Practicing Harp Happiness

#277: Refresh, Reset or Reconnect: Which One Is Right for You?

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:00:00 -0400

We’re approaching one of those dividing lines in the year. The season is changing, and in many ways it feels like a time we can make a fresh start. When I was young, I always looked forward to the new school year. New clothes, new classes, new books - the possibilities seemed limitless and exciting.

The energy that the new school year created was almost automatic. The date of the first day of school was on the calendar. All we had to do was to get ready and show up.

Finding that same level of energy for a new year of harp playing may not be so simple. Of course, there are ways to create it; a first lesson of the year with new plans and goals is a good one, in part because it enlists the support of your teacher. But I think there are more things to consider.

I went back into the podcast archives and found a very early episode - episode 82, first aired in December of 2022 - that talks about ways to refresh your harp playing at another obvious reset point, the beginning of a new calendar year. That episode was all about opening new possibilities for your harp playing by thinking “different,” as the old Apple computer commercial put it.

I’d like to replay that episode for you now, and then come back and talk about another way to look at possibilities, not as something new to you, but as something more you. I’d like to explore the ideas which sound more similar than they really are: the ideas of refreshing, resetting and reconnecting. I know that sounds a little enigmatic, but I promise to explain when we get there. First, a rewind of episode 82.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Is Chrysalis for you? Find out and register today.
Speed up your progress by becoming a My Harp Mastery member.
Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

#276: The Real Secret to Making Progress

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 07:00:00 -0400

What most of us want from our daily harp practice is to be able to see progress. We want to know we are moving forward, improving, becoming more skilled and more musical, more like the harpist we want to be someday.

What most of us discover as we work to create progress is that progress shows up in its own time and in its own way. It’s a natural process, but that doesn’t stop it from being incredibly frustrating at times. What’s even more discouraging is that doubling down on our efforts often doesn’t make any difference, other than to make our fingers sore.

What most harpists never discover is how they are the biggest obstacle to their own progress. Even worse, the more dedicated you are, the more likely you are to fall into some of the practice traps that actually hinder your progress. I know it sounds counterintuitive and, frankly, unfair, but the harder you try to stick to the tried-and-true habits that got you to where you are today, the slower your progress will be.

In this podcast episode, which is a rebroadcast of episode 174, which was originally released in September of 2024, I identify five habits that you may have, and if you do, how they are likely keeping you stuck. Understand this: if you have any of these habits, or even all of them, it indicates that you are one of the dedicated ones. You’re following the guidelines that your teachers set out for you, and that has been a big factor in getting you this far. What I’m telling you in this episode is that you need to release those habits and replace them with ones that are appropriate for your current stage of learning. It’s the old saying, “what got you here won’t get you there.”

So you’ll learn about five of the most common good habits that are keeping you spinning your wheels, what to start doing instead, and at the end, I’ll come back with you to share one more powerful progress-generating habit.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Is Chrysalis for you? Find out and register today.
Speed up your progress by becoming a My Harp Mastery member.
Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

#275: How to Play Without Looking

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Today, as I have been doing all this month, I am revisiting one of the podcast episodes that I think we need to hear again, and today’s topic is one on which we can all use a refresher course. It’s about playing without looking at the strings.

Yes, I know we need to look at the strings to be sure we are going to play the right ones. And I’m not forgetting that the strings are off to one side and they aren’t easy to catch in our peripheral vision all the time, particularly for aging eyes. Nevertheless, we can and we absolutely must learn to play without being dependent on looking at the strings. Even better, I know that you would be able - right now - to play more than you think you can without looking. It’s not a miracle. It comes from experience and practice.

So I want you to listen to this episode. It’s episode 101 and it aired originally in April of 2023. You’ll hear why this is such an important skill and how to practice it. After the episode is done, I’ll be back with another thought or two for you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Join us at Chrysalis in September. Register now.
Learn more in this blog post from the archives: Four “Smart” Finger Patterns You Must Know
Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

#274: Your Next Piece: Too Easy, Too Hard or Just Right?

