On Monday I had my first harp lesson in almost three years. It was thrilling. I am still excited.
I found out that the harp camp I went to last year at University of Redlands is on again this summer. I can't go to camp again without having some lessons! Last summer I met a harp teacher who said I could come for lessons twice a month, but this year has been so busy, with Miriam adjusting to kindergarten, that I felt like I couldn't do it. It's an hour drive each way. But now I decided I better spring into action. So I emailed the teacher and she said I could start up this week, and I went on Monday.
The night before, I was silent. Chuck said, "Why are you comatose?" I said it was because I was tired, and nervous about my lesson. He said, "Well, just remember, no excuses, no apologies, that's what you always say." Ha! I was already planning some excuses and apologies in my head. So I had to agree with him.
No excuses, no apologies!
My teacher told me to bring everything I had, so I brought a pile of music and we looked at it and decided what to start on. I was so glad to have some direction, and some assignments and work to do. Chuck texted me right as I got to her house. "Remember you are very good." How lucky I am to have him!
Here is some of the stuff she told me.
First song, "Dreams." Play softer! This is not a nightmare, it's a dream! Play the glissandos softer on the right hand so you can hear the harmonics on the left. It's almost too fast. It should be dreamlike.
"Two Guitars." This is a good song for people who read novels (like me). Think of gypsies gathering around a campfire. At the end, they are leaping and dancing around the fire. Play the end fast, like a bat out of hell.
Scales: Look at the chords at the end of each scale. I was having trouble playing them. She said, what's the same about each chord? The top note stays the same, only moves once. Once I saw that the pattern was easy.
"Le Bon Petit Roi D'Yvetot:" She reminded me to play the piece as slow as the part I'm having trouble with, not start out fast and hit a brick wall and slow down. Many of the directions are in French. M.G. means left hand, M.D. means right hand. Rall. means rallantando, which I thought was like rallying, so I was speeding up and getting louder, and it means to slow down. She said all the words that start with R mean to slow down, like Ritardando. She reminded me this is a French children's tune, like Ring Around the Rosy, and at the end to picture the kids dancing, dancing, and all falling down. Play the end as fast as possible, without losing control, like a bat out of hell.
That is so great, I like saying that, like a bat out of hell. It makes me feel powerful. The harp is powerful. Towards the end she said, "Are you happy?" Oh yeah. I am.
I found out that the harp camp I went to last year at University of Redlands is on again this summer. I can't go to camp again without having some lessons! Last summer I met a harp teacher who said I could come for lessons twice a month, but this year has been so busy, with Miriam adjusting to kindergarten, that I felt like I couldn't do it. It's an hour drive each way. But now I decided I better spring into action. So I emailed the teacher and she said I could start up this week, and I went on Monday.
The night before, I was silent. Chuck said, "Why are you comatose?" I said it was because I was tired, and nervous about my lesson. He said, "Well, just remember, no excuses, no apologies, that's what you always say." Ha! I was already planning some excuses and apologies in my head. So I had to agree with him.
No excuses, no apologies!
My teacher told me to bring everything I had, so I brought a pile of music and we looked at it and decided what to start on. I was so glad to have some direction, and some assignments and work to do. Chuck texted me right as I got to her house. "Remember you are very good." How lucky I am to have him!
Here is some of the stuff she told me.
First song, "Dreams." Play softer! This is not a nightmare, it's a dream! Play the glissandos softer on the right hand so you can hear the harmonics on the left. It's almost too fast. It should be dreamlike.
"Two Guitars." This is a good song for people who read novels (like me). Think of gypsies gathering around a campfire. At the end, they are leaping and dancing around the fire. Play the end fast, like a bat out of hell.
Scales: Look at the chords at the end of each scale. I was having trouble playing them. She said, what's the same about each chord? The top note stays the same, only moves once. Once I saw that the pattern was easy.
"Le Bon Petit Roi D'Yvetot:" She reminded me to play the piece as slow as the part I'm having trouble with, not start out fast and hit a brick wall and slow down. Many of the directions are in French. M.G. means left hand, M.D. means right hand. Rall. means rallantando, which I thought was like rallying, so I was speeding up and getting louder, and it means to slow down. She said all the words that start with R mean to slow down, like Ritardando. She reminded me this is a French children's tune, like Ring Around the Rosy, and at the end to picture the kids dancing, dancing, and all falling down. Play the end as fast as possible, without losing control, like a bat out of hell.
That is so great, I like saying that, like a bat out of hell. It makes me feel powerful. The harp is powerful. Towards the end she said, "Are you happy?" Oh yeah. I am.
