Practicing Harp Happiness

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 [email protected] 

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-087

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 [email protected] 

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-086

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 [email protected] 

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-085

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 [email protected]

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-084

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 [email protected]

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-083

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 [email protected]

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-082

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 [email protected] 

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-081

“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 [email protected]

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-080

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 [email protected]

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-079

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 [email protected]

LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-078