Curated Archive of Videos from 2020-2022

Accompaniment for Irish Sessions: Laoise Kelly | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-On
Even if you've been playing harp for a while, trying to play dance tunes at speed in an Irish session is a daunting feat. Get some useful tips from Laoise on accompaniment patterns for reels and jigs and maybe a hornpipe that will have you more confident in navigating your way through bassline progressions.

Accompaniment Toolbox with Lisa Lynne | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Get over the worry of how to accompany a singer, instrumentalist or ensemble. The harp can be used for rhythmic or harmonic support--learn how to step into a backing role and then step out for a solo. In this workshop, Lisa will help you create a toolbox of accompaniment options to keep at your disposal at anytime and feel ready to jump in and do your part. Besides creating chord charts and working from a lead sheet, you'll learn the secret of how to transpose and change key in an instant and how best to contribute to the whole. Guest artists will participate in this workshop. Sightreading not essential.

Ancient Harp of Scotland with William Jackson | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Nowadays, Scottish harpers are just as likely to play jigs and reels as the fiddlers and pipers are, but in the "old" days this wasn't the case. Learn about the "old" harp repertoire and the harpers who played it. Take advantage of William Jackson's expertise in interpreting and arranging this music. The music will be taught by ear but sheet music is also provided as a downloadable PDF.

Andean Music from Argentina with Nicolas Carter | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Carnavalito is a traditional indigenous dance from northern Argentina. Its current form is an expression of a syncretism between Pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial culture. The song has a catchy melody that will invite you to skip around the house. If you love the flavor of Andean music this workshop is for you.

Arranging Traditional Music with Aryeh Frankfurter | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Beg-Int   | Archive Add-on
There are hundreds of tunes and song out there waiting for you to include in your repertoire. But how do you take a simple melody and arrange it yourself? Aryeh says you start by rethinking left hand technique to be more like a “rhythm guitarist” than a pianist and use left hand chordal patterns to create variety in phrasing. Get some useful tips for creating and developing interesting and evocative arrangements by composing intros, bridges, and “outros” which add a personal and original dimension to any traditional tune. Aryeh will share some useful ideas to create movement, lift, phrasing and dynamics by using a couple of very easy tunes everyone can play and applying these ideas to show how they work. Some notation is used but people do not have to “sight-read.” Reading music helps, but it is not essential to getting something out of the workshop.

Beyond Carolan: Ireland’s Other Harper/Composers with Gráinne Hambly | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int   | Archive Add-on
We're still playing their music more than 300 years later and many of their pieces have worked their way into the folk tradition. Learn about the popular harper/composers who are not Carolan and preceded him in the musical timeline. Their simple, elegant melodies have stood the test of time and some we only know from music collections like Buntings. Add some new pieces to your repertoire. Taught by ear with written music in PDF that is downloadable before/after the class.

Beyond Jigs and Reels with Grainne Hambly | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Broaden your repertoire of Irish dance tunes, with some slides, polkas, barndances and other less widely played tunes. Grainne will teach some of these easy melodies, along with some tips on appropriate ornamentation and how to add lift and rhythm through interesting accompaniment and syncopation. This workshop is ideal for both intermediate and advanced players, as the melodies are not difficult to learn but playing them up to speed can be a fun challenge! Music taught by ear, no sight-reading necessary.

Black Death Tunes with Erik Ask-Upmark | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Erik's previous workshops at Somerset in medieval and renaissance music have always been popular, and this one follows in those footsteps, only now he's focusing on a single year and a specific event in history-- the fateful year 1350 AD and the Black Death! It's not as gruesome a subject as you might think. The era is home to some amazing music, utterly captivating and especially poignant considering the times and circumstances in which it was composed. If you have even the slightest interest in history and medieval music, you will find this workshop very fascinating! Historical harps are of course welcome but not needed as any harp will do fine. Part of the workshop will explore the possibilities of singing with the harp while accompanying ourselves.

