Harp Blog
Mermaid Parade Photos
Admittedly, I’m not the greatest at capturing the moment while out gigging. I could do better at photo cataloguing, because I always feel like I’m so lucky to play the most interesting variety of shows, performances, and private concerts! But, sometimes just showing up with a big instrument and a bunch of gear to do my job is work enough. And sometimes I luck out and a professional photographer (or two) comes to save the day! Yay.
May was a highlight month for a variety of performances. The West Seattle Mermaid Parade was a hoot. I was asked by Leslie Rosen, leader of Sirens of Serpentine, to lead a troupe of belly dancers in song for a public performance. She gave me less than 7 minutes of Persian beats. My assignment was to loop it, add harp tracks and make it last for 30minutes. I worked on a pre-recording w/my fully-chromatic harp, but didn’t want to bring that nice big one to the beach. So, I played it on my little 22-string lap harp that has limited (chromatic) capabilities, only it sounded full range – pretty sneaky, eh?
The event was super playful and drew a big crowd. Everyone in attendance was encouraged to dress like a mermaid. The event was held on a beautiful late spring day on Alki Beach overlooking Elliott Bay. After the dance, the entire crowd (about 100+ people) walked in a parade. It was a cinematic morning, as you can see. Plus, this event was just old-fashioned fun for the sake of fun. No agenda. Just fun. What a concept!
Certification Complete!
Three years in the making, and I am now officially a Certified Therapeutic Musician!
Therapeutic music is live music played at the bedside, where the musician responds to immediate needs of the patient. Vibrations of harp stings applied therapeutically can relieve pain, release anxiety, diminish nausea, stabilize heart rate and body rhythms as well as improve sleep and calm the environment.
Through my training I have played over 45 hours of music at the bedside for 200+ patients. I have played at an outpatient dialysis clinic; a general hospital (for pre- and post- operations and in ICU (intensive care unit); skilled nursing facilities; and for hospice.
HUGE Thanks!
First and foremost – thank you dear husband and daughter, you have been with me on this journey all the way… Many hours I have been absent from home to make this certification happen and I know its wasn’t easy to have me gone at suppertime and sometimes bedtime – I love you.
Many thanks to my parents Otto & Nancy, for lending me the money for Level 2 – you have given me the greatest amount of musical support in my life – I love you both so much.
To my awesome mentor Edie Enns (Bremerton, WA) for your unwaivering cheerfulness, career insight and faith in me. Thank you Dee Sweeney (Littleton, CO), program director, for your hard work of managing everything!
Essential Thank you to my internship venues and my patrons of support: NW Kidney Center (Annette Gildeman); Columbia Lutheran Home (Chris Galvin); and Highline Hospital (Kimberly Couret). Without your approval of having me play for your patients/residents, I would have never been able to complete my intern hours.
Thanks Laurie Riley, for starting this program in the first place! Like you, I believe so much in the healing power of music – I would have never guessed that meeting you at Vashon Island Harp Camp 5 years ago would have started all this! – thank you Leslie McMichael for inviting me out. Susan McLain, thank you for the use of “little sister” as I like to call her. Judy Friesem, thank you for letting me talk your ear off. Thanks to my colleagues down at the Musicians’ Union who have been so flexible and supportive of me over the years without really knowing it! – Motter Snell, Warren Johnson, Kirsten James, Nate Omdal, Joan Sandler, Paul Bigman… you stand up for what is just and fair in the world and you’re awesome.
To see a project like this from its start to finish has been more deeply rewarding than I could have imagined. I see this chapter in my life playing therapeutic bedside music as being another tool in my “musical toolkit” – I marvel at the places it has already taken me and I look very forward to the future.
National Poetry Month
It’s here! April is the month of spring, and as the poet e.e. cummings wrote, “the season dreams dare to do people, and not the other way around.”
Please follow me on my Facebook page for my daily poetry quips this month of April, aka National Poetry Month! I’ll also be doing a poetry book give away, so keep your eyes peeled for more on that.
Quietly, Behind the Scenes
For four years, I’ve been saying this – “I’m working quietly behind the scenes.”
This was code for: 1) steadily increasing work and 2) hashing out a business plan.
However, because it was behind the scenes work, I couldn’t tell people exactly what that meant, partially because my domestic commitments were taken over with a new baby in 2010; and as a result of that, I had reduced work time. Its hard to work (ie. move your harp out in the work and play music for people) when your instrument, your personal body, your baby (and sometimes your husband who watches that child) don’t actually all fit in the same car.
So, we got a new car last year.
Behind the scenes also meant writing new music, doing a Christmas album recording, writing blogs like this and working a day job – all things that either didn’t require me to leave the house or schlepp a bunch of bags, stands, instruments, etc.
As my child has grown, my time to work has expanded. I am completing my program to become a Certified Clinical Musician. I have finished writing a dozen songs and found a group of musicians to play it; I have been hired by The Sorrento Hotel for a regular monthly night; I’ve been expanding my harp studio of adult and youth students – beginners to intermediate players. Very soon, I plan to go into the recording studio with my original music.
The curtain has opened. No longer am I working quietly behind the scenes. Rather, I would say its the start of a new show for me. Something I’ve set the stage for and rehearsed a bit, but something too I think will bring me surprises, rewards and joy.
