Introduction

I've been a musician ever since I was a kid. I play harp now, but it wasn't my first instrument. I started taking lessons from a classical flutist when I was ten and kept up with it for several years. However, I wouldn't say I'm classically trained, as I can't sight read for beans. Truth be told, I don't even know what key I'm playing in most of the time. (I flip levers up and down until it sounds right.)

I discovered Celtic harp entirely by accident. I heard of a teacher in the area and it seemed like a good idea at the time. I ended up loving it partly because it's just a beautiful instrument and partly because of the teaching method. My struggles with reading sheet music played a large part in my eventually dropping the flute, but in the Irish tradition, whether it's harp, tinwhistle, pipes, what have you - you learn by ear, and for whatever reason, that works best for me.

I'm finishing up college this year and can no longer afford lessons, so I'm embarking on the exciting (and somewhat frightening) prospect of teaching myself. This blog will be, in part, a record of my progress. It's probably going to be harp-focused much of the time, but I hope it won't be limited to that. Most of what I currently play is Irish trad, but it's not all I listen to - not by a long shot. I'm interested in all kinds of stuff. It makes me very happy when someone asks me, "So what kind of music does (insert artist here) play?" and I can't come up with an easy definition.

I'm fascinated by musicians who aren't afraid to experiment and mix up genres, even in the cases where it's clear the experiment didn't quite work, and I'd like to do something similar. I feel like I've reached the limit of what I can do with jigs and reels. Not that I don't still enjoy playing them, but I want to do something different. I've been playing for about five years, but I still feel like a beginner in the sense that I'm only just starting to comprehend the range of things you can do with this instrument.

So you can expect grumblings about arrangements that won't cooperate with me, videos of musicians or performances that I find inspiring, drooling over harps that I covet and cannot afford, my thoughts on discussions posted on other musicians' blogs or message boards... and anything else I can come up with! I'm writing this mostly for myself, but if anyone's reading, I hope you get something interesting out of it - and comments and suggestions are always welcome.