This is not a "Harp story", but something I wanted to share anyway.

It is from an American Federation of Musicians, Local 802 monthly newsletter.

"Nat King Cole was an enormously popular crooner, earning $4,500 a week in Las Vegas in 1956. He headlined at the whites-only Thunderbird Hotel, where he wasn’t allowed to venture beyond the showroom and the cook’s resting area behind the kitchen. Cole’s road manager was given a room in the hotel because he was white, but the high-paid feature attraction had to find other accommodations. He regularly stayed in a rooming house on the West Side.

Frank Sinatra was a great fan of Cole’s. While performing at the Sands, Sinatra noticed that Cole almost always ate his dinner alone in his dressing room. Sinatra asked his valet, a black man named George, to find out why. George explained the facts to Frank. “Coloreds aren’t allowed in the dining room at the Sands.”

Sinatra was enraged. He told the maitre d’ and the waitresses that if it ever happened again, he’d see that everyone was fired.

The next night, Sinatra invited Cole to dinner, making his guest the first black man to sit down and eat in the the Garden Room at the Sands."

 I had a most lovely time visiting with my friend, Michael Vanderpool in this video podcast. We talked about harps, education, internships..just about anything you can think of!

Please enjoy, here is the link:

https://youtu.be/p2IE3Q9pFQ8?si=W3U_4P7XXjoORTss

 

Alice Coltrane

Have you ever heard about a jazz harpist whose name was Alice Coltrane (1937-2007)? Yes, she was married to the famous saxophone player, John Coltrane.

A story was recently shared by the American Federation of Musicans, Local 802 (New  York City) about her and about an album which is being released.

I thought you might like to read the story, A Tribute to Alice Coltrane:

 https://www.local802afm.org/allegro/articles/alice-coltrane/ 

Here is a link to a sample tune of her playing the harp. Enjoy!

https://alicecoltrane.lnk.to/LiveAtCarnegieHallID

 The #1 Reason to Pick Up an Instrument After 50

So, are you thinking about starting harp lessons (or some sort of music lessons), and you are over 50?

Here is a great article from AARP about the benefits of exploring a musical instrument after age 50. 

I think the reasons are good anytime, but wanted to share this article with you!

Just click here:

The #1 Reason to Pick Up an Instrument After 50

TAPESTRY duo is honored to have our music as part of a recent play list for Valerie Green’s radio show, Harpestry (Thank you, Valerie!). Valerie offers a tribute to our friend, the late Al Petteway, on her October 9, 2023 show, making it even more special.

Here is the link, give it a listen:   Harpestry Radio Show!

Cass Tech Harp Program

My talented friend, Lydia Cleaver, leads the nearly 100 year old harp program at Cass Tech in Detroit.

This lovely article was published by the Detroit Free Press on April 14, 2023.  Enjoy!

(Photo by Eric Seals, Detroit Free Press)

Click here to read the story:

Detroit Free Press: Cass Tech Harp Program

Carpe Diem !

I am sure you have heard the term                                                      'Sieze the Day' also known as 'Carpe Diem'.

But have you thought about expanding on this concept?

Please enjoy this TED talk, given by Phil Hansen, an artist who learned to Embrace the Shake.

https://youtu.be/YrZTho_o_is

 Greetings from Northwest Ohio. You are likely familiar with harpist and author, Diane Michaels. Diane wrote the wonderful 3 book series about a working harpist named Ellen. “Ellen the Harpist” - “Ellen at Sea” and “Ellen the Bride”.

But did you know that Diane continues to write delightful stories about families, people, friends and a little romance too?  She called it “Chick lit”.  Her latest, “Splitting Heirs” was just released.

You can fine Diane’s delightful books here: www.DianeMichaelsBooksandHarp.com

We think about and create goals on a regular basis, right?

Well, The Pixel Park, a company in Columbus, Ohio which "specializes in creative design + motion" just posted this great blog about Creative Goal Setting and I wanted to share it with you.

Here is the link:

Creative Goal Setting

 How about a wonderful tour of the Lyon-Healy Factory?

