Why do you play the harp?

  I  returned home from the 2009 Harper’s Escape on Sunday.  The tunes are still running thru my head, awake and asleep.  I am filled with joy and gladness that so much joy and gladness can be shared with harps.  Yes? 

40 of us gathered strong under  gloomy, doomy October skies to learn a few tunes, in community with each other.  Angels as well as devils showed up. Spiritual energy/vibration allowed it to be all okay, just as it is.

Om shanti. Peace to all.

On Sunday, we performed as a sort of harp orchestra at the local public library.  We were quite the hit; a waiting line stood patiently outside the room for the entire performance hoping for a seat to open up.  

I was relatively pleased and content with my own ‘performance’, noticing with every breath how the inner critic is still alive and well! 

But, once again I was amazed and awed by the sheer diversity of our group.  The harp is what brought us together and held us in-common.  Regardless of color, creed, culture, or zodiac sign, we worked together for an entire weekend to create a concert for the public.  Peace is always possible.

Astrologically speaking it was a weekend of Neptune/Chiron/Jupiter & Moon energies.  Sweet, serious, and silly all together with lots of food, drink, and water…….it rained a lot.  The balsamic phase of the moon was occuring in Late degrees of Libra.  Read more about balsamic, it’s very important to understand our human need for deep rest.

 

Gotta go practice……I’m haunted by the Harris Dance.

Coming Out

I checked in with the Acoustic Musician’s Guild last night. It was a wonderful jam of many guitars, one flute, a drum & some jingles. Mostly we played country/folk……one of my most favorite genre’s. However, there were some Beatles tunes, original songs, and of course a couple of Celtic tunes to liven up the evening.

A Good Time was had by All.

Support your local Musicians.

Bards & Bodies….vibration in action.

I visited Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland a few years back and had what I consider an amazing experience there.

I was standing on steps, waiting with many other people to be allowed admittance into this magnificent space.

I arrived at this moment feeling pretty calm & healthy despite the joyful vibrations of extreme anticipation. Libraries are special places for me and I was about to enter the oldest library I had ever visited.

Suddenly, my heart starting beating twice as fast. My palms became sweaty. My face flushed into a raging shade of red. It was hard to breathe.

I became frightened and witnessed the negativity of those first thoughts. Am I ill? What is wrong with me?

I frantically began to retrace (in my mind) what I had to eat, the level of physical exertion I had been expending, etc., etc., coming to the conclusion that I was still healthy. This was ’something else’.

I watched my mind decide to view the physical symptoms as evidence of karma at work.  No one was around who would challenge my viewpoint, for a change, so I  began to just take some long deep breaths to calm down this body .

Finally, I was allowed into The Room which immediately took even more breath away………..but, at the same time I became infused with a fiery impulse to investigate What Was In There For Me. I gave my feet complete permission to lead me around and within one minute of this absent-minded ‘absorption trip’ I came across this harp in a secured glass case perched on a large pedestal. As I stood there and gazed at this harp my body started calming down to a more relaxed state. My breath returned. It felt as if I had just returned …………………………………. home.

The body is a powerful antenna that picks up signals from a multitude of sources both internal & external. How we interpret these signals has everything to do with how our emotional minds process incoming information. Also, many of us have put ourselves in a position where we have relied on others (family, friends, our culture,) to define us to ourselves thereby weakening our inherent ability to discern reality clearly. Labels become words, and words can be limiting and hurtful. “You’re sick”. “You’re crazy”. “You’re paranoid”.

The information on the harp in the glass case describes it as “the oldest surviving Irish harp”, erroneously associated with Brian Boru, a high King of Ireland who died in 1014.

Before leaving for Ireland I had been practicing Brian Boru’s March. It was the very first tune I learned on my new harp.

Listen Here:

Rule #1 for Performance………

1. Never try something you haven’t practiced when in front of an audience.

We had our harp gig last night. Six of us (4 harps, 2 flutes) in a beautiful church by the sea. One of the other harpists suggested we cover the carpet with a white sheet that she brought. It will help us see the strings better. (Seeing your strings when playing the harp can be challenging depending on the floor. Patterned rugs (think: oriental) are the worst.) I really didn’t think it would help, I was comfortable with the blue carpet. However, I went along with the group……something that is quite customary for me.

I couldn’t see my strings! It was sheer luck if I got the right note! Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. All that practice………………….oh woe.

Most harpers (harpists…I still don’t know the difference) position their hands so that their fingers find the strings by feel. I can do that too. But not for the tunes we were playing last night. I was carrying the bass lines of the music which required left-hand arpeggio’s and my eyes! Oh well.

They say we learn best by our mistakes.

Once again, I’ve learned to say, “No, thanks”…….no white sheet for me.

Best Day, Ever…..so far

Wow.

After all that technological turmoil traveling thru my airways,

today is the best day ever according to my Blog Stat’s and it’s not even 9:30am EST.

I’m glad it’s a balsamic moon…………….

no need to do any kind of follow-thru to that piece of information………yet.

Let’s Celebrate……………..

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Festivals!

I even love the word…..festival. There’s so much potential for fun, laughter, hugs, smiles & generally good vibrations. It’s gonna be a great day!