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Congratulations - you finished your piece! Well done! It’s time to take a breather and relax before you get onto the next piece. But that’s the problem. What piece is your next piece? How can you choose one that you like, that is a challenge but not too hard, and one that you can finish in a reasonable amount of time so that you still like it when it’s done?

If you’re currently working with a teacher or coach, you know you can rely on their expert advice as you choose your next piece. But if you’re trying to make this choice on your own, it can seem daunting. There are so many wonderful pieces, how could any harpist possibly choose?

This is a topic that we all deal with repeatedly, so I thought it might be a good time for us to revisit a podcast I aired over a year ago, on May 5, 2025, Cinco de Mayo actually. I wouldn’t mention Cinco de Mayo, except that it played a role in that episode, as I suggested five categories of pieces you could consider, just as a way to narrow the field somewhat. These categories are still relevant, and I know they will be helpful for you now, if you’re nearing a decision point about new music.

But I’ve also added a little bit to the end of the episode, two brand-new ideas (at least new to my podcast) than can help you clarify your choices even more by helping you plan not just your next piece but your entire practice strategy and creating more of a sense of direction with your choices. It’s al about making decisions and these new frameworks should help.

First you’ll hear the replay of episode 207, and then stay tuned for the new decision frameworks I want to teach you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Blog post on arranging by Louis Anthony deLise, D.M.A.
Join me at the Chrysalis Music Workshop in September. Register now.
Get a different perspective with this blog post: The Easy Way to Choose an Arrangement
Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

#273: More About Playing Perfect Octaves

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 07:00:00 -0400

If you have been playing the harp for any amount of time, you will have already discovered the key truth about music study: whatever you have learned, whatever you have practiced for however long you have been practicing it, you will have to do it again. That’s not a prophesy of doom or meant to discourage you. It’s simply the way music works.

Music is an art of the moment. We play a piece one day, and we have to play it again the next day. The instant we pluck a harp string, the sound begins to disappear into the air. It is ephemeral and elusive.

So today we are revisiting a topic I’ve talked about before on the podcast. In fact, every week during the month of August, I will be reposting an episode that has information that I think needs repeating. Today we begin with a very basic but key technical skill. We’re talking about how to play octaves. Basic -yep. Important in just about every piece we play - you bet.

The episode you are about to hear is from episode #62 of the podcast, first broadcast on July 25, 2022. If you heard it when I released it four years ago, it’s definitely worth a revisit. And if it’s new to you, I think you’ll find it helpful. And at the end of the episode, I’ll be back live with you to add a few more things for you to consider about how to make your octaves sound just the way you want.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Learn more about the Chrysalis Chamber Music workshop.
Why Chamber Music Is Different blog post
Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

#272: Summer Reading for Harpists (and other musicians)

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400

I love to read. Maybe you’re like me, with several books in progress at once. I seem to have a book in every room that I can pick up when the fancy strikes. Plus, I always have at least one book on my Kindle and an audiobook going for when I’m in the car. I like to think I spend more time reading each day than doing anything else, but that’s probably not accurate, just aspirational.

Summer reading is always my favorite. It feels indulgent to sit outside on the deck or at the beach or under a shady tree and just read. Maybe it is actually indulgent, but it’s never wasted time. And today, I’m going to share some of my summer reading with you, books that have particular interest to harpists and other musicians, or at least books I have found interesting.

When I read about music and musicians, I find I’m not just learning facts. I’m releasing myself from the “doing,” from being absorbed in practice and playing and all the practicalities that go with my day to day harp life. Instead, I’m able to gain a fresh perspective, to see the musician’s life or ideas about music from the outside. I discover possibilities which have gotten buried by my daily practice routine. I learn about the struggles that shaped the lives of other musicians, as well as the breakthroughs that finally led them to their music. I finish a book like that feeling inspired, thoughtful and grateful.

