Practicing Harp Happiness

Is playing the harp harder than you thought it would be? Ever wish you knew the secrets to learning music that only the experts and the eight year old YouTube stars seem to know? Want to finally finish the pieces you start and play them with ease, confidence and joy? Harp Mastery founder and Harp Happiness expert Anne Sullivan believes every harp player can learn to play the music they want the way they want. Tune in as she clears the confusion around topics like fingering, technique, sight reading and practice skills and shares the insider tips that help her students make music beautifully. Whether you’re playing the harp for fun or you’re ready to take your playing to the next level, each Practicing Harp Happiness episode will reveal the strategies and insight you need to fire your imagination, enjoy your practice and love your harp playing.

How Not to be a Control Freak Harpist - PHH 247 02/02/2026

How Not to be a Control Freak Harpist - PHH 247 Today we’re talking about control. Control is a word that comes up a lot in our harp playing, whether it’s about controlling our fingers, our dynamics, tempo, tone, focus, or a hundred other relevant things. It feels like we’re always trying to gain control over something in our playing, or over ourselves. But the path to mastery isn’t about asserting control; it’s actually about letting go of control. If you search, you can easily find dozens of books that explore the idea of control in music, and nearly all of them start out with the idea - sometimes it’s even written in the title - that we gain control by letting go. It’s a simple enough concept, but it comes with a big paradox: letting go of control essentially requires us not to do what we’ve been training ourselves to do. For example, we train ourselves to play the right notes, which usually requires a lot of focus, concentration and sometimes sheer willpower, in other words, control. But if we don’t let go of that control, our music doesn’t flow. Another example is our technique. We work hard to teach our fingers to play the right way, and we want to make sure that they behave themselves. So we keep paying attention to them; we keep them in our control. Of course, this means that we don’t have the attention to spend on making the music expressive, and we don’t let our fingers play naturally, because we want to make sure they play correctly. Perhaps the best example is when we try to play faster. We want to stay in control, and the challenge of playing a passage or a piece faster, creates chaos. We resist the chaos, with the result that we never achieve that faster tempo. The crux of the dilemma is this: we need to control many different elements in our playing, but if don’t let go of control, we can’t achieve the expressive, fluid musical playing we want. And practicing not controlling these things feels uncomfortable and even wrong. But today, I’m going to show you how to let go of control without the fear and without feeling like you’re on the brink of disaster in your playing. I’ll teach you a three-step system for keeping your controlling instincts in check, to allow them to serve your music instead of hold it back. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Register for my free webinar, Let me help you create your personalized Breakthrough plan on the Learn control practice techniques in my Kaleidoscope Practice e-book. [LINK to shop] Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-247 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39954175

Next Level Repertoire: Turning Baby Steps into Giant Strides - PHH 246 01/26/2026

Next Level Repertoire: Turning Baby Steps into Giant Strides - PHH 246 Have you ever started learning a piece that seemed like it should be relatively easy to learn, and then discovered it was actually much harder than you thought? Of course you have; it happens to all of us. In this situation, we have a choice. We could persist, digging our heels in and fighting our way through the piece anyway. Or we could put the piece aside for the time when we are ready for it. (By the way, that time only comes when we are very focused on leveling up our skills.) Neither choice feels good, mainly because we feel like we aren’t growing. We feel like our playing is staying at the same level. In fact, one of the reactions I see from harpists in this situation is that they choose to put aside the challenging piece and play another piece by a composer or arranger whose works they know they can play easily. Unfortunately, this can mean that the music they’re playing and the finger patterns they are learning don’t stretch them at all, but actually keep them stuck in the same place. Obviously, there’s a gap we need to bridge. It’s the gap between our actual skill level and our perception of our skill level. It isn’t that we think we’re better than we are; it’s not a case of inflated ego. It’s just that we can’t see the holes we need to fill before we are actually ready to learn the piece. Sometimes the holes are missing technical skills, like independence of the hands that makes playing hands together fluid and easy. Sometimes it’s a musicianship skill, maybe fluency with a rhythmic pattern or quick chord recognition. My point is this: you shouldn’t have to take baby steps with your music. It’s important that you play the music you truly want to play, not feel trapped playing music that isn’t what you really aspire to. But you don’t have to take such a giant step that you’re struggling to learn a piece in a reasonable amount of time. If you’ve ever ridden the Underground in London, you may remember the signs and announcements alerting you to “mind the gap” as you step from the platform onto the train. That’s my idea for today; I’m going to show you how to mind the gap between the music you can play and the music you want to play so your journey will be faster and easier. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Plan your growth with The Harpist’s Breakthrough Blueprint. ! Last call for the Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-246 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39864010

Next Level Musicianship: The Sensory Triangle - PHH 245 01/19/2026

Next Level Musicianship: The Sensory Triangle - PHH 245 If you’ve listened to me for a while or taken any of my classes or workshops, you know that I love finding the solutions to problems we harpists face and creating the step by step plans to take action to solve them. I’ve discovered over my years of teaching that it’s not hard to define the problem, at least the surface problem. For instance, if your left hand can’t play the notes in two specific measures of your piece, then that’s the problem, and the solution is easy: drill the notes. Sometimes, however, the real issue lies a few layers down. Maybe the reason the left hand can’t play those measures isn’t the notes. Perhaps there is a technical issue, or maybe reading bass clef is the sticking point. It could be a counting issue or even not quite understanding what the meaning of the music is at that moment. So when I’m working with my Gold Circle students, we often spend some time digging a little deeper to see where the real issue is. Then we can define the proper steps to address it. I’m mentioning this, not because we’re going to talk about solving problems today, at least not exactly. What I want to point out is that music study isn’t as linear as we would like it to be. It would be terrific if we could practice a piece, put extra time on the hard spots, polish it up and play it, but we all know that it doesn’t always work that way. That’s because when we play music, we are using a very complex set of skills that involves much more than just playing with our best technique or learning the notes. This is the skill set that comes under the heading “musicianship.” In today’s podcast episode, I want to talk about the specific musicianship skills we use everyday in our playing and how to keep them growing and developing. These skills are truly key to your growth as a harpist. I’ll help you understand how they connect to each other and to your playing, and we’ll talk about how to integrate more intentional musicianship skill development into your daily practice. And we’ll do that using a concept I developed called the Sensory Triangle. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Get organized with The Harpist's Breakthrough Blueprint Intensive - ! blog post Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-245 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39691740

