Harping on

One of my aims this year is to play more harp.

I've had my harp for a year now but I didn't play it as much as I had intended last year,

and I didn't get to take any lessons.

Last night I took my harp to the Irish session I play at.

Normally I play the tunes on fiddle and whistle, so playing an accompaniment 

is a whole other animal.  I could manage to play along to some of the tunes,

and the other session players seemed to think I did alright.  Phew.

It's quite an ordeal transporting a harp.

Fortunately my Dusty Springs harp is well-designed, and came with a

great bag that holds all the parts.

The stand goes together easily, 

looking a little like a mid-century coffee table.

I screw the stand onto the base of the harp,

and the harp can stand on its own.

Tuning can take another 5-10 minutes, and that has to be done every time I play.

And then there's the whole carrying thing, the car thing

and the parking thing, all slightly easier now we've got a hatchback.

But it all takes a little time and planning and muscle.

I'm excited that I've found a harp teacher who can fit me in

and I start lessons tomorrow!

I was extra glad to hear that I can use her harp at the lessons,

so I don't need to transport my harp every week.

Hopefully I can fit in the practising time and really benefit

from the lessons, so that by the end of this year I can see real improvement.