Harpist bio:
I started my musical journey with piano and clarinet but fell in love with the harp at the Colorado State University Summer Music Camp. I have been playing for over twelve years now and have studied with Rachel Starr Ellins, Joni Martin, and AnnMarie Liss in Colorado and Gretchen Brumwell in Iowa. I also minored in music at Colorado College.
I have considerable experience playing weddings, funerals, school and community orchestras, museum events, formal receptions.
A little about my harps:
Harps come in two main varieties, lever and pedal. Because the strings are only tuned to the notes of the diatonic scale (white keys on a piano), harpists need extra contraptions on their instruments to achieve sharps and flats. Lever harps have levers along the neck to achieve sharps; these harps come in a wide variety of sizes, from tiny lap harps to instruments taller than the harpist! "Celtic" harps and "folk" harps are both varieties of lever harps. Pedal harps have pedals around the base for sharps and flats, always sit on the floor, and, because of their greater musical versatility and louder volume, are the only type you will see in orchestras.
For most weddings and events, I play a Rubarth Merlin, a 35-string lever harp (shown in the photograph). I also play a Camac Clio, a 44-string petite pedal harp, for orchestral work. Both of my harps were purchased from The Harp Shoppe in Loveland, CO.
I have considerable experience playing weddings, funerals, school and community orchestras, museum events, formal receptions.
A little about my harps:
Harps come in two main varieties, lever and pedal. Because the strings are only tuned to the notes of the diatonic scale (white keys on a piano), harpists need extra contraptions on their instruments to achieve sharps and flats. Lever harps have levers along the neck to achieve sharps; these harps come in a wide variety of sizes, from tiny lap harps to instruments taller than the harpist! "Celtic" harps and "folk" harps are both varieties of lever harps. Pedal harps have pedals around the base for sharps and flats, always sit on the floor, and, because of their greater musical versatility and louder volume, are the only type you will see in orchestras.
For most weddings and events, I play a Rubarth Merlin, a 35-string lever harp (shown in the photograph). I also play a Camac Clio, a 44-string petite pedal harp, for orchestral work. Both of my harps were purchased from The Harp Shoppe in Loveland, CO.
Q: What is the real difference between a lap harp and a concert grand pedal harp?
A: The pedal harp burns longer.