Next Level Technique: 3 Myths You Need to Bust - PHH 244 01/12/2026

Next Level Technique: 3 Myths You Need to Bust - PHH 244 If you heard last week’s podcast, you may remember that this month’s podcast episodes are all about growth, your growth as a harpist and the systems and skills that are necessary for that growth. Last week, we talked about three key systems that you need to have in place for growth. This week is all about technique. I know it may sound like a dry as dust topic to some of you. Harpists generally fall into two distinct camps: those who hate doing technique exercises and those who love them. So if you love your Grossi and LaRiviere or whatever exercise book you use, this podcast is going to be right up your alley. We’ll dive into how you can use what you’re doing now to get to that next level of technical proficiency. If you’re in the other camp, one of those who feels like exercises are torture when all you want to do is play pretty pieces, I hear you. I’m talking to you as a convert. Granted it was many years ago when I finally realized that exercises weren’t just for solving problems, that they were more like the gas in my harp-playing engine. I totally understand just wanting to play music. What I want you to get from today’s podcast episode is that a consistent plan for strengthening your technique will take your playing further faster than just about anything else. And this plan doesn’t have to be all exercises either. We’re all about harp happiness here, and that includes when you’re practicing your technique. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Register for Podcast episode #243: Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-244 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39689730

Architect Your Harp Playing Growth with 3 Key Systems - PHH 243 01/05/2026

Architect Your Harp Playing Growth with 3 Key Systems - PHH 243 A system is comfort. When we have and follow a system, whether it’s for completing tasks, or crafting, or making a grocery list, our mind can be at ease. Why? Because we know we have the steps to complete our task, and all we have to do is to follow the steps and the task will be done. When it comes to harp playing, people frequently make one of two mistakes. One is thinking that harp playing is inherently creative, and therefore a system is not only unnecessary, but it will rob your music of its soul. The other is trying to systematize everything about your playing in an attempt to get consistent results or make consistent progress. If you heard last week’s podcast, you know that the word “progress” is one of the words I’m trying to steer clear of this year, but it is one I am going to find hard to avoid. What’s interesting, though, is that systematization is one of the “progress” traps. Progress, meaning in this case growth either overall growth or integration of a single piece of music, defeats every attempt we make to predict it. But that doesn’t mean that systems are useless for us; in fact, it points out how much we need systems. We just need the right ones. So today I’m going to give you a systems roadmap, three systems that can predict your growth. I know these systems are powerful, and I hope that today’s show will convince you to look at how you do what you do with your harp playing, and give you some quick and easy ways you can make an upgrade. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Still some spots left at the Getaway Retreat. ! Related resource blog post LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-040 Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-243 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39600115

My New Vocabulary for 2026 - PHH 242 12/29/2025

My New Vocabulary for 2026 - PHH 242 For me, and I think for many people, this last week of the year is a supremely hopeful one. The rush to get ready for Christmas is behind us and the promise of a new year is finally in focus. We’re faced with possibilities for a change, instead of pressure. I realize, of course, that for many of us those possibilities for the new year include uncertainty, worry and fear which are beyond any assistance I could give on this podcast. I can merely offer prayers that the universe grants us all the courage and resources we need to face the circumstances before us. And I will stick to what I know best, how to help you find more meaning, joy and fulfillment in your harp playing, It has become a fairly wide-spread practice at the beginning of the year to choose a word or a phrase to be your touchpoint throughout the year, to inspire you, motivate you and keep you focused. As I was thinking through my word for 2026, I realized that many of the words I have been using frequently in my teaching and in my own practice are words that carry too much weight. They have a charge, a negative charge like a negative ion. Some of those words didn’t start out that way in my vocabulary. In fact, more than one of them I intentionally chose to use to reduce the negative connotation of another word. Still, it’s the right time to rethink them. Words shape our thinking. They can create boxes that limit us, that hold us back from achieving what we want in any area of life, including our harp playing. Or they can free us to love what we do and to find new energy for doing it. I’ll tell you my word - it’s actually two words - for 2026, but before I do that I want to share the words that I am rethinking for the coming year. My goal is to be more mindful of my language in my teaching, and that includes my teaching you on this podcast. These are words I use all the time so it will be an adventure for me, for sure, but if my 2026 vocabulary words help you reduce any negative charge that is impacting your harp playing, it will have been more than worth the effort. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Time is running out to join us at the Getaway Retreat. Make your harp dreams come true this year - Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-242 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39549055

Classics for a Relaxing Holiday Playlist 12/22/2025

Classics for a Relaxing Holiday - PHH 240 12/22/2025

Classics for a Relaxing Holiday - PHH 240 It’s Christmas week, and for me, this is a week to finally settle into the holiday mood. This is the time we decorate our tree, get in touch with friends and family, and start reveling in the spirit of joy and peace that feels so elusive other times of the year. So this is not the week I want to dive into a heavy teaching topic here on the podcast. What I want to do today is spread a little holiday harp happiness with a short musical program for you to enjoy. The theme of the program is “Classics for a Relaxing Holiday,” classical music that is appropriate for the holidays, but isn’t specific to this time of year. In other words, no jingling bells or Santa Claus songs - just calm, perhaps even meditative harp music, assembled from my various recordings and videos. I’ve listed the program in the show notes, and for some of the pieces, you’ll also find links to sheet music arrangements in our Harp Mastery® shop. I’ve also included spoken introductions to each piece to give you a little of the background to the piece or what I love about it. But I realize you might want to make this music part of the background to your holidays without the narration, so in the show notes I have put links to alternate ways to download or listen to the music. One is a bonus podcast episode that has only the music, without the speaking. The other is a link to the music on YouTube where I’ve added some harp photographs that I have taken on my recent travels. PROGRAM: all arrangements by Anne Sullivan Largo, from Winter by Vivaldi from Two from Messiah by Handel Mozart in a Minute Ave Maria by Schubert from Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach)/Ode to Joy (Beethoven) Peace, a Fantasy on Dona Nobis Pacem Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: to your device. Listen to the Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-240 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39482430