Blind Harpers: who was Rory Dall? with William Jackson | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Their music is very different than that of O'Carolan, probably the best-known, today, of the blind harpers. So who was Rory Dall? You and Blly will explore the music attributed to the 17th century blind harpers Rory Dall Morrison of Scotland and Rory Dall O'Catháin (Roger O'Keane ) of Ireland, and the confusion over the authorship of their compositions. This is yet another link in the music connecting Ireland and Scotland.

Business of Harping: become an entrepreneur with Mary Radspinner | Type: Lecture   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Join Mary, co-owner of Afghan Press and Melody's Traditional Music, for a lively give-and-take discussion on thinking 'outside the soundbox' on the possibilities and earning potential in being a career harpist or harpist supporter. Join the discussion about the many contributions you can make to the harp world in any capacity, at any level. Explore what else you can do besides playing weddings.

Business of Music Publishing with Mary Radspinner | Type: Lecture   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Mary Radspinner, co-owner of Afghan Press and Melody's Traditional Music, will talk about what it takes to create and publish your own music. She'll cover the many situations that come up during the process of writing, arranging and publishing your own or others' harp music. Here are just some of the topics she'll cover in this fast-paced 90-minute workshop: creating harp-able arrangements, desktop publishing and music editing software, proofreading, what you do after the arrangements are done, cover and binding considerations, PDF music, pricing and sending samples. She'll answer what Net 30 is and much more.

Celtic Connections with Rachel Hair | Type: Hands-on | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Take a trip in this workshop and find the many smaller countries that have a Celtic Connection with wonderfully vibrant music. Explore the music of lesser known Celtic nations like Cornwall, Galicia and Asturias. What gives their music their special flavor? Find out! There are other ample opportunities at the festival to explore the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland. Tunes will be taught by ear with music downloadable as a PDF.

Chord voicings and accompaniment patterns with Maeve Gilchrist |Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
The order in which we stack chord tones has a huge impact on the sound of your accompaniment and the elegance of a phrase or form. Maeve will show you how to use some simple chord progressions as vehicles for exploring voicings. By finding common tones between chords and minimizing jumping around different registers, we can create a more sophisticated and cohesive accompaniment while using less energy!

Christmas Latin Style with Nicolas Carter | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Here is an entertaining way to spice up your Christmas repertoire! Nicolas Carter has put a new twist on beloved North American traditional Christmas pieces so you can wake up your listeners with joyful rhythms and a delightful surprise to the ear. Nicolas makes all his workshops FUN, so he'll show you how to play "Joy to the World” as a Colombian Cumbia, a very popular Latin dance music style that will truly bring joy to the song.

Cool Chords & Groovy Rhythms with Verlene Schermer | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Modern musical styles use chords that include notes beyond the triad, and rhythms that sometimes swing, sometimes syncopate. In this workshop, you'll be looking at chord extensions and altered chords used in jazz, pop and blues, how they’re voiced and how they function within a major key. Verlene will also cover the standard jazz and pop rhythm patterns. You'll get a chance to play through examples with Verlene. Come prepared for a real workout!

Core Arpeggios with Maeve Gilchrist | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Fully explore the benefit of working with arpeggios as part of a comprehensive exercise and dexterity program. Delve deeply with Maeve and find how using them in different shapes will help stretch fingers and break muscle memory while increasing dexterity over the full range of your harp. By using unorthodox shapes and different inversions, arpeggios can be the most beneficial exercise that will help free up your hands and navigate your instrument more freely.

Cross-strung Harp 1: Introduction with John Metras | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Dive into the fascinating world of the chromatic cross-strung harp and learn about its history in its various forms. John will play musical examples showing how the instrument can play music of all styles with all the “juicy” chords that are often eliminated in lever harp playing. Hear about the pros and cons of this fascinating instrument and find resources to help you get started. All ability levels welcome.

Cross-strung Harp 101 with John Metras | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Dive into the fascinating world of the chromatic cross-strung harp. In this second part of John’s introduction to the Cross-strung Harp, you will have the opportunity to learn how play melodies, chords and scales. Be sure to download the PDF for this workshop as you get ready to view this video.

Crossing to Ireland with William Jackson | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
At its closest, Ireland and Scotland are only separated by 12 miles across the Irish Sea. They share similar Celtic albeit distinct cultural flavors and their histories are inextricably entwined, politically, and for our purposes, musically! Well-known Scottish harper William has deep family ties to Donegal and will take you through a musical exploration highlighting the cross-musical connections between Ireland and Scotland.

