A Long Expected Party

My posts here of late have been few and far between. It's not that I haven't been pursuing music, it's quite the opposite. Since I last posted I have completed building my ten string Kantele, pictures were taken by my sister and husband and I have yet to obtain them. When I do I will be certain to create a nice long blog post of my kantele building adventures.

Rehearsals for Season 4 of the Idisi has begun, and I am having a wonderful time with all of my wyld sisters every wednesday night. We are getting ready for a big photo shoot this coming Sunday, it will be a great time providing the weather is accomodating. Wyld women photograph best in a natural environment, after all. It's an exciting time in my life, and I am most looking forward to sharing all the happenings with my friends next month at my Annual Fall Music party.

Let's talk a little about The HOBBIT A Long Expected Party, shall we? I have preared some songs that are Middle Earth inspired, one on my mountain dulcimer, and three on my autoharp. I hadn't even had my autoharp in my little eager hands a week when I was suddenly inspired and worked out a melody to one of my favorite Tolkien poems, I Sit and Think, which is attributed to Bilbo Baggins:

I sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall never see.
For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.

This is the first song I have written that has words to it, so it is a milestone for me. I have a couple that I wrote on the mountain dulcimer and a couple on the five string kantele. I love to play them and I think they sound good, to my ears anyway, and if there are some quiet moments I may play them at the party as well.

While I would like to spend all my spare time practicing my instruments between now and November 17th, I will be spending a considerable amount of time getting the house ready. We pulled up the carpeting in the living room this past weekend, and there is more prep work to do before we can sand and finish the hard wood floors. The good news is that there does not appear to be any gouges or damaged boards. But there are many stains which may or may not come off in the sanding process. We'll see. A stained but re-finnished hardwood floor is still more attractive than a stained old carpet.

But back to the music, there is one little bit of trivia that I want to share. There is a strong link between Authoharps and The Hobbit. Marc Gunn, Autoharpist and Tolkien fan extrodinare, wrote some of my favorite songs in honor of middle earth that I have ever heard. In fact, his song Ring of Hope, is one that I have prepared for the party. But don't worry, you can learn some Hobbit friendly tunes in time for the event yourself. Just purchase his songbook via downloadable PDF, like I did!

Them's Pickin' words

I don't think I've ever taken a picture from my facebook feed and posted it here before. Well, there is a first time for everything, because I love everything about it. Here's why:

1. It's true
2. It's on a pick
3. The pick is on a chain that you can wear around your neck

Yup, that pretty much sums up what music can do. It keeps bringing me back, time and time again. When I need to express myself and I can't find words, I pick up an instrument. It's all about communication, even if it's only the cats I'm playing for. Frankly, I think they just may understand the music better than my innane banter I throw at them. Playing music has become a meditation privately, and all that time spent alone means I've gotten practice enough that I can play with other musicians now and again.

In two days I will be ready to send my final paymenet for my autoharp, and I feel really blessed. Many friends contributed to the Dream Autoharp fund, and I am humbled by their generosity. Dreams are something we can share with each other and participate in. Like songs, they speak to the heart when words fail.

Strange Zithers & Autoharp Gourmet Beef Stew

There's a pot of beef stew simmering on the stove, and my fingers are itching to play autoharp. I've tried plying them with my kantele, my dulcimer, even pulling out the wood pieces for my kantele kit and I still have itchy fingers. This ailment was probably triggered by writing out a check for my next payment for my Dream Autoharp that is on layaway with d'Aigle Autoharps.

I've also had dreams of strange zithers arriving on my doorstep. Rare and wonderful, I always find they come with complete instructions and I run into people who have played them for years. Never quite an autoharp, they have unusual gizmos or strings to set them apart from the ordinary zither. So now that the little beasties are haunting my dreams and making my fingers long for them, what's a girl to do? Look over her Autoharp Gourmet book that's what!

I have the CD around here somewhere too...ah there it is...much better having the soundtrack for this blog post going. The CD came with an electronic version of the music for every song on the CD. I was just starting to learn to pick melodies on my Autoharp when I had to set it aside due to a fatal crack in the soundboard that made it un-tunable. I was working with Karen Mueller herself as my teacher and her wonderful sheet music that came on the Autoharp Gourmet.

