August 05, 2024

Lessons from a Harp Reunion - PHH 168

32 minutes

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: