HarpSong™️ Harp Podcast: A Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions®

www.moonoverthetrees.com/podcastWelcome to Season 3 of the HarpSong Podcast!  Thank you for listening and for your support.  I’m so excited to be kicking off this new season with today’s guest, Liza Jensen.  I hope you are taking time for yourself for care and for treating yourself with the same kindness that you would show a friend in need…maybe that means playing your harp in the morning or composing a song as you watch the snow falling, maybe just having a cup of tea and taking a breath help you to recharge…  Just like us, our harps need some TLC every now and again, too. So, let’s take time to help the harps that help us and also keep nurturing and being kind to ourselves while we take those opportunities that cross our paths. As Liza says in this interview, “We have to take the opportunities as they come and say yes to the open door.” So many of you have sent in questions about harp regulation and taking care of your instrument that I knew I had to have Liza on the show.  I’ve known Liza for 10 plus years and she is just fantastic, as you will hear. My interview with Liza was recorded in November of 2021 just before she left for her harp regulation trip to Singapore.  It was her first time back there since the COVID-19 shut down. Through curiosity, determination, and sometimes self doubt, we can still  welcome opportunity and the gifts that saying yes to life can bring.  Liza Jensen, is one of the most sought after harp technicians in the world. Her journey of becoming a harp technician has taken her on her own personal journey of discovery that is sure to inspire.Liza is pleasantly surprised as to how she ended up in this career.  She grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a very musical family.  Her mother taught flute and encouraged Liza to learn harp. Liza is also an accomplished flutist  Living in a small rural town Liza appreciated how the harp got her out of the house to meet new people and discover new places.Liza’s harp practice got her accepted into The Eastman School of Music where she studied with Kathleen Bride.  Liza recalls some of Professor Bride’s wise advice “You don’t need to practice more than three hours a day, because 1. You don’t want to injure yourself and 2., and I [Liza] really took this to heart, you need to have a life to put back into your instrument…to put back into your music. And for that, I really appreciated her.”  Even with being accepted into one of the top music schools in the world Liza struggled a bit with Impostor Syndrome.  She thought,  “Maybe if I understood more of how the harp works, that would give me more confidence.”  Liza has always had a mechanical brain and could be found trying to figure out how things work and how to fix them. Even when she was in high school she remembers trying to figure out how to repair the school’s harp.  At one point Pat Doogle, one of Liza’s harp tech mentors,  made her take the harp apart and reassemble it so that she could see the inside and see how each part is related to the other. It was a big “Ah ha moment” for Liza.Her curiosity, attention to detail, and hyperfocus are some of the things that make her a great harp tech.  She is also extremely personable like a doctor with good bedside manners.  “This is a big deal to me, one reason it does take me longer [to work on a harp] is that I like to talk to you about your harp.  I want to know if you are having specific issues, but also, I have very sensitive ears, so I may hear a buzz that you didn’t even know existed…or even if you come to me with a problem that you do know exists, I want you to understand what it was I did to make it go away.  Because a lot of times it’s just something silly.  More often than not, it’s something silly like a string end.  That’s why I give the classes to give you a checklist of what to check for that you can do easily for yourself, especially in the lever harp world. “It is no surprise that Camac harps have made her one of their International harp techs.Liza stresses the importance of having your harp regulated.  She suggests getting your pedal harp regulated a minimum of once every other year, but if you are a professional, every year.  Lever harps, if they don’t move much and depending on their construction they should be regulated around every three or four years. But if your harp does shift more than you will need more servicing.  “Not all the harp techs work on lever harps. That’s another way that I feel that they are very neglected. It’s getting better, I think. And I feel that part of that is due to Somerset [The Somerset Folk Harp Festival].”“I feel that there is something special about the lever harp community…the pedal harp community is more formal whereas the lever harp community is more bohemian, but not less sophisticated.”“I don’t know why, but I have this Bob Ross approach” to teaching harp maintenance…”it’s all going to be ok”LINKS:https://www.facebook.com/liza.jensen.16https://www.camac-harps.com/en/liza-jensen/https://www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtml#jensenMENTIONS:American Harp Society https://www.harpsociety.org/Kathleen Bride https://www.esm.rochester.edu/faculty/bride_kathleen/Harp Island and The Harp Society of Tasmania https://www.harpsocietytasmania.org/past-eventsCamac Harps https://www.camac-harps.com/en/Katryna Tan http://www.katrynatan.com/Emily Hopkins  https://www.emilyharpist.com/

My guest today is harpist Tiffany Schaefer. Tiffany is a harp teacher and performer based in Ohio. During our chat we discussed the Ohio Scottish Arts School, or OSAS for short, and how, “music is bringing people together and [how] it is ageless that way.” Tiffany grew up in a musical family and started playing the harp in 2007. Her involvement in OSAS and The Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA) brought her into the world of Scottish traditional music.The first harp album she found in her local library was by Sue Richards and she became inspired by Sue’s playing. You could imagine Tiffany’s surprise when Sue was one of her adjudicators at her first OSAS’s harp competition! We talk about many of the amazing harpists who have inspired her, many of whom have been interviewed on this podcast folks like: Rachel Hair, Corrina Hewat, Kim Robertson and more...make sure to check out those episodes in our archives.On competition: Although it can be nerve wracking, “It’s a great way to work toward something and get some feedback from people who know what they are talking about.”Tiffany is passionate about creating community, something that we here at HarpSong™️ and Moon Over the Trees are as well. Tiffany’s hope for her free FB group, “Mastering Celtic Music”, is that it will, “grow into a hub for Celtic music and all different kinds of instrumentalists...not just harpists.” You can also check out her Patreon page for classes, and arrangements for the harp. On performing:Tiffany performs as a soloist and accompanies her own singing and storytelling. Right now she has two ensembles, one plays Renaissance and Baroque repertoire and the other is an Irish Traditional group called, Creggane. Check out her youtube page for more information. LINKSTiffanyharpandsong.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUqbcWka4EgODStHBzWBUgMastering Celtic Music FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/347044529772564Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tiffanyharpandsongOhio Scottish Arts School (OSAS): https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/The Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA): https://www.shsa.org/Sue Richards: https://www.suerichards.net/The first harp album she found in her local library was by Sue Richards and she became inspired by Sue’s playing.  You could imagine Tiffany’s surprise when Sue was one of her adjudicators at her first OSAS’s harp competition! We talk about many of the amazing harpists who have inspired her, many of whom have been interviewed on this podcast folks like: Rachel Hair, Corrina Hewat, Kim Robertson and more...make sure to check out those episodes in our archives.On Competition: Although it can be nerve wracking, “It’s a great way to work toward something and get some feedback from people who know what they are talking about.”Celtic Music Community:Tiffany is passionate about creating community, something that we here at HarpSong™️ and Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® are as well.  Tiffany’s hope for her free FB group, “Mastering Celtic Music”, is that it will, “grow into a hub for Celtic music and all different kinds of instrumentalists...not just harpists.”  You can also check out her Patreon page for classes, and arrangements for the harp.  On Performing:Tiffany performs as a soloist and accompanies her own singing and storytelling.  Right now she has two ensembles, one plays Renaissance and Baroque repertoire and the other is an Irish Traditional group called, Creggane.  Check out her youtube page for more information. LINKSTiffany’s Website: Tiffanyharpandsong.comYoutube: Mastering Celtic Music FBPatreon: www.patreon.com/tiffanyharpandsongOhio Scottish Arts School (OSAS): ohioscottishartsschool.comThe Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA):www.shsa.orgSue Richards: www.suerichards.net5 Pointe Cafe in Cleveland, Ohio (supporter of local musicians): www.5pointscafe.com