In just a few short months I hope to resume my lessons and continue on my journey as an autoharpist. Until then, I will peruse the web for videos, pictures, and more information. If I cannot feed my fingers by giving them an autoharp to play, then I will at least feed my mind and ears with the sound of this incredible instrument. The day my new autoharp comes will be a joyous one indeed! There will be happy fingers at last, and an Autumn Music party to plan. I love starting new things in the fall, it's a great time for me to learn and enjoy the good things in life. Even though it's the height of summer, that beef stew smells really good right now. I must be anticipating the arrival of the new addition to my little zither clan with all my senses!

My Dream Autoharp

This post is about my dream autoharp. Since the soundboard caved and bridge cracked on my learning instrument, (see photo on the left) I have been without an autoharp to play. She is sitting in a stand, looking pretty in my studio. I had her as my playmate for two years, from July 2009-2011. While I had her, I learned more about myself, and what I would need in a new autoharp. First, custom chordbars are a must. The factory ones that came with her needed adjustments just to work properly, and because I have a slight tremor, the floating buttons were a problem to me. When I became nervous, which is almost always while playing in front of people, my hands would shake. When my hands shook, the buttons would rattle against the chord bar cover. Hearing that noise would make me more nervous, even though others couldn't hear it, it was a huge problem for me. The cover is also plastic, and frankly, I don't like all that artificiality! So custom chordbars are a must.

The second thing I would  need would be a custom body. OK, that sounds obvious, but I did consider getting an Oscar Schmidt and have custom bars put on it, just to save a little cash. But my autoharp playing days came to an end when the soundboard cracked causing the bridge to give way and Viola! My autoharp became untuneable. There is 1500 lbs of pressure on an autoharp due to the pull of the strings. My teacher had another student that happened to with an Oscar Schmidt. She was lucky enough to still have the factory warranty on hers, so she got a replacement. I wasn't so lucky. So I began researching autoharps online, thinking what my budget would be. I'm still very much a student, so I was trying to keep the amount at a reasonable level, but when I look at my wants and needs, it just has to be a luthier made instrument.

There are a few that I've been considering. The first is the Evoharp.

One reason I like it is the price, it's less expensive than other luthier built harps. Designed by a player and teacher, Evo Bluestein, it is made to be lighter and have a more traditional sound. I like tradition, and my old 'harp was definitely too heavy. I even got a bruise on my leg from playing it too long without a strap! So the Evoharp definitely would be a step up from the Oscar Schmidt. It is made by McSpadden, a company known for it's mountain dulcimers and producing quality instruments. I also like the unique soundhole, the crecent and heart. I'm not wild about the chord buttons on it, but it has the flat button option available at an additional charge. It's available in a number of chord bar configurations, which is cool, as I have some ideas of the chord set-up I want. It comes with a 1 year warranty. Fine tuners are available as an additional option. It comes with a soft shell case. Personally, if I'm going to drop a grand on an instrument, I want a hardshell case for it. Nice base price, but my extras will add a little bit, and since I'm spending that kind of money, I'd want an electronic pick-up. Hmmm...the price is adding up, but this will be the ultimate autoharp after all. My Autoharp teacher is also my dulcimer teacher, so I mentioned the Evoharp to her. She suggested a different luthier who makes a 'harp in that same price range as another option.

Enter option #2: The Arkansas Autoharp. Karen's opinion on Authoharps holds great weight for me. She has been my teacher from the beginning, and there is no greater authority or player in the state of Minnesota, and few comparable around the world. Really, she is truly a world class instructor and player. So I looked up the website, and it has the fine tuners and flat-top buttons already, not something extra. It has a plain sound hole. Very. Plain. I know I'm not supposed to make this decision on looks, but if I'm going to be dropping a big wad of cash on this thing, then, well. I want it to be Pretty. Really I do. That's why I got the Appalachian OS, it had a pretty look to it. I bought it off of Ebay because I was looking for the best price. 

Very little information on the website, so I emailed for pricing details, and Karen was right, it's in the same price range as the Evoharp. It also has pick guards. There is a good variety of pictures on the website, but no mention of a warranty, and he does do lots of set-ups for the OS models, so he's familiar with them. But Karen doesn't play either of these harps. She has some old Oscar Schmidts which she has changed chord bars on, and then she has one made just for her. A KM Special is what is on the lable inside, and it was made for her by master luthier Pete d'Aigle. He's the one who worked on my OS to get the chord bars to work properly, and switch out some of the chords too. Between shipping there and back again, the cost of the optimising, it was almost as much as the purchase price. But she played much better after that. Really good, but not quite great. But I know he can do great, Karen let me play her instrument, so sweet! The chord bards connected with the strings so easily and completely. It's based on the d'Aigle Cascade, and it is a really beautiful instrument.

