions. It’s what gives meaning to our music. The great cellist Yo-Yo Ma says this, "Music is powered by ideas. If you don't have clarity of ideas, you're just communicating sheer sound."

So let’s eliminate the meaningless sound, shut out the noise and get clear on what happened this year.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Registration for the 2024 Winter Coaching Session ends this week. Register today!
• Visit our shop and use the discount code 12DAYS2023 to get 25% off any of this year’s 12 Days of Medleys and Mashups.
• Related resource Moving Up or Going In Circles? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-135

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As I look back over 11 years of blogging and podcasting, there are some trends I notice, topics I talk about with regularity and even predictability according to the seasons. Of course, it’s not a surprise that in December one of the topics that is on my mind - and I’m guessing on yours too - is about keeping your sanity during the holiday rush. Last week’s podcast, The Christmas Snowball, episode 133, dealt with the holiday music onslaught, and a few episodes before that, episode 130, I talked about preventing overwhelm. Timely topics, yes, but today, I’d like to look at this from the other side. I want to talk about stillness.

Here’s an example of the value of stillness. I was in an opera orchestra rehearsal with a conductor who was famous for his temper. There were days when he was complimentary to the players, but on the days when no one could do anything that pleased him, he was not shy about venting his displeasure. Sometimes the entire orchestra fell under his wrath; sometimes it was one particular player. Obviously, this could make rehearsals less than pleasant.

One day as he ranted at the entire orchestra, you could feel the collective blood pressure rise. In that moment, each of us had to decide how we were going to bear up under his words. Would we let it affect our playing or our mood? Or could we let it go and just continue to do our jobs? That was the day I got one of my favorite compliments. When we finally got to a break in the rehearsal, the double bass player next to me leaned over and told me how glad he was to be next to me because I was like an island of serenity in the middle of the chaos. I don’t think I was ever complimented on my serenity before or since, but his comment showed me the value of creating the calm you want, of not reflecting a negative environment around you, of stillness.

Stillness is something that is in your power to create. You may have tried before without much success, but I think the strategies that we will cover today will give you a new approach. We aren’t going to start with meditation or breathing or giving up caffeine or any of those things. We are going to start from the outside and work our way to the core of the matter. I’m going to show you how to create stillness first in your hands, then in your mind and finally in your heart. And who doesn’t need that kind of stillness now or at any time of year?

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Registration for our 2024 Winter Coaching session is open.
• Related resource The Musician’s Success Secret blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-134

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Be prepared, the famous Boy Scout motto. I’m thinking that Boy Scouts have nothing on harpists when it comes to being prepared. We harpists have preparation down, whether it is preparing our music, or stocking spare strings or packing our harp bag. However, there are times when even the best preparation doesn’t help, and you might be about to experience one of those times. Let’s call it the “Christmas Snowball.”

The Christmas Snowball shows up when the church music director decides that since you are playing the harp for the service and you’re there anyway, it would be a shame not to use the harp for every musical moment possible. So what started as a simple request - would you come and play the harp for one anthem with the choir on Christmas Eve? - snowballs into an additional anthem, various choral responses during the service, three carols with the congregation, a prelude selection or two, and of course, playing Silent Night during the candlelighting. If you’ve played for a Christmas Eve service before, this snowball scenario is causing flashbacks. If this year is your first time playing for a Christmas Eve service, I want you to be prepared.

The real danger in the snowball is that it’s tempting to roll right along with it, until you realize that you're snowed under. It would be fun to play for the carols and you think the other parts don’t look too hard, so it’s easy to say yes. And you’d feel a little like the grinch if you said no. But once you agree to all the snowball extras, it feels more like an avalanche of music and the panic sets in.

In the words of the season, be not afraid. For behold I bring you pretty good ideas for how to learn this extra music fast, and I mean in a couple of days, not a couple of weeks. I’ll tell you how to make smart decisions about what to play and what not to play and I will demonstrate some of these choices at the harp so you can hear exactly what I mean. One more thing: we’ll talk about the very hardest skill of all, how to just say no. I know it’s hard to tell someone no, but I’ll help you learn to do it so you don’t feel like Scrooge. No “bah, humbugs” here.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• 12 Days of Harp Happiness has started! Check out what’s been happening here.
• Related resource Hymns: A Harpist’s Guide to Playing Along blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-133

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Long, long ago in what seems like a galaxy far away, there was no Cyber Monday. There was barely even a Black Friday. We shopped in stores, not on the yet-to-be-imagined internet.

And for the children who were dreaming of holiday presents, there was the Sears catalog, the “Wish Book” edition. If you are an American of a certain age, you are nodding your head right now, but if you have no idea what I’m talking about, I’ll explain.

Sears is a department store chain that was founded in 1892. It was in the beginning exclusively a mail order business, and the Sears catalog was an important resource for shoppers all over the country, but particularly in rural areas that had limited access to stores. But, the special “Wish Book” edition, first printed in 1933 and released every year at holiday time, was the ultimate catalog shopping experience. It ceased publication in 1993, but at its peak, the catalog had over 600 pages with more than 100 pages devoted to toys. My brother and I waited for that catalog every year and boy, did we wish our way through the pages!

There’s no more Wish Book, but there also seems no end to our burgeoning consumerism. I have no desire to add to the frenzy but I did want to offer some ideas for harp-related gifts that you may enjoy giving to a harpist friend or putting on your own wish list. The twist to this list is that everything on it I have chosen because it will make a harpist’s life easier. Some of the items are recommendations for things you can purchase, but there are some that aren’t things you could buy for any amount of money. It’s about increasing harp happiness, not decreasing your wallet.

So grab a cup of tea and take a break with me, a rest from the holiday shopping rush. We’ll talk about the little things, a few bigger things and the less tangible things that every harpist could use at the holidays or any time of year.

By the way, I’ve included a link in the show notes to a list of everything I’m mentioning on today’s podcast. This is purely informational; I’m not making a commission or earning any money from any of the things on this list. You don’t even have to enter your email to get the list. All you have to do is click the link.

But if you’d like to show the podcast a little love, I’d be so grateful. Just share this episode or any of the episodes you may have found helpful with a friend. You’ll be sharing valuable information to help your harp friend, and you’ll be helping me to help more harpists. That’s a win for everyone and it doesn’t cost a thing!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Download my “What Every Harpist Needs” list PDF here.
• Check out our Harp Mastery® shop!
• Related resource 10 Quick and Easy Stocking Stuffers for the Musician on Your List blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-132

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Tell me if this sounds familiar. You suddenly realize that everything is quiet and you have 20 minutes all to yourself. Sure, you could sit down with a book and a cup of tea. Or you could spend that 20 minutes practicing. You decide your harp is calling you, so you sit on the bench and look at the music on your stand. But where do you start?

You may have had days like that. I know I have. Those 20 minute segments are valuable little chunks of practice time, but obviously that’s not enough time to get everything done. If you’re used to having an hour or more to practice, that 20 minutes is frustratingly short. Of course, I’m just using these time frames as an illustration. Your regular practice time and your available time might be different, but the idea is the same. When you don’t have as much practice time as you are used to, you have to find a way to make do with what you’ve got.

When we start to prioritize what needs to get done, the first thing we often jettison from our practice is our technique work. We eliminate a warm-up and use parts of the pieces we need to learn as a warm-up. That’s a smart idea. But dedicated technique work, the kind that covers all the basics and keeps our fingers nimble and strong, is usually put aside. When you have a lot of music to learn and very little time to learn it, who has time for drills and exercises?

With the holiday season beginning in earnest later this week, practice time will be “catch as catch can” for most of us. But even with this time crunch, I want to urge you not to abandon your technique work. At this time, your technique work is more critical than ever. Why? Because it will help your fingers - and you - relax and re-center. Our technique is our greatest tool. All our playing depends on it, and when our technique is in shape, we can play more confidently, knowing we can trust our fingers.

But wait, I hear you saying. How am I supposed to fit in my technique practice when I have no time? That’s exactly what I will share with you on this episode, 5 of my favorite super-speedy ways to keep my fingers in shape when I’m in the middle of a time crunch. Plus, I’ll help you understand the particular benefits of each routine so you can choose what feels right for you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• My Harp Mastery doors are open! Click here for the special deal!
• Related resource Cool Down Properly: Your Best 5 Minutes of Practice blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-131

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As of today, the day this podcast episode goes live, it is exactly six weeks until Christmas. As I said that, a little shiver ran down my spine. What was your reaction? Maybe you are channeling your inner child who can hardly wait for Christmas and you were jumping up and down.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if you were a little annoyed or even felt a flutter of anxiety at being reminded of how fast the holiday season is approaching. Those Christmas songs that already form the shopping soundtrack in every store are more than a little irritating to me. They seem to bring out my inner Scrooge and it’s mostly because they just remind me of everything I still have to do to get ready. In a word, it feels overwhelming.

Of course, the feeling of overwhelm when it comes to your harp playing isn’t just a holiday phenomenon. Overwhelm poses a challenge for us every day. There is always a spot that needs more work, some technical drill we should be doing, new music we want to learn, old pieces we want to review, and the list goes on. There simply isn’t enough time to do everything, but that doesn’t stop us from trying.

So I thought this would be the perfect time to talk with you about overwhelm. I don’t want to talk just about the holiday pressures and the extra playing we do and how to fit it all in. Especially NOT about how to fit it all in, because I don’t think that’s the healthiest approach. I want to explore with you the two different types of overwhelm: actual overwhelm, which is about the outside forces acting on us, and perceived overwhelm, which is about the pressure we create ourselves. When it comes to actual overwhelm there are fairly simple strategies that we can use to relieve it. But the perceived overwhelm that is our own internal creation is more difficult to recognize and much harder to defeat. Of course it can be defeated and also of course, I have a quick and easy to remember word to help you with that. It’s the word “free,” because that’s how we all want to feel: free to enjoy our harp playing, our music, and our friends and family whether it’s in the holidays or any time of year.

So if you’re ready to conquer the overwhelm and breathe easy again, stick with me today. You’re going to love this.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join us in the Hub for “3 (More) Ways to Use Music Theory Every Day” call on Thursday, November 16th. Not in the Hub? Click here to join us - it’s free!

• Related resource Stay Relaxed to Play Your Best blog post

• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-130

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What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done? Climbing Mt. Everest? Swimming the English Channel? Raising a teenager?

Ok. I haven’t done the first two, but I survived raising a teenager and I think it ranks right up there near the top of the list of hardest things. I actually found a website the other day that listed someone else’s ideas of the hardest things to do in life. None of the ones I mentioned were on their list, but there were some that hit home, particularly as I was thinking about this podcast topic. One of them was giving up comfort, getting out of your comfort zone.

Sharing your music - playing in front of other people - is out of the comfort zone for most of us. When we play for others we are making ourselves vulnerable. It isn’t just about playing well, although that always helps. It’s also about feeling, however wrongly, that we are being judged, and that we may be found unworthy. It’s about revealing our artistic side, something we often feel is private and personal. No matter how confident we are in other areas of our lives, sharing our music can be extremely hard.

I’ve been playing the harp in public for over 50 years and although I can tell you it gets easier over time, I still face some of the same doubts and fears I had when I started. I’ve had plenty of good performances, but I’ve plenty that were more the crash-and-burn type.

Today’s episode is devoted to making playing for others easier for you. One of the benefits of my own performing experiences, particularly the crash-and-burn ones, is that I have had to look at the right way to prepare so that I can be reasonably confident that my performance will meet my expectations. And I have discovered that the best preparation has two parts - preparing your music properly (which isn’t the type of practice you’re doing now, I can almost guarantee) and preparing yourself.

This is a big topic, much bigger than a single podcast episode. But because we are coming into a season with lots of extra musical performances, I thought it was important to share the broad outline with you so that if you decide to share your music this holiday season, you have the information you need to prepare well.

Now a quick note for everyone who is in the My Harp Mastery membership. We will be spending the entire month of November on this topic, and the coaches and I will all be teaching on different aspects of sharing your music. So this is an extra resource for you as you begin this month’s theme, “Prepare to Share.”

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join us in the Hub for “3 (More) Ways to Use Music Theory Every Day” call on Thursday, November 16th. Not in the Hub? Click here to join us - it’s free!
• Related resource Perfection or Performance? It's Your Choice blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-129

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If you attended my “Cut to the Chase" webinar a couple of weeks ago, you’ll remember that we were talking about some harp hacks, shortcut “outside the box” solutions for common harp problems. We’re going to talk about another one today.

Imagine that you’re learning a piece and it’s going along pretty well. In fact, you may even be excited to think how much you have improved because you’re learning so quickly. You may even let your mind wander to the sorts of pieces you can tackle next with your new and improved skills.

And then it happens. You hit the wall. You’ve found the passage you can’t play. It may be a new technique that you’ve never tried or one that you aren’t very comfortable with. It may just be a combination of two skills that you haven’t combined before. But whatever it is, you can’t do it. Your technique isn’t up to this particular challenge.

So you do what we all have to do; you take out the passage and work it separately. You turn it into an exercise and drill it. You “etudify” it, as we like to say. And you probably wish that you had learned this skill earlier.

Young students are usually taught in a systematic way. The teacher introduces new skills gradually and helps the student work on the skill first. Then they move on to using the skill in the context of an etude. Finally, the student is ready for the piece that requires that skill. It’s a thoughtful, orderly progression.

Adult students often don’t have the same methodical approach. Either they are mostly or partly teaching themselves or their teachers don’t want to slow down their progress. What this means, of course, is that a lot of their technical development happens on a “need to play” basis: I need to play this…now. It’s a kind of emergency response system and although it can be effective, it can also be frustrating.

On today’s episode we’ll talk about how to make sure you’re developing the techniques you need, practicing the right exercises and etudes, and knowing how to “etudify” a passage effectively. I’ll also show you the “technique stacker”: the combination of exercises and etudes that can help you with the pieces you’re learning now. Wherever you start from - the exercise or the piece - the technique stacker will help your fingers learn what they need for the music you are playing.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Last chance to join the Theory Essentials Intensive!
• Related resource Etudes: The Case For and Against blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-128

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Do you feel like you’re failing yourself in your practice?

Maybe you feel your practice isn’t as consistent or as focused as it should be. Perhaps even when you have enough time to practice, you’re finding it difficult to get started. You might find yourself sitting down to practice and using all your time deciding what you should be doing. You end up feeling confused, frustrated and tired instead of energized and excited about playing the harp.

And then you skip a day of practice. Then another day. Then you really mean to get back to it, but something urgent crops up that absolutely requires your attention. Then you start to dread getting back to practice because you know it’s going to sound terrible. Even worse, you feel guilty for having it let slip.

Does this sound like you? Don’t think I have some magical power to get inside your head. I could tell your story so well because it’s been my own experience too. I don’t feel good about my harp playing or about myself when I skip my practice. Those days of missed practice play havoc with my state of mind as well as with my music.

It’s not that I don’t want to practice; I do. I even like practicing. And at this point, I do practice nearly every day, maybe not as much as I’d like, but enough. But it’s been a struggle to develop the systems and habits that allow me to practice even when my schedule is full to bursting.

You may be one of those people who are good about maintaining the boundaries in their life, and you are in control of your schedule. If that’s you, let me say that I would love to be like you. But I’m not that disciplined. I set my schedule for the day and then I watch it change as the day goes on.

To be honest, you know that all you have to do is to set a practice schedule and then stick to it, but it just isn’t that easy, at least not for me. But I still manage to practice. And if you’re trying to set a practice schedule that you can stick to, or you’re just looking for some ways to make your practice habit stronger, then I can help.

On today’ episode, we will talk about how to:

• Create a sustainable and flexible practice habit that works for you.
• Find your focus from the first minute of your practice session so you can use every practice minute well.
• Make the practice habit stick. It’s one thing to design a habit. It’s another thing to actually live it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register now for the new Theory Essentials Intensive: The Harpist's No-Nonsense Guide to Practical Music Theory
• Related resource Three Times When Not Practicing is NOT an Option blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-127

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What are the qualities you think you need to be a good harpist? I’ll bet every harpist has a different answer for this.

Understand that I’m not thinking in terms of the skills useful to a harpist, skills like a good ear, the ability to sight read, musicality, flying fingers, and the ability to memorize. I would agree that those are all important to some degree, but I invite you to consider some of the personal traits or day to day habits that would be useful or even essential for a harpist.

This idea conjures up a completely different list. Maybe you’d put character traits like determination, perseverance, self-discipline and courage on that list. Those would indeed be helpful. So would objectivity, the ability to treat yourself with kindness and grace, even when you’re struggling. There are other mindset habits that are important too, like a desire to learn and resilience.

Today we’re going to explore one of the qualities that I think is crucial to the musical development of any harpist, and it’s not one of the ones I’ve already mentioned. It’s less a quality than it is an attitude and a habit. And it’s one that we very often overlook or discount as something frivolous. If you noticed the title for this episode, you know what I’m talking about; I’m talking about creativity.

I believe that creativity isn’t an add-on. It’s not an extra. It’s at the heart of what we do every day, every minute that we play. Every moment we play we are creating something, not out of nothing, more likely from black dots on a page. Those dots contain the genetic code for the music, if you will. But without our creative spark, those dots would never come to life. The music wouldn’t exist.

If we reduce our practice to mere repetition, we’ve lost our way. If we aren’t thinking about and listening to the music we are bringing to life, we are missing the best part of the practice process. And if we aren’t taking the extra step to enlist our creative nature in the service of our music, we aren’t serving the music or ourselves very well.

You’re probably having one of two reactions right now. Either you’re thinking, “Yes! Finally you’re speaking my language. Show me how my harp playing can feel more creative,” or you’re thinking, “Great. This sounds like a good idea, but it feels more like something else I have to figure out how to fit into my practice.”

Never fear. Today I will show you a variety of ways to make creativity a natural part of your practice habit. You won’t have to do anything crazy like light candles and meditate before you practice. (Actually, that sounds pretty zen.) We’ll talk about simple ways to engage your creativity in your playing every day. You’ll discover a sense of freedom that will make playing and even practicing more fun, and you’ll love the change you hear in your playing too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Cut to the Chase Webinar
• Related resource In a Practice Rut? 7 Ways to Make Your Practice More Creative blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-126

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I’m a pusher, and I hope you are one too, a lever or pedal pusher, that is.

Just imagine a world of harps without levers or pedals. Certainly, there are folk harps that don’t have levers and still play beautiful music. But to me, that’s a little like living in the forest. There is endless beauty in the forest, but I like the seashore and the prairies too. The world of music has so much harmonic richness and I really love having my pedal harp to explore it all.

Of course that harmonic richness isn’t exclusive to harps with pedals. Lever harps can play music every bit as chromatically varied as pedal harps and sometimes even more easily.

But perhaps you’re new to the world of pushers, of harp music – either lever or pedal – with accidental changes that require pushing a lever or pedal. If so, or if you’re not a newbie to pushing but would like some help with ways to improve your pedal or lever technique, then you’re in luck because that’s what we’re talking about today.

So often students don’t really learn to push those levers or pedals before they are playing music that calls for them. It’s not just about pushing the right lever or pedal; the art is in knowing when and how to push. You may not have tried any drills to help you learn the right technique, but plenty of these drills exist. Unfortunately, not all of those helpful drills come with an explanation of the important aspects of this technique. Even fewer attempt to unravel the mysterious and very inconsistent ways the changes are marked in music.

Never fear, my friend. By the end of today’s episode, you’ll have all the info you need to become an intrepid pusher. Accidentals, those flats, naturals and sharps that occur in the middle of a piece, don’t have to cause accidents while you play, and I have 8 tips and maybe even an extra one or two, that will help you breeze through those changes with ease.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for my new webinar, Cut to the Chase: Time-Saving Harp Hacks You Need to Know Now
• Related resource Pedal Pushing 101 blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-125

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A long time ago, I attended a concert by a famous pianist, and I overheard two audience members talking about how impressed they were, how the performer’s virtuosity and expressiveness showed true mastery of the instrument. And then I heard the comment that stuck with me: “He could make ‘Hot Cross Buns’ sound like a musical masterpiece.”

If you took piano lessons as a child, chances are that you played the nursery song “Hot Cross Buns” in your first few weeks of study. The melody only has five notes. It couldn’t be more simple.

But this idea made me consider what I believe is a common misconception among harpists who want to develop a repertoire of music. Whether their repertoire would be geared toward concerts or weddings or church music or local senior centers, harpists usually overcomplicate things. Naturally, we want to present music that our audiences will like and we want to play it well, but often we make it much harder for ourselves than we need to.

Here’s an example. Let’s imagine a harpist whom we will name Zelda. Zelda wants to put together a program of music to play at the nursing home where her mother lives. She’s excited about playing and she knows her mother is proudly spreading the word to all her friends in the home. Zelda is a little anxious, though, because she’s never put together a solo program of music before. So she searches through all her music, assembles her favorite pieces and begins her practice. She is pleased with the music she has chosen, knowing that she’s included a couple of her mother’s favorite pieces and a couple of others that she knows will make the program extra special. So far so good.

However, as the date of the performance gets closer, she becomes a little anxious, thinking that she has been too ambitious. There is a lot of music and some of it is more challenging than she remembered. She’s not sure everything will be ready and polished by the performance. Now, she’s getting nervous.

This is probably a common trap for us harpists; thinking we need to play our hardest, showiest or most ambitious music on a program. There are some obvious reasons to choose simpler music - we can play it with more confidence, it doesn’t take as much practice - but sometimes we feel like it’s cheating to play the easy stuff. We think that people won’t think we’re really good if we aren’t playing the hard pieces.

In fact, most audiences, even musically educated ones, don’t know which pieces are difficult and which are easy. What they do know is if we are struggling to get through a piece.

Our show today is going to be about how you can find the musical value in those easy pieces, how you can play them so they sound polished and expressive, not like a baby piece. We’ll talk about musical considerations, ones you probably haven’t given much thought to, that will change the way you play any piece - not just the easy ones. And you’ll play more confidently too, because you know the technical aspects of the piece are well within your grasp. Who knows? If you’ve been reluctant to get out and share your music in your community, this could even change your mind.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join me in the Harp Mastery® Hub! Click here to sign up for free.
• Related resource Making It Look Easy: Creating Flow blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-124

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“If I were starting over, I would…”

That's our topic for today’s show. If I were starting my harp journey over again, from square one, what would I do differently, knowing what I know now? Obviously, I have done decades of practice, taken thousands of lessons, done thousands of performances, and I’ve taught countless students. I’ve watched students thrive and I’ve worked with those who struggle. And both kinds of students have taught me so much. They’ve given me a breadth of experience that goes well beyond my own personal harp journey.

As I reflect on what my own harp story was like, the remarkable privileges that I had, the circumstances that shaped my harp life gave me only one view of harp study - my own. But over the years of working with so many other harpists, I have come to identify a few factors that can speed up a harpist’s progress, no matter that harpist’s age or skill level.

I’ve also seen the harp happiness killers, those sneaky saboteurs that steal our enthusiasm for playing the harp. I’ve fallen victim to some of them from time to time and I’ve certainly seen and experienced the damage they can cause. But I’m not going to talk about those today, at least not directly. No one needs a list of things they shouldn’t do.

Instead we’re going to focus on the things you should do, the actions that separate the harpists who keep learning, growing and loving every minute - well, perhaps almost every minute - of their harp journeys, from those who find frustration, disappointment or perhaps end up quitting. I can tell you from where I am right now, harp playing is a marvelous adventure packed with creativity, discovery and personal growth. It’s not for the fainthearted, but if you’ve already started this journey, then you are one of the brave ones, my friend. After all, simply buying a harp takes courage.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join my next Live Monday Warm-Up in the Hub on October 9th.
• Related resource: Are You Living Your Harp Dream or Just Thinking You Are? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-123

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How can you correct a problem – any problem from a water leak to paper jam in the printer – if you don’t know where the problem really is?

Harp playing is no different. Our practice is supposed to help us fix mistakes and even prevent them from recurring, at least to a degree. But if we don’t know where the underlying issue is, it’s nearly impossible to find a fix for it.

The obvious solution to this dilemma is to ask your teacher. Unfortunately, though, even if you have access to a teacher or other harp expert, the things we want to fix usually reveal themselves in a practice session when we are working by ourselves. So we rely on our own experience to find the fix for whatever challenge we are facing, whether or not we have the experience we need to do it.

Of course, teachers don’t always have an instant solution either. Often we arrive at the solution through a process of trial and error: the student tries our suggestion and we discover we were in error. So we go on to Plan B.

In the spirit of trying to help you become a more expert instructor in your own practice, I have chosen a few common scenarios that require a “fix” and the most frequently successful fixes for each. What jumped out at me as I started putting this information together for you, was that the fixes sorted themselves neatly into two categories for each of the problems. The fixes could either be technique related or reading related. In other words, the underlying problem could be with your fingers, your technical skills, or it could be with your music reading skills. The surprise with that second one is that even if you are an experienced and fluent music reader, the issue still could be a reading one.