The Stories Behind the Songs: Three Carols Revisited - PHH 239 12/15/2025

The Stories Behind the Songs: Three Carols Revisited - PHH 239 I’m kind of a Christmas carol geek, if there is such a thing. I’ve always enjoyed playing them and even as a young person, I was fascinated by where they came from: their origins, translations, composers, text sources, etc. For me, the stories behind the carols were a kind of history and geography lesson rolled up into the magic and meaning of Christmas. I think the origin stories are what really held my interest. The writing of “Silent Night” because a church organ in Austria was damaged, or the composition of “O Holy Night” as a dedication piece to a renovated organ in France are stories that aren’t just interesting, though. They shape how I think about those songs and how I play them, certainly how I arrange them as well. Today, I want to share the back stories to three carols. I know you’re familiar with these carols, but you may not be familiar with their origin stories. If you’re like me, you love hearing insider scoops and these are back stories you probably won’t hear anywhere else. What’s more, these three carols all share similar ethnic roots; they are all, to some degree at least, Czech. I think all of these stories are interesting, and I think I can guarantee that at least one of these connections will surprise you. What I hope is that you learn something that will give you a new connection to the music itself, so that when you play these carols or even when you hear them, they resonate in a little more personal way because you know just a little bit more about them. It’s kind of like discovering something new about a friend you’ve known for years, something that adds a new layer of interest and delight. So sit back with your cup of coffee and I’ll tell you a story. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Blog from the archives: Blog from the archives: Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-239 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39399720

How Purpose Fuels Progress: The Map You’ve Been Missing - PHH 238 12/08/2025

How Purpose Fuels Progress: The Map You’ve Been Missing - PHH 238 My first ocean cruise was a cruise from New York City to Bermuda. I’d never been on a big ocean liner before. Although I’ve done a couple other ocean cruises since then, I’m not really a fan. I love exploring, and there is only so much exploring you can do on a ship in the middle of the ocean. But on this first cruise, I did love the feeling of being in the middle of the vastness of the ocean with nothing but water all around. The feeling of not having any landmarks - literally - was a little exhilarating and more than a little awe-inspiring. Naturally, I wasn’t really frightened; I assumed, logically and correctly, that the captain and crew knew where we were heading and how to get there. I myself wouldn’t have had a clue, but I never doubted that I could rely on them to get me safely to Bermuda and back. Nautical navigation is a mystery to me, and I was impressed by the notion that all the power and energy of the ship would have been useless if the captain hadn’t set a direction and followed that direction with purpose. And that ties in with what I want to talk about with you today - the power of purpose. Our energy, our passion for playing the harp, is useless without a purpose. As I see it, purpose has two important ingredients. One is directional. When we have a goal we want to accomplish, we need to have a clear idea of how to get from here to there. This gives our practice a purpose every day. But purpose also encompasses meaning, specifically what our harp journey means to us. Without that meaning, our goals will not be as personally compelling and our progress will not be as swift. This is about our passion for playing the harp, not passion in a dramatic way, but simply our deeply felt conviction that we love playing the harp. Today, I’d like to help you consider your passion and your purpose, and how you can align them to make progress faster and to make both the process and the results more easily achievable and more deeply fulfilling. Real progress in our playing comes from the alignment of our energies and passion - the ship in my example - with a direction and of course, the courage to pursue it. So if you’re feeling ready to be a little courageous with me, let’s get started. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Discover your path to progress at the , February 27 - March 3, 2026 in Kissimmee, Florida. blog post from the archives. Podcast Episode #94: Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-238 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39315810

Music Angels: Leah Kim and the Transformative Power of Music - PHH 237 12/01/2025

Music Angels: Leah Kim and the Transformative Power of Music - PHH 237 I don’t do very many interviews on this podcast. I started the show as a way to help harpists with their learning and I wanted, and still want, to be able to use this podcast to teach, to encourage and to inspire harpists all over the world. But over the last year, I have realized that there are other voices I want to be sure that you hear. After all, learning comes in many forms and hearing a variety of voices and viewpoints enriches us and our harp playing in so many ways. So during 2026, one of my objectives is to bring you into conversations with harpists, musicians and others who inspire me. These are people I want you to meet, even if it’s only in this podcast format, because I want to share the inspiration that they have brought me with you. So today, I want to introduce you to a new friend of mine, Leah Kim. Leah is a violinist and her story starts in South Korea. Her story is truly an awe-inspiring one, and as you will hear, she shared a lot of it in our conversation. Since coming to the United States, she has performed and taught extensively, and currently she is Fine Arts Department Chair and Director of Music at Villa Maria Academy High School, founder/director of Villa Maria Conservatory, a violinist in Fairmount String Quartet, La Croix Quartet, and founder/Director of Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra and Chamberstrings Summer Camp. But it is her latest project that caught my attention and that was why I wanted to talk with her today. This year, she founded Music Angels, a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire and educate music students and musicians about the healing power of music, particularly through music therapy. Music Angels aims to be a bridge of hope and healing for those troubled, lonely, or sick, harnessing the transformative power of music. What you will discover as Leah and I talk is how Music Angels is not just about performing for others; it is about the ways in which we as musicians are enriched by sharing our music. You can see why I felt this fit right in with our focus on harp happiness. So let’s get right to my conversation with Leah Kim of Music Angels. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Read more about Don’t miss any of the Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-237 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39212155

