Category: Public Performance

One Summer’s Day As a Harpist

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This is one summer’s day as a harpist. I couldn’t ask for more perfection weather-wise. Blue on blue. Gentle waves and breeze. Seventy degrees. My ferry docks and so begins my work day.

The Arrival

Today’s wedding is in Issaquah at a mansion/estate/farm on a once mellow country road. Now, there are paragliders floating down the blue mountain foothills in the distance. Next to that, is a park and ride, full of RVs and cars, from tourists, commuters, and some probably camping out. The traffic is a non-stop flow of suburban stop and go.

On the drive there, I think to write a theme in B, calling it “Blue Cascade.” But I am looking for my exit, not a melody. Perhaps this will make a nice assignment for myself later.

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Weather Report on Orange on the Radio

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I had the wonderful opportunity to read my poem, Weather Report on Orange, on the radio thanks to Vashon Island Poet Laureate Margaret Roncone. “Return to Light” features 10 island poets and will be broadcast at 12 o’clock noon on the Winter Solstice, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. I am grateful to Margaret, the other poets, and show host, Susan McCabe for this fun opportunity!

The winter solstice is a time for reflection and appreciation of the season, so give yourself a moment of quiet joy during this busy time and tune into KVSH. You can find it online at Voice of Vashon. The show will be available to listen to on the website for 2 weeks. After that, poof!

If you are reading this post after the timeframe has past, you can still read it here:

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You Need Harp Music for Rituals and Rites of Passage

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We come to rituals to commemorate a moment in time, an event, or a loved one: a birth, love, a death. Often music plays a part in these rituals. Harp music in particular can be a meaningful addition to any ceremony. You need harp music for rituals and rites of passage. My work playing music for several decades at rites of passage and ceremonies of all sorts has given me a unique perspective on the process of ritual.

I have played harp since 1990, and I have been studying music earlier than that. As a young Catholic child, I was introduced to many ceremonies of the church – for holidays, feast days, seasons of the year, and of course, various passages of human life: birth, graduation, marriage, anniversary, and death. Since then, I would guess I’ve played music for nearly 600 weddings, and 500 funerals, memorials, and vigils.

Winter Solstice Ritual

Often, when music is a part of a reverent ceremony, it is a service, rather than entertainment. For instance, when I worked for Providence Hospice as a complementary therapist, I played harp for clients whose life might be on the threshold of death at any minute. There are certain styles and sounds that are most effective at this time. Sometimes my client didn’t have any loved ones present, so the gift of music meant all the more to them.

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What’s in a 2023 Concert Calendar?

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I tell you what: variety is in this end of year concert calendar. As 2023 winds to a close I’ve got a few concerts, each quite different from the other!

First up
Nov 16 – 19
Thin Skin the movie – screening in Seattle, Los Angeles, NYC (Brooklyn)
Once upon a time I was in a band and that led to another band that led to the leader adding a comedic monologue to his body of musical work. That person is Ahamefule Oluo. His Off Broadway play, Now I’m Fine, became fodder for the movie Thin Skin, now showing in three cities! Follow here for more information.

Now I'm Fine

Next is a variety show:
Dec 2
Bouquet Bouquet  – Artist salon night of music, poetry, dance, lecture, and prose
curated by poet Kary Wayson
7pm
Antique Sandwich Shop
5102 N Pearl St. Tacoma, WA

Winter Solstice shopping:
Dec 21
Solo Harp Everett Mall – I will be playing harp next to Santa
1402 SE Everett Mall Way, Everett, WA 98208

Seattle Harpist

How to Pick Out Wedding Ceremony Songs

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I played my first wedding ceremony while I was in high school, for young friends in love who hired me to play Pachelbel’s Canon on harp. It was a traditional church wedding, and since then, I can estimate I’ve played over 500 weddings. It certainly is something I enjoy offering to others and I feel honored to be invited to play music for these ceremonies.

The first thing I always ask my clients when they are choosing wedding music is: what is the general feel of your wedding? A wedding theme can help a bride and groom pick out songs, and it can help me better understand who they are as a couple. Is the ceremony rustic? Is it upscale? Boho? A traditional church ceremony? Is there a cultural theme?

Seattle Harpist
A rustic forest wedding playing duets with Maria Scherer Wilson
(Hood Canal, 2022)

Answers to these questions help narrow in the vibe that the music will create. A rustic farm wedding might call for Americana or Irish folk songs. An upscale downtown hotel might call for classical pieces or jazz. A traditional church wedding will likely involve Bach and pieces you might think of synonymous with weddings (Here Comes the Bride/Bridal March) as well as religious. Finally, a culturally themed wedding will include songs from that nationality or region of the world. For instance, a Chinese wedding might include old world folk songs like Cherry Blossom, with a modern flair like video game songs, or movie theme music. For a traditional Indian wedding, I improvised a lot in Eastern keys.

The next question I ask a couple, and perhaps more obvious, is what kind of music do you like?

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