What I want you to be able to take away from today’s show is an arsenal of ideas that can help you keep moving forward and making progress on the pieces you are learning. You’ll find, however, that these potential solutions may help you address some challenges that are more broad-based in your playing. Or they might just be things you haven’t even considered before, in which case, you’re in for a big growth spurt.

So grab the music you’ve been practicing lately, identify some issues you’ve been trying to find a fix for, and see if one of the solutions we discuss today might be exactly what you need.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Take advantage of early bird registration for our February Getaway Retreat! Click here to register today.
• Related resource 4 Easy Ideas to Take Your Music Reading from Fumbling to Fluent blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-122

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Benjamin Franklin, who had a note-worthy thought about almost everything, authored this famous truth: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

Preparation is everything. We harpists understand that our practice is our preparation. We won’t be able to play well if we don’t practice. We get it.

But if you’ve been playing the harp for a while now, you have probably experienced the painful flip side. I’m talking about the realization that even with all the hours of practice you put into a particular piece, you aren’t guaranteed to be able to play it as well as you expect under pressure.

After an experience like that, most of us decide to double down on our practice, thinking we weren’t prepared enough. We hope that we have hit on the magic number - of hours or repetitions or practice sessions - that will be the perfect preparation. Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn’t.

So if practice is preparation, why doesn’t practice make us prepared, or even feel prepared? And why does it sometimes seem that our practice lets us down in a performance or a lesson?

What does it really mean to be prepared as a musician? I believe it can’t be measured in practice time or number of repetitions or test recordings or preview performances or even in years of experience.

You see, what I have learned is that practice is not the same as preparation. Certainly, it’s the biggest part of it, but without the addition of specific strategies to connect that practice to our playing, practice alone won’t ever let us feel truly prepared.

Being or feeling prepared relies on three key attitudes, ones that many harpists don’t consider and others choose to ignore. However, you can’t feel prepared without having thought about these three ideas and put them into daily action. Each is important. One will help you feel balanced so you can express your music more deeply. One will help you feel confident that you can do your best. And the third will allow you to conquer your fears about playing. Taken singly, they are powerful. Put all three together and you have a game-changer.

That is what we will talk about in just a moment. I will not only share those three attitudes with you but I want to be sure that you know how to create them, how to turn your thoughts to them, but also how to implement them. What I want for you is to be able to do only as much practice as you need, rather than doing more and more practice in the hopes that more practice alone will fix this problem. Oh yes. Benjamin Franklin had a quote for that too: “Never confuse Motion with Action.” I know you get the point.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Early bird registration for our February Getaway Retreat is now open. Click here to register with the early bird discount today!
• Related resource Do You Worry About the "What-Ifs" ? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-121

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Let’s talk warm-ups.

You likely have a favorite way to warm up at the beginning of a practice session. It might be short and sweet, like an arpeggio and a scale. It might be a fairly thorough routine that allows you to check everything from your posture to your focus. Or possibly it’s just a passage from a piece that you’re learning.

Whatever you do, however you like to warm up, that’s great. I don’t want to change that today.

What I want to do is show you three different and important ways your warm-up can help you, that’s the “triple” referred to in this episode’s title. These aren’t earth-shattering or revolutionary new techniques. They are simple, clear approaches to your warm-up that will allow you to develop critical skills beyond what is usual in a warm-up. I have a warm-up that I will use to demonstrate as I teach you these approaches and it’s available for you as a free download. You’ll find the link in the show notes for this episode, which you can find either on your podcast app or by going to Harpmastery.com, clicking on “podcast” in the menu bar and then clicking on today’s episode, which is episode 120.

But you don’t have to use that warm-up. You can use these approaches with your regular warm-up and derive just as much benefit, in fact, the triple threat benefit, three critical skills you can improve with whatever warm-up you like.

If you’re wondering what the critical skills we will focus on might be, here you go. They are finger dexterity and independence, independence of the hands, and musicianship, specifically dynamic control and rhythmic control. Don’t let the terminology scare you off. This is easy. And it might even be fun.

I’ve also included in the show notes a link to a blog post I wrote a while back called “Break Through: What to Do When Your Technique Is Holding You Back.” In that post I talk about warm-ups, but I also share some other ways to improve your technique and your confidence.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get your free Noodle Doodle warm-up PDF. Click here to download.
• Click here to join My Harp Mastery before Friday, September 8th.
• Related resource Break Through: What to Do When Your Technique Is Holding You Back blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-120

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It’s all in your mind. No, I don’t mean you’re going crazy. I’m sure you’ve come across the well-worn statement that 90% of performance, whether in sports or music or any similar pursuit, is mental. The idea, of course, is that your mental preparation, your mindset and your focus all are major factors in the success of your performance.

Even if the actual percentage may be hard to pin down, the idea is undoubtedly true. Our minds are powerful contributors to our success or our failure. Just look at the number of books and blogs devoted to this concept, from the iconic book The Inner Game of Tennis to Noa Kageyama’s insightful blog The Bulletproof Musician. (By the way, I’ve linked to both of those resources in the show notes for you.)

Today, however, I don’t want to dive into performance psychology. I want to deal with something much more practical, something you probably have heard about and wondered how to implement: mental practice.

What is mental practice? Basically, it’s practice you do away from the harp. It’s very practical if you are on vacation or even just away for a weekend and you don’t want to lose ground while you’re away. It’s terrific for testing your memorization of a piece or for focusing your mind before a performance. It’s also great for helping you learn your music, without the distraction of actually playing.

Maybe that’s a new concept to you, thinking of your playing as a distraction from your music-making, but I invite you to consider it. How much more could you learn about what is on the page, about the meaning of the notes or the expression of a piece, if you didn’t have to worry about which finger goes where?

Maybe you’ve heard about mental practice but have no idea how to get started. I hope to change that for you today. If you’ve been trying mental practice but you’re not sure you’re doing it right or getting the most from your practice away from the harp, you’re going to discover some very practical ways to do this kind of work. And I can promise you, you’re going to find out just how big an impact mental practice can have on your speed of learning and on your retention. That’s two huge wins right there.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register here to work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach this session.
• The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
• The Bulletproof Musician blog
• Related resource Three Times When Not Practicing is NOT an Option blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-119

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Wouldn’t it feel great to relax?

Of course, since this is the Practicing Harp Happiness podcast, I’m not just talking about a cool drink, a good book and a bubble bath. I’m talking about being relaxed when you play the harp.

You know why it’s important to be relaxed when you play. When your hands, arms, shoulders and the rest of your body feel relaxed, you can practice and play without strain and with freedom, flexibility and flow. When your mind is relaxed, you can concentrate and focus without fear or distraction. When your mind and body are relaxed, your music can also relax so that it can communicate its mood or story in a clear, relatable way.

Does that sound too good to be true, like an impossible dream to you? Let me tell you that it isn’t impossible to achieve. More importantly, this kind of relaxation shouldn’t be just a happy accident for you.

We teachers are experts at telling our students to relax, but not so expert at showing them the tools they need to practice to make relaxation a habit. But I hope to make up for that today.

Together we will explore the five most common tension traps, things we all do every day in our practice that cause our tension to build. And for each one of those I will give you a one step action to help you learn to instantly release that tension. We’ll also talk about when tension is helpful - you already know when it isn’t! - and how to harness its power and then to let it go.

But if there’s one thing I want you to get from this podcast episode, it’s this: releasing tension is a technique you will need to practice like every other technical skill. The more you practice it, the more easily you will be able to create relaxation when you need it, for instance, coming up to a tricky spot, playing a fast passage, or playing in a lesson or performance. And at the risk of stating the obvious, the one thing that doesn’t work is to just keep telling yourself to relax, relax, RELAX!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Coaching Fall Trimester Registration opens today!
• Related resource Floppy Fingers? Develop Strong Fingers the Smart Way blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-118

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While there are many notable quotes from Johann Sebastian Bach, one of my favorites is this one: “There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.” Okay, the man was a musical genius, but obviously he also had a remarkable talent for understatement.

On the other hand, that really is the major part of learning and playing a piece of music, at least it’s where we start. Certainly the expression of the music is our ultimate aim, but communicating the music starts with the right notes at the right time. That’s the focus of the podcast today: not so much how to find the right notes, but how to play them at the right time.

We all know it’s not as simple as Bach made it sound. In fact, the difficulties of finding that “right time” are evident everyday in our practice, even if we are expert players. See if any of these common rhythmic challenges sound familiar to you from your personal experience:

• Starting a piece before you’ve looked at the time signature, and getting it wrong.
• Uneven subdivisions of the beat, not making your sixteenth notes exactly half the length of your eighth notes, for example.
• Not remembering to count rests or ties.
• Rushing through some passages and slowing down in others.
• Forgetting to count and losing your place.

I’m guessing you’ve had at least one of those challenges; I know I have. Maybe you know how to fix the problem, but maybe you’re not really sure of the best way to go about it. Maybe you’ve tried fixing it, but you seem to have to fix it again with every new piece you learn. Perhaps rhythm or counting or working with the metronome is a constant frustration for you.

If any of those things sound familiar, you’re in luck, my friend, because I’m going to give you some actual steps to take to become more rhythmically secure, not just fix the problems as they arise, although these strategies will work for that too. I want to show you how to practice your rhythm skills, whether you feel pretty confident already and you just want to get to the next level, or you have trouble with plain old counting or working with the metronome. I taught these methods for nineteen years when I was teaching theory and ear training at the Curtis Institute of Music, and if they are good enough for the world-class students there, they will almost certainly help you too.

And by the way, just to make this ultra-relevant for us harpists, I will be using the Pachelbel Canon as our teaching text. So get out whatever version you have of the Pachelbel - any arrangement will work for this - and follow along as we get rhythmic today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Registration for our fall session of Harp Mastery® Certified Coaching opens soon. Join the First to Know list now!
• Related resource Finding Your Groove: How to Train Your Inner Metronome blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-117

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I once had someone suggest to me that Harp Mastery® was a little ambitious as a name. Was I intending that my blog and my website would only help people at the highest level or help them to become masters of the instrument? Or was I proclaiming myself a “master” of the harp? Eek, definitely not. In response, I told her I believed that mastery didn’t have to be defined as the ultimate level of achievement, although that is how we often think of it. I had a different idea of mastery in mind.

Certainly the term can be applied to the virtuoso whose skill and artistry are, or are destined to become, legendary.

But I believe that all of us harpists, at whatever level of accomplishment, can attain the feeling of mastery, a feeling that encompasses confidence in our ability at our skill level, pride in our achievements and pleasure in our playing. Is that true mastery as we would apply the word to harp legends like Renié, Hasselmans or O’Carolan? Possibly not, although I feel certain those harpists would have felt confidence, pride and pleasure in their harp playing.

I think it’s essential, however, that all harpists, particularly those of us who struggle to feel like we are making progress toward our goals, understand that every level of harp playing is not just a growth stage but an accomplishment in itself. We may not feel like harp masters, and we may be very far from feeling like virtuosi, but we can recognize the results of our hard work and celebrate how far we have come. Every piece we learn, every technical or musical skill we develop is another step on the mastery journey.

So today, I want to talk more about mastery, not the virtuoso kind, but everyday mastery, the kind we can all enjoy. We’ll review the key components of mastery and of course, I won’t leave you just with the big concepts. We’ll get super practical and tactical and I’ll show you what you can do in your everyday practice to bring you closer to that place where competence, confidence and joy converge.

For those who attended Finish Camp, this will amplify what we spoke about there. But this is about much more than just finishing a piece. This is about starting your mastery journey from wherever you are and creating your mastery path to suit you and your own personal harp goals or dreams. I am sure you will find some mindset gold in this episode and you are going to want to bookmark it to return to it again when you need a pep talk.

Also, if this episode resonates with you, please share this with a couple of harp friends. Sometimes we can feel discouraged by our inability to make a positive impact on the world around us, let alone feel like we are making progress in our harp playing. So you can do your friends - and me too - a big favor by spreading a little podcast sunshine their way.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Get access to our Summer Sizzler Camps until August 13.
• Related resource The Mastery Trait blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-116

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Today’s show is a special one. It’s a peek inside our My Harp Mastery membership. You’ll be hearing part of a recording of one of our Monday calls. On this call, our topic was three skills that are vital for your harp playing success, in particular memorizing, practicing for flow and continuity, and sharing music with friends. These skills may not sound very exciting, but I really want to share this call with you because I talk about ways to look at your harp playing that may be very different from the way you usually think about your practice and playing. It was an eyeopener for some of our My Harp Mastery members, and I hope it will inspire you as well.

Because this is a recording of a call, you’ll hear me reference some materials that our members have access to but which I can’t share with you here on the podcast. Also, I am talking about these three skills in relation to one of our My Harp Mastery resources, the Scale of Success. This is a curriculum that we offer inside the My Harp Mastery membership to help harpists of all kinds of levels round out their skill set so they can be more confident harpists.

I hope you enjoy the call!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join me at Finish Camp on August 2nd! Register here for Finish Camp!
• Related resource “What Do You Need to Know?” blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-115

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Christmas in July has become “a thing.”

The official story is that Christmas in July was first celebrated at a summer camp in Brevard, North Carolina in 1933. Being a classic film fan, I knew that Christmas in July was already popular by 1940, due to the film with that title. But now July is nearly as popular for Christmas as December and I’m beginning to think that we will soon see stores moving their Christmas sales from August into July.

Of course, for us harpists, summer is a great time to pull out that Christmas repertoire. In the slower days of summer, we can dedicate some practice time to refreshing and renewing our holiday hits list.

But you don’t have to immerse yourself in “Winter Wonderland” and “Jingle Bells" or even “Silent Night” to put a little Christmas into your summer. If you’re the type who loves holiday music, then by all means dive in with extra mistletoe and holly. But if you’re not ready to surrender your summer harp playing to ”Away in a Manger” for even a week or two, there are still some things you can do now to ease your holiday workload when Christmas in December rolls around. Depending on your personal preference, you can geek out on the musical gingerbread or play the Christmas in July grinch in style.

So get ready to discover some fun ways to put some holiday sparkle in your summer without having to only practice all your holiday music. After all, “Summertime” is a nice piece to play too!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Don’t miss Finish Camp on August 2nd. Register now!
• Related resource How Holiday Music Can Make You a Better Harpist blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-114

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There are markers along the road in every harpist’s development, signposts that indicate you’re making progress. These are like those highway signs that tell you how many miles you are from the next town or city, like “New York City - 90 miles.” No matter how long it’s taken you to get to that point and regardless of the traffic jam ahead of you on the New Jersey Turnpike, New York City is now only 90 miles away.

Graduating from three-note chords to four-note chords is one of those markers I talk about often. Another one is fluent hands together playing.

Fluent may not be the best word to describe my meaning. It’s more a comfort level, the point at which hands together playing is not any more difficult for you than playing hands separately. Many harpists develop fluency playing hands separately and then are frustrated when that fluency doesn’t translate to their hands together playing. What they don’t realize is that the processing of information that is required for hands separately playing is very different from what is required for hands together playing. It’s a harp version of the saying “What got you here won’t get you there.”

My students have all heard me talk about this before - and often. It’s painful to me to see harpists struggle with music learning and slow progress simply because they never were shown a better way. In this episode I will detail how to put hands together in a way which is faster, easier and will yield massive results, not just in the long-term but almost immediately. And while there are a lot of angles we could touch on today, I want to focus on three things you could do today to improve - or develop, if you feel like you’re starting from scratch - your hands together skills. I also will tell you about two things you are likely doing now which you must stop immediately, today.

So get out your notebook or your practice journal and your favorite pen and be ready to take notes. Or just listen now and come back to this episode later to be sure you capture all the info you need. You’re going to want it all, trust me.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join me for the Summer Sizzler Technique Camp
• Related resource 3 Skills Essential to Sight Reading blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-113

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If you’re finally ready to think about making videos of yourself playing the harp, all I can say is, “Welcome to the party!”

You may have been one of the reluctant ones, thinking the technology was going to be too daunting. Or maybe your barrier to entry has been the fact that you just weren’t ready - until now, that is - to share your music on the wild wide-open worldwide web.

Possibly you were one of those who found the idea of making videos intriguing, but when it came down to actually doing it, you found the process surprisingly difficult.

What I”d like to do in this podcast episode is to help you through the challenges of making videos of yourself. While I’ll touch on a couple of tech-related topics, our focus today is really going to be you, what you need to do to prepare you and your music for making a video or even just an audio recording.

I’ve made numerous CDs and obviously I do a lot of video too, and I learned mostly the hard way what works: how prepared you need to be, how to keep your expectations reasonable, and how to ensure you finish the process with a video that you actually feel proud of. If you haven’t made videos yet but would like to, or you’ve tried and thought it was too hard for you, this information will change the game for you. Trust me; you can do this.

On the other hand, if you’re already an old hand at video, I have some tips that may make your process simpler or less time-consuming.

Plus, I will point you to some excellent examples of everyday harpists - not the superstars you may be thinking of - who are doing great things with video. I want you to leave today’s episode feeling inspired and excited about making videos. Why? Because it really can be fun. Really.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Become one of my monthly listeners on my new Spotify channel!
• Related resource Beyond Fear: Daily Acts of Harp Courage blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-112

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Okay, here’s my question for you today. What would be the scariest words you could hear in your lesson? I can think of lots of possibilities but I’m guessing that one of those phrases that comes to your mind might be, “I think we need to get out the metronome.”

If that’s a phrase that makes you start to squirm on your harp bench, you’re not alone. Learning to use the metronome is one of those things that we teachers often fail to teach our students. Sure, we pull out the metronome in lessons and tell our students to practice with it at home, but we don’t often really show them how to work with it or when to use it and why. We almost turn it into a punishment. I sometimes worry I sound like the Wicked Witch of the West; “Well, my pretty, you counted that badly. It’s time for the metronome for you and the little dog too!”

But the metronome is for more than just identifying and solving counting errors or uneven beats. And it’s not just for pushing the tempo faster and faster. Used creatively, the metronome can actually slow time for you, helping to create enough time for you to do what you need to do. It’s not just about practicing slowly so you can play fast. It’s about smoothing out the bumps and coordinating the many processes that go into playing a piece of music. It can help you be more expressive and yes, you can even use the metronome to calm frantic fingers or frazzled nerves and to help you focus.

Now if you’re one of those harpists like me who absolutely loves working with the metronome, then congratulations. You’ve learned to harness one of the most powerful tools in any musician’s bag of tricks. But don’t leave me yet - I have some cool metronome tricks you may not know to share with you today.

But if you’re like the majority of harpists out there, you’re not quite comfortable using the metronome. In fact, you may not be quite convinced of its value as a practice tool. My hope is that the ideas I’m going to share with you today will spark your interest and encourage you to make the metronome your best practice buddy.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Summer Camp Sizzlers are happening now. Join us for these fun workshops!
• Podcast episode 89: Masterclass: The Tempo Pyramid
• Related resource Your Metronome Speaks blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-111

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What are your plans for your harp playing this summer?

Do you have pieces you want to learn, maybe Christmas music you want to get a head start on? Do you have a few exercise or etude books that you plan to get through so your fingers will finally do what you want? Are you thinking summer is a great time to learn your key signatures or chords or improve your note reading or learn to improvise? Or maybe all of the above?

If your summer harp list looks anything like this, let me hear you say, “Amen.”

Most of us start out the summer with big plans, and not just for our harp playing. We have this imaginary idea that summer is endless and less busy and we’ll have time to get to all those things we can’t manage in the other three seasons. That’s a classic example of wishful thinking. Life doesn’t really slow down just because the days are longer and warmer. What usually does slow down is our drive to achieve, and that’s actually a healthy thing.

Continually pushing ourselves to achieve and accomplish drains our emotional gas tank. If we don’t take the time we need to refuel we will eventually be running on fumes. Balancing this with our desire to keep making progress and our fear that if we don’t keep practicing we will lose everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve is the real crux of the problem and what we will be talking about today. I don’t want you to lose the ground you’ve gained this year by taking time off. But I absolutely believe that switching up the way you practice - or maybe not even actually practicing at all - is essential to keeping your connection to your harp healthy and vibrant.

You know me; I love setting goals and working toward them. You can achieve great things with dedication and passion. However, it's important to be aware of the hidden traps that might sabotage your efforts, the very real costs of staying focused all the time. I also want to share with you what you can do instead. We are not going to give up on progress, just because we’re not goal-focused. Instead, I’ll show you how you can actually move your playing ahead without really practicing. I promise, it’s not a trick. It’s real progress and it’s almost laughably easy.

My apologies to those of my listeners in the southern hemisphere, where it isn’t summer right now, but by listening to this podcast now, you’re going to be able to plan your next summer the right way ahead of time. Not a bad idea, right?

So let’s get on with our discussion about how you can indulge your desire to slow the pace this summer and still feel like you’re moving the needle with your harp playing.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join me every Monday Live in the Harp Mastery® Hub. JOIN THE HUB
• Related resource The 30,000 Foot View: Letting Go of the Details blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-110

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Yes, this episode is about Bach, the Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach. I know some of you are thinking this is a waste of a podcast episode, that you are never going to play any music by Bach and since he didn’t write any music for harp anyway, this couldn’t possibly be relevant to your harp playing.

Let me tell you, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Bach may not have written anything for harp, but his influence is felt by every composer and musician since his time. You probably know that French composer Charles Gounod wrote his beautiful Ave Maria melody as a vocal addition to Bach’s Prelude in C. But perhaps you didn’t know that the trumpet solo on the Beatles song “Penny Lane” came about after Paul McCartney heard trumpeter Dave Mason performing the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, the same concerto which is featured in the movie The Island of Doctor Moreau. Other movies featuring the music of Bach range from Disney’s Fantasia to the Godfather to Master and Commander and Boogie Nights.

But Bach’s music is more than just amazing music. It is also a music theory education, a technical proving ground and a time-honored model for crafting a melody. You may associate Bach’s music more with vast quantities of notes rather than melody, but discovering the basic yet profound musical principles embodied in Bach’s compositions can change the way you understand all of the music you play. I know it did for me.

Obviously, I won’t be able to uncover all the layers in Bach’s music on this podcast. What I want to do is to talk about what is meaningful to us as harpists and musicians. We’ll clarify some of the musical terms that are associated with Bach and I’ll show you how you can use his music to better understand chords, phrasing, flow, to develop your fingering technique, and to grow as a musician. Plus, we’ll talk about which Bach pieces might be ideal for you to add to your repertoire or at least your practice list.

I also have some facts and stories about Bach that you can include in program notes or repeat to impress your friends with your amazing musical knowledge.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Free Clair de lune workshop in the Hub on June 23rd. Click here to join the Hub.
• Related resource Bach, and My Friend Edward Aldwell blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-109

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Legendary harpist and composer Carlos Salzedo had this to say about buzzing: “It is important that there be no buzzing when replacing. Buzzing comes from lack of precision in replacing, and will be eliminated if the player replaces very accurately.”

That quote comes from the Method for the Harp book that he wrote with Lucile Lawrence, his former student and at the time that method book was written, his wife.

What is interesting about that quote is that even though Salzedo had so much to say about so many aspects of harp playing, that is all he says about buzzing, nothing more.

On the one hand, it’s enough. Every harpist should be replacing accurately in order to avoid buzzing. But we knew that much. What Salzedo leaves us wondering is exactly how we should practice accurate replacing so we don’t buzz. Unfortunately, Salzedo either thought it was too obvious to elaborate on or he wanted to keep his secrets for his students.

I imagine he thought it was obvious, but since it isn’t obvious to most of us lesser harpists, we need a little more instruction. Hence, today’s podcast episode. This is a “Quick Fix” episode, meaning we are going to get super-practical and talk about the practice techniques to use to help you be more aware of your buzzing as well as learn to prevent it. You’re going to want to take notes, so if you’re driving or on the exercise bike, go ahead and listen now, but be sure to come back to this episode later when you can write down some of the key strategies.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Two Retreat Spots left!
• Related resource Teach Your Fingers to Do Your Bidding blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-108

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If there’s one thing you could say with certainty that all we harpists want, it’s being able to play the piece we’re working on. That’s why we started the harp, so we could play beautiful music on a beautiful instrument beautifully. But we all know the struggle it takes to make that happen. And we all know the frustration of persisting through the struggle and feeling defeated because there are two measures smack in the middle of the piece that just won’t work.

Call them what you will: problem spots, tricky spots, twisty measures, awkward passages, or maybe names that involve four-letter words. These spots are like a teenager’s pimples. They appear at the worst times and no matter what you do, you can’t really cover them up. They seem to last forever. And the more you mess with them the worse, the worse they get.

Fortunately, pimples do eventually go away. But problem measures won’t necessarily. I know that doesn’t seem like the positive kind of outlook you’re used to hearing from me, but the plain truth is that if the practice you’re doing now isn’t fixing the problem, doing more of it won’t either, no matter how much of it you do. You need to do something different.

Today’s show is all about those pesky problem spots - not pimples, the musical kind - and how to actually fix them. We’ll look at the hidden cost of continuing to hammer away at those tricky measures and the surprising ways you can shift your focus and solve the problem.