7 Quick Fixes so You Can Play Your Stress-Free Best - PHH 236 11/24/2025

7 Quick Fixes so You Can Play Your Stress-Free Best - PHH 236 It’s time for a confidence boost. You’ve been practicing your holiday music and feeling like you’re making good progress, but it’s not quite there and the performance date is coming up soon. Your music is mostly fine. It has up days when everything goes perfectly and down days when it feels like you’ve never played the piece before. Maybe it’s not quite up to tempo. Or maybe there are just a few measures - or maybe more than a few - that are resisting all your attempts to learn them and play them smoothly. Whatever the issue is, it’s starting to be a little concerning because time is getting short. We never want to feel unprepared or less ready than we would like for a performance, but sometimes it happens, despite all our planning and preparation. Believe me, I am the last person who would try to tell you that you should have started learning the piece sooner, or practiced more. I know all too well from my own experience that sometimes music just takes longer to come together than we expect. But since we can’t change the performance date, we can’t wait for the issues to resolve themselves. We have to figure out a way to make everything work. That’s something every professional harpist knows. There’s a time when more practice is not an option. You have to look at where the music is today and make some choices. It’s not giving up and it’s definitely not staying up late to cram practice. Trust me - that never works. What I want to share with you today are seven things I have done when I have needed to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. These are things you can do which will save you stress and worry and allow you take a breath and relax. Even better, they will let you play beautifully, with confidence. You may have tried some of these, or maybe even all of them, yourself, but if you have a performance date coming up a little sooner than you feel ready for, consider this a reminder. It’s also permission. You don’t have to make this hard on yourself. That’s not what music should be about, and it certainly isn’t what harp happiness is about. So sit back, take a sip of tea and let’s dive in. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Free PDF: Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-236 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39137780

Where Harp Beginners Go Wrong - and Maybe You Do Too - PHH 235 11/17/2025

Where Harp Beginners Go Wrong - and Maybe You Do Too - PHH 235 I know what I’m going to talk about with you today could be controversial. It could sound totally off target to you. Nevertheless, I hope you will hear me out. I want to share with you why and how I think most harp beginners start wrong, even if they are working with a teacher. It isn’t exactly that we teachers aren’t teaching the right things or that we aren’t dedicated to the success of the students who are trusting us. It’s that the path we walk with them feels so slow. Every individual comes to the harp with a unique skill set and level of musical experience, with their own learning style and level of commitment. But each student comes to the harp with the same objective: to play music on the harp. That’s why I started the harp, and it’s almost certainly why you did too. So today I want to talk about the things that hold beginners back, that keep them from making the progress they want, from playing the music they want, in a timeframe that feels right to them. Most of these things are simply misunderstandings about how music study works and what really leads to growth. Whether you’re a beginner or not, some of these ideas may open your eyes to a faster way of learning, to a shorter path to the music. Specifically, we’ll review the steps that most beginners take and why those steps actually lead them away from progress. Some of these ideas may seem uncomfortable, even a little crazy, but I hope you approach our discussion today with an open mind and a willingness to investigate a different way of learning. I know I’m preaching to the choir here; you wouldn’t be listening to this podcast if you weren’t committed to playing the harp and to investigating anything that might help you do so a little better and a little faster. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Register for the Don’t miss the Early Bird pricing for the Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-235 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/39052780

Three Keys to Relieving Stress - PHH 234 11/10/2025

Three Keys to Relieving Stress - PHH 234 I was moving the harp the other day and once again, it occurred to me just how much stuff we have to carry around with us. Granted, I move my harp all the time for rehearsals and concerts - it’s a big Lyon Healy Salzedo model harp - so you would think I’d be used to it by now. I guess I am, mostly; I don’t have to think about what goes in the car, and my harp bag is always ready to go. But when I start counting the number of trips I have to make between my car and the concert hall in the pouring rain, I start wishing for a Star Trek transporter. But recently, while I was moving the harp, my bench, my stand, and my bag, I had a flash of insight; we harpists carry a lot of baggage with us. Not a revelation, I know, but it led my mind to consider the other kind of baggage we harpists carry, the stress that accumulates in our practice and performance. That’s a kind of baggage that piles up in a sneaky way until one day, we find it has overwhelmed us. The physical stress that is part of practicing, the mental stress that can come with intense focus and the emotional stress of wanting to do our best when we play can add up to a potentially toxic level. The worrisome part is we rarely acknowledge the stress as it is building little by little. There is simply a moment when we know we can’t take any more, often as we are in the final stages of preparing for a performance. That’s when we want to be at our most focused, but our mind and body are shutting down, trying to protect us from too much stress. I’m better at managing stress than I used to be, but stress used to be baggage that I always carried with me to some degree. It came and went in cycles, and I’m embarrassed to admit that it never occurred to me that this wasn’t or shouldn’t have been normal. I don’t want to be all doom and gloom here. What I want to talk about today is how to recognize that sneaky cycle of stress and release yourself from it. We’ll talk about the hidden symptoms of stress and how to recognize them and how to keep them from coming back. It’s time to ditch the excess baggage and feel free to play. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Are you a beginner? Register now for my free seminar, . , by Mary Jane D’Arville Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-234 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38970180

A Behind the Scenes Look at My Practice Week - PHH 233 11/03/2025

A Behind the Scenes Look at My Practice Week - PHH 233 Over the years I have had questions about my practice: how much practice I do, what I do in my practice, and so on. There has also been the occasional request to sit in and listen to my practice. I have always thought that my own practice routines and what I do on any given day in my practice wouldn’t be useful to share with most harpists, the reason being that the demands on my time and on my playing are vastly different from what the majority of harpists experience. And I have never believed that anyone could benefit from watching me practice or listening to my practice. But gradually I have been led to rethink that opinion. My thinking started to change with the introduction of Practice Labs in our Harp Mastery® Hub. In case you don’t know what our Practice Labs are, I will fill you in. They are online meetups that any of our Hub members can join, and all that happens is we practice in the same virtual space for an hour and a half. Our cameras are either on or off, and our microphones are off, so that although we can see everyone else on the call, we can’t hear them. We are all just practicing together. It’s a little like a practice study hall, where we are all doing our own work together. We hold them twice a week, on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons. The point of the Practice Lab is that it creates a scheduled practice time with a little nudge of accountability. No one takes attendance; you show up when you want to, if you want to and stay for as much of the time as you like. Sometimes we have a good number of people; other days just a few. I don’t make all of the Practice Labs myself, although I show up most days. And it was on the Practice Labs when I began to notice that some people wanted to show up just to watch me practice. It didn’t make sense to me at first. But now I have a different perspective, and that’s why today I want to share this behind-the-scenes look at my practice. If this sounds like a “why would I care about this” topic, I get it. But if you have any curiosity about what I practice, when I practice, how I practice and most importantly why I practice, then you will want to keep listening. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Getaway Retreat registration is open! . Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-233 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38884000