I came across Aisling Lyons’ music while reading through some posts from my alma mater, The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick. We did talk a bit about  UL during our chat..  The track playing in the background is Aisling’s composition, ‘Buíochas’, which translates to “Thank You” in Irish,  was composed as a thank you to UL and it is also a  track from her new album coming out later this year. You can find this opening track on  Spotify, iTunes & Apple Music, and Bandcamp ahead of the album’s release later this year.  Artists joining her on this track are: Fiddle & Viola: Fergal Scahill, Double Bass: Paul O'Driscoll, Guitar: Seán Lyons and the beautiful album artwork was created by County Clare artist Sorrell Reilly.  LINKS: Aisling’s website: https://aislinglyonsmusic.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3VMWWedquxRNHXJiSp3Vbm?si=SYmJGunHTmi4AflNB3jlkg&dl_branch=1Bandcamp: https://aislinglyons.bandcamp.com/track/bu-ochasInstagram: @aislinglyonsmusicFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/aislinglyonsmusic  Artist Sorrell Reilly’s Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SorrellReillyFiddler Fergal Cahill: https://www.fergalscahill.ie/Seán Lyons: https://www.facebook.com/seanlyonsmusicianTolü Makay: https://tolumakay.com/ Lá na Cruite, Harp Day 2021 takes place on Saturday 16th October: https://www.harpireland.ie/national-harp-day-overview/Irish World Academy of Music and Dance - University of Limerick https://www.irishworldacademy.ie/ Aisling grew up with music, in fact her parents met through Irish music. Unfortunately, Aisling’s father passed away while she was studying for her masters degree.  She decided to take a year off from her degree and focus solely on music.   Working on the material for her newest album became a form of therapy for her and helped her with the grieving process.   Along with composing and performing on harp and concertina Aisling is also a harp tutor at UL and most recently collaborated with Tolü Makay to perform for Irish President Michael D. Higgins’ 80th birthday.   Aisling and Tolü Makay’s performance of, “Don’t Let Go '', for Irish President Michael D. Higgins’ 80th birthdayhttps://twitter.com/TG4TV/status/1382738357273378817?s=20&fbclid=IwAR2HzM1KhJhvFfR-HYcnt7Z94yR_mB0KZz4UL65fNSj3xIn6q7KdktddtyI Aisling will also be participating in the annual Lá na Cruite | Harp Day 2021.And for all of your harpers out there be sure to check out Harp Ireland’s website for more information on how you can participate.   

My guest this week is harpist Rachel Clemente.  Rachel is a New England based pedal and traditional Scottish harpist.  I met Rachel at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival. We have so many harpist friends in common who have influenced and inspired her music.  Artists like: Dominique Dodge, Rachel Hair, Kim Robertson and Corrina Hewat to name a few. Catch my earlier interviews with these and other amazing harpists to get inspired by them as well. Rachel started playing harp at the age of five and thanks to the Ohio Scottish Arts School she became interested in Scottish music.  She studied pedal harp at The Interlochen Arts Academy then went on to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow with a bachelor's degree in traditional Scottish music. Some of Rachel’s accolades include U.S National Scottish Harp Champion in 2016 and the winner of Princess Margaret of the Isles Clàrsach Competition (USA) in 2021.Rachel, based in New England, now focuses on performing, teaching harp and composing.  She frequently performs as a duo with piper Dan Houghton.   Rachel is working on an album that should be released some time in 2022, but in the meantime check out Rachel’s Youtube channel and her 2018 release, A Quiet Uniqueness.Enjoy my conversation with Rachel. LINKSRachel’s Website: www.rachelclementeharpist.comDan Houghton: www.pipingtool-scot.comRachel’s Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UC-EdkBOqxDXJlcGykyPeD2ARachel’s Princess Margaret of the Isles Competition 2021 Performance: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvS23BogPIUHarp Column article: harpcolumn.com/blog/rachel-clemente-wins-princess-margaret-scottish-harp-prize/Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS): ohioscottishartsschool.comScottish Harp Society of America (SHSA): www.shsa.orgInterlochen Center for the Arts: www.interlochen.org/arts-boarding-schoolRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland: www.rcs.ac.ukPrincess Margaret of the Isles Clàrsach Competition: www.harpfestival.co.uk/2021/04/princess-margaret-of-the-isles-prize-for-senior-clarsach-entry-deadline-extended/Edinburgh International Harp Festival: www.harpfestival.co.ukMinistry of Folk: www.ministryoffolk.comWaring Harps: waringmusic.comSomerset Folk Harp Festival:  www.somersetharpfest.com

