New Demo Recording

Last week, I made my first new demo recording since the summer of 2004. It was about time! I was very pleased with the results, and the new clips are up on my website's repertoire page at http://www.theclassicharpist.com/rep.html. Peak Audio Productions did the recording and mastering, and I'm really looking forward to working with them again on a new project as soon as I get more of the arrangements done. Hopefully there will be news on this by early fall....

Student Achievements

January has been a busy month in my studio! After I spent most of my time in December performing, it was a wonderful change of pace for me to get to sit back and enjoy watching my students perform.

On January 14th, I held my first ever studio recital. Thanks to all the hard work of the students, accompanists, and my family, it went extremely well. For many of my students, this was a trial run for ISSMA solo and ensemble contest. The program included:

American Lullaby (Liz H., Soprano)*
Homeward Bound (Kayla W., Mezzo-Soprano)*
Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes (Janice B., Harp)
The Water is Wide (Becca K., Mezzo-Soprano)*
Someone Else's Story (Melanie B., Soprano)*
O Danny Boy (Beth C., Harp)
American Lullaby (Emily G., Soprano)*
O del mio dolce ardor (Jen P., Mezzo-Soprano)
My Favorite Things (India W., Mezzo-Soprano)*

Yesterday, January 27th, was ISSMA contest. I had ten students enter, and they received nine gold medals and one silver! In addition to those students marked with an (*) above, these students also performed:

Into the Night (Meg G., soprano)
Charmant Papillion (Cera T., soprano)
O mio babbino caro (Anna B., soprano)
O Isis und Osiris (Charley P., bass)

Congratulations to everyone who competed this year. It's a nerve-wracking experience, but it does get easier every time you do it. Both Charley and Cera competed at the Division I level, so their gold medals qualify them for the state competition in Indianapolis later this Spring.

I also have several new students who have joined my studio this month. Welcome to:

Sophia S., piano
Tiffany R., voice
Dana M., voice
Randy A., voice
Jennifer S., voice

Keep up the good work - you have all made me very proud, and it is an honor to work with each one of you!

My first Irish session!

On Monday night, I played in my very first Irish music session at a local pub (Fiddler's Hearth in South Bend). My husband and I were there for dinner, and I wanted to just listen in. As we were leaving, we asked the leader to tell us a little more about the group that would be there, and foolishly let him know that I am a harpist. He asked how far away I was from my harp, and told me to come back right away!

Absolutely terrified, I joined the group a few minutes later with my new Blevins Celtic harp in tow. Poor Jeff just had to sit at the bar and drink Guiness all night while I tried to keep up with a group of stellar Irish musicians! I had really no idea what to expect. In my typical line of work, I never have to memorize harp music. So the only tunes I could play are the ones in my books - having sheet music is of course a cardinal sin in this session. But I've known for awhile that this is something I need to tackle - my new goal is one tune memorized per week.

I felt more comfortable when I was just able to play chords in the background like the guitarists and mandolin players. My music theory is quite good, so it's no problem to do that, as long as I know what key we're in! I finally figured out that if I watched the guitarist across from me, then I could see when the chord changes were coming, and I was able to anticipate them a little better myself.

This was certainly an 'out of my comfort zone' experience for me! But I know I want to go back, so I need to get memorizing. I'm sure Jeff won't mind a couple of Guinesses a week either!

Most Popular Bridal Processional Music

No song is more important to a bride than the one that plays when she comes down the aisle. I have played the harp for literally hundreds of weddings, and have compiled a list of the most popular pieces (no surprises there!) as well as some less familiar but equally beautiful options.

By far, "Bridal Chorus" from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner is the run-away favorite. Also known as "Here Comes the Bride," I perform this at approximately 45% of the weddings I play. Tradition is strong, and many brides want to walk down the aisle to the same song their mother and grandmother used.

Not far behind is "Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel. Another wedding standard, this is also an extremely popular piece for the bridesmaids' entrance. This song accounts for about another 22% of my bridal processionals.

After the big two, not many songs are repeated from wedding to wedding. The only other ones that I have played for more than one ceremony are:

Hymne by Vangelis (0.07%)
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (0.04%)
Trumpet Tune (0.02%)
Trumpet Voluntary (0.02%)
Can't Help Falling in Love (0.02%)

For brides that want something comletely different, many look to popular music and Broadway shows for inspiration. Some of these selections include:

Storybook Love from The Princess Bride
That Next Place
Wedding Processional from The Sound of Music
You are So Beautiful
The Prayer from Quest for Camelot
Love Can Build a Bridge
The Luckiest
The Rose
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella
All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera

If you prefer classical music, but want something less familiar, a few pieces from past weddings include:

Pavane in the Style Renaissance by Paul Wachs
Gate at Kiev from Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky
Hornpipe in G by Henry Purcell

There is really no limit except your imagination! Whether you prefer the traditional favorites, of have always envisioned walking down the aisle to a jazz standard or Celtic jig, just ask! Even if your selection is not listed in my repertoire (http://www.theclassicharpist.com/rep.html), I can learn just for your wedding. Some of my favorite pieces have come from brides' special requests. If you would like to hear these and more options for your wedding day music, please contact me (devon@theclassicharpist.com or 1-877-HARP-578).