So find a comfortable chair. We're going to talk about books about music and musicians I enjoyed reading. It’s a little bit of a hodgepodge - some biographies, some memoirs, even a novel and an audiobook. I expect that some of these will appeal to you more than others. I found them all worth reading, but I urge you to choose the one or two that seem most intriguing to you and dive in. I’ve put links in the show notes to the easiest place to find each of the books, too, so you don’t have to waste a moment on the internet when you could be reading out on the deck with a glass of iced tea beside you.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Harpo Speaks! by Harpo Marx on Amazon
Henriette Renié: Living Harp by Françoise des Varennes on Amazon
Pentacle: The Story of Carlos Salzedo and the Harp by Marietta Bitter on Amazon
The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather on Amazon
Every Good Boy Does Fine by Jeremy Denk on Amazon
Beginner's Mind by Yo-Yo Ma on Audible (US)
Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

#271: Harpist Alexandra Chang on Collaboration, Improvisation and Why She Loves the Harp

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Ok - I talk about harp happiness a lot. Really a lot. That’s because playing the harp has always brought me happiness. Sure, playing the harp is hard work sometimes, and I’ve had my share of frustration too, but for me the challenges are outweighed by the joy every time. It’s the joy that keeps me going and I hope that your own harp happiness sustains and inspires you too.

I mention this because I have a special guest on today’s show and she positively radiates harp happiness. Her name is Alexandra Chang, and if you haven’t heard of her already, just listening to her talk about her love of music and the harp is going to make you fall in love with her.

Alex is an electric acoustic harpist and composer and as you will hear, much of her performing is collaborative improvisation, particularly with the Rock City Falls Trio, a cross-genre ensemble. She recently completed a Jazz and Sonic Music residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity for performance and composition and premiered the work A Shared Woven Melody at the Jazz and Sonic Arts Concert as part of their 2024 Gather Listen Hear Summer Arts Festival. She was awarded the 2025 Art Connects Artist Grant. Art Connects is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts & New York State. She teaches at Rutgers University as an Associate Professor of Practice at the Arts, Culture and Media Department. She is also the co-director of Improv Spaces and runs the Improv Spaces Music Festival, based in upstate New York, with creative partner percussionist Adam Forman.

But before I play our conversation for you, I want to preview three things she mentions that give a more complete picture of her musicianship than just the raw facts from her bio. First, she practices the pedal harp every day. Second, she always has music by Bach on her music stand. And third, she’s only been playing the harp for six years. Yep, I couldn’t believe it either.

I will play a clip from one of the selections on her album at the end of our conversation. I want you to hear from her first. So without any more delay, here is my conversation with harpist Alexandra Chang.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Where to find Alex:

Her website: https://www.alexchangmusic.com/
Her bandcamp link: https://alexchang.bandcamp.com/
The Topos Festival where Alex will be playing with the Rock City Falls Trio: Improv Spaces | Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC)
Improv Spaces Music Festival on Sept. 6: Improv Spaces Music Festival | Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

#270: My 5-4-4-3 Plan for Learning Christmas Music Now

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 06:13:35 -0400

There are lots of ways to get our music ready for the holidays. Yes, I know it’s only July and we have months to prepare, but that’s actually the point. You could wait until the week before your first Christmas gig in December to practice your music, and I have to say that there were times in the past that was my strategy. As you might imagine, it isn’t a course of action I’d recommend.

Or you could try the standard Christmas in July method. You learn your holiday music in the summer and then try to hang onto it until the holidays eventually come around. Granted, it’s a much better plan than waiting until December, but as a preparation strategy it leaves a lot to be desired. If you’ve learned your music by the time summer ends, what do you do with it for the next three months?

Naturally, there are a lot of different approaches you could take, and some of those are going to feel more natural to you than others, just based on your personal practice preferences. There are external influences that might play a role as well. For instance, perhaps this is the year that you have ben asked to play Britten’s Ceremony of Carols for the first time. The difficulty and scope of this piece will require a more focused approach than standard church or party holiday music.