My guest today is harpist Eileen Gannon.  I first met Eileen at the University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance.  We were both studying for our Masters in Ethnomusicology.  And I want to thank Eileen for encouraging me on my harp journey. Eileen grew up in St. Louis Missouri where her parents Helen and P.J. Gannon, who are from Ireland, wanted to make sure their children learned how to play and dance in the Irish tradition.  St. Louis Irish Arts was created with the motto, “From generation to generation”. Established in the 1970s it has become a center of learning Irish music and dance attracting some of the finest Irish traditional musicians in the world to teach. Eileen and her family are passionate about teaching Irish music and dance to the next generation.  Eileen is the head of music education at SLIA and is a well respected harpist in the tradition.  Make sure to pick up a copy of Eileen’s newest solo harp album from 2017, “The Glory Days are Over”.Eileen’s newest album with fiddler Robert Ryan is, “Down the Rocky Road”.  This album primarily draws inspiration from Petrie’s Complete Irish Music, a publication featuring over 1500 tunes collected in Ireland between 1850 and 1860, and from the music of the Sliabh Luachra region in Ireland.  On this album Eileen wanted to let the harp sing.  She would find the harp resonating with the tunes making the overtones and harmonics of the harp shine.We also discuss accompanying other instruments with the harp and how to play harp in a Traditional Irish Session. St. Louis Irish Arts: www.slia.orgEileen’s Bandcamp: eileengannon.bandcamp.comWorkout at Home with Eileen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/279418142090331Down the Rocky Road: robertryanfiddle.bandcamp.com/releasesThe New Pornographers - Challengers: https://store.matadorrecords.com/challengersThe Petrie Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland: Mícheál Ó Raghallaígh (concertina): www.copperplatemailorder.com/mor01.htmlRenée Anne Louprette, organ & Ivan Goff, uilleann pipes & Irish flute at St. Patrick’s Cathedral NYC: www.reneeannelouprette.com/recordings/The Focal Point - St. Louis: thefocalpoint.orgThe Pageant - St. Louis: www.thepageant.comThe Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick, Ireland: www.irishworldacademy.ieNancy Blakes Limerick, Ireland: nancyblakes.ie

Multitalented and generous come to mind when I think of Sharon Thormahlen. Sharon is a sought after multi-instrumentalist, composer, teacher, arranger, and is part of the duo that heads up Thormahlen Harps.   Many folks in the harp world may recognize the Thormahlen name for their outstanding line of harps, ukuleles, guitars and more made in the pacific northwest of the United States.   Maeve Gilchrist, Rhett Barnwell and Sarah Deere-Jones are just a few of the amazing artists who love their Thormahlen harps.  I met Sharon and Dave Thormahlen at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival. As in 2020, the festival also took place online again this year this. This year Kathy DeAngelo, the festival’s director, created an online experience that allowed festival goers to meet up with friends online. There was also a “virtual vendor hall” that allowed the vendors to chat with festival goers and take us around their workshops. Here’s a video from The Thormahlen vendor booth where Dave and Sharon discuss their harps and Sharon’s sheet music that are for sale on their website. Sharon started out playing folk music on the guitar. Later when her band needed a bass player she took up the upright bass that she played in the band, The Swing Beans, with her husband Dave.  Sharon and I discuss how the harp came into her life and how she has used it in music therapy. Sharon also gets to be the first person to play every newly built Thormahlen harp. She strings every harp that Dave makes, helping the newly built harps find their voices. Sharon’s compositions for the harp are available on the Thormahlen website. In the interview you can hear Sharon’s performance of her composition, “Alpenglow” from her songbook, “Moon Over the Mountain”.  Sharon’s newest book, Melodías del Arpa, which are arrangements of Latin American Music for Lever Harp, is a collaboration with Paraguayan harpist, Nicolas Carter. Sharon and I also spoke about how she and Dave and a Canadian harp maker are helping luthiers of the "Guayabo" sociocultural project construct harps in Cuba. I hope this interview inspires you to create, play, and explore.LINKSSharon Thormahlen: www.thorharp.com/pages/sharonThormahlen Harps: www.thorharp.comInternational Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen: folkharpsociety.org/folk-harp-journalluthiers of the "Guayabo" sociocultural project in Cuba: reuters.screenocean.com/record/1423641Canada Cuba Luthier Solidarity Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Canada-Cuba-Luthier-Solidarity Maeve Gilchrist: www.maevegilchristmusic.comHarpSong™️ Podcast interview with Maeve Gilchrist: www.moonoverthetrees.com/podcast/creating-a-pool-of-beauty-that-we-can-draw-on-an-interview-with-harpistcomposer-maeve-gilchristNicolas Carter: www.nicolascarter.comHarpSong™️ Podcast interview with Nicolas Carter: www.moonoverthetrees.com/podcast/interview-with-nicolas-carter-paraguayan-harpistRhett Barnwell: www.seraphimmusic.comSarah Deere-Jones: www.sarahdeere-jones.co.ukThe Somerset Folk Harp Festival: www.somersetharpfest.com

Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with harpist, teacher, composer, and historian, Ann Heymann. In Part 2 of our interview Ann and I are joined by Kathy DeAngelo, the director of The Somerset Folk Harp Festival, who like Siobhán Armstrong of The Historical Harp Society of Ireland, are each giving Ann lifetime achievement awards this summer. This chat is really where Ann and I talk about how the harp is an icon.  We discuss the mythology of the harp, The Dadga, The Tuatha Dé Danann, and legends and metaphors embedded in the harp.  As Ann says, “..I realized that encoded within the legends are all of these metaphors which connect.  It makes it magic, it makes it true, it makes it real.  It’s like a formula embedded...trying to connect the whole world and life…Music was magic.”On Teaching and LearningAnn talks about being, “addicted to ‘ah-ha’ moments” and how she loves teaching and learns so much from her students and finds that the feedback she gets in lessons is really nice.Ann is always learning and wanting to gain more insight into her own playing which has prompted Ann to release a new verion of her first tutorial on the harp, “Secrets of the Gaelic Harp”.  The second book will be entitled, “Secrets of the Gaelic Harp in the Second Manor.”Some Highlights of Ann’s Career:We discuss highlights of her career including:Her time at Granard and her first harp competition there.After doing the Pibroch Ann got drawn into other things.  She was involved in other aspects of the harp and after doing that Ann got involved with doing the Telyn Rawn, the horsehair harp. Ann says that she a learned so much from doing the Telyn Rawn project. She hasn’t released the recordings yet of her performance on The Telyn Rawn at Brecon Cathedral and at Tewkesbury Abbey. Visit Ann’s website to purchase her music, schedule a lesson, read up on her amazing research, and more. Ann will be teaching online this summer at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival and will be receiving lifetime achievement awards from Somerset and The Historical Harp Society of Ireland at their Scoil na gCláirseach, Festival of Irish Harp Festival both happening this July. A big thank you to the folks at Temple Records in Scotland for giving me permission to use some of Ann’s recordings on this podcast.  Check out their website https://www.templerecords.co.uk/LINKSAnn Heymann: annheymann.comTemple Records: https://www.templerecords.co.uk/Brecon Cathedral: visitwales.com/en-us/attraction/historic-site/brecon-cathedral-911451Tewkesbury Abbey: tewkesburyabbey.org.ukThe Robert ap Huw manuscript: pbm.com/~lindahl/ap_huwGranard Harp Festival: facebook.com/GranardHarpFestivalThe Historical Harp Society of Ireland: irishharp.org/