This is an issue we all face every single day. Every piece we learn has something just a little different from anything we’ve had to do before. So we are going to learn some tricks that are just a little different themselves so we can put those measures behind us and get on with the music.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Experience the Momentum Miracle
• Related resource “Focus or Fixation: The Practice Rabbit Hole” blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-107

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It’s Memorial Day today here in the U.S. and that marks the unofficial beginning of summer for us. The pace of life slows down a little, especially the pace of harp playing. The concert season is over, and although the wedding season has begun, you may be feeling a little at loose ends where your harp playing is concerned.

I realize it might not be summer where you are, but our topic today will be relevant for you too. I want to talk about what to practice when you don’t have anything to practice for.

When we have playing engagements on the calendar, it’s easy to know what to practice. While we’re busily learning all the music we need for that playing date, our practice time never seems long enough. We promise ourselves that as soon as things slow down, we’re going to really spend focused time working on our technique or our sight reading or improvisation or…

Those good intentions are a lot harder to act on when things really do slow down. We discover that our momentum slows down too. We don’t have as much ambition. Our drive to achieve seems to have driven off without us.

The fact is we need some down time. We need to ease up on the gas pedal and let the slower season refresh us. It’s a necessary break. But you and I both know that a long break away from the harp can mean a lot of rehab work when you start practicing again. Whether you’re on vacation or taking a staycation or just have a blank concert calendar, too much time away from the harp makes returning to the harp more than a little discouraging. And let’s not even mention the broken strings.

So what can you do if you have nothing to practice for? How do you prepare before you go on vacation so you can come back to the harp without feeling frustrated? If your harp plate or your music stand is feeling a little empty right now, I have some great ideas to help you switch up your focus and enjoy some relaxing time with your harp.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Experience the Momentum Miracle
• Related resource “Do You Need a Reason to Practice? 3 Ways to Find One” blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-106

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I’ve been thinking about harp stories lately, not the fiction type of stories. I mean the kind of harp story we each have, the one about the moment we discovered the harp. Maybe it was the first time we saw it or heard it or heard about it. Maybe it was a long time ago or fairly recent. Maybe it was a dramatic moment or more of a gradual awakening.

I love hearing how harpists discovered their passion for the harp. Every harpist’s story is unique and yet each shares the common thread of the magnetic pull of the harp.

Many of you have heard my harp story. I myself didn’t learn the beginning of it until I was in my first year of college, studying at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. I had come to a crisis point, one where I was in a “do-or-die” kind of situation. In brief, my teacher had told me that either I fixed what was wrong with my playing or I was going to have to leave Curtis, since I clearly wouldn’t succeed there. The trouble was I didn’t know how to fix what was wrong and neither did she, but I was determined to do it.

Fast forward through that summer and when I came back to school in the fall, not only had I fixed the problem, but my teacher declared me ready for international competition. It was a huge change. On a side note, everything that I have done since in my teaching came directly from my work that summer.

But the point I want to make today is what enabled me to find the motivation and the right direction to turn things around. That was discovering my harp story beginning. In my frustration I remember saying to my mother, maybe ranting would be a more accurate word, that I didn’t even know why I was playing the harp in the first place. She told me what I had never known before: when I was two years old, I heard the harp on the radio, asked what it was and said that was what I wanted to do.

Here’s the part that interests me now. Simply knowing that story, and learning that it was the sound of the harp that I responded to made all the difference in that moment. I knew that I had heard the voice of the harp and recognized it as my own voice. Knowing that story changed everything for me, turning what was a crisis into an inflection point that propelled me forward in a way nothing else would have done.

Today I want to show you how to use your own harp story to keep you motivated, and even more important, grounded and connected. With so many demands on our time and focus, it’s frighteningly easy to let your harp playing sit on the back burner waiting for that mythical “someday” when you’ll have more time. But your harp time can provide the peace and renewal you need, provided you can release yourself from the need to achieve and let yourself be nourished by your music instead.

I’ll share with you my thoughts on the power of inflection points and how we can see them as opportunities instead of obstacles and we’ll talk about three ways your harp story can help you refuel and enjoy your harp journey, even when the going gets tough. It’s all about you and making your music on your terms on the show today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Registration for the Summer Retreat will be closing soon. Register now!
• Related resource “Why I Need To Get Out Of My Practice Room More Often” blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-105

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What always happens is…

That statement is one that I ask each harpist who enrolls in our Certified Coaching program to complete. Some harpists have no idea how to complete the statement, and I tell them that if they needed to answer it, they would know how. The harpists who need to complete that sentence, know it when they read it. These are the harpists who know that they have an issue with distraction.

It’s not a black mark against them, of course; distraction is an issue for all of us. But sometimes distraction becomes a roadblock instead of just a minor speed bump. It’s one thing to be distracted by a phone call from a friend when you were about to start practicing. It’s very different if you miss several days of practice each week because of phone calls. If those phone calls always happen, you have a distraction problem.

Naturally, phone calls aren’t the only kind of distraction problem. Today I want to get crystal clear about several common and sneaky forms of distraction. Why are they sneaky? Because they masquerade as important and valid requests for our time and focus, and occasionally, they are valid and important, possibly even urgent. But your harp playing is important too and you need to have tools to help you stay on track when you need to.

We’ll talk about the symptoms and alternative solutions for the three forms of distraction I encounter most frequently: the Shiny Object Syndrome, the Friend and Family Fixer and the Perfect Procrastinator.

The solutions will give you the freedom and the power to choose your response to a potential distraction. When you have a way to easily weigh your options in any given moment - do I go out for ice cream or practice the Conditioning Exercises? - you give yourself permission to choose what is right for you at that moment. By the way, I’m voting for the ice cream, almost every time.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join me for our live Retreat Roundup call
• Related resource 7 Ways to Eliminate Distraction and Get Focused blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-104

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It used to be somewhat fashionable to be a control freak, or at least to declare that you were.

It didn’t start out that way. According to Merriam-Webster, the term was first used in the 1970’s. It was the epithet of choice used to label those who belonged to the “Establishment” rather than to the free love “do your own thing” hippie generation. Then in the 1980’s, trends like power dressing and the rise of conservatism made controlling behavior look like something desirable, something to aspire to.

Today we understand the danger of controlling behaviors. So why do we still work so hard to control ourselves and the music we make?

I didn’t recognize some of my own control issues with regard to my music for a long time. Maybe you don’t see yours either, so let’s start with a few possibly revealing questions. See if you identify with any of these.

• Is your biggest goal in your practice usually to eliminate mistakes?
• How frustrating is it for you when you don’t play your piece as well as you think you should, or as well as it went at home?
• Does your fear of making mistakes or not playing well enough stop you from playing for others?
• Do you practice a piece or passage over and over again to try to make it perfect?

If any of those sound even slightly familiar to you, you will want to learn the things I have discovered in my harp journey about what you can control and what you can’t. Learning to let go of the impossible and work only on the possible is a big step on the path to harp happiness.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join us at our Summer Retreat in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee. Don’t wait - registration closes June 1st!
• Related resource Control: Why It’s Out of Your Hands blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-103

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If you’re like me, and I’ll bet you are, you have a lot of music you want to play…someday. My music used to be in piles next to my music stand, until the piles got so untidy that I filed everything in boxes. And every time I dive into one of those boxes to retrieve a piece I need to work on, I find a hidden treasure, a piece I bought long ago that I forgot about. It’s like getting an early Christmas present - a new piece all ready for me to start. It takes all my willpower to also take out the piece I was looking for in the first place.

If you love investigating new music too, then today’s podcast episode is the one you’ve been waiting for. I have some pieces to share that might fill a gap in your gig repertoire or intrigue you or maybe even inspire you to try music you might not have thought was exactly your style.

There is something here for everyone, whether you’re a lever or pedal harpist. The pieces are mostly at an intermediate level, but that’s a pretty wide-ranging level, and you will notice that some are definitely more challenging than others. That’s why I titled this show “Music to Grow By,” because a little bit of a stretch, either technically or musically or maybe both, is good for us.

Some of the pieces are long-time favorites of mine. A few are relatively new discoveries. I love all of them, and my hope is that one of these may become a favorite of yours too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• My Harp Mastery membership is open until midnight! Join now!
• Related resource Build Your Repertoire without Having a Breakdown blog post
• Music List:
  • Grandjany Pastorale
  • Hasselmans Trois Petites Bluettes (Carillon)
  • Gustavson Pacific Sketches (Rippling Water)
  • Garscia On The Harp’s Strings (A Memory)
  • Arr. Heulyn Three Welsh Jigs
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-102

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What would you do if you were playing the harp in a concert and the lights went out?

I’m sure many of you have stories about playing the harp when there was a sudden power outage, and I have several myself. I remember one wedding when a neighborhood-wide blackout occurred just as the newly married couple kissed. The priest didn’t miss a beat, directing the acolytes to lead the bride and groom in a candlelight recessional to the back of the church. My fellow musicians and I were missing lots of beats however, as we struggled to keep playing the recessional music in the dark.

Fortunately it was a familiar tune, but even so, the other musicians finally gave up, leaving me to carry on by myself. Because I knew the piece, the notes weren’t the problem; obviously the real difficulty was not being able to see the strings.

Today’s Quick Fix podcast episode isn’t about memorizing your music or carrying a spare music stand light with you. It’s about something more important, a skill you should use even when the lights are on. It’s about trusting your fingers to know where the strings are.

In case you are thinking this doesn’t apply to you, here are some questions for you to ask yourself. Do you sometimes lose your place on the page when you look away from the music to see the strings? Do you have to memorize parts of your pieces so you can make sure your fingers get to the right strings? Do you find music learning slow because you have to look back and forth between your hands and the music? Are you a poor sight reader?

All of these things might be the telltale signs that you haven’t taught your fingers to play without you looking at them. And that’s exactly what I will show you how to fix on today’s show.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• The 3 Things You Must Know About Practice That No Teacher Ever Told You Webinar registration
• My Harp Mastery membership doors are open!
• Related resource Mastering Harp Geography: Get Out of the Middle of the Road blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-101

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Music learning isn’t a race, we all know that. That doesn’t stop us from wanting to get to the finish line, to that magical moment when our piece is “done.”

Ironically, if you ask a group of harpists exactly what “done” means or how to tell when you get there, you’ll get a few very indeterminate answers and more than a few hems and haws. Is the finish line the point when you can play the piece with no - or with very few - mistakes? Is it when you have it memorized or when you’ve played it for an audience? Is it whenever you want it to be? Is it when you’re so sick and tired of practicing it that you just want to put it away?

When I started blogging in 2012, I had a mission to spread harp happiness, to help harpists enjoy their playing and their practice, to enable them to find and keep the joy in their harp playing. In my teaching in the years just prior to that, I had begun to notice an increasing number of frustrated harpists, particularly adult students. And the biggest frustration, one that was common to nearly all of them, was that they had no pieces they felt they could actually play. The finish point, that sense of musical accomplishment, was continually and distressingly elusive. And what seemed like a reasonable solution - more practice - actually seemed to make the problem worse. The finish line receded into the dim distance.

In order to help harpists find a system that would end this demoralizing cycle, I created a course called “30 Days to Done.” In that course, I systematized the steps that experienced harpists use to learn and finish music faster. I wanted to make the system clear and repeatable for any type of piece at any level. And the system works.

But there is a big question that the course doesn't answer fully and that’s the topic of our discussion today. The question is the one I alluded to a moment ago: what does “done” mean and how do you know when you’ve gotten there? And this 100th episode milestone for the Practicing Harp Happiness podcast seemed the perfect moment to talk about it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Ready to go deeper? Try the 30 Days to Done course. (Note for My Harp Mastery members: You already have this course. Look in the Table of Contents on our website under the heading “Practice.”)
• Registration for our Spring coaching trimester session is now open!
• Related resource: Finding the Finish Line: When Is Your Music Done? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-100

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Building a repertoire sounds like something only a master harpist would need to do. Yet all of us need to have music that we can play anytime and anywhere we want. But building a repertoire sounds like a huge project. I’m going to show you today that all you need to do to build - and more importantly, to maintain a repertoire - is one pen, 3 sticky notes and 5 minutes.

Impossible? Not impossible. In fact, we’re going to take the seemingly impossible task of building a repertoire and make it simple. It’s a little like turning a black diamond ski run into the bunny slope, or turning Mt. Everest into a molehill. Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration but if you’ve ever struggled with having pieces ready to play at a moment’s notice or keeping those pieces you’ve finished in your fingers, you’re going to find today’s episode is a game changer.

One of the first coaching students I worked with online, and this was years ago, came to me with the goal of developing a repertoire. She was relatively new to the harp and that actually made my job easier. She had very few preconceived ideas about what a repertoire should be like: what kind of pieces she should play, how long they should be, how much music she needed and whether or not she had to have it memorized. In just twelve weeks she had forty-five minutes of music that she could play confidently; she had her repertoire.

Twelve weeks to go from zero pieces to forty-five minutes was a really good time frame. There were two things that made that possible. First was her lack of “should’s.” Because she hadn’t put limitations or restrictions on what her repertoire should be like, she was open to possibilities that more seasoned harpists might have discarded. I’ll talk about that more in a minute.

Second, I introduced her to some shortcuts that made it easier to keep up with her pieces, to keep them in her fingers and relatively fresh in her mind too. Those are the shortcuts I’m going to be sharing with you today.

So if your repertoire needs a refresh, a restart or just a boost to get off the ground, this is the information you need. We will take the shortcuts, whizz past the places where you may be stuck and clear up some of the thinking that may be keeping your repertoire in the “someday” pile. And all you will need to get started is a pen, three sticky notes and 5 minutes. And to listen to this episode first, of course.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Live Podcast Taping on April 11
• Related resource Three Reasons You’re Not Reviewing Your Music blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-099

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Do you have a daily warmup that you use to start your practice? If you do, I’m sure you rely on it to help you get your fingers and your focus ready for your practice session. That’s exactly what a good warmup should do, or at least that’s one of the primary functions of a warmup.

If you’ve worked with me as a student or in my online community or even if you’ve listened to this podcast for awhile, it will come as no surprise that I have fairly specific ideas about warmups: what they should and shouldn’t do, how long they should be, what their purpose is in relation to the rest of your practice. And naturally, I want to share those ideas with you today.

Today’s episode is a masterclass episode, meaning that it’s a “play along” episode. So you will not only learn my best warmup strategies, but you will get to try them out by playing along with me as you listen. If you’re not at your harp now, that’s ok; listen now to learn my guiding principles for warming up as well as how to do the playing drills and then you can come back and play with me when it’s more convenient for you.

I’ll also answer some of the questions I am asked most frequently about warmups, plus one or two questions that nobody has asked but someone should have. Maybe there’s a question you’ve thought about asking but haven’t yet; if so, I hope I answer it for you today. If I don’t, be sure to email me at podcast@harpmastery.com, and I’ll try to answer it on a future episode.

A clarification before we get started: certain types of warmups have special physical uses for warming up muscles and tendons to prevent injury. Today we aren’t dealing with those types of physical warmups. We are talking purely about playing warmups that ease your fingers and focus into your practice. If you like to do more thorough stretching, that would happen before the warmups we are talking about today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Live Podcast Taping on April 11
• Related resource Cool Down Properly: Your Best 5 Minutes of Practice blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-098

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Music is not a numbers game. You can’t quantify a moving performance or a composition with statistics like a batting average. You can’t predict how many minutes, hours, weeks or months it will take to be able to play a certain piece fluently. A player's skill isn’t solely a result of how old they are or how many years they’ve been playing. Those kinds of numbers aren’t relevant in the music world.

There are numbers that have great significance to us as musicians and harpists. Some are meaningful dates in music history, like the birth and death dates of important composers. Some numbers are important for what they represent. I’m thinking of the Roman numerals we use to describe chords and chord progressions, like a I-IV-V-I progression. Other numbers are even more practical, such as numbers for fingering. And then there are those numbers that are at the heart of our discussion today, the numbers in the time signature.

You know the numbers I mean; the numbers that look like fractions (but aren’t) at the beginning of nearly every piece, and sometimes in the middle. We call them the time signature or more technically, the meter signature, and although they are vitally important to our understanding of a piece, they are frequently overlooked. It’s not exactly that we don’t notice them or understand them. It’s simply that we discount their significance. That’s a hazardous habit.

The meter signature is our key to the organization and underlying rhythmic structure of the piece. It allows us as we learn a piece to put meaning into the notes, and our understanding of the meter allows a listener to make sense of the piece as they hear it. It’s the single most important factor in creating musical flow.

There’s a simple way to develop mastery of the meter signature. It’s likely that you do this already, but perhaps without the level of intention that I want to share with you today. Or perhaps you avoid this completely, either because it seems too difficult or you don’t see the point. If that’s the case for you, I’m hoping to change your mind today. And I’m bringing out my most persuasive ideas because I think I may have an uphill battle ahead of me. Why? Because I want you to count aloud.

Yep. I heard you groan from here. Yes, those groans travel through the air waves, my friend. I understand. As a young student, I hated counting aloud and thought it was a special form of torture my teacher had devised specially for me. But my attitude changed completely as I became a more mature musician, and I’d love to help change your attitude about counting aloud too.

If you’re already convinced, that’s great. Stick with me, though, because I have some why’s, how’s and wherefore’s that will take your counting to the next level. If you’re a counting skeptic, stick with me too, because I want to try to change your mind and your music.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Live Podcast Taping on April 11
• Related resource Three Things Your Metronome Can’t Do For You blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-097

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Playing hands together is a topic of constant concern and endless discussion for harpists. When should you start playing hands together? Should you learn a piece hands separately first? How do you begin putting the hands together? And the most frequently asked question: why isn’t hands together working for me? As much as we debate the other questions, this last one is the hardest of all to answer.

One of the more common problems in playing hands together is one I call the “left hand lag.” The left hand lag happens when your hands are playing together sort of, but your left hand seems to be taking too much time to find the strings it needs to play. It’s not a left hand issue; your left hand plays perfectly when it plays by itself. But when you play the hands together, your left hand seems to be behind the beat. It causes hesitations that interrupt the flow of the rhythm and slow everything down.

Your teacher’s first response is likely that you need to read ahead for your left hand. Certainly most of my students have heard that from me, and probably more than once. But is it really a reading ahead issue? Or should we be looking elsewhere for a solution? At the very least, we need some more practical strategies to offer, ones that provide a way to actually practice gathering the information we need quickly so we can play the right notes at the right time.

Fortunately, we know the place to look for the answer. At the root of the problem, there is a coordination issue. Our hands aren’t working in sync, or our reading isn’t coordinated with the hands, or possibly both. So on this podcast episode, I’m going to share a checklist-type approach to finding where the specific issue may lie for you in any particular passage, whether it’s in the physical coordination or the reading coordination, or maybe both.

Here’s a quote which I chose to inspire us as we work through this challenging topic today:

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. - Edward Everett Hale, American clergyman (1822-1909)

Today we can make at least a beginning with the idea that progress and success, and fluent hands together playing are not far off.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Hub Challenge: One Small Step series
• Related resource Why Hands Together Doesn’t Work blog post
• Putting Hands Together YouTube video
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-096

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We all know that making music is more than playing the right notes at the right time. It’s about the heart and soul of the music, the feeling we put into it and the feeling that we communicate through it. Unfortunately, no matter how much feeling we put into the music, the actual communication of that feeling relies on our technique. It’s one of those apparent paradoxes in music study. The beauty of your music depends on the fluency of your technical performance, but a technically perfect performance may or may not be a beautiful one.

So we spend, or should be spending, a significant proportion of our practice time strengthening and securing our technical skills. We practice the notes of our pieces slowly and correctly. But often we still miss the connection between slow, technically careful playing and the facility we need to let our music flow. That connection, the missing link between slow and correct and fluid and musical, is what we will be talking about today.

Here’s the thing: basic technique patterns are exactly that…basic. Don’t get me wrong; they’re important, even vital, for your harp playing. Those fundamental skills like scales, intervals, chords and arpeggios are the bedrock for every harpist’s technique. Practicing these patterns is not optional. The great harpists of every generation have advocated them. I myself practice them every day.

But by themselves, those patterns aren’t enough to make your technique everything you want it to be, particularly if what you want your technique to be is fluid, flashy and…dare I say it…fast.

There are four important ingredients in the recipe for creating flexible, facile fingers, ones that do your bidding instead of slowing your music down. It’s likely that these aren’t things you consider in your technique practice; in fact, you may never even have thought of them as skills you could or should practice. But I promise you, they will help you focus less on your fingers and more on the music each time you play. And if you want to pick up the tempo for a piece, these strategies will help your fingers play faster too.

Just to pique your interest a little, I will tell you that our discussion will begin with my three-word phrase that is the guiding principle for finger facility. That’s right - just three words that may totally change your thinking about what your technique work needs to do for you and your fingers.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• For more on this topic, review podcast episode 64: Spice Up Your Scales for Technique, Flexibility and Speed
• Download the Scale Fingering Refresher PDF
• Are you in the Hub? Join the conversation in our free community.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-095

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If you’re into computer games, you know it’s all about getting to the next level.

Even if you’re not into computer games, you probably know what I mean. Many computer games are built in levels and moving to the next higher level requires the player to complete certain tasks or amass a specific number of treasures or experience points. Until you can complete all the tasks, find all the treasure and do it in the time allotted without using up all your game “lives” in the process, you can’t move on. You’re stuck at that level.

Lots of gamers, I might even venture to say most gamers, get a little obsessed in the attempt to move up. They play the game over and over again, looking for the secret sequence or hidden treasure that will give them access to the next level. What I find interesting about this phenomenon is that it is so similar to getting to the next level in harp playing.

I know you didn’t think you had much in common with gamers, but you might want to think again. Both are solitary pursuits which require determination and focus. Success is exhilarating; a lack of progress is frustrating. And there’s always that next level.

One advantage I see for gamers is that eventually you can win the game. There is a final level that when you conquer it, makes you indisputably a master of the game. Music doesn’t have an end point built into it. There is always a next level.

On today’s show I’m going to share with you my ideas on the skills you need to “level up” in your harp playing. Similar to a computer game, each major advancement in your harp study will involve conquering key skills and just like in a game, until you master those skills, you can’t move on successfully. Unlike a computer game, though, you can try to move on, but you will find that progress is discouragingly slow.

But if you know what key skills you need for that next level, you can forget the frustration and move up more quickly.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Harp Mastery® Hub "One Smal Step" challenge.
• Related resource Teach Your Fingers to Do Your Bidding blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-094

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To paraphrase the 17h century English poet Andrew Marvell,“Had we but world enough and time,This scattered practice were no crime.”

Andrew Marvell was referring to “His Coy Mistress,” but we might well apply these lines to the kind of practice we so often find ourselves engaged in. It’s not that we don’t have goals or that we lack the ambition to improve and grow. It’s just that there is so much wonderful music in the world and we want to play it all. It’s a big feasting table and our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, or in this case, our collection of music we want to learn far exceeds our available time to learn it.

It wasn’t quite so difficult when we had no YouTube, no Instagram and no TikTok to bombard us with videos that make us musically hungry. Instant sheet music downloads are a threat to our practice capacity as well. When we had to leaf through a paper catalog of music and order an expensive book that may take days to arrive, we gave the purchase a little more consideration. Now everything is just a click away. We watch our pile of music we want to play burgeon at the same time that our available practice shrinks. Quite the dilemma for those of us who don’t have “world enough and time.”

If you are one of those harpists - and who isn’t? - who finds it challenging to finish pieces and make the progress you want because there are so many pieces you want to play and not enough time to play them all, then today’s podcast is one you need to hear.

I promise you this won’t be a lecture on delayed gratification. It’s not a diet plan for us music gluttons. It’s a little more like an “eat your cake and have it too” strategy.

There are three keys to practice success and I’m sure you know what they are: consistency, time and focus. The most important of the three is consistency, of course. Simply playing something every day is where harp happiness starts. If you put more time into it, naturally, you will be able to make more progress. And if you focus your work during that time, that’s where you start actually seeing results. But when your time is limited and your focus is using the panoramic lens rather than the super close up focus, your progress will slow considerably. Unless you learn some strategies for prioritizing your practice. And that’s our laser focus today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the new challenge in the Harp Mastery® Hub.
• Related resource Not Getting Things Done? 8 Steps to Making It Happen blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-093

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Welcome to a “quick fix” episode of the podcast. I love these episodes because I get to teach at the harp, which is just about my favorite thing. Actually, playing music on the harp would be my favorite, but this runs a pretty close second.

Today’s quick fix is for rolled chords. Rolled chords are one of the most distinctive sounds of the harp, and they are one of our most versatile expressive tools. They can be rolled crisply with lots of energy, or they can be lush and luxurious, almost like musical dark chocolate. But they can be tricky to play well.

We’re going to cover the three most critical factors of rolling chords on this episode: the actual technique of rolling chords, how to get them to fit into your piece and not slow down the tempo, and how to practice the rolls so your fingers sound even and smooth. That’s a lot to do in one podcast show so we had better get started. If you are by your harp you might find it helpful to try these techniques as I talk about them. If you’re at work or in the car, you can get the concepts now and listen again later when you can play with me.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Podcast Episode # 39: Love Your Chords! 3 Ways To Make Them Lush and Lovely
• Related resource Essential Chord Techniques blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-092

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As this podcast is released, it is the day before Valentine’s Day, and whether you celebrate the day in a special way or not, it’s hard to escape the advertisements urging us to buy and send cards, candy and flowers. I think, though, that we harpists have a special role to play, not just on Valentine’s Day, but every day.