Discover the Neal Collection with Grainne Hambly | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Find out more about the first collection of Irish music published in Ireland in 1724, which included some tunes by Carolan and other well known pieces such as Molly MacAlpin. We will discuss the background to the collection and learn a tune from it, including ideas for the left hand arrangement.

DIY Music Biz with Lisa Lynne | Type: Lecture   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Step through getting gigs, promoting your music, creating visuals, writing a press release, creating websites, blogging and navigating the social networks. Learn what it takes to share your music in unique venues you might have never thought of. Real world advice and open forum on how you can think outside the box and maximize your opportunities. You will come away with many new ideas on how to get involved in your community and expand your musical horizons.

Double-Strung & Harp Essentials for Beginners with Deette Bunn | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Beg.   | Archive Add-on
Yes! You can begin on a double-strung! This workshop is for those who are new to harping and the double-strung. You will learn how a double-strung is different from a single strung harp, how to hold your harp, basic harp technique and easy exercises appropriate for any kind of harp, and how to use them effectively on the double-strung harp. You will also learn about basic hand shapes for chords, and how to turn those into fun rhythm patterns as well as beginning techniques like echoing and overlapping that are unique to double-strung harp.

Double-Strung Next Steps with Deette Bunn | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
If you already play the harp, this is your chance to learn how the double-strung adds interest to your arrangements. We'll learn how to take advantage of never having your hands get in each others' way and work around having to change levers. You'll get solid new exercises to assist you with hand independence and new ideas for "thinking outside the box" when creating your arrangements.

Double-strung view of therapeutic harp with Nancy Beal | Type: Lecture   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Whatever your level as a therapeutic harper, you'll want to find out how a double-strung harp can be your best friend in therapy work. Based on her thousands of hours of experience using her double-strung in therapeutic work, Nan will treat you to a brief harp therapy session, share stories and demonstrate how the resonance possible with a double-strung harp can be doubly effective in healing. The ability to improvise easily is vital when doing therapeutic work and Nan will show you how effortless this is on a double-strung. In this demo you'll be given concrete suggestions of various double-strung techniques that are most useful in harp therapy. Handouts will be provided. Harps are not needed to enjoy this workshop.

Echoes from Antiquity with Ann Heymann | Type: Lecture   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
The ancient Irish harp of Ireland and Scotland is richly portrayed in legends and poetry, and imbedded within are deep truths about the evolving traditions. Ann Heymann will take you on a journey following the "echoes" of archeology, mythology and history, revealing deep esoteric traditions and a conjectural role of the Irish harp in the development of the harp in Europe.

Elements of Jazz & Improvisation I with Maeve Gilchrist | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Improvisation is an important technique that not need only be associated with jazz but with whatever musical situation you find yourself in. By explaining basic jazz harmony and how to voice it tastefully on the harp, Maeve will help players ease into the world of improvisation. She'll use a standard jazz tune as a base for improvising over chords and form. Get some of the basic blues patterns and groove.

EVENTS

Carolan Marathon: 2020 with Event | Type: Fun | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
You can replay 2020's Carolan Marathon featuring Grainne Hambly, Kim Robertson, Dominique Dodge, and Kathy DeAngelo in a celebration of Carolan's 350th birthday. We had over 150 in the room playing along on some of his most popular tunes.

Carolan Play-Along for La na Cruite 2020 with Event | Type: Fun | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
In honor of Turlough O'Carolan's 350th birthday Somerset sponsored a Carolan Play-Along for Lá na Cruite, Harp Day, on Oct. 17 with Grainne Hambly & William Jackson and Cormac de Barra in Ireland, and Kim Robertson, Dominique Dodge & Kathy DeAngelo in the US. Here's the sequence of tunes on this video and the final playlist: Pdf of playlist here. Aibhlin McCrann of Harp Ireland, which organized Harp Day, gives introductory remarks.