Starting a Piece? Don’t Take It From the Top - PHH 232 10/27/2025

Starting a Piece? Don’t Take It From the Top - PHH 232 So you decided to learn a new piece for the holidays - good for you! When I think of all the years I’ve been playing the harp, it’s a little amazing that I still feel a little thrill when I pick up a new piece of music to learn, and I’m sure you feel the same. Starting a new piece is a voyage of discovery with the promise of adventure, new notes to conquer, a few challenges to meet along the way, and finally, a beautiful piece of music we can play. Of course, the voyage is often a little rougher than we anticipate. It can take longer than we thought and can be more discouraging. We can’t always eliminate the difficulties or estimate exactly how long it will take us to learn a piece. However, we can give ourselves the biggest advantage we can by getting the strongest and fastest start we can to the piece. One of my frustrations with the way harp learning is often taught is that it teaches the student to be slow. Certainly playing slowly and learning carefully are necessary to developing good habits, to creating and maintaining a strong technique and to playing with relaxation and fluidity. But slow playing doesn’t have to be the first step in learning a new piece; in fact, it really shouldn’t be. It may be the way you learned to start new pieces when you were a harp newbie, but you have become a more experienced harpist since then. If you’re still learning with the same processes, it’s time for an update. So today, I’m going to give you a faster system for starting a piece. It works for any harpist at any level, and even if you’ve already started your piece, you can put this system in play now and you’ll cut out days or maybe weeks of your learning curve. But don’t think this is all about playing faster. It’s about starting with the music, so you can end up playing the music, instead of just practicing it. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Watch for our registration flash sale! Need help with your six week practice plan? ! Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-232 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38786065

Your Simple Six Week Holiday Music Readiness Plan - PHH 231 10/20/2025

Your Simple Six Week Holiday Music Readiness Plan - PHH 231 It’s nearly the end of October and already my daily practice is revolving around what I will need to play this holiday season. Yours might be too. The smart harpist knows that this is the time to plan your practice carefully so that you don’t have to cram practice time into an already overloaded holiday schedule. If we feel prepared to play going into the holiday rush, it makes everything about the holidays more fun. So now is the time to plan. We have about six weeks from now until the end of November. In my own planning I usually use our Thanksgiving as my target date to have my music ready. If you’re not up to speed on American holidays, our Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November, so date-wise, it’s a movable feast, but as it marks the kickoff for our holiday rush, it’s a great target date for music readiness. Today, I want to share what I think is the easiest and most realistic schedule for making sure whatever music you have to play this December will be ready. I start by looking at the three most critical decisions: what “ready” means (and believe me, it’s different for each piece, each player and each performance), how much practice time you have and how to divide that time among everything you want to practice and play. Once you have made those decisions, it’s about making a realistic and flexible schedule that allows you to get your music ready without the stress and lets you feel confident that you are ready to play your best. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: - last chance to get in! Join the Community in the Hub through the . Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-231 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38635915

Here’s Why You Should Do It My Way: A Teacher’s Response - PHH 230 10/13/2025

Here’s Why You Should Do It My Way: A Teacher’s Response - PHH 230 I once had a student say this to me: “But it doesn’t work when I do it that way.” We were trying to fix a passage in a piece she was learning. When she played the passage for me, there was an obvious stumble spot, and I had a definite idea about what was wrong and how to fix it. But after a week of trying to implement my suggestion, she came back to me, saying that her old way, even though it wasn’t really working, worked better than mine and so she was sticking with her way. Please understand that the student didn’t doubt the solution I was offering. She had tried it, just as I had suggested. She had confidence in my ability to help her surmount this difficulty. The frustration for her was not just that the solution I offered didn’t work; it was that her old way was actually better for her, at least at that moment. At that point in our lesson, I could have responded with the all-time favorite response of music teachers everywhere - you have to give it some time. That would certainly have been a correct response in that it was true, but that doesn’t mean it would have been very helpful. But if I didn’t want to trot out that old standby answer, I had to provide a different one. It was clear to me what she needed to know. She needed to know why. This was years ago. I hadn’t published all the resources that I have now. I didn’t have the teaching experience that I have garnered in the years since then. But even back then, I was a good teacher, one who not only knew the right way to do things, but was skilled at seeing the underlying problem that a student needed to address. What I needed to learn, though, was how communicate my methodology, not a technique method necessarily, but how I knew my way of solving the problem would be better in the long run. When “just trust me on this,” or “because I said so” aren’t good enough answers, the better response lies in the reason, the explanation, and that requires a teacher to dig deeply into her own expertise. After all, it’s likely been a long while since we teachers asked for those explanations ourselves. We’re at a point where we simply know, and that’s good for us, but less helpful for our students. So today, I’m hoping to share with you the reasoning behind some of those potential “because this is the way it works” answers. Whether you’re a student or a teacher, or just a harpist who has an inquiring mind, I’m sure at least one of these will click for you. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-230 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38548735

The 3 Things All Harpists Need to Do Well - PHH 229 10/06/2025

The 3 Things All Harpists Need to Do Well - PHH 229 If I were to ask you what you think the most important skills are for any harpist, what would you say? There are lots of obvious choices. You might include technical skills, like scales or arpeggios or putting hands together. You could mention skills like note reading, or sight reading, or rhythm skills or knowing basic music theory. What about working with a metronome or playing expressively? All of these are important, and none of them is particularly easy. While all of these are crucial, I consider them all just part of playing the harp. Every harpist develops these skills continually, every day, over a lifetime of playing. Some of them come more naturally than others, but we become more skillful in all of them over time. It’s also a fact that neglecting one of these essential elements - and my list was by no means a complete one - will limit our playing at some time in some way. Today, though, I want us to think about a different category of skills, skills that are less about actually playing the harp and more about the mindset we bring to our playing. Our ideas and attitudes play a big part in the pace of our progress, the ease with which we practice and play, and the satisfaction and fulfillment we experience along the way. I’ve seen too many harpists struggle in their playing, simply because no one ever told them how musical growth really happens, or shared with them the specific instructions that will enable them to make the progress they want, to play the music they want. These aren’t musical instructions; they are mindset instructions. They relate to our playing, but they also guide the way we work, how we spend our time at the harp. So while they aren’t “do this, don’t do that” directions, they are “put this on a sticky note on your music stand” reminders, and I’ve picked three big ones to talk about with you today. So get out your sticky notes, and let’s get going. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: . Get connected! . Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-229 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38467675