Music, love and romance are inseparable for most of us. We have our special songs that bind us to those we love. There are certain pieces of music that tug at our hearts and move us to barely expressible joy or tears. In the words of virtuoso cellist Pablo Casals, “Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.”

And what instrument is more appropriate than the harp to be the voice of those beautiful, poetic things? In the Bible, we read how David soothed Saul with his harp music. Folk traditions the world over associate the harp with love. In early Norse and various Celtic traditions, the harp was a symbol of love, and its strings represented a mystic bridge between heaven and earth by which one could ascend to higher levels of love. The men and women who play the harps in legends from every corner of the world are brave and courageous heroes whose music wins the freedom and the hearts of those they love.

History aside, I imagine you feel as I do, that the harp is the quintessential instrument of romance. Harp music encompasses a wide variety of styles, certainly, but the beauty of its rippling arpeggios, lush chords and warm, liquid tone are undeniably magical.

Today our conversation is about romantic music. I’ll give you some insights about what music historians mean by the term “Romantic music,” which may not be what you think of as romantic music. We’ll also talk about romantic harp music, the composers who wrote it historically and the romantic-feeling music we love to play, no matter when it was written. I’ll even play a little for you. Plus I’ll share some of the techniques you’ll want to use to make your music more flowing, magical and, well, romantic.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the free Harp Mastery® Hub for harp conversation and inspiration.
• Related resource Take a Musical Gondola Ride: Play a Barcarolle blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-091

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By the beginning of February, I’m done with winter. The holiday playing is long over; spring is still weeks away, no matter what the groundhog said. I’m feeling the winter blahs, and not just in the day-to-day things. This is the time of year when my practice can suffer from the blahs too.

Have you ever noticed how when you have important things to practice for, you enjoy your practice more? You have more energy for it, because there’s a good reason to practice. It’s never a struggle to practice when you have a lesson or a performance coming up. But it can be hard to drag yourself to the harp bench if there’s nothing on the calendar. If you have nothing to practice for, it’s quite possible you have no energy for practice.

Practice is certainly easier to do when you know you simply have to practice. But what if you don’t have to practice? How do you stay motivated and energized?

The simple answer is that you might not be able to stay motivated. Motivation requires us to expend energy, and that energy has to come from somewhere.

I’m going to say something that may shock you, or at least surprise you a little. I’m actually going to give you permission to NOT practice. That sounds like a radical idea, I know, but it’s a valid technique. When you’re not feeling it, maybe you shouldn’t do it. However, let me quickly add that there is a right way and about a million wrong ways to skip your practice, and the wrong ways won’t help you. You’ll end up out of shape, feeling guilty and miserable, kind of like when you binge on chocolate fudge and potato chips and have to wear your stretchy pants.

No, what we’re going to discuss today is motivation and where it comes from, plus what to do when you don’t feel motivated. I have five easy ways to pump up your practice energy and at least four of them are fun. The fourth one might be fun too; you ‘ll have to decide that for yourself.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Last Call for the 5 Days to Freedom Intensive
• Related resource Do You Need a Reason to Practice? 3 Ways to Find One blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-090

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Today’s episode is another in our series of masterclasses, our podcast at-the-harp workshops where you can follow along with me as we do a deep dive into a vital aspect of technique or musicianship.

In this masterclass, we’ll be working on my tempo pyramid. Over the years, I have had lots of requests for reviewing my system for working a piece or a passage so that it actually gets up to tempo. This system is what I call the tempo pyramid and although the concept is fairly simple, it will definitely help you to try it out step by step with me. I won’t just walk you through the pyramid, but I’ll give you some of my bonus tips that will make it even simpler and faster. And faster is our whole focus today: getting the whole piece faster and closer to tempo, making that one difficult passage as fast as the rest of the piece, letting your fingers move faster and with more agility and security.

It’s a lot to do in one podcast episode so we need to get started. By the way, in our show notes, there is a link to a PDF of the tempo pyramid that is free for you to download. If you don’t see the show notes in your podcast app, you can find it on the podcast page at harpmastery.com. Just look for Episode 89, scroll down the page and you’ll see the show notes.

One more thing: If you’re listening to this while you’re running or driving in the car, keep listening. You’ll be able to follow along and get a good understanding of the concepts. You can come back to this episode later when you’re at your harp and play along with me.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• 5 Days of Freedom Intensive
• The Tempo Pyramid Free PDF
• Related resource Agility for Your Fingers: the Pronking Approach blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-089

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We call them lightbulb moments, those unpredictable flashes of brilliance that spark our creativity. Or perhaps our inspiration comes from others we admire. Common thought says inspiration is necessary for anyone in an artistic endeavor, yet we believe it is elusive and selective, showing up randomly and bestowing its gifts unequally.

What does inspiration mean to you? Is it outside you, meaning that something or someone inspires you in a certain way? Or is it inside you, meaning that our inner lightbulb has a secret switch that suddenly flips and makes that lightbulb moment? Both? Neither?

Music history is filled with stories of inspiration, particularly stories about musical mentors who have helped shape the careers of some of the most famous classical musicians. From the greats like Mozart and Beethoven to modern composers like John Williams and Leonard Bernstein, these mentors have passed down their knowledge and expertise to generations of aspiring musicians.

If you look at harp history in particular, you can find countless instances of composers who wrote for harp because their wife, mother or other loved one played the harp. One of my favorite composer-performer pairs is the French harpist Micheline Kahn and her son composer Jean-Michel Damase. Damase told of his early musical education coming from sitting outside his mother’s teaching studio. He learned the language of music through the repertoire of the harp. He clearly learned it well, as evidenced in the numerous and mostly very difficult pieces he wrote for the harp.

Of course, Micheline Kahn inspired other composers too, and she premiered many of the works that we now consider pillars of the concert harp repertoire, pieces like the Impromptu by Gabriel Fauré as well as his Une châtelaine en sa tour, Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro, and Caplet’s Deux Divertissements and Conte Fantastique.

In today's episode, I’m going to share my ideas and my musings about inspiration. (Oh yes, we’ll talk a little about those fickle Greek Muses, too.) I will discuss some powerful sources of inspiration that you have available to you and how you can harness that creative energy to add growth, interest and fun to your harp journey.

Why should we care about inspiration? Does inspiration really matter if we’re just normal everyday kind of people and not aspiring to be musical geniuses? Yes, it matters a great deal. Inspiration is what fires our imagination, propels us to achieve and accomplish. Inspiration is what keeps us going when the work is hard. Without inspiration, music would be dull and meaningless, and who wants that? So let’s be sure we know where to find it and how to use it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Creating Harp Freedom Webinar
• Related resource A Harpist of Firsts: Micheline Kahn blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-088

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As you probably know, one of my words for 2023 is freedom. It’s a motivational word, meaning the idea of freedom energizes me. It’s an aspirational word, meaning I want to experience the feeling of freedom every day. Most importantly, it’s an action word. I want to actively bring more freedom into all areas of my life and into the lives of those around me. That includes you, my friend. And that’s where freedom in our harp playing comes in.

I’m on a mission to set harpists free from the tyranny of some of the things that keep them from achieving what they want in their harp playing. That’s the main focus for the webinar I’ll be presenting soon on Creating Harp Freedom. I’ll be talking about some of the hidden enemies of progress and what you can actually do to defeat them.

But in assembling the materials for that webinar, I realized that there is one enemy that many harpists face, one that is too big to be covered thoroughly in the webinar. It’s big enough that I decided to dedicate an entire podcast episode to it. It’s perfectionism.

An overwhelming majority of the harpists I speak with describe themselves as “perfectionists” or “Type A personalities” or “over-achievers.” I’m probably more than a little of all of those things myself, so I’m in the middle of this struggle with you all. In fact, there are a lot of us in this boat. A study done in 2020 by the Hardin Group reported that of the more than 1200 participants in their national survey, more than 92% self-identified as perfectionists and 86% of the respondents believed that their perfectionist expectations impacted their work. Based on my own experience, this is not news; this is confirmation. Perfectionism, at least in harp playing which is all I claim to know about, is a trap for a lot of us.

This is not an episode about the psychology of perfectionism. The Practicing Harp Happiness podcast is about harp playing and so is this episode. I’m going to share some of the ways I have seen perfectionism prevent harpists from making progress, from enjoying their practice, from sharing their music with others. And I will give you some very simple - but not necessarily easy - ways to create your own harp freedom.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Creating Harp Freedom Webinar
• Related resource Perfection or Performance? It's Your Choice blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-087

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Fundamentals, exercises and etudes are the three pillars of harp technique, or any instrumental technique for that matter. I’m sure this is not news to you, but the reminder never hurts.

Fundamentals like scales, arpeggios and chords form the basis of our technique because they are the patterns most prevalent in the music we play. Exercises help our fingers become familiar with the characteristic patterns that aren’t as straightforward as the fundamentals. Etudes help us put the technical skills from our exercises and fundamentals into a more musical context, a sort of test drive for our technique. Together, they help us develop facility, agility and musical understanding. Pretty powerful stuff.

I know - you knew that already. But like me and most of the harpists I know, you may have trouble fitting all three of those into your practice time. Most of us have limited practice time anyway, and it would be easy to let our technical work crowd out everything else. This is why I want to talk with you today about the right way to practice an etude.

Actually there are a number of right ways to practice an etude, but there is definitely a wrong way to practice an etude too. None of us has time or effort to spare; we need to use every practice minute wisely. When you practice an etude properly, you will increase your technical accuracy, which can make you more confident about your playing as a whole. You will also increase your finger agility and flexibility as you develop more comfort playing over a wide range of tempos. And you will have the focus to work on the more musical aspects of your playing like dynamics, tone, articulation and flow. Without setting the right intention for your etude practice, or without knowing the steps to achieve that intention, your etude practice, however, your efforts might not bring you the results you want.

We are going to start our discussion today with a quick quiz to see how effective your etude practice is right now, and then we can talk about the strategies you need to power it up. It’s a fun little quiz but don’t let that fool you. This is an important topic. Why? Because the more confident you are in your technique, the more freedom you will have: freedom to learn the music you want to play, to learn more music, maybe even to play more for others. A secure technique equals harp freedom, and etudes can be a shortcut path to get there.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Creating Harp Freedom Webinar
• Related resource Etudes: The Case For and Against blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-086

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I attended one professional boxing match in my life. The reason I went was that a former harp student of mine was making her professional boxing debut. As you might imagine, I felt a little out of my element in the boxing club, which was actually one of the legendary boxing clubs in Philadelphia, but I had never been there before. And I’ve never been there since. What surprised me most was that I could actually relate to the experience a little, not because of my martial arts training, but because of my music training.

There was a nervous tension in the air that was not unlike the anticipation before a performance. I felt the same sense of the importance of the moment, the fact that each competitor needed to bring his or her best effort right at that moment; there was no second chance. Of course, we musicians are fighting a less visible opponent. And we aren’t likely to walk away with a bloody lip or a broken nose.

I also found the strategy of the boxers interesting to watch. You could see one boxer sense an opening and take advantage of it, or another one elude a poorly thrown punch. And it's the strategy that I want to talk about today, specifically the strategy of the one-two punch.

Full disclosure - I’ve never delivered an actual one-two punch. I did learn similar combinations when I was studying karate years ago, but even then I was not very good at fighting. But I understand the concept and if you don’t already, you will too in just a moment.

I’ll explain this more thoroughly in our discussion today, but the success of the one-two punch is because the first punch opens the door, and the second punch packs the power. There is a lesson for us here. The first action we take, the habit we develop or the skill we practice is only the first punch. The power - our progress and growth as harpists - is in the second step. So thinking about and planning for our growth two steps at a time, and being very strategic with each step - can create those knockout wins for us.

Stick with me here. I have a list of 5 combinations - one-two punches - that will inspire you to try this system right now. It’s a different way to create progress in your playing and it’s easy to do. I will also tell you what one-two punches I’m putting into place for myself here at the start of the new year.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Getaway Retreat
• Related resource Are You Talented Enough? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-085

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It’s a wonderful life.

I love watching that movie at the holidays or really at any time of year. But the movie is not what I’m talking about.

I mean simply that this is the time I like to pause and be grateful for this wonderful life and all the amazing people I am privileged to share it with. And that includes you, my friend.

So on this very brief podcast, the last one of 2022, I would like to share my reflections with you, my thoughts on what made 2022 special for me, professionally and personally. Perhaps this will inspire you to do some similar reflecting. Perhaps this was a banner year for you, or maybe it was a challenging one. Either way I would encourage you to find at least one thing to celebrate.

Before I start, though, I want to thank you for the great gift you have given me this year. I know how many demands there are for your time and attention and I am very grateful and very honored that you share some of your time with me. I love hearing that this podcast has accompanied you in the car or at the gym or as you take a walk. I don’t take your listening for granted and I thank you most sincerely for your time and attention. It means more to me than you know.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join us at the Getaway Retreat
• Related resource Musical Extravagance: The Ultimate Holiday Gift blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-084

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If you’ve ever marveled at the healing power of music, then this podcast episode will blow your mind.

This week I will share with you a conversation with a special guest, harpist Barbara Lepke-Sims. Barbara is a Juilliard trained harpist and an expert teacher and performer, and one of the main facets of her playing is as a music practitioner. She doesn’t just call herself a music practitioner; she is certified through the Music for Healing and Transition program and has more than a decade of experience bringing healing and peace to those who suffer.

I met Barbara when I became a board member of the American Harp society, where she has been very active, but we really connected when we met up at the World Harp Congress in Wales this summer. I was curious about how she became a music practitioner, why she chose the certification program she did and what really motivates her about this important work.

I was really picking her brain because this is a field where I have little direct knowledge. Our My Harp Mastery members often ask about this kind of playing. They feel called to share their music in this special way. So I asked Barbara if she would come and speak to our My Harp Mastery members on a live call, to tell them more about her work, her experiences and about how to get started with it. She did a fabulous presentation for our members, and on this episode you will hear what she shared with them.

Remember that what you will hear is taken from a recording of a live call and Barbara was presenting slides, so you may hear us refer to something on the screen that you won’t be able to see on the podcast. She has wonderful information to share, though, and I know you will learn a lot.

If you are a My Harp Mastery member you can find the video recording of the entire call in our Live Calls Archive.

If you’ve ever considered doing this kind of playing, you will find this call invaluable. Also, check out the show notes for links to Barbara’s website and two very moving videos that she shared with us on the call.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Barbara Lepke-Sims website: https://sacredspaceharp.com/
• Video: Enhancing Healthcare through Live Therapeutic Music
• Video: In Their Words: Stories from Those Touched by Therapeutic Music
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-083

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Do you remember that famous Apple computer advertising campaign, the one that urged us all to “think different?”

That ad campaign was created just after Steve Jobs had returned to the Apple company and Apple needed a new start. The year was 1997 and Apple was on the rocks. Their stock was trading at a 12-year low, and the company that had been known for its creativity and innovation was stagnant and dying. So when Steve Jobs returned to Apple after having left in the mid-1980s, customers, if not Apple’s board of directors, were expecting something new and exciting. And they got it, with interest. During Jobs' tenure after his return, Apple launched the iMac, iBook, iPod, Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, and more.

You may have forgotten that shaky period in Apple’s history, but I bet the ad campaign is still fresh in your mind.

There were two television advertisements that were shown most often. There was a one-minute version that featured black-and-white images of 17 iconic 20th-century difference-makers, including Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., Richard Branson, John Lennon (with Yoko Ono), Buckminster Fuller, Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner, Maria Callas, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Graham, Jim Henson (with Kermit the Frog), Frank Lloyd Wright, and Pablo Picasso. There was also a 30-second version of the ad which showed only 11 of the 17 innovators.

For Apple, the ads proved to be more than a montage of people who influenced the future of humanity. These ads also ignited the spark of change within Apple itself, leading to its recovery and resurgence as the tech giant it has become and also to the company’s emergence as a leader in marketing and promotions. Apple became different.

What does this have to do with your harp playing? On today’s show we are going to talk about how you can harness the power of thinking differently to transform your harp playing, maybe in a huge, game-changing way, or maybe in small but significant ways. As we come to the end of the year, we can consider closing the door on what is feeling stale or unrewarding and opening the window to let in some fresh air. We can recharge, reinvigorate and redirect our musical energies to enable us to go where our harps may lead us. I have some very specific action steps to share with you too, ones that you’re going to enjoy doing, I promise.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Coaching registration now open
• Related resource “What’s Next for You?” blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-082

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It is a true joy to watch a fine musician play their instrument, whether it's a harp or another instrument. There is a physical flow, a sense that no motion is wasted. You can practically see the mastery they bring to their music.

I would go even further to say that all their physical resources are being used to serve the music. There is an efficiency in their gestures, a grace and a strength that is as visually compelling as their music is. After all, we see a performance as much as we hear it.

If you doubt the truth of that statement, just think about a performance you watched where the performer had distracting facial expressions or gestures. Maybe you were able to ignore them and continue listening, but the music’s spell was likely broken for you. What you saw became more important than what you heard.

This is one reason that orchestras have a uniform dress code, usually formal wear for the men and long black clothing for the women. Most professional orchestras are very strict with their dress policies, down to the color of socks and hose, closed-toe shoes for women and length of sleeves and hemlines. The point of this is to reduce visual distraction so the audience can concentrate on the music. I have been in orchestras where players were spoken to about facial gestures that were deemed to be distracting.

Watching a virtuoso harpist play is almost like watching a ballet dancer. The hands seem calm and unflustered. They move around the harp without excess gesture but with motion that seems to reinforce the mood of the music. Their movements are unhurried, even when they are playing fast, and their hands seem to defy gravity as they float through a more contemplative piece. It’s as beautiful to watch as to hear.

If you’ve ever been concerned that your hands don’t look graceful when you play, then this show is for you. We are going to talk about ways you can develop and practice those beautiful hand gestures. You may have tried to make your hands look more graceful before and not been happy with the result. These tips that I will share with you today, however, are super practical and easy to do. Plus, they are techniques that you can use everyday to make your music not just look more graceful, but to sound more relaxed too. And what better time of year to work on this than right now, in the season that is focused on peace and love.

On today’s show I’ll give you all those practice ideas, as well as sharing some of my favorite practice tips for preventing the “December dithers,” the frazzled feeling that can creep into your playing at this time of year. I’ll share a cute acronym to help you remember these tips every day and I will even play a little peaceful piece for you too!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Experience the power of coaching! Join our First to Know list.
• Related resource Stay Relaxed to Play Your Best blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-081

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“How long should it take to learn a piece?”

I am asked that question so many times and every time my heart sinks. Why? First of all, there’s that word “should.” There are no “shoulds” in the learning process. The word “should” leads to the idea that there is one standard against which we could judge our efforts and which we could use to plan our music learning. An objective standard, such as “this piece will take any harpist three months to learn,” is absolutely impossible. So the word “should” isn’t helpful.

But even if we reframe the question in very specific terms - “how long will it take me to learn this piece?” - we still run into difficulties trying to come up with an answer.

Each harpist is unique, bringing a unique set of skills and experiences to their music. Each piece has challenges that are specific to that piece which may test an individual harpist’s skills differently. Plus, anyone’s progress on any piece will be affected by their practice time and practice habits, their learning style, even by how much they like the piece.

Then there’s the question of what we mean by “learning a piece.” Do we mean performance-ready or memorized? Or do we mean that we have the notes fairly reliable but maybe not up to tempo? Or do we merely mean that we’ve spent enough time working on it that we’re ready to call it done?

But even if we accept the fact that there is no definitive timeline or clear end point for learning a piece, we can still explore the various factors in the process. After all, once we know what affects our learning speed, we can work at developing the skills we need to help us learn faster.

On the show today, I will share the timeline professional harpists use for learning their repertoire and talk about how you can adapt that for yourself. Plus, I’ll review my famous “conveyor belt system” that helps you see the stages of development that any piece goes through and I’ll even give you some timelines that you can experiment with to discover how you learn best. There’s an extra bonus for you too; when you learn a piece faster, you often play it better too. That sounds good to me, and I bet it sounds good to you too!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• 12 Days of Harp Happiness event
• Related resource Practicing Differently: 4 Steps to Faster Learning blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-080

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“How long should it take to learn a piece?”

I am asked that question so many times and every time my heart sinks. Why? First of all, there’s that word “should.” There are no “shoulds” in the learning process. The word “should” leads to the idea that there is one standard against which we could judge our efforts and which we could use to plan our music learning. An objective standard, such as “this piece will take any harpist three months to learn,” is absolutely impossible. So the word “should” isn’t helpful.

But even if we reframe the question in very specific terms - “how long will it take me to learn this piece?” - we still run into difficulties trying to come up with an answer.

Each harpist is unique, bringing a unique set of skills and experiences to their music. Each piece has challenges that are specific to that piece which may test an individual harpist’s skills differently. Plus, anyone’s progress on any piece will be affected by their practice time and practice habits, their learning style, even by how much they like the piece.

Then there’s the question of what we mean by “learning a piece.” Do we mean performance-ready or memorized? Or do we mean that we have the notes fairly reliable but maybe not up to tempo? Or do we merely mean that we’ve spent enough time working on it that we’re ready to call it done?

But even if we accept the fact that there is no definitive timeline or clear end point for learning a piece, we can still explore the various factors in the process. After all, once we know what affects our learning speed, we can work at developing the skills we need to help us learn faster.

On the show today, I will share the timeline professional harpists use for learning their repertoire and talk about how you can adapt that for yourself. Plus, I’ll review my famous “conveyor belt system” that helps you see the stages of development that any piece goes through and I’ll even give you some timelines that you can experiment with to discover how you learn best. There’s an extra bonus for you too; when you learn a piece faster, you often play it better too. That sounds good to me, and I bet it sounds good to you too!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• 12 Days of Harp Happiness event
• Related resource Practicing Differently: 4 Steps to Faster Learning blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-080

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This Thursday we will celebrate Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and it’s a big deal for us. According to a recent survey Thanksgiving edges out all other holidays, including Christmas, ranking as our most popular holiday. It’s really about three things: food, family and football. Oh right. It’s about being thankful too.

We try to be more intentional about keeping an “attitude of gratitude” at this time of year, but it isn’t easy. Thanksgiving also is the official kick off for the holiday shopping season, so the thankfulness is often tinged with a touch of frenzy as the Black Friday sales begin.

I’m sure you’re receiving plenty of reminders to be thankful this Thanksgiving but I wanted to add a special harp-themed reminder.

My idea actually grew out of the Play It With Confidence Intensive from just a few weeks ago. We spent a lot of time in that course talking about mindset and choosing what matters to us in our playing. For me and for many of our Intensive participants, that mindset shift was powerful. Suddenly, playing the harp wasn’t about self-consciousness and fear, and practicing the harp wasn’t about the impossible quest for perfection.

One story I shared on the Intensive really resonated with a lot of the harpists on one of our Intensive calls. It was a moment where someone who heard my music expressed appreciation in a way that left a lasting impression. And it wasn’t in response to a recital or an amazing performance, just background music. Today I want to read the actual note that was given to me that day, plus I have another story of musical gratitude that I hope will touch and inspire you.

But today’s episode is about more than just remembering special musical moments in our harp journey. It’s about incorporating a sense of gratitude in our daily harp lives, in ways that will keep the frustration away and let the harp happiness shine.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Check out the new harp goodies in our shop.
• Related resource Harp Gratitude Day - Giving Thanks blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-079

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I am fascinated with 3D printers. I don’t have one and I don’t see that I will ever need to have one, although we would have said the same about a smartphone just a few years ago. The idea, though, that a computer file, which seems less than tangible to begin with, can be turned into a solid three-dimensional object fascinates me, And 3D printing is used virtually everywhere: to produce eyeglasses and furniture, scale models, medical devices, reconstruction of ancient artifacts, and the list goes on.

The process is also interesting. It requires special software to read the design file and slice it into hundreds or thousands of cross-sections of the end product which are then created one by one until the end product is complete.

What I find so intriguing is that the process is an additive process where the slices are added together to create the object. Consider how this is the reverse of more traditional processes where material is taken away, or subtracted, from an initial block of material to reveal the object. This subtractive process is the sculptor’s process, taking away the clay or stone that is unnecessary for the finished figure. 3D printing, however, is about adding, about looking at the slices of the whole and putting them together.

I started thinking about what an additive process for learning music would be like. What are the essential slices that we need to combine in order to get the complete musical result? Rather than focusing on taking away the elements we don’t want - which in itself is worthwhile - what are the elements, the dimensions if you will, that we need to build the music from the inside out?

That’s the idea behind this show today. We’ll look at three dimensions of music that, if we consider them, will help shape our music from the very first moment we begin a new piece all the way to its first performance and beyond. It’s a different point of view and one which I hope will engage your creativity and spark your inner musicality.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Crush the Rush Workshop
• Related resource Creating Perspective: Giving Your Music Depth blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-078

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How are you supposed to reach that left hand chord?