Concert: Friday Night 2020 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Kim Robertson, Eduardo Betancourt, Ailie Robertson, Aryeh Frankfurter & Lisa Lynne

Concert: Friday Night 2021 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Mairi Chaimbeul, Grainne Hambly & William Jackson, Tristan Le Govic, Maeve Gilchrist

Concert: Friday Night 2022 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Robbin Gordon-Cartier, Nancy Hurrell, Grainne Hambly & William Jackson

Concert: Saturday Night 2020 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Dominique Dodge, Nicolas Carter, Grainne Hambly & William Jackson and Maeve Gilchrist. We also have special end-of-concert song and celebration of 20 years of festival.

Concert: Saturday Night 2021 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Shelley Fairplay, Rachel Hair & Ron Jappy, Erik Ask-Upmark, Deborah Henson-Conant, and our closing song guests

Concert: Saturday Night 2022 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Kathy DeAngelo & Dennis Gormley, Rachel Hair, Deborah Henson-Conant

Concert: Sunday morning 2020 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Sunita Staneslow, Robbin Gordon-Cartier, Joy Yu Hoffman

Concert: Sunday morning 2021 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Jo Morrison, Christina Tourin and Alfredo Rolando Ortiz

Concert: Sunday morning 2022 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Dominique Dodge, Debbie Brewin-Wilson

Concert: Thursday Night 2022 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Christa Patton, Kim Robertson, Nicolas Castaneda

Concert: Thursday Night: 2020 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
John Metras, Mairi Chaimbeul, Rachel Hair, Deborah Henson-Conant

Concert: Thursday Night: 2021 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Philip & Pam Boulding, Ann & Charlie Heymann, Laoise Kelly, Edmar Castaneda and his quartet. Ann Heymann receives our Lifetime Achievement Award. Video tribute.

Concert: Friday Night 2021 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Mairi Chaimbeul, Grainne Hambly & William Jackson, Tristan Le Govic, Maeve Gilchrist

Concert: Friday Night 2022 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Robbin Gordon-Cartier, Nancy Hurrell, Grainne Hambly & William Jackson

Concert: Saturday Night 2020 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Dominique Dodge, Nicolas Carter, Grainne Hambly & William Jackson and Maeve Gilchrist. We also have special end-of-concert song and celebration of 20 years of festival.

Concert: Saturday Night 2021 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Shelley Fairplay, Rachel Hair & Ron Jappy, Erik Ask-Upmark, Deborah Henson-Conant, and our closing song guests

Concert: Saturday Night 2022 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Kathy DeAngelo & Dennis Gormley, Rachel Hair, Deborah Henson-Conant

Concert: Sunday morning 2020 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Sunita Staneslow, Robbin Gordon-Cartier, Joy Yu Hoffman

Concert: Sunday morning 2021 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Jo Morrison, Christina Tourin and Alfredo Rolando Ortiz

Concert: Sunday morning 2022 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Dominique Dodge, Debbie Brewin-Wilson

Concert: Thursday Night 2022 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Christa Patton, Kim Robertson, Nicolas Castaneda

Concert: Thursday Night: 2020 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
John Metras, Mairi Chaimbeul, Rachel Hair, Deborah Henson-Conant

Concert: Thursday Night: 2021 | Type: Concert | Level: Any | Archive Add-on
Philip & Pam Boulding, Ann & Charlie Heymann, Laoise Kelly, Edmar Castaneda and his quartet. Ann Heymann receives our Lifetime Achievement Award. Video tribute.

Figuring Out Fingering with Sunita Staneslow | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Sunita wants you to make the connection between tone and phrasing with fingering. You might be looking for tricks and the easiest way to play but lose out on musicality. Focus on fingering to remedy phrasing that is sometimes stiff or clunky. Very often, better fingering can change the ebb and flow of the music you create. This workshop builds on Sunita's previous Fingering video now in our archive.

French Flavor in Québécois Music with Ailie Robertson | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
You'll find yourself transported to the dance-halls of Montreal to enjoy its vibrant French culture in this workshop with Ailie. Quebec has a rich tradition of achingly beautiful waltzes and airs, as well as wonderful dance tunes. Come and learn about the lyrical Quebecois tradition with its sweet melodic lines and rich accompaniment. Old and new compositions will be explored. You will leave with your fingers flying, your feet tapping, and your heart full of joie-de-vivre! Taught by ear with sheet music available as a downloadable PDF.

Fun & Easy Irish Tunes with Grainne Hambly | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Build on your current Irish repertoire with this bonus workshop from the 2021 Somerset Saturday series. Gráinne will teach a dance tune by ear and show you how to do the various stylistic ornamentations that give the music that lilting quality. Gráinne will also give you important tips on fingering that will help you play more quickly. While Irish music is all about the melody, you'll learn how to add an appropriate accompaniment.

Go Paperless with Digital Sheet Music with Robbin Gordon-Cartier | Type: Lecture   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Explore the world of digital sheet music and how to make the switch from paper to tablet. Robbin will go over the basic starter pack and give tips and favorite shortcuts and enhancements to make going digital easy and helpful. Find out how liberating it is not dragging a case of music to a gig and having access to music that is not even in your paper library yet. You'll get all the pointers in getting started, including how to convert music you already have, organizing tips, best practices for using the tablet in practice and at gigs and so much more.

Gospels & Spirituals with Robbin Gordon-Cartier | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
There are gospel songs and spirituals that stand the test of time and transcend generations, denominations and all spiritual situations. Robbin will actively lead participants and take one of the classics and turn it up into a 21st century gospel hit! You'll learn tips for arranging, adapting and assessing how songs can be updated, which will be applied to a variety of gospel songs. By the end of this workshop you'll be playing the new gospel song arrangement and have the tools to learn and arrange other gospel songs.

Hand Separation with Maeve Gilchrist | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
This topic is something that often works its way into Maeve's teaching regardless of topic but in this focused workshop, we hone in on the mind and musical benefits of utilizing our two hands as separate instruments. Not only do an independent left and right hand allow for more interesting arrangement and composition ideas but they blast open up the musical mind and allow a deeper connection both material and instrument. Learning to practice in this way is a process that will never be boring. You'll start to understand how to cultivate your curiosity into a constant stream of learning opportunities. It might sound a little complicated but Maeve promises you'll have fun!

Harp of Love and other songs from Colonial America with Christa Patton | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Experience the charm of music popular in the American Colonies from collections such as the Scots Musical Museum, theatre songs from England performed in New York City, a collection of Favorite songs by Alexander Reinagle of Philadelphia, and a little ditty that Washington’s granddaughter, Eleonor Lewis Park, may have played on her early French pedal harp.

Harps and High Tech: unlocking the secrets of Ireland and Scotland's harps with Karen Loomis | Type: Demo   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
What did harps sound like in Ireland and Scotland centuries ago? Come and explore how new technology is being used to investigate historical instruments. See and hear how recent discoveries are helping to reconstruct a lost sound world, as new harps come ever closer to recapturing the historical craftsmanship of the last surviving instruments from an ancient tradition.

Henry plays harp with Christa Patton | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
King Henry the VIII of England was a well known music lover and patron of the arts. In his personal psalter he is depicted playing a harp as his fool stands by. Many compositions attributed to him can be found in a manuscript named after him. You and Christa will be looking at these sparse but lovely polyphonic pieces and enjoying how well they fit the harp, both as complete pieces to play alone or in consort with other harps. All harps are welcome. Sight-reading needed.

Historical Early Gaelic Harps: The Hollybrook Story with Karen Loomis | Type: Lecture   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
The bell-like sound of the harp of Ireland and highland Scotland was heard in great halls throughout the Gaelic world. Built to be strung with wire, the substantial frames of the few surviving historical instruments stand in silent testament to a rich, centuries long musical tradition. Karen will premier the results of her forensic analysis and study of Ireland's Hollybrook harp.

Historical Tour of the Early Gaelic Harps with Karen Loomis | Type: Lecture   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
From the middle ages through the early modern period, the bell-like sound of the harp of Ireland and highland Scotland was heard in great halls throughout the Gaelic world. Built to be strung with wire, the substantial frames of the few surviving historical instruments stand in silent testament to a rich, centuries long musical tradition. Today, this type of harp is undergoing a revival, as musicians seek to recapture its lost sound. In this presentation, Karen will trace the history of this iconic instrument through the surviving harps. Hear how Karen's ground-breaking forensic analysis of the Queen Mary harp and other recent discoveries are reshaping our understanding of these ancient instruments and are making it possible to build new instruments that more closely follow the craftsmanship of the originals.

Hit the Road Jack and other Ground Basses from the 17th century with Christa Patton | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
The descending bassline from the classic "Hit the Road Jack" contemporary song is as old as the hills. This progression that underpins Greensleeves for example, and many other repeating basslines and their harmonies invite you to create your own melodies. Enjoy learning these timeless harmonic progressions and make up a few melodies if you are inclined. Understanding of playing chords is helpful. Chromatic harps are welcome but not essential.

Hymns and Arranging with Robbin Gordon-Cartier | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Beg-Int   | Archive Add-on
Hymns remain popular music in many denominations and should have an important place in your repertoire if you play for services, rituals like funerals and other life events. Robbin will cover three popular hymns and lead you through arranging them in different ways to fit different parts of the service.

Irish Slow Airs with Laoise Kelly | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Just because they're called "slow" airs doesn't mean that they are easier to play than dance tunes. These beautiful pieces defy written music transcription. Laoise will take you through the fine art of interpreting and learning an Irish slow air and getting the nuances that make these pieces among the most challenging in the Irish tradition to get just right. This workshop is taught by ear and no written music will be provided.

Jewish Music & Modes with Sunita Staneslow | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Jewish music often has a distinctive and passionate sound created by the modes that it uses. What modes are commonly used in Jewish music? Sunita will give an overview and cultural signifcance of these modes and what will help make your arrangement or performance sound more authentic. You'll learn two traditional Jewish melodies that will give you the confidence to play for a Jewish wedding or audience. Add some Jewish flavors to your repertoire!

Latin American Waltzes with Nicolas Carter | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Most of the world's cultures include some kind of waltz in their dance repertoire. In this fun workshop, learn about the distinct characteristics of waltzes in Latin American music and how specific Latin harp techniques will make you sound like an entire band. Nicolas will teach the music "by ear." Nicolas will use the Paraguayan waltz Lena Luna. You can hear him play it on the video on his bio page. Bring a recording device to jog your memory later.

Lead Sheets on Cross-Strung with John Metras | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
With a cross-strung harp you don't need to wonder if the lead sheet can be played on your harp. It can! Take a look with John at some tunes that would be virtually impossible to play on a lever harp and how one might arrange them to work easily on your harp.

Llanera Harp Introduction with Nicolas Castaneda | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
You don't need a Llanera harp for this workshop--any harp will do! This fun workshop is an introduction to the Llanera Harp, a traditional folk instrument played in the plains of Colombia and Venezuela. Learn its origins and how the melodic and harmonic relationship are combined with syncopated and polyrhythmic rhythms. You will learn a Llanera harp short piece that applies all these basic playing techniques. This workshop is the foundation of Nicolas' other workshops later in the weekend.

Llanera Harp Por Derecho with Nicolas Castaneda | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Por Derecho is a 12/8 structure that uses polyrhythmics, hemiolas and multiple percussive effects in both hands plus improvisation. Get ready for a rhythm workout with Nicolas. You will learn how to play in the "Por Derecho" system by learning a short piece "Pajarillo". This piece will offer you a fun way to explore and strengthen all aspects of your playing, learn about hand independence and improvisation with a Latin American taste.

Make Me a Lyre! with Nicolas Carter | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Smaller than even most lap harps, how can you make the most out of a 10-string lyre? Nicolas explores many ways to make music with the lyre, techniques, musical patterns, rhythms, special effects and even half steps notes. You will be surprised with the musical possibilities. Check out his quick little video: http:// youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOIEYU3qpQk&t=8s

Manx Music 101 with Rachel Hair | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Beg.   | Archive Add-on
The Isle of Man is sandwiched in the middle of the Irish Sea between Scotland, England and Ireland, and its music has some similarities to its surrounding neighbours but also some unique qualities. Learn about how the music was revived and learn a sampling of this particular flavor of Celtic music! Tunes will be taught by ear, with music provided as a downloadable PDF.