So, after months of consideration, I have made my decision. My Dream Autoharp is the d'Aigle Traditional Luthier's Classic, TLC for short. I have that web page bookmarked on my favorite's bar. It has everything I need in an autoharp, and it does cost more than options One or Two, but it will be worth the extra time and effort in saving up for it. It has everything I want and need in an instrument, and I'm personally familiar with the luthier's workmanship. It is one of the most beautiful autoharps that I have ever seen, comes with all the options I want and need. It even comes with a Five Year warranty on the workmanship. That gives me a little more peace of mind. I was just at a music jam the other night, and I really wanted my autoharp to play. I have picked up my old broken one, just to hold it, a couple of times. The goal is to get enough saved up for it, that I can have it for Spring of 2013. I'm on a mission to play zithers to the best of my ability. To honor the heritage of my ancestors, and to share traditional folk music from both Finland and Norway. So I play the mountain dulcimer and the kantele, but it was the Autoharp that opened the door for me. It led me to both those instruments, and it is such an American instrument, it brings it all home to me.

The spreadsheet has been made, so I can check my progress on saving for my Dream Autoharp. Today is April 1st, so I think it might be fitting to post this. Because I intend to pursue my dream relentlessly, because I know that dreams really can come true. Today, 4/1/2012, I am at 14.9% of the total goal for purchasing my autoharp. If you read this whole page, then you must have an interest in Autoharps, or your a very good friend. In either case, consider contributing to my dream autoharp fund by clicking on the donate button at the top of the right hand side bar. Every dollar helps me get that much closer to my dream. Thanks for reading!

* Update 4/28/2012 *

My choice for Autoharp changed and I am now going to get the lovely Desert Rose by d'Aigle Autoharps instead. You can read all about it by clicking here now. Thank you for your support, and don't forget to donate! I'll add an update when my darling autoharp arrives in a few long months.  :)

Missing My Autoharp

As much as I love my mountain dulcimer, and my kantele for that matter, I do miss my autoharp. I had two years of happy play with her, and I miss holding her against my heart. Lap instruments are warm and cozy,  but actually being able to embrace an instrument the way you do an Autoharp...well...there's just nothing like it. There were times that I would just put my ear next to the harp and close my eyes and play. There was such a wonderful sense of the vibration of the strings, and feeling the sound resonate from the body of the 'harp to my body when I played. That is what I miss, and that wonderful sound of so many strings ringing out at once.

Rather than break into my little pile of emergency savings to buy a new one, I'm saving for it instead, so it will take a while. Because, no matter how much I miss my autoharp, this is not an emergency. With my trusty mountain dulcimer at my side, I will get through the long and cold Minnesota winter while my savings grow to buy a new instrument. One thing that I have decided is that I plan to get a custom instrument, and my teacher Karen Mueller recommends the Arkansas Autoharp as a good option at a good price. I like the way it looks, and I'm sure I could adapt from a 21 bar to an 18 bar for most songs that I have in my book.

Until my savings account is full, I shall continue to give myself little pep talks like this in my blog, as a reminder that I'm a multi-instrumentalist. But I will continue to miss playing my autoharp anyway.

Cracked

After consulting with Karen Mueller, who gave me some tips on what to look for on my Autoharp that might indicate a more serious problem than just old strings, I found a crack. Now I knew last summer that the support straps holding up the soundboard had given way under the chord bars, but it was still playing great.

Not now, now I can't get it in tune, and what's more, the fine tuners/bridge is being pulled up and towards the tuning pegs. Because the crack is at the corner of my high C tuning peg and runs over an inch up. Boy has the soundboard sunken there! I think the only thing that's been holding it together these past six months is the heavy laquer.

When I purchased her it was in the middle of summer, July the hottest month of the year. The soundboard supports could have given way while it wiled away on my steps waiting for me to come home. Or it could have been that time I left it in my car before taking it in to have strap pegs added. That's the first time it was pointed out to me. The 'harp was hot, too hot, and homestead pickin' parlor said puppy rules apply. They pointed out the sunken area which I could see at that time when I looked from the bottom under the chord bars. I mentioned it to Karen and she said it still sounded fine, so I played it for another year until I noticed something wrong. This summer I took it camping, it was June and was not hot, just damp so I kept her in my car. I took her out and played her a couple of times, but I notice that she really needed a good tuning. After camping I left her in her case, and didn't play her again for a month, I tried to tune her but never got her very well in tune. I kept trying every week, and every week the middle and upper strings were way out of tune. Something told me this wasn't just a string thing, and now I've confirmed it.