My dad was a scientist and a genius, and I don’t use that term lightly.  He always said that when it comes to truly intelligent people the more they learn, the more they realize how much they don’t know.  It takes curiosity, humility, and a sense of awe to realize there is so much more to learn.  When I think of Ann Heymann all of these ideals come to mind.  Even after her 50+ year career she is still finding new and exciting avenues of discovery and even rediscovering works that she has previously recorded. While she was training horses a friend gave her a copy of The Bunting Manuscripts and she became enamored with how Bunting described the harp tradition as he witnessed it in the 18th century. She studied dressage in horses and had a great respect for tradition and understood there were reasons for doing things a certain way that we might not be able to speculate on. And so, she  thought, ok, they played on the left shoulder, I’ll do it that way.Ann is extremely generous with her research and music.  She is a firm believer that the center of research for the Early Irish Harp needed to be in Ireland so she inspired Siobhan Armstrong to start The Historical Harp Society of Ireland. This interview is being split into two parts.  There is just so much extraordinary information being shared that I want to make sure you get to hear it all and become inspired.In editing this podcast I have listened to it many times and each time I glean something new.  Check out the podcast notes for quotes from Ann and links to some of the books, albums, people and places mentioned.A big thank you to the folks at Temple Records in Scotland for giving me permission to use some of Ann’s recordings on this podcast.  Check out their website https://www.templerecords.co.uk/ LINKS:Ann’s website: http://www.annheymann.com/Ann and Charlie Heymann’s band Clairseach: http://www.clairseach.com/ https://festival.irishharp.org/coaching/ann-heymannThe Bunting Collection at Queen’s University Belfast: http://digital-library.qub.ac.uk/digital/collection/p15979coll9 The Robert Ap Huw Manuscript: https://www.jstor.org/stable/841428?seq=1 St. Mogue Harp: http://www.earlygaelicharp.info/mogue/ Temple Records: https://www.templerecords.co.uk/

My guest today is Siobhán Armstrong. Siobhán is Ireland’s foremost performer of historical harp music, playing 16th-to 18th-century chamber music and opera with many of Europe's most prestigious historical and traditional performers. Siobhán founded The Historical Harp Society of Ireland and is passionate about encouraging the revival of The Ancient Irish Harp. She is also director of Scoil na gCláirseach—Festival of Early Irish Harp, which takes place this year on July 25th-29th online. The Festival of Early Irish Harp exists to help fill the enormous cultural gap left by the disappearance of the early Irish harp two centuries ago. This year the Festival has teamed up with The Somerset Folk Harp Festival. You can purchase tickets to the Festival of Early Irish Harp as an add on to Somerset or as a stand alone festival. Many of my upcoming guests, including Siobhan, of course, are presenters at the festival. Síobhan is dedicated to reviving and expanding understanding of how the voice and the harp worked together in the past. Síobhan’s particular focus is on figuring out what the harpers played in the lower hand.With eclectic interests, she plays seventeenth-century opera and chamber music with the main baroque directors in Europe; has performed as a soloist on Hollywood film soundtracks and gigs at the world's biggest traditional music festivals.Among her many historical harp copies, she plays a replica of the medieval Trinity College or Brian Boru harp — the national emblem of Ireland — strung in brass and 18-carat gold. Her solo recording on this instrument, Cláirseach na hÉireann: The Harp of Ireland, was released in 2004.She also performs and records with the leading early music soloists, ensembles, and directors, mainly in Europe but also in North America and Japan. http://www.siobhanarmstrong.com/https://irishharp.org/https://www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtmlhttps://festival.irishharp.org/

