On Thumbs and Appreciating 20th Century Music
You don’t appreciate your thumbs until you lose one for awhile.
Isn’t it always like that in life? You’ve got a good thing going – full use of all ten fingers …
Well that was interesting| 2016
2016 brought many opportunities for me.
Challenges and fears accompanied every one of them.
Of course there are always challenges that show up unaccompanied (by opportunity or anything else) as well. Whether …
A peripatetic part-time orchestra harpist
Why peripatetic?
Well because it’s a great word that for me it will forever summon to mind Elizabeth Peters’ thrilling novel set in 1890’s Egypt, “The Crocodile on the Sandbank,” in …
Ravenscroft Musicke Guild
Beginnings
About ten years ago, I sat playing my harp under a tree at the MN Renaissance Festival. My father stood nearby, talking with various passers-by. As I finished up a …
What Does a Freelance Harpist Do All Day? Part 2
The other day started out with a recording session from 9am-1pm. It’s for an upcoming album with my early music ensemble, the Ravenscroft Musicke Guild. Crafting e-mails for the upcoming …
Taxes for the Woefully Self-Employed
I once read the IRS’ summary of taxpayer “Filing Burden.” In it, the IRS helpfully states, “We hear from taxpayers that preparing and filing tax returns are time consuming and …
Harp and Taekwondo | Comparative Essay
Written by special guest author Emma Dangers. Miss Dangers currently studies harp with Stephanie Claussen.
What do harp strings and board breaks have in common? On the surface, not much, until …
Q-tips and Dental Appointments
This November I’ve been learning some things about being thankful. As a full-time free-lance harpist, I’m careful with my finances. I’ve never yet gone hungry (except when I’m driving back …
An Artistic Process
I thought, for fun, I’d share my artistic process for my new album, Light So Brilliant: Carols and Tunes for Christmas. Make sure you read “artistic process” as meaning “a …
Three Reasons NOT to Become a Professional Harpist
La Maison
Have you ever gone house shopping? Most people look at specs on square-footage, the layout of the rooms, the price, the school district. Last fall my sister and I …