While I used to be fairly undisciplined in my approach to my own holiday repertoire preparation - and believe me, I paid the price for it more than once - I am unwilling to let my students suffer the same way. So I have a few “always” ground rules and a couple of “never” caveats that I try to share with them. These have their roots in my own learning the hard way.

However, I also have a system that seems to work pretty well for most of my students. The odd thing is that I haven’t really told any of them about it. We’ve used the system but I’ve never given it a name before. So here it is, making its official debut: my 5-4-4-3 plan for holiday music preparation. My students will recognize it, or at least most of it, and I hope this will organize more clearly what we have talked about already. If you haven’t studied with me, I’m happy to share this with you for the first time ever.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Join Compose for Christmas and get the best holiday headstart ever! [LINK]
Register for the Chrysalis Music Workshop
Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

#269: Beyond Independence: How Your Hands Really Work Together

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400

This past weekend was a big one for us in the United States. Not only were we celebrating our July 4th Independence Day as we do every year, but it was an anniversary year for us, our 250th. The parties were more festive, the fireworks more explosive, and all of the celebrations focused on freedom and independence.

I talk often about independence, but naturally I’m usually talking about Independence of our fingers or hands in our harp playing. A key focus of every harpist’s technical practice is developing more independent motion of the fingers and more independent playing of the hands. We want our fingers to be able to be equally strong, capable, flexible and expressive. We want our hands to be able to work together to create the music.

But today, I’m going a slightly different direction. I want to talk not about the independence of our hands, but about the interdependence of our hands. It’s not a battle where each of our hands is fighting for independence from the other, even if it feels like that physically at times.

I think it’s more to the point to consider the way our hands make music together. This goes beyond trying to figure out how one hand will do one kind of fingering while the other hand does something entirely different. This is about the role that each hand plays at any given moment in a piece of music, how each hand fits into the overall musical picture.

So what I’d like to explore with you today is a more musical approach to our two-hand coordination, one that goes beyond the usual “hands separately, hands together” practice plan. I’d like to show you three distinct ways our right and left hands work together in a piece of music. You’ll see how this could completely change the way you practice, with the result that you’ll get to the expressive quality of the music more quickly and, I believe, with much less struggle.

There is a lot of practical information that we’ll cover, but remember this is really just about putting the music first, about seeing a little - just a little - beyond the notes to the bigger musical concepts. Don’t think this doesn’t apply to you because you’re just a beginner or you only play a specific kind of music. Wherever you are in your harp journey, if you haven’t learned this way of looking at music before - and I’m betting you haven’t - you’re going to be so glad you listened to this episode today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Join Compose for Christmas and get the best holiday head start ever!
Register for the Chrysalis Music Workshop
Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?

#268: Finding The Music in the Silence

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400

In 1782, Mozart was corresponding with a fellow composer about the art of composition. Mozart made the point that the true essence of music lies not only in the notes themselves but also in the spaces between them. That thought was echoed a century later by Claude Debussy who said, "Music is the silence between the notes."

Silence is powerful. One part of the power of silence is its ability to define the notes around it. The spaces between the notes create rhythm. Lengthening spaces create a ritardando. Shortening spaces create an accelerando. Actual silence, created by a rest in the music, causes tension that is only relieved, or possibly heightened, by the next note.

For us harpists, creating silence as we play is challenging. Our music naturally rings and resonates as each string is played. In those moments when we need to stop the sound, it becomes a physical and intentional act. We create silence on purpose.

But what of those moments between the notes, when we want a note to sustain and to hold the tension into the next one? Do those moments need special attention? I believe they do.

So today, I’d like to explore the two different kinds of silence we harpists have to consider: what each means and what we need to do to observe those silences with artistry and musicianship. And as we get started, here is another quote to let roll around in your mind. It’s from Kate Kennedy’s book, Cello: A Journey Through Silence to Sound. She writes this: “Silence is the opposite of music, but it is also its lifeblood — the breaths between the phrases, the drama, the anticipation, and the quality of the breathless hush between final note and applause."

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:

Join the Compose for Christmas Challenge
Register for the Chrysalis Music Workshop
Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?