Hi!  Thank you for being here with me today on HarpSong™️.  Today, April 22nd 2021, marks the first official anniversary of the podcast.  That’s the date I uploaded the pilot episode.  I didn’t know where it would take me, but it’s really kept me in touch with so many artists from around the world.  Many have become good friends of mine.  Some I’ve seen more of this year, thanks to zoom and the podcast, then I’ve seen before the strange year 2020 entered our lives.  And it’s those friendships and collaborations with these amazing folks that inspired me to start this podcast.   I’m also sharing a list of upcoming festivals and events with you today.   When I’m coordinating the concerts at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival, when we are in person, I start contacting the performers months in advance.  This is where my music performance background meets up with my theater directing and theater tech background.  I love helping performers feel comfortable on the festival stage, with their sound checks, lighting, and timing of their sets. (Yes, I’m the one giving the performers the five minute signal.  Believe me, most times I want them to keep playing, but after a long day of workshops a two plus hour concert needs to stay on schedule.)  After the day’s workshops are over and everyone’s had a chance to drool over the ballroom filled with harps to buy, people grab a bite to eat, get changed and head to the concert. While all that is going on after the last workshop has ended and we have finished at the lunchtime concert stage,  the concert staff gets to work on prep for the evening festivities.  This usually starts with us trying to figure out what to eat that will be quick.  Sometimes I’ll run out and get Thai or Indian food or pizza for the concert crew.  That’s when we can start soundcheck and that’s where I get to chat with the artists and oftentimes share with them some of the local take out.  We swap stories of songs and of performing, of tours and teachers and after the concert oftentimes an adult beverage and some snacks.  Everyone brings a little something like cheese and crackers, or fruit and we put it on a table for all of us to share.  This is where luthiers talk to artists and sound technicians about the harps and amps, etc, and exchange ideas, this is where one person picks up a guitar and another their harp or a flute or concertina and just starts playing music and sharing stories. It’s where new ideas happen and friendships are born. What does this have to do with the podcast?  Well, I feel so fortunate to get to have conversations with these amazing people and I wanted to share some of that candidness and inspiration, laughter, and commadardarie with you.  Workshops are great, but you really don’t get a chance to ask in-depth questions of the artist, and concerts are amazing, but, as I mentioned before, there’s really not enough time for telling stories on stage if you want to have time to play some songs. Originally I wanted this podcast to cover harp, jazz, rock and roll, education, and theater...basically all of the things that got me to create my company Moon Over the Trees. But, when Kathy DeAngelo, the head of the Somerset Folk Harp Festival, decided to put the festival online in 2020, I thought it was the perfect time to start the podcast by interviewing the harpist and harp makers at the festival.  So, HarpSong™️ was born. I have met so many wonderful people through this podcast and I continually make more and more connections in a never ending stream of sharing and discovery. I would love it if you could subscribe to the podcast.  When you write a review be sure to email me at info@moonoverthetrees.com so I can send you some thank you merch.  Also, head on over to my youtube channel where I’ve started to put videos of interviews, concerts, and songs.  Please subscribe to the youtube page.  As soon as we reach 100 subscribers I’ll be able to customize the YouTube url for the page.  I’m also starting a Choose Your Harp Adventure set of lessons.  I loved those choose your own adventure books when I was a kid, so I’m developing a series of classes where you will be able to choose your own harp journey of learning.  Be sure to sign up for more info on the lessons page on the website.  Join me over on Patreon where you’ll be able to listen to uncut interviews, get access to lessons, and interact with the Moon Over the Trees Community. Check out the HarpSong™️ Facebook Podcast group and the Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® FB page.  I also created another podcast called, Beat Your Heart Out™️, where I interview rockabilly, jazz, rock, and punk artists from around the world.  Later this year I will also be launching a Theater podcast.  Whew!  That’s been a busy year!  And thanks to all of you I’ve been able to make it grow even more. Speaking of a lot going on,Hi! I’ve put together a list of upcoming harp festivals.  Please include any that you'd like me to list for others to know about. Send me an email at info@moonoverthetrees.com or find me over on Instagram @harpsongmoonoverthetrees or pinterest.  I’ll have all of these listed in the show notes.  Here's what I have so far:The St. Louis Tionol (tin-awl) “Gathering for the purpose of sharing” is going virtual this year!Join us April 22-25https://www.tionol.org/Gulf Coast CruinniúJune 18-20https://gulfcoastirish.org/Ailie Robertson's Summer Harp Festival 18-20 June Ailie, Maeve Gilchrist, Erik Ask-Upmark, and Michael Rooneyhttps://www.ailierobertson.com/summe.../summer-harp-festivalThe Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS) June 28-July 2, 2021https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/The Somerset Folk Harp Festival July 22-25, 2021https://www.somersetharpfest.com/July 25-29The Festival of Early Irish Harphttps://festival.irishharp.org/ Common Ground on the Hill June 28th - July 2nd | July 5th - 9th | July 12th - 16thhttps://www.commongroundonthehill.org/class-category/harpFestival Interceltique de Lorient August 2021https://www.brittanytourism.com/.../festival.../Colmcille 1500 eventshttps://colmcille1500.com/english/Colmcille1500, of which Ruth will be participating in,  celebrates the life and legacy of Colmcille or Columba,1500 years from his birth. It promotes the heritage of the saint whose abbey of Iona linked Ireland and Scotland and beyond. You can find information here about the events,heritage, educational resources, and suggested themes.https://colmcille.net/colmcille-1500/ The music you are listening to in the background is Nancy Hurrell playing Carolan’s Concerto on her Egan Irish Harp.  Check out my recent interview with Nancy.  Before that I was performing Blessed Be that Maid Marie, The Butterfly, and my friend Tom Clark’s composition entitled, “Jimmy Stewart”. So, again, thank you so much for listening and all of your positivity and support this past year.  My upcoming guests include: Ann Heymann, Siobhan Armstrong, Karen Loomis, Eileen Gannon, Sharon Thormahlen  of Thormahlen Harps,  and more… I’d love to hear from you, so please stay in touch.   

