Harp playing is all in the hands! And this is the real story behind my hand care routine…
New Celtic Christmas Song
It’s rare that I find a new Christmas song! After years of gigging, I feel like I’ve heard them all…
But this year my friend Tiffany put out an arranging challenge for the Scottish Christmas tune, Christmas Day Ida Morning. In shock, I realized I didn’t know it! I had to start learning it from scratch!
First I listened to the melody over on over. Then I learned the right hand finger shapes for the melody. Finally, I tried to hear in the stillness what chords I wanted in the harmony, testing different tones and rhythms.
Only after weeks of playing it this way did I let myself write it down! And now I’m giving it away! You can get your FREE SHEET MUSIC in your inbox right here!
Livestreaming Advent Concerts
I’m starting Advent Livestreams!
For years, I’ve wanted to share my music online live. This fall, I got all the equipment together to make it a reality! It’s a learning curve but so much fun. Thank you to everyone who requested songs and everyone who watching live or in the replay. There is an amazing energy to live performance–even digitally live performance!
Advent and Christmas is a season from going from completely full (maybe too full) at Thanksgiving for hungering for the Bread of Life. These carols are full of that hope and yearning.
I have several more livestreams planned with special guest appearances! Stay tuned (a harpist’s favorite phrase!)
A thousand and one notes!
This Sunday I’m playing one of my absolute favorite pieces, Scheherazade, with the Elkhart County Symphony!
This pieces hits my two sweet spots, a great story and great musical word painting! Camels galloping, Ships splashing, Sultan’s shouting…
Rimsky Korsakov composed this epic symphonic piece to dramatise the arabic myth of One Thousand and One Nights. In the original book, a brave woman named Scherazade keeps her neck by telling the angry sultan a thousand and one stories. Each night, she would get to the most tense part of the story and the sultan would keep her alive to hear how it would end!
Korsakov dramatises several of these stories, introduced by the sweet tongued Scheherazade and stormy Sultan. And he gives the voice of Scheherazade to the first violin and the HARP.
Hear a sample of my practice on instagram or come here the full concert with the Elkhart County Symphony!
Practice With Me
My practice life has changed! Practice is the 90% hidden iceberg in any musician’s life. Recently on Instagram, I shared two glimpses into my practice life.
My 30 second glimpse into orchestra music has gotten more views than anything else I’ve ever posted!
All my life, people have asked me how long I practice each day. But this quote by the amazing Rachel Lee Hall transformed my whole perspective, “I aim for quality, not quantity practice.”
What do you want to practice with quality?
And this view behind practice shows just how messy it can be… wait, that’s why I’m practicing!
Easter Sunday Mini Online Concert
The finale of three mini concerts I created for Easter weekend 2021 and am sharing on YouTube. Click play and enjoy!
On this last of three mini concerts I created for Easter weekend, I’m celebrating with some of the jubalient christian hymns my father taught me. These songs consider how the testimony of the women and angels throws the whole world into a new light. They brought the news the tomb was empty and that changes how we view our every day purpose. We’re not fighting death anymore because Jesus has brought life–not just on Easter but every day of the year!
Up From the Grave He Arose, Easter Song, Because He Lives, Morning Has Broken.
Get the sheet music here!
Morning Has Broken
A classical meditation on a traditional Celtic tune swells like sunshine over the horizon. Perfect for Weddings, Church services, teaching ostinato patterns or just relaxing in your own morning routine. Anna redesigned this tune for her CD Hymns and Variations. It incorporates a lilting left hand with a clean right hand melody, breathing new expression into a familiar tune.
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$7.50