You know the one I mean. It goes by a lot of different names, a root-position triad in open spacing, a 1-5-3 chord, or maybe just the chord you can’t ever place accurately. Certainly when we first encounter the chord, it’s a stretch for our hands, but eventually most of us can manage it without too much difficulty.

When we place and play the chord well, it sounds warm and rich. Because it’s a big reach, though, it’s often a challenge to get to the right notes at the right time and play them without hitting neighboring strings.

And that’s a problem because this combination of notes is everywhere in harp music. We encounter it sometimes as a chord, sometimes as an arpeggio. In fact, I often call this the “left hand master chord,” because it is the one chord that, when we master it, solves playing difficulties in so many pieces. We don’t want to have to spend our practice time negotiating this chord in each new piece we learn. Once you have discovered the placing techniques that work for your hand, you can apply them easily every time.

So today I’m going to try to help you reach that unreachable chord. You won’t need to stretch your hand or your fingers; that’s not healthy for you anyway. I’ll give you my best strategies for placing and playing this chord or arpeggio accurately, comfortably and beautifully.

By the way, there’s an extra bonus here. You’ll find these techniques work for those larger right hand chords too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Crush the Rush Workshop, November 22nd.
• Related resource Quick Fixes for Left Hand Octaves blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-077

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What’s the big deal about being “in the zone” and how do you get there?

You might have heard the zone described as total focus, as losing your sense of time and space, of being completely absorbed in what you’re doing. People use phrases like, “being able to perform with total concentration” or “losing all awareness of one’s self.” It’s also called a “state of flow.”

From these descriptions, you might think being in the zone is the world’s best antidote to nerves, and in some ways it might be. But the secret to getting in the zone, whether you’re performing or practicing, is really a matter of balance. It’s not magic and it’s not a trip into the matrix. You don’t need a secret mantra or to try to shut your mind away from your playing. Being in the zone is being fully present and involved.

Sometimes musicians try to find the zone by attempting to play on autopilot. You know what I mean. It’s the idea that if you could just let your mind float as freely in performance as it does in practice, you would play with the same level of accuracy and expression. That’s a dangerous game to play, because the moment the unexpected happens - you play the wrong string or the pedal makes a noise or the lady in the front row coughs - you are jolted back into consciousness, and that’s almost never a smooth transition.

The zone isn’t about abdication; it’s about awareness. It’s not paranormal; it’s possible in the right conditions. Even better, it's possible to practice creating the right conditions, so that you can find your way into the zone anytime you want. Well, almost.

On today’s show we’ll talk about the factors that comprise the zone experience, the balance you need to create and the practice strategies you can use to find the focus and the flow that you’ve been wondering about.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• The new Spark Practice Journal
• Related resource Why You Can't Make Music on Autopilot blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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Who wants a better way to practice? Yes, please!

While it's true that music practice necessarily involves a lot of repetition and drill, there are better - and definitely worse - ways to go about it. Consider how many times you have gotten up from the harp bench having spent an hour on those four nearly impossible measures and come back the next day to feel like you’re starting back at square one again. I feel your pain, my friend, I’ve been there.

Hopefully, you’re keeping in mind that progress doesn’t happen in a predictable way; it happens in its own time. It’s like a seed you plant in the ground. You water it and guard it carefully but you can’t really see through the ground to see if anything is happening. Then one day you go outside and there it is - a baby plant.

Yes, progress happens over time and is nurtured through repetition, but unlike the growth timeline for a seed, we have a little bit of control of how quickly that progress shows up.

If you’ve read my ebook “Kaleidoscope Practice” or have been listening to me for a while, you know that I am not about repetition just for repetition’s sake. Repetition is required; it’s how we become familiar with our music, how we acquire all the information we need to play a piece well: the notes, the finger patterns, the expression, the flow, the meaning. There is so much complexity in playing a piece of music well that we need the time and drill to really embed all those component parts.

But that embedding process is less dependent on the number of repetitions than on the focus of them. And on today’s show I’m going to show you three places to put your focus that will allow you to make each repetition more meaningful and impactful, so you can do fewer repetitions and get to the fun part - playing the music - faster.

Why do I think this is important for you right now? Because if you’re looking ahead to any holiday performances, even if it’s just playing for your family, you want to get that music ready sooner rather than later. There are lots of things we can do to speed up our music preparation, but cramming isn’t one of them. So being smart with how you use your daily practice time is what will make the difference between being excited about sharing your music or shaking in those beautiful new shoes. This is the time to ditch the excess drill and frustration that goes with it and discover a better way to practice those sticky spots.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join the Play It With Confidence Intensive
• Related resource The Musician’s #1 Labor-Saving Strategy blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-075

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Quick question: hands in the air if you’ve ever decided to skip your technique drills and etudes because you are doing that work already on a challenging passage in one of your pieces.

Yes, I thought so. Everybody’s hand is up, including mine. So we all do it, skip our technique work because we’re short on time and we can get the same benefits by doing double duty practice - working on technique with one of those sticky spots that we need to drill anyway. It sounds like a good idea and a great use of our time. But is it really?

Well, yes…and no.

Exercises and etudes have very specialized functions in harp technique practice. The most significant of these is that they take musical context out of the equation. By eliminating the pressures of the right notes at the right time with all the dynamics, we can laser focus on our mechanics, the way our fingers work, the position of our hands and arms, staying relaxed, and maintaining a healthy posture. Then moving from exercises to etudes adds back those musical concerns in a minimal way, keeping the focus on the particular skill, but testing the waters to see how our execution of that skill holds up under the added stress of rhythm and expression.

So there are important functions that exercises and etudes serve, and together they create a progression of development for whatever skill you’re working on.

But I'm not here today to tell you that you must include exercises and etudes in your practice regimen without fail. I know I don’t. While I do practice both exercises and etudes regularly, there are times when I just don’t have the time, when I’m practicing a recital program for instance, and those pieces require all my technical and musical focus.

So I do what we all just admitted to doing - I use my pieces as etudes. But I don’t want to give up the special benefits of those exercises and etudes either. So I let my pieces do double duty.

However, there are really powerful ways to do this, ways that allow you to work on those challenging spots and still get the technical and musical benefits of your exercises and etudes. They don’t take more time, only a little knowhow. And that insider knowhow is exactly what I’m going to share with you today, so you can be certain that you will conquer the challenges in your music and level up your technique just like exercises and etudes do.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Playing anywhere this December? You need the Play It WIth Confidence Intensive
• Related resource Escaping The Technique Trap blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-074

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If I had to choose one tool that made a harpist’s life easier, I know exactly which one I would choose - the electronic tuner.

I belong to the last generation of harpists that grew up in a world without them, so I know what I’m talking about. Having a device that allowed you to tune in a noisy environment and be confident that your harp is really in tune was new technology when I was a student, and it was a game changer.

Imagine trying to tune your harp on stage while the rest of the orchestra is warming up - violins and piccolo showing off their highest notes, double basses and timpani making anything below middle C inaudible and the brass instruments heroically filling in the middle. Tuning in an orchestra used to be a guessing game.

As grateful as I am for my tuner, there was an unintended consequence to this technological revolution. We harpists have stopped listening.

Consider for a moment how we tune with a tuner. We play a string and then look at the tuner to see if it’s in tune. Certainly that is the good thing about using a tuner when you’re in a place where you can’t hear what you’re playing. But over time, using a tuner this way can cause us to stop listening, to tune with our eyes, instead of our ears. In essence, the tuner can train us not to listen.

Of course, it all depends on how you use the tuner. A little effort and thought can turn the tuner into a powerful ear training tool.

On today’s show, I am going to share a portion of a masterclass on tuning that I gave to our My Harp Mastery members. In this class, I talk about three methods of tuning with a tuner and how you can use each method to help you develop your ear and learn to listen. I also share the value of tuning as a pre-practice habit, plus you’ll hear me answer a couple of questions from the members on the call. Note that this was a live video call, and there may be references to something I’m demonstrating that you won’t be able to see on the podcast or PDFs that the members have. But I know that you’ll find this information incredibly useful, just the way everyone on the call did.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for my free webinar: 3 “Good” Practice Habits That Are Keeping You From Playing the Way You Want and How to Break Them
• Related resource: 7 Reasons Tuning Your Harp Is Worth the Trouble blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-073

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Have you ever wanted someone to just give you a system for learning a piece of music, a system that would work for every piece, every time? Me too. But there isn’t one.

Ok, don’t give up on me yet. I do have one that will work for most pieces, most of the time, and I’m going to teach that to you today.

Why are we always looking for that single system, that magic bullet? My idea is that it’s because learning music is so complicated, with so many considerations and moving parts. At the same time as we are dealing with all this complexity, we are trying to make the music beautiful and expressive, something that transcends mere notes and rhythm. Not a small task my friend.

I found a quote the other day that really spoke to me. It’s a quote from a Danish computer scientist who teaches at Columbia University. His name is Bjarne Stroustrup. I think I was drawn to this quote and some others of his because his sense of humor reminded me of my dad’s. My dad was also a computer programmer.

The quote I want to share for the purposes of our discussion today is this: The most fundamental problem in software development is complexity. There is only one basic way of dealing with complexity: divide and conquer.

Substitute the phrase “learning music” for “software development” and it works perfectly, like this: The most fundamental problem in learning music is complexity. There is only one basic way of dealing with complexity: divide and conquer.

That’s our topic for today, and the basis for the system I am going to share. The best way to learn a piece of music is to divide it into sections. I bet you do this already, but there are super-effective ways to do it and some that are less so, and we’re all about effective practice here. I’m going to teach you what I believe is the best system for using section work to divide and conquer almost any piece of music. So grab a piece of music and a pencil and let’s start dividing so you can conquer.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Practice Habits Webinar - October 13th
• 30 Days to Done course
• Related resource Practicing Differently: 4 Steps to Faster Learning blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-072

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I can almost always tell the skill level of a harp student by the way they use their fourth finger. It’s not the strength of the finger or a lack of coordination. A less advanced player simply avoids using it.

It shouldn’t surprise you if you give it a moment’s thought. Remember back to the very first pieces you learned on the harp, at whatever age you were when you started. They used mostly the thumb and second finger. You learned to place them together and to play them simultaneously and one after the other. Then you added the third finger which brought the additional pleasure (and challenge) of three-note chords. Placing, whether for a chord or a scale passage, was not just one additional finger harder; it was exponentially more difficult.

It’s likely that as you were learning these pieces you were also practicing scales and arpeggios and even etudes that used the fourth finger. But just because you were learning them didn’t mean your fourth finger was flexible, strong and secure.

You probably only discovered how backward your fourth finger was when you began to learn four-note chords. Placing three-note chords was hard, but you mastered it fairly quickly. Four-note chords on the other hand - well, it would be nice if you had another hand. Talk about slowing down progress. Your technique development may have seemed to come to a complete stop.

Even for those of us who have suffered, struggled and come out on the other side of the fourth finger fumbles, our fourth fingers still can be a source of frustration. They are too long or too short, too loud or too soft, too unpredictable and unreliable.

Today’s quick fix episode is dedicated to your fourth finger and to all of us who fight the fourth finger fumbles on a daily basis. We’ll look at several of the most common fourth finger issues and how to resolve them. While some of our discussion will come back to basic good harp technique, I will be sharing my favorite fixes that are specific to your fourth finger. For instance, did you know that some of the frustration you’re feeling toward your fourth finger, may really be the fault of your pinkie? I can’t wait to share that tip with you!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• 3 “Good” Practice Habits Webinar
• Related resource The Cure for Finger Lock-up blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-070

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I can almost always tell the skill level of a harp student by the way they use their fourth finger. It’s not the strength of the finger or a lack of coordination. A less advanced player simply avoids using it.

It shouldn’t surprise you if you give it a moment’s thought. Remember back to the very first pieces you learned on the harp, at whatever age you were when you started. They used mostly the thumb and second finger. You learned to place them together and to play them simultaneously and one after the other. Then you added the third finger which brought the additional pleasure (and challenge) of three-note chords. Placing, whether for a chord or a scale passage, was not just one additional finger harder; it was exponentially more difficult.

It’s likely that as you were learning these pieces you were also practicing scales and arpeggios and even etudes that used the fourth finger. But just because you were learning them didn’t mean your fourth finger was flexible, strong and secure.

You probably only discovered how backward your fourth finger was when you began to learn four-note chords. Placing three-note chords was hard, but you mastered it fairly quickly. Four-note chords on the other hand - well, it would be nice if you had another hand. Talk about slowing down progress. Your technique development may have seemed to come to a complete stop.

Even for those of us who have suffered, struggled and come out on the other side of the fourth finger fumbles, our fourth fingers still can be a source of frustration. They are too long or too short, too loud or too soft, too unpredictable and unreliable.

Today’s quick fix episode is dedicated to your fourth finger and to all of us who fight the fourth finger fumbles on a daily basis. We’ll look at several of the most common fourth finger issues and how to resolve them. While some of our discussion will come back to basic good harp technique, I will be sharing my favorite fixes that are specific to your fourth finger. For instance, did you know that some of the frustration you’re feeling toward your fourth finger, may really be the fault of your pinkie? I can’t wait to share that tip with you!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• 3 “Good” Practice Habits Webinar
• Related resource The Cure for Finger Lock-up blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-070

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Have you ever looked at your closet full of clothes and said, “But I don't have anything to wear”? Maybe you've looked at that big stack of music next to your harp and said, “But I don't have anything I can play!” I don’t know which is more frustrating. Actually, I do.

When we spend hours, days and weeks practicing a piece of music, and it still doesn’t get to the point where we can actually play it for someone, it goes beyond frustrating. How is it possible for some people to have hours worth of music that they can play and others don't even have a single piece?

I remember how shocked I was the first time I realized how common it is for dedicated, hard-working harpists to have nothing ready to play. I was teaching a workshop and talking about what to do when you finish a piece and getting a roomful of blank stares. I asked the question, “How many of you don’t have a piece that’s finished right now?” and about 80% of the students raised their hands. Until then it had never occurred to me that so many people would be stuck in practice mode and never experiencing the joy of playing.

So rest assured; if you are one of those harpists with nothing to play, you are not alone. There are plenty of others just like you. But I would love to change that for you, starting today.

When we think about goals for our harp playing, we most often include as a goal a piece that we want to learn to play. We imagine ourselves playing it beautifully with confidence and musicality. Every time we don’t finish that piece and take it to that point of seemingly effortless expressive playing, we disappoint ourselves. It’s another goal that is left unaccomplished.

On today's show I'm going to tell you about 3 factors that might be causing you to miss those goals you set for yourself, that are keeping you from finishing your pieces. These sneaky factors can cause those pieces to just stay in limbo rather than being pushed all the way to the point where you can truly enjoy playing them. And of course, I’m not going to leave you without a plan for success. I’ll give you a remarkably quick and easy three step fix.

Now there are specific practice techniques that can help you finish your music but that's not what we're talking about today. On this show you're going to learn how to set yourself up to finish those pieces - or achieve any goals for that matter - and why you might be actually sabotaging your efforts instead of allowing yourself to make progress the way you want.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for our free webinar, 3 “Good” Practice Habits That Are Keeping You From Playing the Way You Want and How to Break Them
• Related resource: Make Success a Habit with this Simple Formula blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-070

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Have you ever looked at your closet full of clothes and said, “But I don't have anything to wear”? Maybe you've looked at that big stack of music next to your harp and said, “But I don't have anything I can play!” I don’t know which is more frustrating. Actually, I do.

When we spend hours, days and weeks practicing a piece of music, and it still doesn’t get to the point where we can actually play it for someone, it goes beyond frustrating. How is it possible for some people to have hours worth of music that they can play and others don't even have a single piece?

I remember how shocked I was the first time I realized how common it is for dedicated, hard-working harpists to have nothing ready to play. I was teaching a workshop and talking about what to do when you finish a piece and getting a roomful of blank stares. I asked the question, “How many of you don’t have a piece that’s finished right now?” and about 80% of the students raised their hands. Until then it had never occurred to me that so many people would be stuck in practice mode and never experiencing the joy of playing.

So rest assured; if you are one of those harpists with nothing to play, you are not alone. There are plenty of others just like you. But I would love to change that for you, starting today.

When we think about goals for our harp playing, we most often include as a goal a piece that we want to learn to play. We imagine ourselves playing it beautifully with confidence and musicality. Every time we don’t finish that piece and take it to that point of seemingly effortless expressive playing, we disappoint ourselves. It’s another goal that is left unaccomplished.

On today's show I'm going to tell you about 3 factors that might be causing you to miss those goals you set for yourself, that are keeping you from finishing your pieces. These sneaky factors can cause those pieces to just stay in limbo rather than being pushed all the way to the point where you can truly enjoy playing them. And of course, I’m not going to leave you without a plan for success. I’ll give you a remarkably quick and easy three step fix.

Now there are specific practice techniques that can help you finish your music but that's not what we're talking about today. On this show you're going to learn how to set yourself up to finish those pieces - or achieve any goals for that matter - and why you might be actually sabotaging your efforts instead of allowing yourself to make progress the way you want.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for our free webinar, 3 “Good” Practice Habits That Are Keeping You From Playing the Way You Want and How to Break Them
• Related resource: Make Success a Habit with this Simple Formula blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-070

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Today we’re talking technology, the technology that has changed the lives of harpists everywhere. It’s the world of digital sheet music - PDFs, tablets, computers, foot pedals, all the things that have made thick binders of sheet music a distant memory - thankfully! - for so many of us.

Consider how an innovation works. Usually it doesn’t change the world all at once. The Wright brothers managed to get their airplane off the ground, but it took a lot of time and development before the general public could fly coast to coast. There was a span of nearly a hundred years between Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone and Motorola’s first handheld cellular phone. It takes time to sort out what is really useful about a new technology and how it can benefit the person on the street, or in our case today, the harpist at the harp.

Sheet music downloads have been around for a long time. I published my first downloadable music PDFs way back in 2004. Granted, the technology for delivering them and using them was primitive by today’s standards, and you still had to print them out, but that’s my point. Here we are nearly 20 years later and purchasing, downloading and playing from PDFs is simple and commonplace.

Even harpists who aren’t fans of computers are often quite comfortable with this aspect of technology. It has now gotten to the point where using digital sheet music is enough easier and more convenient that it is worth your time to figure it out.

But if you haven’t taken the digital plunge yet, today’s podcast will help you feel more confident about doing so. Or if you made the leap a while ago and want to know some of the best practices and insider tips for getting the most out of your digital tools, you’re going to love this episode too.

Just a little while ago, Dr. Kristina Finch, who is one of our amazing Harp Mastery® Certified Coaches, presented a seminar to our My Harp Mastery members on this topic. Kristina is not only a fabulous harpist and a gifted coach, but she is a tech wizard. So I had asked her to teach our members how she uses her iPad and how to put the technology together. She did such a spectacular job that I pulled out just a part of the recording of her live seminar to share with you. If you haven’t met her before, you are going to love her energy and enthusiasm in addition to all the great information she shares.

By the way, I use digital music and I don’t have an iPad. This technology is available to you if you are an Android or Windows user too, so don’t think you have to buy a new computer or tablet to take advantage of this. I use my Windows Surface Pro for my music, not an iPad. Kristina talks mostly about the iPad in her presentation, and I want to be sure that those of you who don’t have Apple products know what tools you need. So I have put together a free PDF called the Digital Sheet Music Cheat Sheet for Harpists. It’s a quick one-page guide to devices, apps, and foot pedals that will help you get started whether you’re an Apple, Android or Windows user. To get the PDF, just go to the link in the show notes for this episode. I’ll remind you about it, plus I’ll share a couple of other bits of info at the end of the show.

Right now, let’s get started with Kristina’s presentation.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Free PDF resource: Digital Sheet Music Cheat Sheet for Harpists
• Related resource: Practice Friend or Practice Enemy: The Great Cell Phone Debate blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-069

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Today we’re talking technology, the technology that has changed the lives of harpists everywhere. It’s the world of digital sheet music - PDFs, tablets, computers, foot pedals, all the things that have made thick binders of sheet music a distant memory - thankfully! - for so many of us.

Consider how an innovation works. Usually it doesn’t change the world all at once. The Wright brothers managed to get their airplane off the ground, but it took a lot of time and development before the general public could fly coast to coast. There was a span of nearly a hundred years between Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone and Motorola’s first handheld cellular phone. It takes time to sort out what is really useful about a new technology and how it can benefit the person on the street, or in our case today, the harpist at the harp.

Sheet music downloads have been around for a long time. I published my first downloadable music PDFs way back in 2004. Granted, the technology for delivering them and using them was primitive by today’s standards, and you still had to print them out, but that’s my point. Here we are nearly 20 years later and purchasing, downloading and playing from PDFs is simple and commonplace.

Even harpists who aren’t fans of computers are often quite comfortable with this aspect of technology. It has now gotten to the point where using digital sheet music is enough easier and more convenient that it is worth your time to figure it out.

But if you haven’t taken the digital plunge yet, today’s podcast will help you feel more confident about doing so. Or if you made the leap a while ago and want to know some of the best practices and insider tips for getting the most out of your digital tools, you’re going to love this episode too.

Just a little while ago, Dr. Kristina Finch, who is one of our amazing Harp Mastery® Certified Coaches, presented a seminar to our My Harp Mastery members on this topic. Kristina is not only a fabulous harpist and a gifted coach, but she is a tech wizard. So I had asked her to teach our members how she uses her iPad and how to put the technology together. She did such a spectacular job that I pulled out just a part of the recording of her live seminar to share with you. If you haven’t met her before, you are going to love her energy and enthusiasm in addition to all the great information she shares.

By the way, I use digital music and I don’t have an iPad. This technology is available to you if you are an Android or Windows user too, so don’t think you have to buy a new computer or tablet to take advantage of this. I use my Windows Surface Pro for my music, not an iPad. Kristina talks mostly about the iPad in her presentation, and I want to be sure that those of you who don’t have Apple products know what tools you need. So I have put together a free PDF called the Digital Sheet Music Cheat Sheet for Harpists. It’s a quick one-page guide to devices, apps, and foot pedals that will help you get started whether you’re an Apple, Android or Windows user. To get the PDF, just go to the link in the show notes for this episode. I’ll remind you about it, plus I’ll share a couple of other bits of info at the end of the show.

Right now, let’s get started with Kristina’s presentation.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Free PDF resource: Digital Sheet Music Cheat Sheet for Harpists
• Related resource: Practice Friend or Practice Enemy: The Great Cell Phone Debate blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-069

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Today is Labor Day in the United States. The very first Labor Day was celebrated exactly 140 years ago today on September 5, 1882. It was intended as a holiday for the general working population in recognition of their contributions to the country’s prosperity and strength. At that time it was decided that the celebrations should include a parade to showcase the trade and labor unions and a picnic for the workers and their families.

Today, 140 years later, Labor Day celebrations still include parades and picnics. Labor Day also marks the traditional end of summer holidays and the beginning of a new school year.

The idea of Labor Day - to celebrate and honor work and toil - is a powerful one, and one that I would like to suggest has application to our harp playing. That’s the key word - playing.

We work so hard to make our playing what we want it to be, what we think it should be. By contrast, how much time do we take to celebrate our hard work or even to simply enjoy playing the harp? What if our harp journey was more about playing, about the joy of music, and less about the drudgery we associate with practice.

I’m not suggesting you stop practicing, although I do want you to enjoy your Labor Day picnic today. What I suggest is that we make a mindset shift that we can bring to our practice every single day. Our harp practice is the consistent habit that leads to our growth as harpists but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun too.

So today we are going to talk about how to turn your practice mindset into a play mindset. I have 10 quick and easy tips that you can use to reshape your approach to your practice, to practice with your focus on the positive instead of the negative. I’m going to help you learn to celebrate your playing, even when the going is tough.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Coaching Enrollment is now open. Click here to reserve your spot.
• Related resource: Healthy Practice for Harpists: Nourish Your Body, Mind and Music blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-068

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Today is Labor Day in the United States. The very first Labor Day was celebrated exactly 140 years ago today on September 5, 1882. It was intended as a holiday for the general working population in recognition of their contributions to the country’s prosperity and strength. At that time it was decided that the celebrations should include a parade to showcase the trade and labor unions and a picnic for the workers and their families.

Today, 140 years later, Labor Day celebrations still include parades and picnics. Labor Day also marks the traditional end of summer holidays and the beginning of a new school year.

The idea of Labor Day - to celebrate and honor work and toil - is a powerful one, and one that I would like to suggest has application to our harp playing. That’s the key word - playing.

We work so hard to make our playing what we want it to be, what we think it should be. By contrast, how much time do we take to celebrate our hard work or even to simply enjoy playing the harp? What if our harp journey was more about playing, about the joy of music, and less about the drudgery we associate with practice.

I’m not suggesting you stop practicing, although I do want you to enjoy your Labor Day picnic today. What I suggest is that we make a mindset shift that we can bring to our practice every single day. Our harp practice is the consistent habit that leads to our growth as harpists but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun too.