Manx Music Starter Kit with Rachel Hair | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Beg.   | Archive Add-on
Sandwiched in the middle of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man and its music has some similarities to its surrounding neighbours in Ireland, Scotland and Great Britain but also some unique qualities. Learn a sampling of this particular flavor of Celtic music! Tunes will be taught by ear, with music provided as a downloadable PDF. To learn more about the culture, see Rachel's Manx Music 101 in our Archive for a tour of the island and more tunes!

Manx to the Max with Rachel Hair | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
The mysterious island in the middle of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man, is the smallest of the Celtic Nations, but in recent years has been making waves in the Celtic Music scene. The Claasagh (Manx Gaelic for harp) has been undergoing a recent revival on the island, so come help further the cause and learn some of the tunes from the island in the process! Add some Manx tunes to your repertoire. Tunes will be taught by ear, with music provided at the end of the workshop.

Mexican Romantic Music with Nicolas Carter | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
El reloj (The Clock) is a song of the Bolero genre, with music and lyrics by Mexican composer and singer Roberto Cantoral. The song became a classic in the late fifties, the golden era of the Mexican trios. It has been recorded endlessly ever since. The song works nicely on the harp and is easy to learn and you'll learn some Mexican-flavored accompaniment too.

Music for the Journey Home with Cass Jendzurski | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Cass brings to this class her 20 years of experience in ministering to those who are dying. Because not all music is created equal in this situation, playing in a hospice environment or other situations where a loved one is actively dying has a special dynamic that requires the utmost sensitivity. She will lead this workshop on the specifics for playing harp and/or singing at the deathbed through demonstration, discussion and group participation. Beginners should know simple chord structures.

Music Reading 101 with Robbin Gordon-Cartier | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Beg.   | Archive Add-on
Just as there are many recipes for Chocolate Chip Cookies; there are many ways to learn how to read music. The key is finding the way that works the easiest and quickest for you. In this workshop Robbin will go over the many ways to learn the basics of note reading, drills for practicing reading and how to go from reading notes on the paper to playing notes on the harp.

Music Reading 201 with Robbin Gordon-Cartier | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Beg.   | Archive Add-on
Building on Music Reading 101, this workshop will incorporate reading chords, playing from lead sheets and recognizing patterns rather than reading the notes one by one. Robbin will help you work on sight-reading skills and identifying key signatures to make note reading as easy as reading words in an article. Learning how to count out rhythms and note values is also covered.

Nordic Tunes “Must-Haves” with Erik Ask-Upmark | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
If you ever find yourself at a Nordic music session, or for that matter a Celtic session where you want to infuse some "nordicness", then you will be glad to have taken this workshop! All melodies here will definitely be familiar to other musicians in the Nordic genre since they are all part of the standard repertoire, and for one single good reason-- they're rollickin' great tunes!

Our Day as a Therapeutic Musician with Edie Elkan | Type: Lecture  | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
You've heard of harp therapy and therapeutic music training programs, and you are interested in this field, but how does doing this work differ from a wedding gig, playing at church or a recital? Come and find out what therapeutic musicians do every day and what it's like. Discover what a fulfilling day can be and what special skills are needed. Come if you're interested in the topic. You don't know what you don't know.

Play Faster and Better with Maeve Gilchrist | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Maeve will walk you through how to play both faster AND better, something that you might think is impossible for you. Maeve makes it look easy but there's a process she's worked for years that makes her playing look effortless. It's not really a secret but it will take some dedication! If you're interested in working on building up your dexterity, style and comfort in more up tempo music, this is the workshop for you. You won't be going from 0 to 60 by the end of the workshop, but you'll be headed in that direction.

Playing from a Lead Sheet with Verlene Schermer | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Lead sheets include just melody and chords, and sometimes song lyrics. Learn how to make an arrangement on the fly using lead sheets. Find out how to recognize which chords are in the key signature. Verlene will then give you strategies to adapt chords that are not in the key. Learn some tricks on what to do with the accidentals in the melody. The handout includes a Jazz chord formula chart so you can figure out what notes are in those crazy chords like F#m7b5 and Cmaj13#11, and whether you will be able to pull them off on a lever harp.