The Real Reason to Memorize Your Music - PHH 228 09/29/2025

The Real Reason to Memorize Your Music - PHH 228 Do you have to memorize your music? Of course not. How’s that for an easy answer? Okay, the podcast is over and we can call it a day. But of course, the answer isn’t that simple. No, you don’t have to memorize your music, but the fact that you’re asking the question tells me that you’re almost certainly thinking about memorization the wrong way, or at least very differently from how I have learned to think of it. What I want to help you understand today is the role that memorization can play in your musical growth, how it can make you a better musician, how it can help you learn music faster, not necessarily because you are memorizing, but because the act of memorizing brings your focus to the music in a different way. But not if you’re trying to memorize the way you may have when you were young. The kind of effortless assimilation that came so easily to me when I was younger, and perhaps to you too, doesn’t happen with my aging brain. I still memorize, but I use a process that is more conscious, less automatic, and I can tell you that the conscious process is easier, more secure and more interesting. When I memorize this way, I know I know my music. That’s practically confidence in a bottle. What I’m going to help you understand today is the true value of memorization, whether or not you ever play without your music, and how you can develop your powers of memorization, even if you can’t remember where you left your glasses. Memorization isn’t about remembering. It’s about learning and knowing, done purposefully, and it’s not as hard or as scary as you may think. If you’re already a confident memorizer, then that idea won’t be new to you, but keep listening, because there will be a few important ideas and strategies in this episode that will help you too. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Join the . Want more memorization tips? Check out podcast episode 158, Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-228 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38372075

Why Every Harpist Needs a Method - PHH 227 09/22/2025

Why Every Harpist Needs a Method - PHH 227 When I was a beginning harp student, the technical method I was learning - the Salzedo method - was something I took very seriously. From my very first harp lessons, I learned the important points of technique, as Salzedo taught it. I wasn’t studying with Salzedo, of course, but my teacher, Marilyn Costello, was a student of his, and his method was what she taught her students. For a long time, I played the harp in innocent ignorance of the fact that there were other harp methods. In fact, it was a revelation to me in those early years when I discovered that most harpists in the world didn’t use the Salzedo method. Truly, all the harpists I knew in the Philadelphia area were Salzedo method players, and it never occurred to me that this wasn’t true across the wider harp-isphere. Once that realization hit, I went into what I’ll call Stage Two of my education about harp methods. That was the stage where I believed that everyone who didn’t play Salzedo method wasn’t playing the right way and they would never be good harpists. Ah, the foolishness of youth! It didn’t take me long to realize how ridiculous that was; after all, there were many harp legends I admired who weren’t Salzedo players. Time for another outlook adjustment. My outlook has undergone many such adjustments in the ensuing years, mostly due to the evolution of my teaching philosophy. The basic underpinning for my thoughts on harp methods can be summed up like this: the method itself doesn’t matter. What matters more is that you follow one. Without a method, your technique and your technique practice is merely a collection of skills. The method is the organizational plan that brings together skills, sound, ergonomics, and more, and unifies them with a cohesive set of why’s and how’s. A method doesn’t leave you guessing about how to do something; it gives you the system to find solutions. In this episode, I will talk about the key points of technique that every method addresses and I’ll explore a few of the differences in approach between some common harp methods and why each approach works. It’s not about one way being right and the other wrong; it’s about having a plan you can follow. I’m hoping that by expanding your ideas about technique, I can encourage you to consider how following a harp method will make everything about your technique finally make sense to you. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Fast track your progress - . Looking for a teacher near you? . Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-227 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38299960

Perspective Over Perfection: The Secret to Playing with Freedom - PHH 226 09/15/2025

Perspective Over Perfection: The Secret to Playing with Freedom - PHH 226 I’m sure you’ve seen that famous optical illusion picture that can be perceived either as two faces in profile looking at each other, or as a vase. That image is named the “Rubin Vase,” after Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin, who authored a book in 1915 called “Visual Perception.” This image, and others like it, have stimulated much scientific debate about how our brains understand and process images. What fascinates me is that moment when my understanding of the image shifts, that instant where I can see the second interpretation of the picture. Naturally, there’s a technical term for that; it’s called a Gestalt switch. A Gestalt switch occurs when you change your perspective from one view of an image, a sound or an experience. As with the Rubin vase, you first saw it one way - as a vase - and now you see it another way - as two faces. There is much debate about the cognitive processes that allow this switch to happen, but there seems to be general agreement that the switch is hard for an individual to control. Sometimes you just can’t see the faces; you only see the vase. Nevertheless, we are talking about the necessity for you to be able to make that switch in your harp playing. Here’s the premise for this show. Making your piece sound like music isn’t about what you do; it’s about your perspective. In case I’ve made this sound too difficult, let me reassure you that I am positive you already do this in your playing. You just haven’t thought of it this way before. If you weren’t making this perception change, you would stay stuck on one measure and never get to playing the entire piece. What we’re going to explore today is how to make that perception shift intentional. Why would we want to do this? Because when we shift our perspective from playing the notes to playing the music, we play the music better. If this sounds a little mysterious, be sure to listen to the rest of the show, because this discussion will help you find more freedom in your playing. It will help you learn and finish a piece faster and allow you to play with more musicality and confidence. I know that sounds like a big promise, but I’m confident I can deliver on it. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Are you ready to work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach? Work with a . Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-226 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38207520