May my darling Autoharp rest in peace. She sure does look pretty in her new stand. So now she is the first of my instruments to have died young.

Practicing the Autoharp

With all the excitement of the Advent of My New Mountain Dulcimer, I've neglected my Autoharp. Sad but true, it had been sitting in a chair cheerily waiting for me to pick it up for the past couple of weeks. Over the weekend I went into Dulcimer Input Overload, and I just can't bring myself to watch another dulcimer video for a few days. For a while I was practicing my Kantele, an essential part of toughening up my fingertips in preperation for the dulcimer. So my autoharp languished in it's chair expectantly waiting. Tonight I decided to at least tune it, then I had to make sure it was in tune by playing a song. I frustrated myself by playing one that I don't have the cord changes down completely, and then I played one I new a little better, and another, and another. Before I knew it an hour had gone by.

Yes, I still love my autoharp, and I need to get a couple songs down better over the next few weeks, because when my dulcimer arrives, it will have to take a holiday again. I am impatiently waiting, and feeling a little frustrated. I am taking a couple of long weekends in May, to get my gardens in order and then finally, finally, play with my new Mountain Dulcimer. I'll add details about that in my next post. A girl needs to gush about her new toy after all.

Small World Gets Smaller

I was so happy to find Marc Gunn on the internet. Now I find that I would have found him sooner if only I had gone to Marscon 2009. I was busy with things like moving, the timing just wouldn't allow me to get to the convention. Now I'm more committed than ever to go next year. Crazy world keeps getting smaller. Well, here is Marc doing something Filkish with the Autoharp:



I was actually Artist Guest of Honor at Marscon in 2006. Really I was. Now I'm eager to get back into the swing of going to conventions, showing my art, and hopefully singing some good old fashioned folk music, Celtic and otherwise. I've had two autoharp lessons so far and I'm getting the hang of it to the point that I'm currently learning 3+ songs with multiple strumming techniques.

Isn't life interesting? I was just thinking it would be so much fun to have Marc Gunn come to CONvergence or Marscon as a musical guest, and he's already been here. This must be the year of the Autoharp or something.

Irish Songs etc.

My Autoharp arrived safely to my home yesterday evening, completely out of tune and missing the tiny wrench needed for the fine tuning. Today I went out on a quest to obtain a tuner, some picks, sign up for my first lesson, and then to the hardware store for the wrench.

Online this week I discovered Marc Gunn. He's a fan friendly, Ren-Faire working, singer of Irish music and what's more - he plays Autoharp. For you purists out there, I will note that the Autoharp should not be played at a Renaissance Fair, as it was only invented in the mid 1800's, but it's great for Celtic music. But for me, it's the perfect fit, and he even has put together a lovely web-page for people like me who want to learn to sing and play Irish songs:

SF&F Con Creates Music...And Musicians

It's all Becca's fault. If she hadn't pulled out that Autoharp from the case on that fateful June evening and played it right there in front of me and the whole world, I never would have known how much I wanted one of my own. So now I've gone and ordered this one from Ebay:


So now it's my latest obsession, along with all things related to folk/irish music. It even comes with it's own gig bag to keep it safe and sound.


Speaking of sound, I plan to visit Homestead Pickin' Parlor to pick up a tuner and see about taking classes with Karen Mueller, because she actually did write the book on Celtic Autoharp. I may never watch TV again, I'll be busy tuning my Autoharp. And yes, Becca, it has 21 bars and the fine tuning. It was a good deal on Ebay, brand new, free shipping and even had the soft-case with it. I'm all kinds of excited to dive right in and learn how to play well enough to sing, and then well enough to play with the Autoharp as my main instrument.

BTW-I sing well without an instrument, but accapella sounds lonely in a music circle. The thing about Autoharps is that they are not respected by folks around here much. They probably heard more than one that was horribly out of tune and decided they weren't cool. Also, all you have to do to get a chord is push a button. That's a big plus for me as a vocalist, because it will be much easier to learn material without having the difficulty of learning guitar.

Life is meant for living, and I'm tired of sitting outside the music circle when my voice is longing to soar. I love the sound of the 'harp anyway, always have, and I plan to learn to play it well enough to earn a little respect with it as well.