Playing in a Healing Environment with Verlene Schermer | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Understanding how melody, rhythm, harmony, and dynamics affects our physiology will give us tools in our music choices, interpretations of music, and music improvisations in order to be effective in a healing setting such as hospice or hospital, or even in our own private space. Verlene will talk about a few studies and show you how to use the findings to play music in a variety of interpretations, altering the tempo, rhythm, harmony, and dynamics to experience a variety of feelings and physical responses. She'll also show you how to improvise over chord progressions with a focus on melodic content in order to more fully understand how to play music that soothes.

Rhythm Workout with Maeve Gilchrist | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
Rhythm brings vitality and drive to music and can make the difference between an amateur and a professional. Maeve will focus on rhythm and how to incorporate it into warm-up and practice routines to strengthen all aspects of your playing. Learn about hand independence, poly-rhythms, syncopation, ostinato's and more!

Scotland's Simon Fraser Collection: Beauties of the North with Rachel Hair | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int-Adv   | Archive Add-on
Scotland has a wealth of wonderful tune collections of traditional music and song and Rachel's favourite collector is Captain Simon Fraser from the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands. He took the time in the 19th century to notate hundreds of melodies from the region. Come to this workshop to explore with Rachel the beauties of this collection, first published in 1816.

Secrets to Effective Practicing with Maeve Gilchrist | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
In this workshop, Maeve will walk you through a well rounded practice session focusing on the warm up and how to incorporate metronome use right from the beginning. Combining rhythm, hand independence and finger exercises for a thorough and effective warmup, you'll realize that the most effective routine is one that YOU can create to fit your own level and challenge yourself. She'll then give examples of how to isolate problem parts of pieces or tunes and tackle them, using time in an effective way and saving the most enjoyable parts of playing to the very end of the practice session as a reward! Questions and group participation will be highly encouraged in this workshop in order for participants to get the most out of it that they possibly can. This will be a fun and highly useful workshop for any level of harpist.

Shetland to Scandinavia Connections with Ailie Robertson | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Int.   | Archive Add-on
The Shetland Islands, located between Scotland and Norway, have a rich Celtic and Scandinavian heritage. Come with Ailie and explore Shetland's rich music traditions and find out what makes for its distinctive sounds and techniques. Ailie will teach traditional and contemporary music from Shetland and explain what makes this area unique.

Therapeutic Celtic Circle of Modes with Laurence Furr | Type: Hands-on   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Ireland's ancient harpers had 3 strains of music, called the geantrai, suantrai and goltrai. These days we can relate these to modes. As therapeutic musicians we are taught when to use rhythm vs. non-pulse music and we are taught to use major keys, minor keys, and modes. In this workshop we will discuss how to design medleys based on the Celtic Circle for patients at the bedside and for staff and families. We will discuss the importance of the performer’s artistry and the use of key, mode, and rhythm. These same principles can be used to design concert performances and even your practice sessions by calming improvisational techniques, reflective composition, and ending with uplifting repertoire.

Touching History: the harpers’ marks on the early Irish harps with Karen Loomis | Type: Lecture   | Level: Any   | Archive Add-on
Although the historical harpers are long gone and can’t be here to show us how they played their instruments, they left behind visible wear showing where their hands and wrists (and feet and legs too!) rubbed against the soundbox, how they replaced strings, and even how they adjusted the position of the harp to play it. See for yourself, and inform your own explorations of playing style. This workshop will include demonstration and discussion of how to interpret the harpers’ wear marks. For more on Dr. Loomis' forensic analysis on early Irish harps, see her archived 2020 workshops.

Wire-Strung Harp Essentials with Ann Heymann | Type:   | Level:   | Archive Add-on
If you're new to the wire-strung harp or are considering getting one, this is an essential workshop for you with one of the world's leading experts and teachers of this instrument. Ann Heymann will discuss different types of wire-strung harps and how they might serve your musical needs and desires, and then cover basics of approaches and technique. You can’t become an expert in just one workshop, but this hands on overview is geared to all levels AND any harp is welcome for those who want to explore!