Just head over to this link! 

https://youtu.be/k7FeC-cU4g0

 

Recently, a student of mine was looking for a tuning app for her phone. She discovered “Pano Tuner”. 

I must tell you, this tuning app works quite well. What a great ‘back up’ in case you cannot find your tuner or the battery has gone dead!

There is a free version as well as a paid version.

I really recommend it!

 The Harp Gathering is excited about our YouTube Channel.

We have gathered over 500 subscribers!

If you have not been there already, take a look and subscribe. More workshops and mini concerts coming soon!

YouTube.com/c/HarpGatheringHarpFestival

 1/10/2021

I ran across “Ellie and the Harp Maker” quite by accident. I was browsing through a book catalogue and spotted it on the page. I read the description, and ordered a copy right away. I even corresponded with Hazel the Harpist, who was delighted that I had discovered her book.

Imagine being a housewife in Exmoor, UK and discovering, as if by magic, a harp barn! The inside is filled with dozens of harps, beautiful harps and a harp maker named Dan. What a perfect discovery, especially since you have always wanted to play the harp!

Ellie’s life was never the same after this. She learned to play and became friends with Dan. I do not want to give too much away, but the story includes a pet pheasant; Ellie’s husband, Clive; her sister; her best friend; adventures in travel. The list goes on. 

You can get the book in paperback, audio or for your Kindle at Amazon.com. 

Trust me, you will love it!

Happy New Year, 2021. 

I thought we would start out the year with a couple of basic tuning tips. One tuning challenge I see in my students is that they never seem to know if the string they are tuning has reached its desired pitch.

So, your first basic tuning tip: Continue to pluck the string you are tuning as you are turning the tuning pin. You can watch the screen on your tuner at the same time and, bingo! You will know when the string is ready to go.

Your second tip is useful when you need to quickly tune a string by ear. Comparing to the octave below or above the string you are tuning is a good technique for this. Always play the in-tune string first, followed by the string you are tuning. Continue to play the in-tune string while you are tuning and the sound of the in-tune string will stay in your ear.  

Give these techniques a try and let me know about your success!

Animals are Better than People

So, my husband Michael and his partner, Rick Luettke, have been hard at work with a wonderful short documentary. 

I wanted to share the link with you for your enjoyment.

https://youtu.be/-aeO78jImsQ

Earlier in the Summer, CHICAGO Magazine published a story about Lyon-Healy Harps. Included with the story is a little video tour of the Lyon-Healy Factory. I thought you might enjoy reading the story and watching the video, so here is the link! Enjoy!

The Chicago Harp that Rules the World

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2019/The-Chicago-Harp-That-Rules-the-World/

Good Morning from Northwest Ohio!

Before I start my day, I wanted to share something with you. Recently, I ran across this fun “My Creative Type” quiz by Adobe Create. It is really fun to participate and you will learn some fun things about yourself. Here is the link, enjoy!

https://mycreativetype.com/share/adventurer/

   So, last evening I played with the Macomb (Ohio) High School Band. The piece was Nocturne for Harp and Wind Ensemble by Clare Grundman. The band was up to the challenge and I really enjoyed working with them.

    This piece is totally play-able on lever harp!  My Lewis Creek HG-38 Pheonix was up to the challenge.  I did have to tune the harp to the key of Ab, but “Percy” quickly adapted.

  In my quest to use my lever harps, this experience was one for the books!  Keep it up, lever harp players!

P.S. We look forward to seeing you at The Harp Gathering!
www.HarpGathering.com

Good Evening from chilly Toledo, Ohio.
Currently, I'm working on entering a new composition into FINALE. Stay tuned for more news about that!  In the meantime, I must say that I am excited about Harp Gathering, 2018. .be sure to wander to www.harpgathering.com to stay tuned for the latest news...

I thought you might enjoy this photo of the harp ensemble from a past year.

There's Frank Voltz, conducting!

The Time You Have In Jelly Beans

Good Morning!


Today, a colleague of mine introduced me to this little You Tube video.


I thought it was an interesting perspective about time management and wanted to share.

Let me know your thoughts and have a Jelly Bean type of day!