So today we are going to talk about how to turn your practice mindset into a play mindset. I have 10 quick and easy tips that you can use to reshape your approach to your practice, to practice with your focus on the positive instead of the negative. I’m going to help you learn to celebrate your playing, even when the going is tough.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Coaching Enrollment is now open. Click here to reserve your spot.
• Related resource: Healthy Practice for Harpists: Nourish Your Body, Mind and Music blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-068

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Here’s a riddle for you:

What can go up or down but never side to side, can be like a gale-force wind or a whisper of a breeze, and is easy to do when you don’t know how and much harder when you do?

I’ll bet you got it in one guess - it’s a glissando. In case you didn’t get it, here’s why a glissando is the right answer.

The first part is obvious; glissandos - or in more correct Italian, glissandi - go up or down the harp. And the second part is probably clear too; a glissando can be powerful with a majestic sweeping rush of notes, or it can be delicate and tender, just like a whisper.

The tricky part of the riddle is the third part. If you’re a harpist, though, you likely understand this one. Playing a glissando on the harp is the easiest thing in the world. Taking one finger and brushing it over the strings in a simple glissando was quite likely one of the first things you ever tried when you sat down at a harp for the very first time. It’s so simple and it’s sublime at the same time. You run a finger across the strings and the harp sings. It’s effortless and amazing.

But if you’re like most of us, that was the last easy glissando you played. Once you started learning the harp, you learned that there are special techniques for playing a glissando, and that you have to count them and end on the right note and keep an even tone from the beginning to the end while you’re changing the dynamic and more. Figuring out how to play them from the markings on the page can be difficult, not to mention the complications of levers and pedals. It’s no wonder some harpists avoid them if at all possible.

Avoiding them is not the answer. Harp glissandi are part of the unique voice of the harp. No other instrument can imitate them. No other effect has as much power to set a musical scene or create the right atmosphere or energy. Glissandi are glorious, and so much fun to play.

Whether you are a veteran gliss-er or a newbie to the glissando world, I want to share the 7 ingredients of a glorious gliss with you today so that you can make this special kind of harp magic and find your bliss in the gliss.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Coaching Enrollment is now open. Click here to reserve your spot.
• Related resource: Glissando Magic: 4 Ways to Make Your Glissandos Move blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-067

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Form follows function.

I expect you’re familiar with that quote but you may not know the entire context. The phrase is a vast simplification of an idea put forth by architect Louis Sullivan, mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, in his 1896 article titled “The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered.” Working from an idea of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius that a building should be solid, useful and beautiful, Sullivan developed his overriding philosophy, what he called the single "rule that shall permit of no exception." This was his complete statement:

Whether it be the sweeping eagle in his flight, or the open apple-blossom, the toiling work-horse, the blithe swan, the branching oak, the winding stream at its base, the drifting clouds, over all the coursing sun, form ever follows function, and this is the law. Where function does not change, form does not change. The granite rocks, the ever-brooding hills, remain for ages; the lightning lives, comes into shape, and dies, in a twinkling.

It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.

Those are profound thoughts and today we are going to apply them not to the oak, the clouds or the cosmos, but to the harp, specifically to one of the more confusing aspects of harp technique, the technique of raising.

What you do with your hands after you play a string or a scale or a chord is just as important as how you place your fingers before you play and how you move your fingers when you play. It’s the follow through that makes a huge difference in your sound. It also affects your ability to move around the harp quickly and helps you stay relaxed while you play.

There are many schools of thought on how to raise and on today’s show I’ll try to get to the heart of the matter - why we raise. Because once you understand the why, the true function of raising, the gesture itself follows naturally. I’ll also give you a simple formula to help you practice the perfect raise, even if you’ve never felt comfortable raising before.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Coaching Enrollment is now open. Click here to reserve your spot.
• Related resource: Rich, Warm, Round: How to Create Your Sensational Harp Sound blog post
• Harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-066

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Summer is flying by for me, and I imagine for you too. I always make big plans for the summer. I tell myself that this is the summer I will start my Christmas music early or seriously work on my technique or get that recital program memorized. But no matter how good my intentions are, the summer just seems to slip through my fingers without anything to show for it other than a sunburn. It can feel pretty disheartening.

Let’s turn this around for a minute. What if this were the summer that I really enjoyed my harp playing? Not worked hard at it or put pressure on myself to get to that next level or learn that big piece, but just enjoyed it. I’m feeling the harp happiness buzz already.

I hope that sounds good to you too because on today’s show I’m going to share 10 of my favorite ways to create adventure in your summer harp playing - that’s right, adventure.

Your music could be a time machine taking you to a distant place and time. It could be a magic carpet for traveling to far off lands. It could be the soundtrack to a movie or set the mood for a restful evening. If we stopped working so hard occasionally, quit struggling to get the music right, stopped fixing the music and started experiencing the music, imagine where it could take us.

Close your eyes for just a moment and think of one of your favorite pieces. What does it make you think of or where does it take you? How does it make you feel?

Today’s podcast is devoted to savoring the music we play. We won’t talk about technique or fingering or dynamics or even about practice. Instead we are going to explore ways to feel the magic of our music and create some musical adventures with it, right now before summer ends.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! Go to the Harp Mastery YouTube channel and click the “Subscribe” button.
• Related resource Practice Your Musical Creativity blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-065

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Scales are so simple on the harp.

Unlike on other instruments all our scales have the same fingering.

I remember being a young piano student and struggling with the fingering patterns that seemed different for each major and minor key. Those black and white keys caused a lot of fingering complications.

But on the harp, all our scales are fingered exactly alike. All the changes are in our levers or pedals, not our fingers. It couldn't get any easier.

Ironically, this is the reason that many harpists don’t bother practicing their scales. After all, if they are this easy, what could be the benefit?

Scales, along with chords and arpeggios, are one of the technical building blocks for every harpist. In every piece we play, our fingers need to move sequentially, as they do in a scale. They need to play evenly, smoothly and musically. They need to play fast. And the single best way to develop that level of facility is by practicing scales.

So why aren’t you practicing your scales? Or are you practicing them but not seeing any improvement?

As with most things, there are more effective, and less effective, ways to practice scales. On this episode, I will review the most important basics of scale technique. After all, if you don’t know the right way to play a scale, practicing them wrong won’t help.

Plus, I’ll share some ways to practice scales that will almost instantly add flexibility and speed to your fingers. Trust me, these scale patterns are fun!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to learn when new videos are ready for you.
• Related resource Are You Practicing Scales the Wrong Way? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-064

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Here is a cry for help that I received from one of our coaching students recently:

“I'm feeling discouraged because I don't feel that I'm making the progress I want. No fault of my coach, she's excellent! I feel like I'll have really effective practice days then go backwards.”

We had a check-in call scheduled, so we were able to talk through some of her concerns, but I think what made the most difference to her was simply knowing that she is not alone, that we all feel this way sometimes, and that the backwards slide is actually a necessary part of the learning process.

Progress on the harp or any instrument is a very forwards and backwards kind of thing. Often when we feel that nothing is going right, we are on the verge of a big step forward. It's not unlike a teenager's physical growth spurt where the joints hurt and everything seems out of whack and and then all of a sudden, they're several inches taller.

It takes some experience to realize that the most powerful moments in our practice are those moments when the piece we've been practicing hard seems to regress. It's usually the signal that we've reached a new level with it. It's frustrating in the moment, and unfortunately it’s the moment when a lot of harpists give up. They put the piece away or even worse, they put the harp away and feel like they’ve failed.

None of that is necessary.

What is necessary is to know how to survive the slump, to help a backward slide turn into forward momentum. Today I want to equip you with understanding, reassurance and practical steps so you can avoid being mired in the practice Slough of Despond.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Take our quiz and find your Practice Blindspot!
• Related resource Stuck in Practice Quicksand? Get Free with the Sight Reading Mindset blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-063

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Octaves are everywhere. There are very few harp pieces that don’t include octaves somewhere, and with good reason. Octaves add richness to a left hand accompaniment or to a right hand melody. The added resonance of the string played an octave lower or higher makes the entire harp come alive with sound.

We harpists love octaves and we play them all the time. So why are they often the hardest intervals to play well?

You know what I mean. Your thumb plays two strings at once, or your fourth finger brushes the surrounding strings, making your octave sound like a cluster of sound rather than a clear, clean interval. Sometimes they are hard to place accurately and our fingers buzz or just play the wrong notes.

It’s time to go back to basics, my friends. Don’t feel discouraged; this is what we all do from time to time when a fundamental part of our technique isn’t working. It’s not a failure. It’s merely a coordination we need to refresh. Often giving our fingers a gentle reminder of the proper technique is all we need to fix the problem.

Of course this raises some questions. What exactly is the proper technique for octaves? Is it the same for right hand and left hand? What are the best practice strategies for octaves ? How can I be more consistently accurate with my placing?

I’ve struggled with those questions myself over my years of harp playing and I do have some valuable insights to share, including the one tip that all by itself will help your octaves sound 100% better almost immediately.

So if that one tip works so well, why have I devoted an entire podcast episode to octaves? Because there are some other key things you will want to understand about octaves. Octaves are too important to just skip the finer points; you’ll want to know those too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Fill in the gaps in your technique with Build, Extend, Advance technique course
• Related resource Fourth finger giving you problems? Five quick tips blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-062

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Has this ever happened to you? You’re sailing along, playing through a new piece. You’re feeling pretty good because the piece is actually flowing along. You can tell you’ve been making progress because a year or so ago, this piece would have felt difficult.

Just about the time you’re ready to pat yourself on the back and imagine yourself tackling that piece you’ve always thought was too hard, your playing comes to a screeching halt. There’s a new meter signature, or time signature, in front of you. Your easy piece in 4/4 time suddenly has a measure of ⅞. What the heck is this about??

On today’s show,we’re going to find out exactly what meter changes like that imaginary one are all about. While we often associate them with contemporary music, changing meters have been a part of music since music began. If you play traditional folk music, you encounter meter changes all the time. In fact, the meter signature is a relatively recent invention.

This is a masterclass-style podcast, not that there will be other students playing today, but meaning that I will go into some depth on this topic. In today’s masterclass you will learn:

• What the meter signature can tell you, if you’re paying attention.
• Why meters may change in the middle of a piece.
• How to count your way easily through any meter change you encounter.

You may want to push pause right here and download the PDF that is linked in the show notes so that you can follow along with me. If you’re driving or on the exercise bike, no worries - you can listen now and download the PDF later.

One other note before we start: You may not have noticed but all of our podcasts are categorized. We put them in one of three categories: Technique and Musicianship, Practice and Performing and Music and Meaning. I have put this podcast in the “Music and Meaning” category because as you will find out in a minute, changing meters isn’t just about learning how to negotiate them. Meter changes are directly related to the music itself, its energy, flow and message. That’s why it’s so important for us all to feel comfortable and confident with them.

So if you’re ready, we’ll begin our masterclass.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Download the PDF for today's Masterclass
• Related resource Finding the Meaning in Music: Quick Ideas to Build Musicianship blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-061

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Summer is definitely here, at least where I live. The sun is shining, the grass is tall, the roadside vegetable stands are back in business. The bees buzz busily in the daytime and the fireflies make each night sparkle. It’s time for picnics and trips to the seashore. It’s also time to prepare for the end of summer, at least where your harp playing is concerned.

I could almost hear your mental brakes squealing. Summer’s barely started and we want to bask in every moment of it. Why should we think about the end of summer now?

Because a little bit of planning now will save you a couple of weeks later. Don’t believe me? Maybe this scenario will sound familiar.

Let’s pretend it’s late August or early September. Your vacation is over; it was terrific fun but you’re glad to be back home. Of course, there is a mountain of laundry to be done, and a stack of bills to be paid. The dog is acting weird since he came back from doggie camp (a.k.a, the kennel) and you think he needs to see the veterinarian. You look into your harp room with a mixture of longing and dread, wondering how many strings will have broken or will break as soon as you start to tune. Well, it doesn’t matter yet; you don’t have time for that right now. You have to get to the grocery store.

Eventually you find the courage to tackle the harp. You tune it, change strings, tune it again, It still sounds terrible, but you decide to play anyway. Your fingers feel like sausages, no control or agility or strength. After 15 minutes, you discover they don’t have any calluses left either. Better stop practicing and do some more laundry.

I imagine that many of you listening have had this end of vacation experience. I certainly have. In fact, almost every vacation ends something like this for me, except for one part, the harp part. As a professional harpist, particularly when I was doing a lot of freelance playing, taking a vacation was a luxury. It was hard to find time in between performances to get away and naturally, it was often not possible to have a harp with me. I needed to learn how to be able to jump back quickly into playing after an extended absence, how to get my harp, my fingers and my music back in shape in just a few days. The key is planning ahead, and today I’ll share all the tricks I have used for years to bounce back after vacation, but particularly the three things you need to do before your vacation, in order to be sure that you’ll be a happy harpist and not a harried harpist when you return.

This is how you have a guilt-free, harp-free vacation.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Order your new redesigned, refreshed Spark Practice Journal
• Related resource What Will You Accomplish This Summer? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-060

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If the fairy godmother of harp appeared today to grant you just one wish, what would it be? Would you wish for a new harp, flying fingers, an endless supply of music? I know what I would wish for: standardized harp markings.

That may sound to you as if I haven’t given this wish a lot of thought, but actually I believe if the harp fairy godmother would grant that one wish, it would save all of us harpists much time, confusion and frustration. Allow me to explain.

Harp notation is anything but standardized. Take a simple technique like a harmonic. Most composers write harp harmonics where they are to be played, which results in the note sounding one octave higher. But there are a few composers - Carlos Salzedo, most notably - who write their harmonics where the notes actually sound, meaning that we need to play them one octave lower than they are written. Many harpist composers explain which system they are using with a note to the performer printed on the music. Unfortunately, the vast majority of works for harp leave this important piece of information unwritten for the players to figure out for themselves.

And that’s merely one example. Harp markings seem to change with each new generation of composers and arrangers. Harpists must become detectives, scouring the page for clues to decide what a marking means and learning what to do when you can’t find any clues.

Other markings are just plain confusing. Take harp fingering from some of the 19th harpist composers. Rather than use the number 1 to indicate the thumb, some composers used a plus sign or an “x” to indicate the thumb. To add another layer of confusion, the fingers 2, 3 and 4 were indicated as 1, 2 and 3. It’s easier to read these pieces without the fingering at all than to try to translate the fingering as you play.

Sadly, I can’t clear up all the harp marking inconsistencies for you in one podcast. What we will talk about on today’s show are the meanings of 10 fairly common markings. I will tell you what they mean or in some cases what they don’t mean and most importantly, when you need to use your own judgment. Also, at the end of our discussion, I will share a wonderful free online resource with you that will help you with many more harp marking questions.

One word of warning: there’s one three-word phrase that crops up repeatedly in today’s discussion. I won’t tell you what that phrase is now; you’ll recognize it soon enough!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Harp Notation Manual by Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir
• Related resource The Mysterious Case of the Extra Accidental blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-059

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Today's episode is a brand-new podcast feature, a “Quick Fix'' episode. These are special episodes designed to take your harp learning out of the realm of the theoretical and get totally practical. It’s obviously not enough just to know why something is important, although that’s a great place to start. Sooner or later you have to actually do whatever it is, and for that you need to know how.

So from time to time here on the podcast, I’ll be sharing my favorite quick fixes, the nuts and bolts step by step instructions to put some of the things we’ve talked about - or that you’ve asked me about - into place in your harp playing.

The inspiration for today’s show was a comment I received in response to a podcast episode I did nearly a year ago, episode 14, about Taming the Terrible Thumb. On that podcast I talked about how your thumb should work, the proper mechanics and the reasons why those mechanics were important. But more recently I got a comment from a listener asking for more detailed instructions about how to implement some of the things I mentioned on that show, and I have to tell you it was a wake-up call. It’s so easy for a teacher to assume that a student knows something, and unfortunately, many students are hesitant to ask for information they need. They figure it’s their fault, that everyone else already knows it and they’ll just figure it out themselves. I’m very grateful that this particular listener reached out to me - you know who you are - because I’m certain that there are other listeners out there with the same question.

Answering your questions, being a resource to harpists, is a main part of what we at Harp Mastery® are committed to doing. We don’t want you to have to figure it out yourself. There are plenty of things that are hard about playing the harp, but getting answers to your questions, especially the questions that are stopping you from making progress, shouldn’t be one of them.

So today, for our inaugural Quick Fix episode, we will not be merely talking about what your thumb should be doing; I’ll be sharing how you can fix the issues you might be having with your thumbs. There are three common complaints that harpists have about their thumbs: thumbs that are too soft, thumbs that are too loud, and thumbs that are tense. In fact, most playing challenges related to your thumbs come down to one of those three, even if they seem to have a different cause.

So as you listen, don’t be afraid to push pause and try some of these techniques at your harp. That’s what a Quick Fix show is all about.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join us at My Harp Mastery now. Doors close on June 30!
• Related resource Are Your Fingers Failing You? 10 Quick Fixes blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-058

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What is success when it comes to harp playing? And is it something you’re really interested in anyway?

Success is a loaded word. It’s easy to imagine success only in terms of applause, record deals and bouquets of flowers, even if we know that’s a Hollywood-style illusion. Even considering success from a more realistic perspective, you may not feel that success is what you’re looking for in your harp playing. Your goals may not include winning competitions or playing solo recitals or making CDs. I want to challenge your idea of success on today’s show, to show you how your success is more important to you than you may think and that it is the single most important factor in your harp happiness. If that sounds difficult, let me reassure you right now. It’s much easier than you think and quite possibly more rewarding than you have imagined.

I want to share a quote from Albert Schweitzer, a theologian and musicologist as well as an organist, and famous for his edition of the keyboard works of JS Bach. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

I love the way Schweitzer connects success and happiness. For us harpists, that kind of happiness isn’t just the happiness we feel when we play well. It is finding happiness in the work we must do in order to play well. If we dread our practice or feel guilty about it or feel like we’re going around in circles and not making progress, we are off the success path.

Success, or at least the kind of fulfilling success we want, doesn’t need to involve gritting your teeth and grinding out another practice session. That’s actually the wrong way to go about it.

Success is something that can and should be a daily part of your harp life. It is built with small steps of courage, confidence and creativity. And the more small steps you take, the more success you build. You can think about these steps as daily wins, if you like, and today we’ll talk about how you can create those wins consistently by fueling your courage, confidence and creativity. This is about finding the fun in your practice, not in a way that avoids the hard work, but in a way that allows you to renew your love of the harp no matter how hard you’re working.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• My Harp Mastery membership is open! Join us before the doors close!
• Related resource Make Success a Habit With This Simple Formula blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-057

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I love silly jokes, and I hope you do too, because I’m going to share one with you now.

Here goes:

How do you catch an elephant?

You hide in some tall grass and make a sound like a peanut. When the elephant comes by you look through the wrong end of your binoculars, pick him up with a pair of tweezers and put him in a pickle jar.

Silly joke, right? But it’s appropriate for our show today. We are going to be talking about how we learn a piece or how we practice it, which may be slightly different. Then we’ll look at our music learning through the lens (hopefully through the right end of the binoculars) of big picture practice and little picture practice.

Let me ask you a question: if I asked you to tell me how you practice, what would you say? You’d probably describe your practice plan and if you begin hands separately or hands together, how many times you repeat a passage and how long you practice.

But if I asked you to describe how you learn music, what would you say? Would your answer be different? I’m guessing it would. Maybe you wouldn’t even be sure how to answer the question.

I believe we think of practice and learning as two separate things. Learning somehow sounds more cerebral, more about gaining understanding and knowledge. Practice is the physical work of practice, the rote repetition, drilling the notes into our fingers. Clearly we need both of these elements if we are going to play our music well. We need to blend them into a single process that will allow us to learn the notes and the music beyond the notes.

That’s where big picture and little picture practice comes into our discussion. They are the two ends of the binoculars, if you like. And that was the topic I chose for my first Harp Mastery blog post 10 years ago this week.

Today, I’ll go much deeper than I did in that blog post. I’ll talk about the techniques of each kind of practice - big picture and little picture - how they’re useful and when they aren’t. Then I’ll show you how to create a balanced practice strategy so you won’t find yourself looking through the wrong end of the binoculars.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• My Harp Mastery community membership is opening soon. Learn more now!
• Watch the video of today’s podcast.
• Related resource: Big Picture vs. Little Picture Practice blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-056

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What have you done lately that was courageous?
I hope you shouted your answer, said it loud and proud.
Okay, now answer this one.
What would you have done recently if you hadn’t been so fearful?
That’s not exactly a “loud and proud” moment. But we all do it; we let our fears, our doubts, our nerves get the better of us. Talk to any person who is super-successful in their field and they’ll confess to having their insecurities, their own sleepless nights worried about the decisions they’ve made or not made. Most people aren’t fearless. But successful people have learned that many times fear is the only barrier between their present and their future. Success comes only when they are able to go through the fear to discover what lies beyond it. I often talk and write about how to find the courage and the confidence to share your music. You may call it “performing,” but at Harp Mastery® we call it ”sharing your music.” Whatever you call it though, you still might feel your palms sweating and your stomach churning. Playing for someone, sharing that part of yourself where the music lives is scary for each of us. I’ve been sharing my music for a lot of years now, and I know many of my students don’t really believe that I ever get nervous. I do of course, but I have learned to expect the nerves and I have learned that I can play through them. On this show, I want to tell you about an act of courage - a small but really scary one - that I”ve never talked about before. It turned out to be an important one, much more important than I knew at the time.

You see, ten years ago I took a blind leap of courage into the unknown; I started a blog. You may not think that took courage or that I was nervous about it, but I certainly had my doubts and misgivings. I didn’t know if what I was about to write was worth sharing. I didn't know if I would actually be able to come up with things to write about. I didn’t know if anybody would like it or would criticize it or laugh at it. I didn’t even know if anybody at all would read it. But I did it anyway, and if I hadn’t, Harp Mastery® wouldn’t exist. I didn’t have a website or an email list or a Facebook account. I didn’t even have high speed internet; I had a dial-up connection.

That was over 600 blog posts and 55 podcasts ago. In the intervening years, Harp Mastery® has reached literally thousands of harpists through my writings, webinars, courses, coaching programs, retreats and challenges. And it feels like we’re just getting started.

But this podcast isn’t about me or Harp Mastery®. It’s about you. I want to help you understand what’s really in your way, stopping you from playing the harp the way you want, sharing your music with the people you want. Most importantly I want to share the lessons I learned about fear and courage over these last ten years so you don’t have to learn them the hard way. You can take the shortcut path around your fear and find your harp courage. I’m going to give you an assignment too, so be sure to listen closely!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Your assignment: decide on your act of courage for today and post it in the comments or email it to me at podcast@harpmastery.com.
• My very first blog post.
• Related resource: Beyond Fear: Daily Acts of Harp Courage blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-055

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Stephen Foster is often referred to as the “Father of American music,” or “America’s first songwriter,” neither of which is strictly true. However, Stephen Foster’s extensive output of songs and the strength of their popularity more than 150 years later attests to the powerful connection his music creates. The homespun appeal of his words and music evokes gentle images of family, home, love and longing that are in sharp contrast to his more difficult reality.

In fact, there were many ironical contradictions between his music and his life. His songs paint vivid pictures of life in the South, but Foster never lived there and only visited there once. HIs music was a staple in music hall minstrel shows, but Foster himself was an ardent abolitionist. His life came to a close not with the “Old Folks at Home” but alone in Bellevue Hospital in New York City.

Nonetheless, his music is filled with singable melodies, uncomplicated harmonies and a romantic sentiment that not only still touches the hearts of listeners, but is suited perfectly to the harp.

On today’s show, I will discuss - and play for you - 3 songs by Stephen Foster. Two of these are less familiar ones that I believe are worthy of more attention. The third is a very familiar one. I will share my insights about Stephen Foster’s music and give you some tips for playing it well, with the right stylistic touches to make it sound authentic but fresh and beautiful.

Also, I wanted to make it a little easier for you to play some of Stephen Foster’s music yourself so I have created PDFs of all three of the arrangements I’m playing for you today and I will tell you how you can get them at the end of our show.

But my goal today is really to give you an inside look at this music and the man who wrote it. So let’s begin by imagining yourself back in 1826, July 4th, 1826 to be precise.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Check out the Stephen Foster arrangements featured in today’s show in our shop. Add both to your cart and use the discount code FOSTER at checkout to get one of the pieces at 50% off!
  • Beautiful Child of Song and Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair
  • Willie Has Gone to the War
• Related resource: A Musical Memorial Day blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-054

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My harp teacher could make any harp sound amazing. I was astounded every time I heard her do it. On the occasions when she came to my house and played my harp, her magical touch on my very ordinary harp brought it to life in a way my practice never did. And it was MY harp!

My teacher was Marilyn Costello. She studied with Carlos Salzedo at the Curtis Institute of Music and had a lifetime career as principal harpist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. And she had the warmest, richest, most liquid tone I have ever heard.