In this episode I have a lovely chat with Scottish harpist, Rachel Hair, and Manx singer Ruth Keggin.  Rachel and Ruth are planning on recording an album of Manx songs later this year.  Their crowdfunder is still up if you would like to be a part of making their new album.  Some of the gifts to supporters include: early access to the album or you can pledge for harp lessons or Manx language singing lessons.  Rachel has even offered to make Scottish Tablet to send to folks in the UK for a pledge. Scottish Tablet is a bit like fudge.  We discuss this tasty sweet in the interview and how making it is its own workout.  Ruth is also offering to do calligraphy artwork in Manx lyrics for anyone interested in pledging at that level.  At the time this episode is airing the Edinburgh International Harp Festival will have just ended, but there are still some videos up on their website and a harp themed merchandise page. So, if you’d like to support the festival, head on over and pick up a harp tea towel, jewelry, music books, or harp stained glass.There is so much wonderful information in this episode for you to explore.  Head on over to Rachel and Ruth’s websites and consider purchasing some of their music. Pop by their crowdfunder page and support them and other artists.Other events going on:Colmcille1500, of which Ruth will be participating in,  celebrates the life and legacy of Colmcille or Columba,1500 years from his birth. It promotes the heritage of the saint whose abbey of Iona linked Ireland and Scotland and beyond. You can find information here about the events,heritage, educational resources, and suggested themes.https://colmcille.net/colmcille-1500/The Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS) June 28-July 2, 2021https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/The Somerset Folk Harp Festival July 22-25, 2021https://www.somersetharpfest.com/Common Ground on the Hill June 28th - July 2nd | July 5th - 9th | July 12th - 16thhttps://www.commongroundonthehill.org/class-category/harpFestival Interceltique de Lorient August 2021https://www.brittanytourism.com/matching-what-i-want/culture-and-heritage/brittanys-main-events/festival-interceltique-de-lorient/LINKSRachel and Ruth’s album Crowdfunder:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/rachelandruthRachel Hair’s Website:https://www.rachelhair.com/The Edinburgh International Harp Festival:https://www.harpfestival.co.uk/Ruth Keggin’s Website https://www.ruthkeggin.com/Culture Vannin Information on The Isle of Man:https://www.culturevannin.im/Learn Manx for free on Zoomhttps://learnmanx.com/The North American Manx Associationhttps://namanx.org/Colmcille1500, of which Ruth will be participating in,  celebrates the life and legacy of Colmcille or Columba,1500 years from his birth. It promotes the heritage of the saint whose abbey of Iona linked Ireland and Scotland and beyond. You can find information here about the events,heritage, educational resources, and suggested themes.https://colmcille.net/colmcille-1500/Creative Scotlandhttps://www.creativescotland.com/The Isle of Man Arts Councilhttps://www.iomarts.com/The Apex Singershttps://www.theapexsingers.com/Music Festivals mentioned:Festival Interceltique de Lorient August 2021https://www.brittanytourism.com/matching-what-i-want/culture-and-heritage/brittanys-main-events/festival-interceltique-de-lorient/The Somerset Folk Harp Festivalhttps://www.somersetharpfest.com/The Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS)https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/Common Ground on the Hill June 28th - July 2nd | July 5th - 9th | July 12th - 16thhttps://www.commongroundonthehill.org/class-category/harp

https://hurrellharp.comMy guest this week on HarpSong™️ is harpist and self described “Harp Detective” Nancy Hurrell. We had such a fun time talking about the harp, inspiration, and bringing history to life.  Nancy is the author of the definitive biography on nineteenth-century Irish harp maker John Egan, The Egan Irish Harps: Tradition, patrons and players.  She has taught early harp classes at the Boston Conservatory, Brandeis University, Benslow Music (England), and workshops at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival,  the Historical Harp Society and the American Harp Society.   With academic degrees in harp performance and fine art, Nancy presents lecture-demonstrations on rare harps in museum collections.  Join me over on Patreon for an extended interview with Nancy as we talk about inspiring student harpists and the next book she has in the works among other fun harp related topics.

My guest today is harper/singer dominique dodge.  Dominique has a deep love of the music and song traditions of Cape Breton, Ireland, and Scotland and has a passion for melody-driven dance music and responsive, rhythmic accompaniment, as well as for songs, airs, and 18th century harp music. A former Fulbright Scholar, Dominique has an MA from the University of Limerick in Irish Music Performance and a BA Honours in Scottish Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. She is also a dedicated learner of Scottish Gaelic.  Dominique has extensive experience in traditional arts education and maintains a busy and vibrant teaching practice. She has been performing, recording and teaching traditional music on both sides of the Atlantic She has a new CD this year all in Scottish Gaelic called Canan nan Teud, The Language of the Strings. This year also marks Dominique’s fifth year directing the Somerset Folk Harp Festival’s, Youth Harp Program.  While Dominique was living in Cape Breton she lived on a farm and during the pandemic while she can’t tour she is engaging with the land and spending more time farming and out in the wild and working with the land and singing Gaelic songs in the garden. It’s also allowed her to pick up another instrument, the concertina.  In our chat we discuss her love of traditional music, community, teaching, and sharing her knowledge to keep the tradition alive.  The selections of music in this episode are from Dominique’s newest album which is available for purchase and download on her website. Website: www.dominiquedodge.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKfss38PuHrxQ9pX8m1MnTA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DominiqueDodgeMusic/ Online Concert: https://www.cabotarts.org/upcoming-events (March 19th, 2021) Archival Cape Breton Sources: Gaelstream: https://stfx.cairnrepo.org/islandora/object/stfx%3Agaidheal The Beaton Institute: https://beatoninstitute.com/ An Drochaid Eadarainn: https://www.androchaid.ca/ MacEdward Leach: https://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/Language in Lyrics: https://languageinlyrics.com/about/Somerset Folk Harp Festival: https://www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtmlwww.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtml

Hi and welcome to this week’s episode of HarpSong™️ Presented by Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions®.  This month marks the first anniversary of my founding of Moon Over the Trees and as a thank you to all of my listeners and folks who have supported me along the way, this week’s episode is all about you. If you are enjoying the podcast please let me know by writing a review.  For the first 20 people who post a review I’ll send you some fun Moon Over the Trees merch.  Just send me an email along with your iTunes name.It feels like this year is flying by. March brings us the Spring Equinox and warmer sunnier days ahead and of course, St. Patrick’s Day. But, first, this week’s episode of HarpSong™️, is all about you!  In this week’s episode I’m giving you 7 tips for things that will help you be kinder to yourself. Let me know: What are your biggest challenges musically?Are you new to the harp and don’t know where to start?Do you need some concrete advice on how to get started recording yourself?Would you like a step by step guide on how to use audio and video editing software?Do you want to hear more about getting started on the harp/piano/voice lessons?Are you looking for inspiration?Ways to relax and unwind?Are you interested in meeting up with folks in the Moon Over the Trees community to share music and theater ideas and inspiration?Did you know that Ireland is the only country that has a musical instrument as its national emblem? What better way to celebrate the harp and Ireland than to discuss the history of the Ancient Irish Harp,  its origins, and its music. My upcoming guests on HarpSong™️ will include: The revival of the Clarsach (The harp of The Gaels in Ireland and Scotland)Ann Heymann - Ann is one of the world’s foremost performers and researchers of The wire-strung harp, or Clarsach, which was the harp of the Gaels of Ireland and Scotland.  Ann is central to the revival of the Clarsach.  This year she is receiving two lifetime achievement awards.  One from The Somerset Folk Harp Festival and one from The Historical Harp Society of Ireland. There is so much to cover of Ann’s 50 year career that I will break my interview with Ann into two parts. And be on the lookout for an article on Ann in the Folk Harp Journal. Speaking of  The Historical Harp Society of Ireland: Siobhán Armstrong will also be a guest on the podcast this month.Siobhán founded The Historical Harp Society of Ireland and is passionate about encouraging the revival of The Ancient Irish Harp.  She is also director of Scoil na gCláirseach—Festival of Early Irish Harp, which takes place each August in Ireland. The Ancient Irish Harp in Museums: Nancy HurrellNancy Hurrell is a performer and harp historian. She is the author of the definitive biography on nineteenth-century Irish harp maker John Egan, The Egan Irish Harps: Tradition, patrons and players.She has taught early harp classes at the Boston Conservatory, Brandeis University, Benslow Music (England), and workshops at Somerset Harp Festival (NJ), UK Harp Festival and for the Historical Harp Society and the American Harp Society.   With academic degrees in harp performance and fine art, Hurrell presents lecture-demonstrations of rare harps in museum collections. Speaking of rare and ancient harps STEAM and The Ancient Irish Harp: Karen Loomis Consultant OrganologistIn the New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, organology is defined as “The systematic investigation of the history, design, technology, and functions (musical, social, symbolic, etc.) of musical instruments of all times and places.”Karen conducts construction and craftsmanship analysis of historical musical instruments using her expertise in non-invasive techniques.  Karen provides technical information for musical instrument makers, musicians, museums, collectors, and other researchers. She has led groundbreaking work studying the historical harps of Ireland and Scotland, and recently led a project funded by the Arts Council of Ireland to undertake analysis of the Hollybrook harp at the National Museum of Ireland for the Historical Harp Society of Ireland. Previous work includes scientific analysis of the Lamont and Queen Mary harps. This research is now being used by musical instrument makers to produce informed replicas of these historical harps.Harper Dominique Dodge will also be a guest as well as my friend Missy Graff-Ballone of Wellness for Makers.  Missy works with textile artists, silversmiths, and musicians to help them find mindful movement and avoid repetitive strain injuries.  We will be focusing on healthy hands and different techniques to increase blood flow, circulation, and flexibility, and energy.  Missy has a “Hands of the Maker” bundle on her website complete with tools to help you stretch and maintain good hand and forearm health.  March Music: Music for Beginners and BeyondI'm working on pre-recorded online harp lessons where you can learn new tunes, learn how to tune your harp, get more comfortable with improvisation, learn how to improvise for meditation, basics of recording, and more.  Workshops for beginners and beyond. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to work on. New Recordings!I have new recordings coming out with music for meditation and relaxation and have teamed up with some local artists who have made some goodies to add to your listening moments of “ahhh”. Hudson Valley potter, Muddy Rib is making custom limited edition harp themed mugs for you to enjoy the special tea blends that my friends at Tea & Absinthe  are putting together for you in this musical box set of relaxation.For more information on the 7 Things that have helped me be kinder to myself and help others head on over to my blog. www.moonoverthetrees.com/blog/7-things-that-have-helped-me-be-kinder-to-myself-and-help-others 

Welcome to this week’s episode of HarpSong™️Shveta Thakrar, is a writer and lover of the harp.  The heroine in her new novel, “Star Daughter”, plays the music of the stars on her harp, after all, she is half star and half human.  In this, Shveta’s first novel, she spins a story of magic, of stars, of a young woman’s strength,  her friendships and family. The world in this novel moves between New Jersey and the stars and Vedic Nakshatras, or constellations.  Music is the heartbeat of this book and the harp makes a prominent role in the story.Shveta is a proponent of  the We Need Diverse Books movement and is passionate about portraying positive representations of women of Indian descent. She also plays the harp and has taken lessons from my friend, Kathy DeAngelo , who runs The Somerset Folk Harp Festival which will take place online this July 22nd-25th 2021. I’m so glad that Kathy suggested I interview Shveta.  I hope you enjoy our chat and get inspired. “Star Daughter”, ended up in at least nine subscription boxes in 2020.  Boxes like Owl Crate are where young readers get exciting boxes filled with inspiring books and fun items that go along with them.  Shveta spent a good portion of 2020 singing over 30,000 books for the subscription boxes!I got to catch up with Shveta just after she finished a draft of her next novel, “The Dream Runners”.  She has certinally had a busy year.  This February 17th she will be doing a reading at the KGB bar in New York City.  More information can be found on their website.  www.kgbfantasticfiction.org/upcoming-readers/If you are interested in learning more about Indian Literature, Folklore, and Fables here is the link to the comic books that Shveta recommended www.amarchitrakatha.comLINKSShveta’s Website: www.shvetathakrar.comWe Need Diverse Books: diversebooks.orgThe Somerset Folk Harp Festival: www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtmlOwl Crate Book Subscription Boxes: www.owlcrate.com/blogs/owlcrateKGB Bar NYC Fantasy Fiction Readings: www.kgbfantasticfiction.org/upcoming-readers/Amarchitrakatha Comics: www.amarchitrakatha.comYA Author Laini Taylor: www.lainitaylor.com