The Surprising Power of Just One More - PHH 225 09/08/2025

The Surprising Power of Just One More - PHH 225 Imagine you’re looking at a box of chocolates, knowing you’ve already had at least three too many. Your hostess is holding out the box to you, saying, “Have just one more. It couldn’t hurt.” It’s hard to actually know what one more would do. That “one more” candy might be the one that pulls out your filling. That “one more” episode of your favorite Netflix show might turn into an hours-long binge watch. That “one more” task before you leave the house might be the one that makes you miss your train. But there’s the other side of “one more” too. The extra rep in the gym that builds muscle and stamina. The extra pinch of spice that makes a dish delectable. That extra touch to anything handmade that makes it unique and treasured. Those are just a few examples of the beneficial power of “one more.” There are lots of opportunities for “one mores” in our harp playing, both helpful and distinctly unhelpful. When you know which of those extras you should avoid, you can stay out of some of the most problematic pitfalls for any harpist. When you know which ones have the power to move your playing ahead, that’s almost like magic. But there’s no magic to it, just a little information, and that’s what I’m going to give you today. I’ll give you the do’s and dont’s of the extra step, when it’s worth it and when you’d be better off having stayed in bed. In fact, I’ll share three things that you absolutely must avoid, and I’ll tell you why. And we’ll counter those with seven “one more” things that will multiply your efforts in ways you might not expect. There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get started.. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Join us at Back to School Night Are you ready to work with a Harp Mastery® Certified Coach? Work with a . Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-225 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38106605

Teacher to Student: If I Knew Then What I Know Now - PHH 224 09/01/2025

Teacher to Student: If I Knew Then What I Know Now - PHH 224 How often do we say, “If I only knew then, what I know now”? Sometimes it’s about life experience, like surviving teenage drama. Sometimes it’s about turning down an opportunity, like not buying stock in Facebook before the company went big. Obviously, we aren’t able to go back in time and really have a “do over.” I imagine that if we could, It’s more than possible that the result wouldn’t be what we expect. We can never know how our world would have been altered, if we’d taken the other fork in the road. We can only guess. Here’s my “if I only knew then” statement for today: If I only knew as a young harp student what I know now as a harp teacher. The fact behind this is key. The fact is that everything I learned about being a good student, I learned from trying to be a good teacher. If I had known as a student even half of what I’ve learned through my teaching, my harp life might have been so much easier. Most teachers of any subject will tell you how much they learn from their students. One of the most powerful things I have learned is how many different paths there are to being a harpist. Discovering how to craft a course designed with each student’s strengths, needs, goals and desires in mind is not easy. But I have found it indescribably rewarding. I have such deep respect for my students - for their efforts, for their achievements, for their trust in me, for the incredible people they are. But we aren’t talking about me or my students today, at least not exactly. What I want to share with you are the four most important aspects of being a harp student or a harp teacher. They have nothing to do with repertoire or technique. They are applicable to every student/teacher relationship, and they apply equally, but differently, for both students and teachers. I’m offering them to you today in the hope that they inspire you to bring a different mindset or intention to your study or your teaching or both. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Teachers Retreat registration closing this week. Level up! . Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-224 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/38034140

Banish Your Practice Blindspots - PHH 223 08/25/2025

Banish Your Practice Blindspots - PHH 223 Mirror, mirror on the wall. If only my mirror could show me all. We humans love our mirrors. At some deep-rooted level, we love to see ourselves. Maybe you remember the famous scene in the movie Lawrence of Arabia when Peter O’Toole playing Lawrence first puts on the white Arab robes and headdress. He is for the moment all by himself in the desert, so there is no dialogue. According to the film’s director, David Lean, the only instruction he gave O’Toole was to improvise what this young man Lawrence might have done in this situation. O’Toole experiments with the sweep of his robes by running and spinning, feeling the gleaming white cloth swirl about him. Then he stops, and with no mirror to hand in the desert, takes out his shiny silver dagger from his belt and tries to use it as a mirror to see how he looks. David Lean remembers remarking under his breath during the filming, “Clever boy!” Looking into a mirror, though, only gives us a limited perspective. We can only see what is in front of us. It takes multiple mirrors for us to be able to see our backs. Frankly, we have blindspots, spots that are difficult or nearly impossible to see. I always rely on a friend who can tell me if my hair looks okay in the back or if the tag on my shirt is sticking out. From time to time it’s a good idea to check your harp blindspots too. These blindspots are usually related to inefficiencies in our practice or skills we need to develop. They may be hampering or slowing down our progress. And the good news is that once you see the blindspot, just like the tag that is sticking out, you can fix it. So in today’s show, we’ll review 7 common blindspots. If none of them are yours, at least not right now, that’s great. You’ll have some additional knowledge you can use to keep them in check. But if you think your harp playing should be moving faster than it is, perhaps one or more of these blindspots will show you what you haven’t seen before, and you can get started removing that spot right away. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: New blindspot courses in the Harp Mastery® app! Want to take the Blindspot Quiz? Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-223 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/37931800

Susann McDonald: A Legacy of Connection - PHH 222 08/18/2025

Mistakes as Milestones: A New Mindset for Growth - PHH 221 08/11/2025

Mistakes as Milestones: A New Mindset for Growth - PHH 221 Not all mistakes are created equal. Sure, some need to be addressed and fixed. But others? They’re signs of progress. They tell you that your ears are sharper, your awareness is expanding, and your technique is evolving. Let’s put it in context. We live in a world that’s constantly trying to correct us. Type an email, and autocorrect will instantly jump in. Google will underline a word in red, and we assume it's wrong—just because it looks unfamiliar. But autocorrect doesn’t always get it right. And neither does your inner critic. Just because something feels like a mistake doesn’t automatically mean it is. In harp practice, this same principle applies. That little stumble in a piece might not be a sign of backsliding. It could mean you're playing at a higher level and noticing subtleties you didn’t even hear before. Consider this: I was deadheading flowers in the garden the other day. At first, I only saw a few to snip. But as I trimmed those, more and more faded blooms seemed to appear. I hadn’t missed them before—I just hadn’t noticed them. My attention had shifted, and I was seeing more clearly. Not because the garden got worse, but because I was more tuned in. This is exactly what happens in harp practice. The more you refine your skills, the more aware you become of tiny imperfections. And that’s not failure—that’s progress. But here’s the tricky part: this increased awareness can lead you down a rabbit hole of endless correction, and that’s where momentum can stall. If you’re constantly fixing, reworking, and over-analyzing, it can feel like you’re never getting anywhere. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about how to change your outlook so you can recognize the difference between real issues and natural growing pains. We’ll explore how to use mistakes as guideposts, not roadblocks, and how to keep yourself out of the pit of perfectionism. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to keep your progress moving forward—even when your practice feels messy. Just remember: all mistakes are not created equal. Not every mistake is a problem that needs to be addressed. Some mistakes are actually signs of growth and momentum. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Finish strong in the final week of our Hub Check out the new Learn section in the . Join the group coming to our Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-221 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/37467320