Having a beautiful tone wasn’t something I thought a lot about as a young harp student. I was more interested in playing fast and flashy pieces. I didn’t give much thought to having a rich sound. After all, when you're playing pieces at warp speed, who can hear the quality of your sound?

Obviously, tone matters. Like so many other harpists, it was the unique voice of the harp that first attracted me. The sound of the harp spoke to me when I heard it ring through the dense texture of an orchestra. It drew my ear when I heard it in the background scoring of a movie or television show. And it still does, every time.

Today I will give you my thoughts on what makes a beautiful harp tone, what tone really means, how you develop your tone and how you expand your tonal repertoire. Yes, you can - and should - have a repertoire of sounds at your fingertips.

I hope this topic excites you as much as it does me. There is nothing more characteristic of the harp than its sound and nothing more interesting than the unique sound of an individual harpist. We all have our special sound, and today I want to help you find yours.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Warmups With a Focus course
• Related resource The Practice of Listening: Why It’s Essential for Every Musician blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-053

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There will never be a shortage of exercise books. As long as there are harpists, they will want to develop a more facile technique to make their playing easier, faster, more fluid and more musical. Scales and arpeggios will always be staples of our technical work but obviously, there is so much more that goes into harp technique. And with the plethora of choices of exercise, etude and method books, where does a harpist start?

The short answer to that question is to just start; it doesn’t really matter where. Any technique growth is better than none. A steady progression of skills is even better, of course. Again the simple solution is a good one; work your way through any exercise book beginning to end and you will cover most of what your fingers need. When you’re finished with that book, choose another.

There are some technical issues, though, that are very common and yet are often resistant to the usual approaches. On today’s episode of the podcast, I want to discuss a few of those issues (seven, to be precise) and some exercises that are favorites of mine for resolving them. I will give you two exercises for each, one that is more basic or fundamental, and one that covers a more advanced aspect of the particular technique.

And while you may want to take notes as we go, never fear, I have put a link in the show notes to the books and exercises I mention so you can download it at your convenience.

Two more things before we dive in. First, these aren’t the only exercises that solve these problems and they may not be the best ones for you. They are ones I like and ones my students have found helpful.

Secondly, what I think is important about today’s discussion is that I will share not just the exercises I like, but why I like them, how they will help your technique and your playing and how to practice them.

We have a lot to cover today, so let’s get started.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Click here to get my exercise book list with all the books mentioned on the show.
• Related resource Four “Smart” Finger Patterns You Must Know blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-052

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Are you trying to do too much?

As a harpist or harp student, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There is so much music to learn, so many skills to develop, so much technique work you need to do and not nearly enough time to do it all.

If this sounds distressingly familiar, I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that this is totally fixable. The bad news is that only you can fix it.

Don’t give up yet though, I do have powerful suggestions and advice for you today that will help you figure out what is really important for you to practice and what isn’t. My guess is that about half of what most of us practice daily isn’t really essential or helpful. That’s a scary idea!

Stop for a moment and imagine the implications of that. It could very well be that you’re spending an hour of practice and getting only 30 minutes worth of results. You think you’re using your time well, but you may be doing too many repetitions or warming up for too long or trying to learn too many pieces at once. In other words, you may be sabotaging your own progress.

Don’t feel bad if this sounds like you. We’ve all done it, including me. Learning to do less is not instinctive.

On occasions when you have seen master musicians perform, perhaps you noticed how graceful and efficient their movements were whether they were harpists or played another instrument. That economy of movement is due to their understanding that the music requires less from them, not more. Extra motion impedes their technical ease and the music’s flow in addition to being distracting for an observer. Efficient movements allow for greater technical freedom and deeper musical expression. Sometimes you can do more with less. You must choose what to keep and what to let go.

On today’s show I’ll share 7 things you might want to let go of and what to keep instead. And I’ll start by telling you the story of the sacrificial leaf, something I learned about on a recent trip to the Everglades.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Momentum Miracle Intensive
• Related resource: 12 Harp Habits to Let Go Of (and 1 to Keep) blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-051

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Tick, tick, tick, tick…the constant click of a metronome could conceivably drive a person crazy. I am now - although I wasn’t always - a metronome fan. Though this may sound crazy to some of you, the metronome is my favorite practice tool because it helps me fix errors, create flow and it gives me time to play a piece or a tricky passage correctly.

I realize that this may not be your experience with the metronome. Maybe your feeling about it is more like this:

If you’ve seen the classic movie Ben Hur, you already know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, let me set the scene for you.

At one point in the tale, our hero Judah Ben Hur is a galley slave on a Roman ship, chained to an oar with several other slaves. The entire hold of the ship is filled with men chained to oars; they are the engine of the ship. In order for the slaves to generate enough power to move the ship, it is essential that they row in a coordinated way. So at the front of the galley is a man beating a drum. He sets the tempo for the rowers. When the ship enters into battle, the drummer picks up the pace. Slaves collapse left and right trying to keep up. Does this sound like your metronome experience, only without the sweat and starvation?

Apparently, this depiction isn’t historically accurate, but it may be accurate enough if your metronome feels like a slave driver. Actually the Latin word used in the movie for the drummer is hortator. Our word “exhort” meaning to urge or advise comes from the same root. Hortator can also mean encourager. You may not be ready to think of your metronome as a friendly encourager just yet, but I hope to give you a glimpse of that today.

We’ll talk about the best use of the metronome - and it’s NOT for speeding up - plus I will share two of my favorite ways to use the metronome to help me play more musically. Even better, if you’ve never been able to use a metronome before, you’ll learn exactly how to do it. That’s right. I will actually teach you how to work with your metronome and why it’s important. Stick with me here; I can pretty much guarantee you will love this.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• 90 Goals Plan Free PDF
• Related resource: 12 Ways to Use Your Metronome to Create Time blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-050

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Do you suffer from uneven scales, particularly when you cross under or over?
Do your fingers sometimes fumble to find the strings?
Is your tone warm and lovely some of the time and other times thin or weak?
Have the drills you’ve tried made no real difference?

Here’s the miracle solution to all these problems… and more!

If this sounds like a late night infomercial, I apologize, but I want to call your attention to the often overlooked, frequently misunderstood and almost always underappreciated member of your technique team - your wrist.

We harpists consider so many points of our technique - our fingers, arms and shoulders, our fingering, our placing. We worry about whether to raise or connect and in what situations one might be better than the other. Do we hold our elbows up or down? Should we sit on the edge of the bench or more in the middle and how high or low? So many questions and nearly as many different answers to each one.

When was the last time you thought about your wrist, that crucial link between your hand and your arm? Have you ever really stopped to consider the role that your wrist plays in your technique? If you’re like most of us, probably not.

But today, we are going to change that. This show is all about your wrist. We will talk about the correct position (or positions!) of your wrist and how your wrist can help your fingers place more accurately on the strings. We’ll talk about how a supple wrist is the source of graceful, fluid motion and a full, lovely sound Most importantly, we’ll talk about how to prevent injury to this most delicate connection between our hand and arm, how to protect it and how to practice in a way that ensures it stays healthy.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Etude a Day Course
• Related blog post: Two Essential Wrist Techniques
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-049

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A harp lesson is hard work, for both the student and the teacher. It’s a time to acknowledge progress and challenges, to take what’s going well to the next level and to find ways to make the rough patches smoother. It’s not a performance where your teacher will judge you on how well you play that day. And it’s not a cozy get together for tea and encouragement, although those could be part of a lesson too. A lesson is for learning.

As a student I always knew I had a good lesson when I left the lesson feeling a little mentally fatigued but energized, even excited, about the work we had done in the lesson and the progress I was ready to make in the coming week. It was similar to the feeling you might have after a massage; your body is tired and sore, but relaxed and happy at the same time.

As a teacher, my favorite lessons are the ones where we work the hardest. We may be working on one measure or one passage. We might be bringing more expression to a piece or just working on technique. A lesson is my opportunity to help the student take bigger steps than she would on her own, to push her closer to her goal, and when we can do that kind of work together, I know progress and harp happiness can’t be far off.

This kind of lesson requires a lot of open discussion with input from both student and teacher. Sometimes I encounter students who want to be good students, to follow directions without question. While I appreciate that a student trusts my knowledge and insight, if he has questions, I want to know. I try to remember to ask, but I never mind if a student questions or challenges a particular strategy or choice.

On today’s show I’d like to share with you the three questions that I love to be asked and why I think those questions are so important. If you have a teacher you are working with, I can pretty much guarantee that if you haven’t asked any of these yet, you’ve been missing out on some powerful learning opportunities. Even if you don’t have a teacher right now, you will perhaps get a new perspective on how to find your way through the struggles of learning to play the harp. It’s all about learning how to learn today and I know that at least one of these questions will be one that you have been wishing you could ask. Guess what - you now have permission!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Build, Extend, Advance technique development course
• What Playing Music Really Is: 3 Surprising Truths I Learned From My Teachers
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-048

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Does your left hand struggle to keep up? Your right hand seems to have its act together, but your left hand always takes longer to feel comfortable with the notes, no matter what piece you’re learning. Are you thinking that I have a hidden camera in your practice room? Not at all; it’s simply that I have had my own left hand issues too.

I used to think that if I were left handed I wouldn’t have these issues. But I hear many of my left-handed students, even the more advanced players, complaining about the same left hand awkwardness. So much for trying to become ambidextrous as a solution.

Even more frustrating is that the solutions I used to recommend to my students - the same ones I was using myself - really aren’t solutions at all. Sure they helped my left hand become more fluent and flexible, which I would call a big win. But I still saw my students struggle with left hand passages that should have been easily within their grasp. Or more precisely, within their left hand’s grasp.

That’s when it finally dawned on me. I had been training my left hand the same way I was training my right hand. While there’s no harm in that - and there’s really no doubt it’s tremendously beneficial - it clearly didn’t fix the problem. There is a simple reason for this.

While our two hands do many of the same things and need to be able to do them equally well - things like scales, arpeggios and chords, for instance- each hand is also a specialist. Our right hand plays more melody; our left hand, more accompaniment. Our right hand thumb is key to a well-phrased melody. Our left hand needs to have a dependable fourth finger for those resonant low bass notes. Our right hand spins out the tune but our left hand provides the harmonic support and rhythmic stability that make that tune intelligible.

In short, our left hand has a specialized vocabulary, certain techniques and patterns that are different from those our right hand usually plays. Most exercise books don’t address this; most teachers don’t emphasize this either. But on today’s show, we’ll review the things your left hand must know in order to be “literate,” to be comfortable with the unique tasks we ask of it every day. And of course, talking about them isn’t enough for us here on this podcast. So I will give you some practice strategies and I will share a free resource that will help you follow through on our discussion and develop your left hand literacy.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Free “Left Hand Master Exercise” PDF
• Four Weeks to Finger Freedom course
• Quick Fixes for Left Hand Octaves blog post
• Harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-047

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What famous harpist has his 137th birthday this week? Carlos Salzedo, that’s who. This harpist and musical innovator was born in Arcachon, France on April 6, 1885, and on today’s show I would like to introduce you to a side of his music you may not have encountered, including some music not only playable but even suitable for lever harp.

Before we get started, you will need to know a little of my own background. I was brought up in the Salzedo tradition. My teacher studied with Salzedo. I went to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia; Salzedo had founded the harp department there, and I had my lessons in the Salzedo Room. And so Salzedo’s tonal language became part of my musical education from the very first. I learned Tango - my first harp recital piece - and Night Breeze, which I will play for you later today. I learned the Preludes Intimes and Song in the Night (Chanson dans la nuit). Then I went on to learn the Five Preludes and the Modern Study Etudes and everything Salzedo from Scintillation and Ballade to Traipsin’ Thru Arkansaw.

It was a little like I imagine it might be if you grow up eating the cuisine of your parents’ homeland, one which is very different from the food where you were growing up. For instance, kimchi may be your comfort food in a land where mac and cheese is more common. Because you essentially live in two different culinary worlds, you develop an appreciation for many kinds of foods.

For me, I grew up on Salzedo’s music and it never seemed strange to me, although I could hear the contrast between much of his music and the music of other composers.

What I learned later was why his music sounded different, not just in terms of the ways he used melody and harmony, but in his entire approach to the harp, his idea of the instrument itself.

Today I will share a little of the insights I have gleaned from studying his music. I will play a few short pieces for you too. And I hope along the way you will decide to try some of Salzedo’s music yourself.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Warm-ups with a Focus course
• Links to music heard in this episode:
• Little Jacques’ Lullaby
• Night Breeze

• Petite Valse

• For further reading on a related topic: Family Connections: Alphonse Hasselmans and Pentacle, by Marietta Bitter

• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? Find all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-046

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Practice makes perfect.
Perfect practice makes perfect.
Exactly what are we making perfect?

There is truth in those two statements but they are misleading too in a potentially dangerous way.

The truth is that how we practice determines how we play.

The danger comes if we take this to mean that if our playing isn’t as perfect as we want it, we haven’t practiced hard enough. So when our playing falls short of our expectations, we practice longer or more carefully or with more grit and determination. Longer practice can lead to injury or boredom. Practice focused on being correct often fails to be musical. And grit and determination are not conducive to beautiful, relaxed harp playing.

But there is one kind of practice that causes our practice to translate into the kind of playing we want. If we practice in this way, we play better in our lessons, we are more relaxed and we are able to be more expressive.

This kind of practice is absolutely critical to our success, to our harp happiness, yet we don’t know about it, don’t recognize its power, or just don’t know when to use it.

But after you listen to today’s show, you will understand the right kind of practice, by which I mean the kind of practice you need to do to bridge the gap between your practice and your performing. And we will sum it up in a single word so you can remember exactly what to do and how.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• 30 Days to Done Practice and learn your piece with the “playing” in mind.
• Practice with a Kick, an Arrow and a Glass of Water blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-045

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Ask a group of harpists what the hardest part of playing the harp is and you’ll get a lot of different answers: the technique, playing hands together, reading the notes, playing chords, putting on a new string, or maybe even moving the harp. Every harpist has his or her own bugaboo, a particular challenge in their playing.

But we all agree that one of the trickiest parts of playing the harp is the fingering.

From the first day we started the harp it was impressed on us that we need to follow the printed fingering. Placing our fingers accurately and in the right order - all at once or one at a time - helps us battle gravity and stay physically connected to the strings. I like to think of us as musical acrobats - only without the death-defying aspect. So much of what our instrument demands of our technique requires us to be airborne. We have to lift our hands to prolong a sound, to relax our hand, to move from one octave to another. And unlike pianists, we are working against gravity, holding our hands and arms in the air all the time we play.

So our fingering is important. And learning the finger patterns that we play most often is important too. And if you are a harpist who has been following the fingering in your music, you get your gold star.

But there’s a next level of fingering, and you might never have been told about it. I can just about guarantee that you’ve had glimpses of it. Your first glimpse may have come when you began to encounter more advanced music that didn’t have the fingering written in. Perhaps you have noticed that you need less fingering written into your music as you have progressed in your playing.

Today I want to reveal to you some of the secrets of “next level” fingering. Fear not -those secrets aren’t new patterns you need to practice. They are different ways of working with fingering, ways that make use of the technique you have developed since those first days you played the harp. Remember those days? Your playing has grown a lot since then, and so should your fingering habits. We are going to look at five of the basic rules you were taught about fingering and show you how to break them and why you absolutely should. Or looking at it another way, why hanging on to them will cost you practice time and possibly keep you from getting to that next level of playing.

Before we dig into this more deeply, I want to share this thought from Rick Wakeman, the keyboard player of the rock band YES. Rick wasn’t talking about harp fingering certainly, but his words are still a great start to our discussion.

“I always say that it's about breaking the rules. But the secret of breaking rules in a way that works is understanding what the rules are in the first place.”

So get ready to break some rules!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Four Weeks to Finger Freedom course
• The Failsafe Fix For Fast Flexible Fingers blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-044

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It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, a day which is important to many of us, not just because we’re Irish (my last name is Sullivan, after all) or maybe just Irish for a day. As harpists many of us raise a glass on St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate the amazing legacy of the Irish harpers and to the modern day harpers who continue this rich tradition. On today’s show we will pay tribute to another facet of Irish music with a tradition just as rich and as beautiful. I will share music by three influential Irish composers, not composers of traditional music but composers more linked to classical music: one who found his fame and fortune in the court of Queen Elizabeth the I of England, one who invented a musical form that became a staple of classical music composers, and one who is considered responsible for the resurgence in the 1960’s of the popularity of Irish traditional music. Three very different composers, all linked by a common heritage, a heritage I am proud to share.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• John Field Nocturne free sheet music
• For an unusual look at a link between classical music and sports: Classical Music and the NFL blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-043

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Sometimes planning is counterproductive.

I know this sounds strange coming from me because I am a huge advocate of having a plan and working the plan when it comes to your practice. That’s truly the secret of being able to play the music you want and creating harp happiness over the long haul. There’s power in a well-conceived and consistently executed plan, particularly when it comes to your practice.

But planning doesn’t come naturally for everyone. The good news is that it isn’t the only path to progress.

In my house, my husband is the true planner. For example, while I was working on this podcast, he was browsing the web, planning out activities to schedule for a trip we have coming up. I like to do my research on these things too, but he likes to have everything planned out day by day as soon as possible. I prefer to get where we’re going and get the feel of the place before I make my decisions. I want to get my bearings, to sort of smell the air. Every place has its distinct energy and atmosphere and I want to know what that’s like before I commit myself to an itinerary. My favorite moments on a trip are the serendipitous ones, like the places you find by accident or the locals you meet in a sidewalk cafe or pub. Fortunately, my husband loves those moments too and we manage to make our vacations a blend of things we plan and things we stumble on.

Of course you don’t want to stumble through your harp practice, and neither do I. But our practice time should be productive and creative, about making progress and making music.

If you’re the kind of person who resists planning their practice, or who thinks they should but can’t seem to stick to a plan, then this podcast will give you the permission you’ve needed to go with a practice style that feels more intuitive and natural for you. Or if you just need a change in your practice routine or something to get you through a low-energy day you’re going to love this one too. Or if you find yourself up against the clock - you have a busy day and not enough time to do the kind of practice you’d like - I have some shortcut practice strategies that will keep your momentum going and put those nasty guilt twinges where they belong - in the trash!

This one is for all you free spirits, creative types, busy people or for any of us with a touch of spring fever. It’s time for a change of pace.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Check, Check, What's Your Level? Webinar
• How to Feed (or Find) Your Free Spirit – and Still Get Practice Done blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-042

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Today’s show is dedicated to you, the podcast listener. I have gathered some of the most interesting questions from our podcast inbox and I will be answering them in this episode.

After all, advice is only good if it’s the advice you need when you need it. Obviously, a podcast isn’t the same as individual instruction, or having your harp teacher on speed dial, but it’s important to me to talk about the topics that matter to you, those things that will make a difference in your harp playing. That’s one of the reasons I like to give you an action step or two with each podcast. Taking action, doing something rather than just talking about it, is how progress happens. It’s how we grow. Just think; if we only talked about practicing and never actually did it, our harp playing would never improve. In fact, it would start to wither and die.

If being a harpist - or harper if that’s more “you” - is part of who you are, then playing the harp, not just talking about it, or thinking, or planning, or journaling about it, is what you do. So while here on the podcast, all we can really do is to talk about it, I want to be sure that when you take those earbuds out, you have something that you feel energized and inspired to do. And I hope the questions and answers coming up on the show will motivate you in your practice today.

Here are some of today’s topics:

• Would following a music exam system benefit me? And how do I get started?
• I’m a beginner and I need help with my music reading.
• Managing quick lever and pedal changes.
• How to simplify an arrangement that’s a little too challenging for you.Yes - there are some step by step things you can do for this and they can make the difference between having a piece you can play or having another piece that you stick in a file for later!

Plus, I will share a couple of my favorite tips for brand new harp players.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Webinar
• Permission to Play blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-041

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Today you are going to get a promotion. Or rather, today I am going to give you a promotion. Or even better, today you are going to give yourself a promotion. A promotion is exciting. It may come with a new title, or a certificate or a diploma. It likely entails new responsibilities and new challenges as well as new and as yet unimagined opportunities. It signifies a higher level of competence and the confidence that others, at least, have in your achievements to date and in your potential. And that gold star, that new job title, that salary raise is proof of your accomplishment.

But where is the proof of your harp accomplishment? How do you know that you’re making progress, or keeping pace with whatever goals or timelines you have set for yourself? Where’s the guidebook that says, “You are here,” and shows you how to get to “there?”

Yes, we do have some ways to gauge our progress. Music exam systems, like the ABRSM or RCM exams, provide an organized way to be “promoted.” You work through the curriculum and move from one grade level to the next. And you get your paper that certifies your promotion.

But for those not following an exam system, which is most harpists, where does the assurance of growth and progress come from? We may not need that piece of paper to prove our accomplishment, like the scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz,” but our harp happiness depends on our faith in our momentum. If we don’t think we’re getting anywhere, we tend to stop trying.

So what we are doing today is creating some clarity, clarity about the mysterious “levels” of harp playing, the specific signature skills that you need at these levels and how to create your personal plan for promotion.

Now, if you’re thinking that because you are really only playing for yourself or that this discussion is only for “serious” harpists” or young people, you couldn’t be more wrong. Frankly, it’s easier for young students or harpists with a clear path to find those next rungs on the ladder. The course for them is clear.

This discussion is for everybody else, those who want to take things at their own pace and want to enjoy their harp playing. Why? Because the path isn’t as clear so the progress levels aren’t as clear either. And if you don’t have markers for where you are now and where your next step is, you end up going around in circles. And that’s where frustration can creep in.

So let’s give you a promotion today. We’ll talk about those markers so you can find your next step forward, your next rung on the ladder. And then you give yourself that gold star or certificate or special treat that will mark your promotion. You deserve it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Check, Check! What's Your Level? Webinar
• Moving Up or Going in Circles? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-040

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You and your harp are the perfect Valentine’s love story. You met your harp, fell in love and the rest is history. When I talk about harp happiness here on the podcast and elsewhere, I’m talking about that love connection you have with your harp - that magical feeling that you began with and about continuing that feeling, deepening it, nourishing it, helping it flourish. Of course, sometimes harp happiness has its bad days, those days when the joy just isn’t there. Those moments of frustration are the bumpy part of a harpist’s journey, and today’s podcast is about one of the major bumps in the road for all of us harpists: playing chords. We want our chords to sound lush and lovely but sometimes they just come out like a disorganized cluster of random notes.

There are so many ingredients to playing a lovely-sounding chord.You must place multiple fingers quickly and accurately on the strings and then play them either at exactly the same time or with a beautifully modulated roll, and if just one finger sounds too loud or too soft, the entire effect is ruined.

If you find playing chords challenging, you are not alone. In fact, harpists who have very little trouble with most of the music they want to play, still often find chord passages difficult. And there’s nothing worse than having a stumbling block like that slow the rest of your progress down. Now, if you’ve been playing the harp a long time, you may not remember how hard it was to learn how to play chords. But maybe you teach as I do and are faced with the challenge of helping your students through this difficult stage.

Whatever your challenge may be with chords, I’m going to make things a little easier for you on today’s show. I’ll talk about the reasons that chords are difficult. And once you know why they are so hard, you can work on the skills you need to develop so you can play them more easily. I will talk about the three basic elements you need to practice, share some of my very favorite quick fixes with you PLUS I will give you a free worksheet with drills you can use to make your chords as lush and lovely as you want them to be.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Chord Reading and Placing Drills PDF
• How to Play Four Note Chords Without Finger Fumbles
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-039

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Imagine you found yourself stranded alone on a deserted island. It’s a beautiful place or it would be if you knew a little more about it.

Are there dangerous animals or poisonous plants? How will you survive? You need food, clothing and shelter, but you have no idea how to provide them for yourself. Out of necessity, you begin carefully and slowly, learning just as slowly by sometimes painful trial and error.

Sometimes harp practice can feel like that deserted island. You tune the harp and sit down ready to work. But you don’t have a clear direction. You don’t know if you’re doing the right things the right way. And there’s no one by your side to give you advice. You have plenty of notes from your last lesson, but essentially your teacher told you what to work on or accomplish, not so much actually how to do it. Are you wasting your practice time?

On the other hand, you’ve probably experienced the feeling after a lesson where your teacher helped you get to the next stage with a piece. You walk away from the lesson practically on a cloud, knowing that you’ve done meaningful and productive work. What if every practice session felt that way?

I’m pretty sure that feeling that good about every practice session isn’t realistic, but you should be able to feel certain that the practice you’re working so hard at is getting you where you want to go. That may not be the case for you right now. It certainly wasn’t the case for me in my early college years. And so today, I am going to share with you my own story about pointless practice and the discoveries that I made trying to turn that around. These are the discoveries that led to my Kaleidoscope Practice system and I’m going to share that with you too. It’s all about what to practice and why and even more importantly, how to do it right, using the five focus areas that I identified as critical to practice success and the key results and strategies for each.