October Weddings & Pictures

I've been very bad at getting things posted this past month, so this will be a long one! My most recent wedding was at Sergeant Means Park in Olympia Fields, IL. The room has GREAT acoustics, and the bride selected some very unique music for her ceremony. We started with "Moon River," and the bride's entrance was to Ben Folds' song "The Luckiest." The couple met at a Cubs game, and chose "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as their recessional. I love it when a bride really uses the music to reflect her personality and favorite songs! So maybe I had a little too much fun with this picture and Photoshop....


On October 14th, I was up by Lake Michigan for what was supposed to be my last outdoor wedding of the season. Unfortunately, it was a rather nasty day and the wedding was moved inside the inn. You always have to have a back up plan and consider the comfort of your guests. Your harpist will also thank you! They chose familiar classical pieces for their ceremony, including Schubert's "Ave Maria," "Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring," and Pachelbel's "Canon in D." We added the traditional fanfare (the same as "Here Comes the Bride") before beginning Canon, since that helps the guests know wheen to stand up and announces the entrance of the bride. I really beleive that you could play that fanfare anywhere and everybody would get out of their seats! I may be wrong, but I think this is the first time I've played underneath a mounted deer head.


I had two weddings on October 7th. The first was a ceremony in Michigan City. I shared music duties with the wonderful church organist. It's always a pleasure when they really welcome me, as many organists can be a bit territorial when another musician is on their turf! The bride chose Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze" for the seating of the families, "Canon" for the bridesmaids, and the organist played "Jesu, Joy" for the bride's processional. During the ceremony, they requested that I play Godefroid's "Romance without Words" as a harp solo. They had a classic car from Rag Tops Auto Museum as their get-away ride. I had no idea that they hired out cars, and it made a great alternative to the standard white limo!

My second wedding was a ceremony and reception in Schererville. The couple chose traditional pieces for the ceremony, and we mixed up classical and popular selections for the cocktail hour. What I will never understand is why wedding photographers always take my picture while I'm tuning before the ceremony begins. It actually happened at both weddings on this day. So no, I do not really play standing up with a wrench in one hand! It's no wonder that there are so many figurines and paintings of harpists and harps in strange configurations. My mom gave me one where the harpist is sitting in front of the harp rather than behind it. Don't know why, but it drives me crazy!

So that's the run down for October (so far - one more ceremony on Saturday). November usually slows down as the traditional wedding season draws to a close, but this year it doesn't look that way. Good thing I like keeping busy!

Harp Stork!!!

My new harp arrived today!

It is a 36-string Blevins lever harp, and I got it for playing outdoor weddings (especially the ones on the beach that the larger pedal harps just can't get to). It's also going to be great for my students to use at their lessons. I've been wanting a large Celtic harp for awhile, and finally scraped together enough to buy one. I've had smaller lap harps, but this is a nice middle ground between those and my pedal harps.

It has a beautiful maple finish, with legs to match. I even got out the screwdriver myself to put them on. When I really want something, even I can be handy!

Right now, I'm patiently (sort of) waiting for the strings to keep pitch. They are loosened to prevent damage in transit, and take some time to readjust to being in tune. I can't wait to actually be able to play it! I know it will take some adjusting moving from pedals to levers, but I'm looking forward to giving it a go.

Harp + Harpist = Tourist attraction?

Last weekend was another two-wedding Saturday. Follow that up with a former classmate's homecoming recital, and you have a busy day!

My first wedding was a harp & violin duet gig with my friend Amanda. Although traffic was bad and her car almost got hit on the way, we made it with a couple of minutes to spare. Welcome Home wedding planners were coordinating the ceremony, and they always do a super job of making sure everything runs smoothly. We actually got the right cue to begin the music for the seating of the families! That's the only part of playing for weddings that still makes me nervous. Once things get started, it's no problem - I just worry that grandma will start down the aisle before anybody warns me that she's ready! We played Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Canon in D, and Trumpet Voluntary.

As we left the ceremony, the storm clouds started rolling in - lightening and everything. Of course, my second ceremony was to be outside! I had time to stop for some much-needed coffee and pulled up to Meyer's Castle. It was still raining, but they said there were no plans to move the ceremony - yet. So I unloaded everything but the harp and put all of the equipment under an awning to keep it dry. Fortunately, the storm didn't last more than half and hour, and the wedding was able to go ahead outside as planned.


I was set up behind the guests, close to the staircase the bride and her attendants descended. She had chosen this location so the photographer could get shots of her and her wedding party through the harp strings.


Because of the iffy weather, guests were slow to take their places for the ceremony to begin. No problem - I have HOURS of prelude music if I need it! During this time, guests lined up to stand right next to the harp, and have people take their picture with me. It was a lot of fun, and I just kept smiling (I hope - we'll see if anyone sends me copies)! I do this so often that times like that help remind me how unique my job is. I have harps in my living room and look at them every day - most people don't! It's a great feeling to bring such joy to people through my music, and introduce the harp and its music to people who have never seen or heard one before.

At the end of the ceremony, the had a dove release. I've seen a couple use two doves, but this was a whole flock! It was an amazing sight, and I'm sure the pictures will be spectacular. The music for this wedding included Canon in D, Bridal Chorus, and the Wedding March. The couple liked "harpy" music, so I was sure to put in lots of glissandos, especially during the bride's entrance.

So I dodged the weather bullet yet again - this has been a lucky summer! Just one more outdoor wedding to go....