5 Things Your Teacher Can’t Do For You - and 5 Things She or He Can - PHH 220 08/04/2025

5 Things Your Teacher Can’t Do For You - and 5 Things She or He Can - PHH 220 You’ve heard me say this before: I had wonderful teachers throughout my musical life. From my very first piano teacher when I started piano at age four, through my harp studies from age eight and my college years at the Curtis Institute, my teachers were all I could have wanted. They nurtured me, encouraged me, pushed me, and took me to task when that was required, and believe me, it was required from time to time. Most importantly - and this is one of my core teaching principles to this day - they were as invested in my musical journey as I was. They took my learning and my musical growth personally, not as a reflection on them, but as a mission that mattered to them because my music mattered to me. It would be easy to say that they were the inspirations for my own teaching path, but truly, the path itself showed up more or less by accident. But as is the case with so many blessings, it showed up when I needed it and led me in directions I could never have expected. At each step along the way, I have learned more about what it means to me to be a teacher, and more particularly, to be the kind of teacher I want to be for those I am honored to teach. I’ll share a few more specifics about some of the steps on that path in a few moments. But my primary mission today is to share with you a few things I have discovered about how the ways we teachers think about our teaching, and how many students think about their learning, can be either useful and productive or possibly not. These are “big picture” concepts that may help you, if you are a student, get even more value from your lessons. If you are a teacher, perhaps these will inspire you to keep bringing the joy to the students you are privileged to work with. Or if you’re a harpist who is neither teaching or taking lessons at the moment, there might be some ideas that will give you some food for thought, maybe even energize your harp playing in a new way. I certainly hope so. That’s part of my job, coaching you here on the podcast today. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Register for our In the Hub: Week 9 of our Check out the new Learn section in the . Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-220 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/37467305

Back to the Harp—Without Killing the Vacation Vibe - PHH 219 07/28/2025

Back to the Harp—Without Killing the Vacation Vibe - PHH 219 I know I’m dating myself, but here goes… Back in the 1960’s there was a television show called “Sea Hunt.” The show centered around a free-lance scuba diver named Mike Nelson, played by Lloyd Bridges. Mike Nelson was a former Navy diver and a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. As a free-lance diver, he was hired for all kinds of dangerous underwater work, everything from salvaging precious cargo from wrecked ships to rescuing people trapped in caves. Each episode had dangerous situations and villains who were ready to slash the hoses on Mike’s air tanks. In nearly every episode, Mike would have to make a hasty ascent from the depths, which he would attempt to time carefully to avoid “the bends,” a potentially fatal condition more formally called decompression sickness. On occasion. Mike would have to spend time in a decompression chamber. Watching this as a child, I was fascinated by the danger of too hasty a return to the surface. On the one hand, Mike would be running out of oxygen and would need to get back on the boat quickly. But on the other hand, making his return too quickly could prove fatal. Talk about a dilemma. Today’s show is not about the bends, but it is about the possible downside, although not a potentially fatal one, of returning to your regular practice routine too quickly after your vacation. If you’re like me, you may come back from vacation with your fingers itching to get back on the harp strings. If you run right to the harp however, you might find it more challenging or even frustrating than you expected. Broken strings and creaky fingers are annoying enough to deal with, but the real issue is that the pieces we were working on seem so far from where we left them. In my experience, diving right into your usual kind of practice can instantly deflate your post-vacation high. Instead of being able to keep that feeling of freshness, relaxation and renewal, you’re right back into the practice grind you left. What’s the fix? The good news is that we don’t need a decompression chamber. All we need is the right mindset and a plan, and I have both of those for you today. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Calling all Harp Teachers! is open! Listen to Episode 60: Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-219 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/37467275

What Makes Any Piece a “Harp Piece”? - PHH 218 07/21/2025

What Makes Any Piece a “Harp Piece”? - PHH 218 Here’s our question for today: what makes a piece of music a “harp piece”? Does it have to have been originally written for harp? Or composed by a harpist? Or could any piece of music, no matter what instrument or instruments it was written for, be a harp piece if you play it on the harp? I happen to think that the third answer is the correct one. Mostly. Let me explain. If you play a piece on the harp, it has absolutely become a harp piece whether it started out that way or not. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it should have become a harp piece. Some pieces just don’t work on the harp. Take the “1812 Overture,” for example. This piece was written by Tchaikovsky to commemorate Russia’s victory over Napoleon. It’s 15 minutes long, It requires a full symphony orchestra (minus a harp), an additional brass band, a bell carillon and a battery of cannons - yes, cannons. How could a single harp play a meaningful rendition of this monster work? You could play some of the themes from the piece. You could shout “BOOM” when the cannons are supposed to fire. No matter how hard we try, though, it will never really sound like the original. Okay, that’s an extreme example. However, we harpists are known for borrowing music liberally from the piano repertoire. While that’s a good idea in general - after all, the harp and piano have a lot in common - some piano pieces never make good harp pieces, even when the piece translates easily from piano to harp. Sometimes, something gets lost in the translation. So what makes a piece of music a harp piece? What are the essential qualities and the specific characteristics that identify a piece as being written for harp, or that, on the flip side, mark it as definitely not a harp piece? Today, we will talk about those characteristics and how you can use them to spot pieces that might, or might not, be good ones to transpose or arrange for harp. This information will also be very useful when you’re playing someone else’s arrangement, and I’ll tell you why in just a minute. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Check out our brand new courses in the ! We’re halfway through our Are you in? Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-218 /episode/index/show/harp-happiness/id/37467235

Practicing Harp Happiness

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