Land, landscape, history, and music…Janet Harbison is one of the most well respected celebrators of the Irish Harp and Traditional Irish Music.  She has had a profound influence on the harp and trad community teaching some of the most well known harp players in the tradition like Grainne Hambly, Michael Rooney, and Laoise Kelly.Her new solo album, “By Strangford Water” is a collection of Janet’s compositions.  There is also a companion book of the compositions on this album available on Janet’s website. We discuss her relationship with Camac harps and the story behind the making of the Camac “Janet” harp, how to interpret slow airs on the harp, and other interesting topics.Janet likes to remind players that when playing a slow air, knowing the text and how you can tell the story of that song through the music is so integral to your musical interpretation. ”We have detached the music from the story. It’s turning the meaningful music that connects us as a community into something totally superficial and sugary.”-Janet Harbison (on interpreting a song) Janet is so proud of her many students who have gone on to teach and perform. “To be their teacher was a privilege.” Performers and educators like Gráinne Hambly, Laoise Kelly, and Michael Rooney continue to share the tradition with a new generation of harp players. What does it mean to learn music in the tradition?“The way people are learning now, mostly is in workshops by rote.  It’s learning by ear, but it’s not traditional.  To be traditional is to start with the basics and then to evolve the arrangement yourself using a free form of ornamentation and variation and accompaniment.  None of that should be present.”-Janet HarbisonJanet believes that a musician should be able to converse with and, “be in community with the [other] players otherwise “You’re limiting yourself”.“It’s a natural thing for a student to emulate their teachers, but it shouldn’t be that they only can play what they’ve been formally taught, by ear or by any other means.  It’s about teaching somebody a language so they can speak it. And that they feel confident to commune with it with the other tradition makers. For me that’s the purpose behind teaching.”-Janet HarbisonPlaying Harp in Irish Traditional Music Sessions“Harp players have a unique opportunity to do the traditional stuff in a traditional way that is still also ahead of the fashion, if you like.”-Janet Harbison  On Accompanying:“It’s all about dressing up and dressing down any piece of music…The tune is the story and the accompaniment is the fluff. “-Janet HarbisonSession EtiquetteJanet encourages harpists to play with the best musicians you can find, not to play in slow sessions, but go and try to stretch yourself. You don’t have to play every note, but let your playing breathe and get into the feel of the music. Janet reminds us to “Watch how the musicians look at each other and the unspoken communication”. Harpists and Poets“The harpists had a partnership with the poets.  The poets composed the epic verse.  [The verse] would never be performed without the harper providing the emotional impact in the music of the suantraí, geantraí and goltraí.”-Janet HarbisonAccording to tradition, there are three types of Irish melody – suantraí, geantraí and goltraí. Suantraí (lullaby) was a tune that put you to sleep, geantraí caused laughter or merriment, whereas goltraí brought the listener to tears.www.livinglanguage.com/blog/Janet is passionate about training and teaching traditional Irish Harp and believes that, “Irish harp music should have a much higher profile in harp music worldwide.” LINKSJanet’s Website: www.janetharbisonharp.comThe History of The Belfast Harp Orchestra:  www.irishharporchestra.com/history/short-history-of-the-belfast-harp-orchestra/Janet and Grainne Hambly performing, “Bright New Morning” at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival in 2019:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSc7qcqg1KAThe Camac “Janet” Harp: www.camac-harps.com/en/harps-en/lever/janet/     

moonoverthetrees.com https://www.janetharbisonharp.com/Janet Harbison is one of the most well respected celebrators of the Irish Harp and Traditional Irish Music. She has had a profound influence on the harp and trad community teaching some of the most well known harp players in the tradition like Grainne Hambly, Michael Rooney, and Laoise Kelly.Her new solo album, “By Strangford Water” is a collection of Janet’s compositions. The one you are hearing in the background is the title track from the album. A meditation on the country and landscape of Northern Ireland. There is also a companion book of the compositions on this album available on Janet’s website. Janet and I covered quite a bit of information in our chat so I decided to break this interview into two parts. In this episode we discuss her new album, her development of courses to train teachers of traditional Irish music, Northern Ireland during Brexit and COVID, the history of the Belfast harp Orchestra as well as her involvement in the peace process in Northern Ireland. In Part 2 of this interview we’ll get into her relationship with Camac harps and the story behind the making of the Camac “Janet” harp and other interesting topics.

I first heard Ailie Robertson’s music this past summer when I was moderating workshops at the online Somerset Folk Harp Festival.  Ailie is one of Scotland's leading composers and a sought after harpist.  Life has a way of sending you down paths that  you might not have originally considered.  In our chat Ailie talks about how she studied genetics at Cambridge University for four years then decided to take a gap year to pursue a masters degree in Irish Traditional Music at The University of LImerick’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, my alma mater.  Working with Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and others at UL helped Ailie start down a path that has led her to be an in demand composer and performer.  Her newest project is fittingly named “Adenine'' after one of the four nucleobases in the nucleic acid of DNA, a nice connection to Ailie’s years of studying genetics at Cambridge University.  Here’s a description of the album taken from Adenine’s Kickstarter page:This solo project creates rich, multi-layered soundscapes with use of an electric harp, a myriad of pedals, field recordings and a modular synth.Ailie is joined by an illustrious cast of musicians including a groundbreaking string quartet, and producer Jim Sutherland. This album is a homage to the harp and a celebration of it's multifaceted possibilities as both an ancient instrument and an undeniable force in contemporary music.Nial Keegan, Course Director for the MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance, is quoted as saying that Ailie’s,  “synthesis of Irish, Scottish and contemporary harping technique into an individual style represents the realization of otherwise unimagined possibilities for the Celtic harp.” The music that we are listening to is, “The Exploding Bow”  from Ailie’s album, “First Things First”. Ailie is also a founding member of The Outside Track who just released a Christmas album that is fantastic. LINKS:Adenine on FB: https://www.facebook.com/adenineAdenine video:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlxMu47cUM4&feature=emb_logoAilie’s Website: https://www.ailierobertson.com/The Outside Track: https://www.theoutsidetrack.com/ OTHER LINKS:Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick, Irelandhttps://www.irishworldacademy.ie/Composer Ēriks Ešenvalds:  www.eriksesenvalds.com/about/biography

Hi! Well, the holidays are right around the corner. One of the things that has helped us get through this crazy year of 2020, which feels like it’s been going on for over twenty years now, is the arts… Music especially.Also, support your local booksellers if you can.  Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for IndieBound independent booksellers and Oblong Books so I do get a small percentage of these purchases when you use the book links.And if you like what I’m doing here, please consider becoming a supporter. You’ll get special content, discounts, and more: jemi.app/moonoverthetreesmusic&theatre I can’t think of a better gift for you or your loved ones than music to listen to and to learn.  Here are links to music of the artists that I have interviewed on my podcast.  You can purchase these beauties directly from the artists’ pages so the money goes directly to them.  Also, if you play piano the harp arrangements translate nicely to the piano. Please subscribe to the podcast and check out the interviews with these amazing artists:Listen on Apple Podcasts, Listen on Spotify or Listen on Stitcher Upcoming interviews with: Janet Harbison, Ailie Robertson, Deke Dickerson, and Eddie Baraneck. I’m happy to announce that my flagship podcast is being rebranded as, “HarpSong”. Join me over on Facebook in our discussion group. Meet the artists and chat with fellow harp fans.www.facebook.com/groups/harpsongpodcast