PLUS if you stick around to the end of the podcast I have a special bonus just for my podcast listeners so hang in there - this one’s just for you!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• The Harpist’s Playbook
• Revolutionize Your Practice by Learning from the Inside Out
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-038

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Let’s face facts: performing is scary. Even though you’ve practiced that piece a million times and a million different ways and you feel you know it backwards, forwards and inside out, there are so many variables in a performance situation that it’s no wonder we’re scared. Yes, there are ways to “bulletproof” your music and yourself. But that’s not what today’s show is about. Today we are putting the focus on the fear itself. That feeling of fear is real, even though we can tell ourselves there isn’t anything to be actually afraid of..We are going to call out the fear we feel, bring it into the light, give it a name and learn how to get past it. We’re not talking about perfection here. We’re talking about management: of your fear, your expectations, your adrenalin, your focus. And while I can’t guarantee that you won’t have any fear, I can promise you that the strategies we will talk about today will allow you to play for others with confidence, with assurance that your performance will be a reasonable representation of your practice., You might even find that this helps you enjoy the music more while you’re playing it. And maybe the next time someone asks you to play, you’ll find yourself saying. “Sure! I’d love to!” That’s No Sweat performing!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Getaway Retreat
• Facing Fear: To Act Rather Than React blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-037

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Does sight reading scare you? Do you wish you could instantly play any new piece you want to learn, even just enough to get the idea of how it sounds?

Being able to read music fluently and learn it quickly is a “someday” skill for many harpists. Fortunately, you can improve your sight reading with a few essential skills that you are probably already practicing. The dramatic and nearly instant results will amaze you!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Getaway Retreat
• 4 Easy Ideas to Take Your Music Reading from Fumbling to Fluent blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com 

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If all music uses the same basic elements, why do musical styles sound so different? And why do some connect with us so powerfully and others leave us cold? Some harpists love to experiment with diverse musical styles. Others prefer to stick with what they love. Today’s episode explores elements of musical style. Discover why your favorite music touches you, and learn how to connect with styles new to you. Musical adventures await!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Getaway Retreat
• Genre Neutral: Music For All Occasions blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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Is your technique your biggest harp issue? Perhaps you know your technique is holding you back. Maybe you know you need to find the next level but aren’t sure how to get there.

Today Anne reveals three ways to level up your technique and free your fingers to do your bidding. The good news? You might be doing the right things already. The better news? A faster, more accurate and secure technique is just a few simple tweaks away.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Getaway Retreat
• Four “Smart” Finger Patterns You Must Know blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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The energy of the New Year can be a trap as our good intentions become overwhelming. We burden ourselves with too many resolutions, too many projects and too many brilliant ideas. That’s the fast track to disappointment. Today Anne explains why the best strategy for harp success in the new year is a one step at a time approach. Choosing your next best step and creating a plan to ensure you take that step are key to your harp happiness this year.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Harp Mastery® Getaway Retreat
• 3 Ingredients of a Perfect Plan blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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I’m going to get a little personal about harp happiness and it will probably surprise you. On this last podcast of 2021 I share my favorite harp moments of the past year and my harp goals for 2022. They aren’t the type of goals you probably imagine. Yes, there are some achievement type goals but there are more esoteric ones too. I hope they may inspire you to decide on some 2022 harp happiness goals for yourself. Here’s to a Happy New Year for all!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Musical Extravagance: The Ultimate Holiday Gift blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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Is holiday harping making you stressed? As the angel said, “Fear not!” We all find it difficult to find practice time during the holidays, even though this is the time we need to keep our fingers ready to play. In this episode of the podcast you will discover a stress-free practice plan that will keep you in shape, no matter how many cookies you still need to bake. All it takes is a few minutes and a little planning.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Harp Mastery® Certified Coaching
• Stay Relaxed to Play Your Best blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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If we harpists had to choose one technical skill to have sharp for the holidays, it would have to be smooth, even arpeggios. Learn four different arpeggio styles and the best practice tips for each, revealed through four different harp arrangements of the beloved Christmas favorite, “O Holy Night.” Whether the arpeggios go up, down or all around in your own favorite arrangement, you’ll discover the strategies you need to make them sparkle.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Harp Mastery® Certified Coaching
• 7 Surprising Facts about “O Holy Night” blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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“If only I’d started years ago,” is a common refrain of many adult harp students. But adult students, even beginners, have significant advantages over younger ones. Slower fingers and mental processes are part of aging but that doesn't mean that music and harp learning needs to be slower too. On this show, Anne reviews the “just for grown-ups” learning techniques which help her adult students experience faster and more rewarding progress.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Harp Mastery® Certified Coaching
• If I Were Starting Over blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com.

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The most powerful musical expression isn’t created by magic. It’s written into each note. It’s up to the performer to discover it and bring it to life. If you’ve ever questioned your expressive choices or felt uncomfortable making those choices, today’s show reveals how to discover the composer’s intention and interpret it with creativity and confidence. Plus I’ll show you where to look - and listen - for the hidden expressive clues in any piece.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Join My Harp Mastery
• Blog post on Your 5 Day Plan to Better Musical Awareness
• Beyond Dynamics: 3 Keys to More Musical Harp Playing podcast
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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If you find it difficult to practice Christmas Carols, you are not alone. Reviewing holiday music is an unusual kind of challenge. Everyone knows the songs so well we dread making even a single mistake. But we know them so well we practice on autopilot. On today’s show I share how to do the practice you need and still keep the holiday spirit with three simple strategies that make even the most tired carol (or any music) fun to practice and play.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Cracking the Nutcracker Code webinar
• Cadenza Play In LIVE Friday, November 26 at Noon Eastern time
• My Harp Mastery
• How to Play Music You Hate blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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Memorizing your music isn’t essential, but developing your memorization skills IS. Memorization isn’t just for people who want to play without music. It’s also a proven practice technique that creates critical connections between what you play and what you hear which translate into faster learning and longer retention. Even if you can’t remember what you had for breakfast you can learn to memorize - if you use the only method which really works!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Cracking the Nutcracker Code webinar
• My Harp Mastery First To Know List
• No More Memorization Mistakes Blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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“Which Ave Maria?” I asked the bride. I could see the panic in her eyes. “You mean there’s more than one?” Whether it’s for a wedding, a funeral or Christmas Eve, all of the Ave Maria settings are beloved favorites. On today’s show we’ll discuss the two most requested ones: their histories, similarities, differences, plus practice ideas and performance tips including my secrets for making those awkward rhythms smooth.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Break Forth CD
• Schubert's Ave Maria: the Real Story
• Ave Maria sheet music set
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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Without question, the glissando is the signature harp sound. It’s likely the very first thing you ever tried when you first touched a harp. It’s equally likely that at this point in your harp journey you have questions about how to make them sound glorious. On today’s show I will share the expressive secrets to a sweeping glissando plus the technical specifics. Whether your favorite term is glissando, sdrucciolando or flux, you can make it magical.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Waltz of the Flowers Cadenza Challenge
• Develop Your Glissando Color Palette blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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Maybe the piece is too hard for you. You could soldier on or you could put it away for later. Which choice do you make? Neither choice is satisfying. Instead of battling on or conceding defeat, you could choose to fix the problem. Asking the right questions will show you what you need to do to eliminate the obstacles so you can play the piece confidently and with pride. In this episode I will share six key questions and the all-important answers.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Waltz of the Flowers Cadenza Challenge
• Are Your Fingers Failing You? 10 Quick Fixes blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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Too much music and not enough time? Here’s the solution you’ve been waiting for. While this holiday season may not have as many performances as other years, preparing all your music is still a mammoth task. You know the secret is in organizing it properly, but somehow every year you’ve indeed up scrambling to get it all done.

On this podcast episode I reveal my method for reviewing old pieces and learning new ones in a simple, stress-free way.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Waltz of the Flowers Cadenza Challenge
• Five Steps to Build Your Repertoire blog post
• 30 Days to Done course
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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I used to listen. For instance, when I first started playing the harp there were no electronic tuners; I had to learn to tune by ear. I am convinced we harpists have lost some essential listening skills. What role does listening play in your daily practice? I believe listening is too often the last resort. On today’s show I suggest some practical strategies for making focused listening and informed musicianship part of your harp playing every day.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Waltz of the Flowers Cadenza Challenge
• Listen Like a Superhero blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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Do you think you’re too old or too uncoordinated to have agile fingers? Think again.

Agile fingers aren’t just for the young or the gifted and they don’t happen by magic. Developing finger facility is key to faster learning and more stumble-free playing. Listen and discover the three things you need to stop doing and the three you need to start doing now to teach your fingers to play with more speed and security at any age.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Two Step Chord Theory for Harpists webinar
• The Failsafe Fix For Fast Flexible Fingers blog post
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

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If you ask a professional harpist how she plans her practice, she probably won’t be able to tell you. But ask her what she does every day and she’ll tell you her favorite routine, what she does first and what is the most important part of her practice. Pros learn how to practice efficiently and how to get consistent results from their practice. If you’ve ever wondered if you’re missing something in your practice, this episode is for you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Two-Step Chord Theory for Harpists webinar
• Spark Journal
• 10 Ways to Cut Your Practice Time in Half blog post
• Harpmastery.com

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Case Study: A 90 Day Goal In Action On this show, I present a case study of a student whose 90 Day Goal was to improve her skill in playing hands together. You’ll see the plan come together as I walk you through each step of the goal setting process from idea to action. You’ll also learn how to adapt this plan for a different skill or change it for your personal learning style, along with critical safeguards to put in place to ensure your success.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Two-Step Chord Theory for Harpists webinar
• Spark Journal
• Why Being a Better Harpist Isn't Good Enough blog post
• Harpmastery.com

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The first step in achieving a harp goal is believing you can achieve it. On today’s show I interview Houston harpist and Harp Mastery® Certified Coach Caitlin Mehrtens. Caitlin is expert at helping her students succeed and she shares her advice on how to choose the right goals for you, as well as the two most powerful factors for success. You’ll also learn when to take a step back and refocus so you can move forward. This is a must-listen episode!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Caitlin Mehrtens’ website
• Loop 38
• Square One, beginner course
• Progress Planner Download
• Are You Living Your Harp Dream or Just Thinking You Are? blog post
• Harpmastery.com

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Do you resist setting goals for your harp playing? Maybe setting goals feels like it will stifle your creativity or take the fun out of your harp playing. Maybe you think goals are only for “serious” harpists.
Today’s show reveals why goals are crucial for every harpist who wants to improve. You’ll learn the 3 types of goals, the 4 levels of goal setting and I’ll give you my exclusive Progress Planner so you can map out each step toward your goal.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Progress Planner Download
• Harp Mastery® Certified Coaching
• Spark Journal
• 3 Ingredients of a Perfect Plan blog post
• Harpmastery.com

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Do you resist setting goals for your harp playing? Maybe setting goals feels like it will stifle your creativity or take the fun out of your harp playing. Maybe you think goals are only for “serious” harpists.
Today’s show reveals why goals are crucial for every harpist who wants to improve. You’ll learn the 3 types of goals, the 4 levels of goal setting and I’ll give you my exclusive Progress Planner so you can map out each step toward your goal.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Progress Planner Download
• Harp Mastery® Certified Coaching
• Spark Journal
• 3 Ingredients of a Perfect Plan blog post
• Harpmastery.com

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Have you spent weeks or months practicing your piece and it still isn’t ready to play? You have fallen into the Practice Gap! The Practice Gap is the divide between making your music better and making it music. If you’re taking longer than four weeks to finish a piece, you’re in serious danger of being stuck on the wrong side. Revamp your practice system so you never have to worry about getting tired of your piece before you can actually play it.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Work with one of our Certified Coaches. Register today!
• Get involved in the show! Email me a question, comment or topic at podcast@harpmastery.com
• Practicing Differently: 4 Steps to Faster Learning blog post
• Harpmastery.com

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Is your thumb timid or a tyrant? We harpists rely on our thumbs - just try playing a scale without them. They are our longest fingers and undoubtedly our strongest. They double our reach on the harp strings. But how musical are your thumbs?
In this episode, I will show you how your thumbs can be expressive with a supple, fluid sound that can make a melody sing or blend in beautifully with your other fingers, and how to fix common thumb problems.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Four Weeks to Finger Freedom course
• Beautiful Thumbs or All Thumbs? blog post:
• Harpmastery.com

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Which would you choose: practicing with the metronome or sitting through your kid's favorite cartoon AGAIN? If the metronome feels like torture, this show will save you from going click crazy. The metronome isn't just for playing fast; it's for creating time to be correct and musical too. You'll learn the proper (and nearly painless) ways to use the metronome - not as a paperweight- and save tons of practice time too! You can play along with me too!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Related blog post from the archives: Your Metronome Speaks
• Back To School Night virtual event
• Harpmastery.com

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Confidence isn’t something you're born with; it’s something you build. It’s gradually formed from experience. It’s bolstered with successes and sharpened with failures. If lack of confidence is holding you back, you have the whole thing backwards. In this episode of the show, I’ll share some of my own struggles with self-confidence and the experiences which helped me grow and get stronger. I’ve also helped many students feel more confident in their harp playing and I will show you how you can follow those same steps on your own.

You will discover:

• The hidden dangers of the “comfort zone.”
• That it’s not really a lack of confidence that is holding you back.
• How you can feel more confident when you can’t see any reason why you should.
• The two most powerful words for building your confidence.

Are you feeling more confident already?

There’s no need to worry. I’m right beside you. Let’s do this!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: 

• Related blog post from the archives: Permission to Play
• Back To School Night virtual event
• Harpmastery.com

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Some composers change music forever, Claude Debussy was one of those. Debussy is generally credited with the rise of the Impressionist movement in music. The Impressionists focused on the mood and atmosphere of music, conveying it through tone color and flow, rather than sharp musical detail.

The paradox of this music is that, although it often seems outside of time even without a tempo or pulse, the very formlessness of it is written into the music. Following Debussy’s printed directions is often the easiest way to get the expression you want. You can and should approach this music in the same way you would begin a Bach or Mozart piece - but you need a little more information first.

On today’s show we will explore three features of Debussy’s Clair de lune. You will discover:

• How Debussy uses them to create the moonlight mood of the piece.
• How they reveal Debussy’s intention for the piece.
• The best practice techniques to employ so that you can make your Clair de lune magical.

Plus, I will share my 2 page practice guide for Clair de lune so you will have all the information at your fingertips when you’re ready. By the way, these tips will work for other similar pieces too.

Join me for this musical moonlight stroll as we delve into some of the secrets of Debussy’s music.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Download my Clair de lune Practice Pointers
• Purchase my Clair de lune arrangement as an instant sheet music download
• Related blog post from the archives: The Debussy Dilemma
• Harpmastery.com

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Musicality is so much more than dynamics. It is truly our own self-expression, our individuality revealed through our music. In our role as interpreters of music written by others, we often limit ourselves to following the indications the composer has written on the page. But with so many more tools and options for bringing creativity to our music, why should we stop at dynamics? In this episode, I will reveal three ways in which you can make your music - any piece of music - more musically expressive. You will discover:

• Why you need to focus on “dimensions” instead of “dynamics.”
• How to practice playing more expressively whether you’re an expert or a beginner.
• How adding more expression to your music may be the key to solving some of those trouble spots in a piece.

Plus, I think you’ll learn how to do the most creative and interesting practice you’ve ever done!

• Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:
• The arrangement of the Flower Duet from Lakmé is in the Harp Mastery shop.
• “Your Five Day Plan to Better Musical Awareness” blog post
• The Harpist’s Playbook, with over 75 practice techniques, including an entire arsenal of ways to practice expression.
• Harpmastery.com

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Placing is the first thing we learn when we start playing the harp. After our first glissando, after we find middle C, our first discovery is that we must suspend our hands in mid-air and that placing is how we stay physically connected to our instrument. But placing brings its own set of challenges. Are you a “Last Minute Letty,” getting on the right strings at the last second?
Maybe you are a “Not Ready Yet Nellie,” and you make the music wait while you find the right strings.
Or maybe you are a “Fumbling Freddy,” struggling to make your placing clean and correct.

The tips I share In this podcast episode will help you fix your placing issues and learn to help your fingers find the right strings, on time, every time.

You’ll discover:

• The real purpose of placing,
• How to practice proper placing easily,
• The “Rule of Ones,” my golden rule of placing, and
• The magical marking that makes it all work.

Let’s get your fingers on the strings!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• “Flowing Arpeggios Start From a Ripple” blog post.
• Share the podcast on your social media or with a friend.
• Harpmastery.com

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I used to worry about getting the hiccups while playing a concert. Fortunately, those hiccups never happened. But I have had plenty of musical hiccups and maybe you have too. It’s time to make our music flow. Musical flow, or continuity, can be hard to achieve, if you don’t know how. In this episode, I reveal what you must do to create continuity as well as what you must not do. If you have struggled making your music sound seamless, expressive and effortless, this is the podcast episode for you.

You will learn:

• The three “must have” elements of flow.
• Practice tweaks to instantly create more continuity in your playing.
• My four step system that you can use to incorporate more flow from the very first day you start learning a piece.

If you'd like to go a little deeper, my 30 Days to Done course shows you exactly how to use those four steps to take a piece of music from bumpy start to seamless finish, in - you guessed it! - 30 Days. The link to join the course is below.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• 30 Days to Done course
• “The 30,000 Foot View” blog post
• Harpmastery.com

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Music has the power to inspire, to encourage and to unite. No song reveals this more clearly than the one written by a Philadelphia lawyer in 1768. “United we stand,” are words familiar to every American, but few of us know that they first appeared as lyrics of what was perhaps the first song of resistance in the colonists’ uprising against British taxation.

This podcast episode is dedicated to the story behind this song of the American Revolution, once iconic and now much less familiar than its jeering British contemporary tune, “Yankee Doodle.” With words by John Dickinson to a tune borrowed from an English opera, this song became a key player (pun intended) in the American quest for liberty.

No, it wasn’t a harp tune, but I will play it for you anyway and you can download my harp arrangement of it too!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Download “The Liberty Song” sheet music
• Musicians in Uniform blog post
• Subscribe to the podcast
• Harpmastery.com

Thanks for listening!

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Have you ever thought of your music as having colors? Or thought about a color difference between major and minor?
Maybe to you a minor key is just another key.
But to me a minor key is so much more. As a musician, I first learned to listen critically with minor keys. As a teacher, I have seen that minor keys (much more so than major keys) open the door to understanding music theory. And as a harpist, I appreciate minor keys for the creativity they allow me, again more than major keys. And I love the way minor sounds, its tonal color.

Today's episode isn’t just about the facts of minor but also its color - what makes minor sound like minor and what makes it sometimes sound almost like major. Major and minor are more closely related than you might think. But it’s not all rainbow talk today.

You will also learn:

• My 3 number system for making sense of minor key signatures and scales.
• The 5 essential minor keys for harpists to know.
• How studying minor keys can improve your sight reading, your musical hearing, and your improvisation.

Plus, when you listen, you’ll have access to a FREE masterclass and a discount on one of my newest courses.

Join me as I introduce you to the different colors of minor and how they can help you read, hear and play the harp better.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for my Masterclass on June 28th
• Musical Understanding Starts with Key Signatures blog post
• Build, Extend, Advance Technique Challenge
• Harpmastery.com

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Do you have nothing to play except a drawerful of half-baked pieces? You’ve practiced hard to learn your piece. Now what do you do with it, especially if you aren’t planning to perform it? Keep practicing, and if so, for how long? Put it away?

If you’ve ever wondered how to tell if your piece is really done or what to do with it when it is, you are not alone.

Starting a piece is the easy part. Your energy level is high and you’re ready to dig in. Then the going gets tougher as you drill the notes and the fingering. Finally, the piece begins to turn into music. This is when you discover that you have no clue what to do with it now.

On this week’s podcast episode, I reveal not only how to decide when your piece is finished, but also the four “finish line” options which allow you to polish your piece for performance, or put it away with pride and a couple of things in between.

Having a clear plan for your piece is key to your feeling of progress and accomplishment, and when you listen to this episode, you’ll learn:

• The three stages of learning and how to get through all three.
• Why finishing a piece is a personal decision.
• The four “finish line options” and how to implement each one.
• What you can do today to find the finish line for one of your pieces.

Plus, at the end of the show I’ll tell you about a free masterclass I’m giving to help you free up some valuable practice time so you can get those pieces done!

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for my Masterclass on June 28th
• Perfection or Performance: It’s Your Choice blog post
• Kaleidoscope Practice ebook
• Harpmastery.com

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Fast flashy scales and graceful arpeggios are one sign of a strong harp technique, but they aren’t the only indication.

In fact, even if you never expect to play fast music or super-difficult music, you need a strong technique.

Technique isn’t just for speed. For instance if you struggle to make your music flow smoothly or be more expressive, these could be signs that you need some technique work.

In this week’s episode, I reveal the 3 most important reasons - not including speed and security - you need a stronger technique and how to begin developing it without hours of drudgery.

Even if you’ve never been a fan of exercises and etudes, when you listen to this episode, you’ll discover:

• How your musical expression depends on your technical level.
• The skill you need to strengthen to create more flow in your music.
• How to prepare your fingers for that next piece you want to learn.

Plus, when you listen, you’ll have access to a FREE masterclass where I show you how to develop your technique in just 10 minutes a day. Crazy, right? Nope. It's just a little clever.

Listen to this episode as I show you the hidden costs of a shaky technique.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Register for my Masterclass on June 28th
• Three Little Things that Add Up to Big Changes blog post
• Harpmastery.com

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What’s the one piece any harpist could name after just the first two chords? It’s the Pachelbel Canon of course. Whether you’ve played it a thousand times or have yet to learn it, the Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel has become standard repertoire for harpists. The piece has embedded itself in our musical culture so deeply that it is on every gigging harpist’s most requested list and a favorite with any audience.

But it isn’t all that easy to play, unless you know the shortcuts.

In this episode I explain some of the musical elements of the Canon with the idea that the more you understand about this piece, or any piece, the easier it is to learn it quickly and to play it well.

Plus, I share some of my favorite Pachelbel practice techniques with you, ones that can save you a lot of practice time and frustration, even if you’ve played the piece before. You’ll discover:

• Why your harp version isn’t really a “canon.”
• The unique features of the melody and harmony and how to play them musically.
• Why that C natural isn’t a misprint.
• My practice guide so you can create your own foolproof version of the Canon.

Join me as we explore some of the inner workings of this interesting piece and some very practical playing pointers too.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Reflections on the Canon blog post
• Harpmastery.com podcast page for subscribing and sharing

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Every harpist wants to play well for her teacher. Somehow, though, we always find ourselves explaining that we played so much better at home.

I know; I’ve been there too. But over my years of teaching I have gathered some insights from the other side - the teacher side - that will help you understand what your lesson really should be about, the right way to prepare, and how to save  yourself from “lesson meltdown.”

On this week’s podcast episode, I not only reveal what your teacher really expects of you, but I also give you my top strategies for:

• Staying focused not frazzled.
• Creating the “inspiration mindset.”
• Understanding what and how to practice when you get home.

Plus, when you listen, you’ll learn about a new course to help you strengthen your technique so those finger fumbles won’t get in your way.

Join me as I walk you through the strategies you need to make every lesson a great lesson. 

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: 

• • Build Extend Advance Technique Challenge
  • Related blog post: How to Make Every Lesson Count
  • HarpMastery.com

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We harpists all have our own practice style. You might not have thought about it until you discovered some of your harp friends have very different ways of practicing. Maybe this made you wonder if you’re practicing the right way or doing it all wrong.

In today’s episode, I review the first 2 practice styles - maybe one of those is yours! - and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about practice style 3 - The Beagle - the strengths, the challenges and if you’re a Beagle, you’ll learn how you can use your Beagle superpowers to make consistent progress in your harp playing.

I know it sounds a little goofy, but bear with me. This is important because when you understand your own preferred style of practice, you can practice more effectively which will save you time and help you get your pieces finished faster. And that’s a HUGE win.

And at the end of the show I will give you a point-by-point comparison of all three practice styles. Don’t worry - all three are good, there are no bad dogs here!

Harp Mastery® News :

But first I wanted to give you a special invitation. If you’re listening to this around the time this episode is published which is May of 2021, I want to invite you to a brand-new Harp Mastery® challenge. Everyone loves a challenge and I’m excited about this one. It’s called Build, Extend, Advance and it’s the technique course you wish you had when you started the harp. It’s actually a technique course that I have designed as a 21-day challenge. You see, while technique maintenance is something we harpists always need to do, from time to time we need to go deeper, back to the critical building blocks of harp technique and then to intentionally extend those concepts and finally to advance our skills. All it takes is a relatively short period of time and the right focus.

This challenge is like a spa vacation for your technique. With just 15 short, easy-to-follow lessons and 4 LIVE virtual seminars, you can refresh and rejuvenate your technique (or build it from scratch, if that’s where you are!) as well as advance to the next level or beyond. And we are doing this challenge together starting June 1st.

All you need to do is to look at the show notes for this episode and head over to Harp Mastery® to sign up and join us. All of the members in my online community My Harp Mastery will be participating so it’s going to be really fun.

And now it’s time to talk practice styles.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

• Build, Extend, Advance: The Technique Course You SHOULD Have Had Years Ago
• Blog on the first two practice styles