Monica Schley - Events Harpist, Wedding Harpist, Funeral Harpist

“Harp Carols” CD Available Now

Posted on November 4, 2014December 8, 2015

Last year, I released a full-length album “Harp Carols” for the Christmas season. This is an album dedicated to my mother Nancy, who had been asking for something like this from me for over a decade – what a wait!

I’ll be performing the album songs live in December (more on that coming up). CDs will be available at a number of gift shops during the Holiday Season, but if you just can’t wait…

You can download “Harp Carols” here for $7 or purchase the disc for $10 on Bandcamp.

“Harp Carols” is a collection of ancient noels on solo harp and features clarinetist Rosalyn DeRoos on the last song. All songs are traditional Christmas carols except track 7, an improvisation on Gabriel Faure’s “Pavane,” and track 10, “Journey to the Magi,” an original tune a la Alice Coltrane with influence by the T.S. Eliot poem. “Harp Carols” celebrates Europe’s music of 15th Century – 19th Century holiday season and will transport you to a place of Old World calm during this winter’s busiest month.

In Studio Summer, A Photo Album

Posted on September 25, 2014

I’m thrilled about this summer – one of the most gorgeous I recall in Seattle. Now that it’s over, I’m looking back at the studio work I did.

Earlier in the summer, I recorded for Ahamefule Oluo’s “Now I’m Fine” comedic/musical/monologue show (which is coming up in December at On The Boards) over at Sam Anderson’s studio (of Hey Marsailles) as well as a recent exciting invitation to lay down harp tracks for the next Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis album!

I’ve also been in the studio recording for my own album of original songs, practicing with a bunch with lovely women with gorgeous harmonies (with my little girl running around between us). Its been a pretty amazing time.

Here’s a photo album.

In-Studio Selfie at Macklemore & Ryan Lewis'

Therapeutic Bedside Harp

Posted on August 4, 2014August 4, 2014

This week I started playing harp at Highline Hospital in Burien. There, I play music at the bedside of patients on the surgery unit, either in pre- or post- operation.

My official volunteer badge - I jumped through a lot of hoops to get this!

Therapeutic beside music is live acoustic music, played or sung, specifically tailored to the patient’s immediate need, based on the science of sound. It is not entertainment, like music found in the lobby of an institution. It’s purpose is to aid in the healing process for the ill, and help relax their visitors, doctors and hospital staff. First and foremost, therapeutic musicians focus on the patient’s responses to the music, and can change tempo, song, musical mode, style, etc. in the moment. Therapeutic musicians have also studied what style or mode of music is appropriate for the condition that the patient is in. All therapeutic music is played between 60-80 beats per minute, which is the same as the human heart rate.

I am a clinical music intern in the Harp for Healing program, just finishing my last internship requirement. Then I’ll be a Certified Clinical Musician, so I’ll get have some credibility and a title! Monica Schley, CCM.

Previously, I’ve interned at Northwest Kidney Center (a long-time client of mine for their memorial services) and a Seattle hospice care unit. I have found that with each visit I make a friend or two who wants me to return to them regularly.

What does therapeutic music sound like? This.

Me and my other little girl, ready to leave for my first hospital visit.

“In the Shadows (of Enchantment)” on Ball of Wax Quarterly

Posted on June 8, 2014November 20, 2015

Julie Baldridge and I recorded a handful of song last spring on my birthday this year. She’s a violinist friend I’ve been playing with for a decade, but she recently moved to San Francisco. We hadn’t played together for quite a while, but all in a short span of time, she was in town, we made plans to play, and on that day I said, “Hey, would you like to record this?”

Most of what we came up with was improvised, like this song – “For Elsie”

We also recorded a song I had previously written, “In the Shadows (of Enchantment)”. I was so pleased. Julie followed the harp so well, but of course she would – just moments before I pressed record she said to me, “half of music is listening.”

You can now hear “In the Shadows (of Enchantment)” on Ball of Wax Quarterly. It appears on BoW 36 and it also got a little review here.

I’m also playing on July 19 for the Ball of Wax Children’s Concert at Fremont Abbey at noon. It should be a hoot.

A Month In Reverse

Posted on May 28, 2014August 4, 2014

What have I been doing this past month? A month in the life of this mama musician looks something like this:

Wednesday – Bought a violin bow. It was a hot day. Zephyr didn’t want to go to the music store, but then I couldn’t get her to leave. Afterward we visited the library.
Tuesday – Biked across the University Bridge and got stuck when it was up. Watched tug boats, sky and water ripple while I waited. Later on, I worked on a new song about polar ice melt.
Monday – Only one student to teach today. She wanted to work on “Jingle Bells” again, even though its the end of the school year.
Sunday – Played the second annual harp/piano duet concert with Josh for Mother’s Day… “Georgia On My Mind” and “Love Theme from Spartacus”… Four hours went quickly by…
Saturday – Afternoon photoshoot at a bar with tons of make-up and big hair. Colors were purple and gold. I wore a gown and the men wore three piece suits, except for Soulchile who looked like an Egyptian pharoah sprayed with gold.

Photo of the year (in my opinion!) for Aham Oluo's "Now I'm Fine" (L. to R. - Monica Schley, Evan Flory-Barnes, Bryant Moore, Ahamefule J. Oluo, Soulchilde Bluesun)

Friday – Visited a friend for astrological assistance with clairvoyant tips: Words are not my strong suit right now. I should focus on non-verbal communication like playing music. Fair enough.
Thursday – Motherhood at the beach. We had a picnic of hummus and bread, berries and juice. Tide was low and we collected stones and shells but threw them all back in the Sound.
Wednesday – Heard an inspiring concert at The Chapel Performance Space. The moon was full of springtime blossoms.
Tuesday – Invoiced clients and did paperwork.
Monday – Learned the difference between a contract and an invoice.
Sunday – Went on a date downtown with my hubby to hear friends play a jazz concert. The Teaching was our wedding band.
Saturday – Happy Anniversary to us! Its the year of iron. We bought a new car!

Friday – Purchased new sheet music, “Mad World” for an upcoming harp/cello wedding.
Thursday – Recording session on a warm day and stayed remarkably in tune most of the time. Earlier in the day, my family and I attended a school picnic to celebrate May Day.
Wednesday – Edited soundfiles from a live concert last winter and uploaded them to Soundcloud.

Tuesday – Rehearsal in the living room with Anne, learning new songs and harmonies.
Monday – Day job at the office. Taught students. Ate vegetarian meatballs.
Sunday – Told Zephyr a “story from my head” about a lost dragon who gets stuck in a cave at high tide. A boy passing in a boat hears the dragon crying and they make friends. In the morning, they make a passage when the water is low.
Saturday – Played a Catholic funeral mass.
Friday – Played a Chinese Buddhist gravesite funeral, then played a gay wedding in a conservatory with the mayor officiating.

Thursday – Negotiated contracts and updated my website.
Wednesday – Sent paperwork to hospital for therapeutic bedside music.
Tuesday – Had the landlords over for Mediterannean dinner and guilt-free fruit dessert for our lease renewal.
Monday – Woke early and journaled. Went to an African dance class and rehearsed harp/cello duets with Maria.
Sunday – Took the ferry over to Bainbridge for a healing harps summit and had a glorious time eating and playing music all day. In the evening: rested.