Open NOW!

$139 $109 (20% OFF)

Get all the warmups, trainings, handouts, sheet music and multiple versions of this class!

I created this class in the first wave of the pandemic in multiple live sessions.  When you join now, you get to access ALL the versions of this class – every single sesssion – until we sit down and reduce it to a single version.  How cool is that? You get to see creativity in action and watch the development! 

But it gets better: I also identified what I think is the best from each of the versions so you can focus in on those if you want a more consolidated experience.  Either way, you get section-by-section teaching in how to play this beautiful piece at your level of technical ability — and get insight into the composition and arrangement process as you learn. 

Hip Harp Academy Presents

The “One Song” Learning Experience

“One Song” is a new way of learning music, to play the song of your heart.  When you learn to do that with One Song – you’ll know how to do it with any song.

We all need an emotional get-away
A place to feel safe, to hear the voice of our own hearts.

We need a song we can play to escape, a song we can play to connect, a song to help us tell a story, to soothe an anxious heart, to share joy, to bridge the silence, to take us on a journey …  and most importantly, a song to bring us back home again.

Any song can be a doorway to an infinite world – if you know how to unlock it.  In “One Song” you learn  how to do that,  starting with One Song:

“The Nightingale”

With the “One Song” experience, you quickly and simply gain the sense of achievement – truly playing the simple essence of the piece with all its expression and beauty.  Then you start to expand it – based on your abilities.  

Here's How the 'One Song' Method Works (click to open)

You learn the song in 4 phases – the way a composer creates it.

  • Symbolize: You’ll learn the structure, the map –  a way to see the entire piece in one view, the way a composer sees it
  • Simplify: You learn to play a distilled version – an ‘essence’ version –  created especially for this class by the composer
  • Master: By mastering the ‘essence version, you quickly experience the beauty of completing and playing the piece deeply  – rather than struggling to learn every single detail of a specific arrangement before you feel ‘good enough’ to play it
  • Expand: Once you’ve mastered the essence of the piece, you expand it – only as far as you want. For fledgling players, truly mastering the essence may be the peak experience. For others, you learn to unlock it in many ways. Why is that important? There are many reasons people play music. If you’re playing at bedside, you need to know how to expand it and add room for improvisation – and even interaction, if you’re playing at a wedding you may need to know how to accompany a singer, a flutist – or sing yourself; if you’re playing with others you need to know how to play it as a duet, trio, or harp ensemble.  Once you know the essence, you have the piece, and you can learn to expand it in infinite ways

These are things you will never learn from the sheet music. In “One Song” 

  • You will know this song as you’ve never known any other song. 
  • You will be able to play it as if you wrote it yourself.
  • You’ll know its essence, so you could play it with your eyes closed,
  • How to expand it into a story, or embellish it ’til it shimmers.

And everything you learn you can apply to other songs.  But you start with this one …

You learn it all with ONE SONG.

Here's What The Class Includes (click to open)

This special class combines pre-recorded videos you can watch any time PLUS TWO opportunities for LIVE virtual coaching and Q&A. Here’s what you get:

  • 24/7 Access to the online learning classroom for 3 months
  • Full access to all video training materials for this “One Song” title, plus downloadable audio files of each training session to keep in your own MP3 learning library
  • Downloadable one-page ‘map’ of the piece
  • Take-away notes for the “Essence Version” of the piece (this is an exclusive version for this class and not available in any commercial version of the sheet music)
  • Downloadable practice sheets and training materials

SPECIAL BONUS:

 LIVE Virtual Q&A “Nightingale” Masterclass sessions – plus access to the replays and downloadable MP3s.

Have you heard “The Nightingale”? 

There are many different versions of it. I’ve chosen just a few of my favorites to share here.
There are literally hundreds of wonderful versions of this song on YouTube, with the harp as the center of the arrangement, and players of all levels. It’s a highly adaptable song once you know how to go beyond the page.  And that’s what you learn in this class: “One Song: The Nightingale” – how to play the song YOUR way.

Harpist Emily Granger performing on a concert harp (emilygranger.com)

Christy-Lyn playing and singing the vocal version. (learningtheharp.com)

Josh Layne playing the instrumental version in the wild  (joshlayne.com)

Deborah Henson-Conant with chamber ensemble, playing a CAMC “Baby Blue” (the prototype for the CAMAC “DHC” Harp)

Duo Cell’Arpa (Cello and Harp) on TVR1 (duocellarpa.com)

Kimberly Chan playing “The Nightingale” for CPAC studios

The One Song Experience: The Nightingale

Register Now!

What if three hours from now…

√  You could sit down and play this beautiful song at your level – whatever that is – with complete confidence?

√  What if you knew how to use it to tell your own story? 

√  What if you knew how you could simply and easily arrange it to play with a flute player, a violinist, clarinet player, a bass, a cello without having to learn a completely new arrangement?

√ What if you knew how to play it as an instrumental – or actually sing and play it at the same time?

√ What if you knew how to improvise on it so you could use it seamlessly for bedside playing – or to expand it when playing at parties – or just to enjoy for yourself?

√ What if you could take everything you got in this learning experience and apply it to other tunes you know.

The One Song experience with Deborah Henson-Conant isn’t just about learning one song – it’s about learning the process of taking one song and opening infinite musical doors with it.

What if you could learn right in your own livingroom when YOU wanted to learn – day or night?

And go over the lessons again and again if you like.

Read what students say about Deborah Henson-Conant’s Hip Harp Academy Classes

"Really Powerful"

 Singing with the harp is a much more intimate way to connect -and playing simply gives so much emotional support to the singing.

It’s really powerful. I NEVER considered singing and playing…… but now I will.  (Laurie Grant)

"This is the Breakthrough"

Accompaniment on the harp has eluded me. This is the breakthrough – the relationship between the song and the chords  – instead of playing the melody on the harp.  (Kate Schell)

"I felt so supported"

I felt so supported by the harp to sing. To feel that support from myself created a huge connection with myself and the instrument and all of you out there.

 (Alicia Dawes-Salazar )

"Incredible Versatility"

There is an incredible amount of versatility with these few chords.  Who knew that something that sounds so great could be so easy!!! (Anne Horton )

"Clear Instruction Locks it In"

Clear instruction, with repeating internalizes and locks it in. What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon  (Nicole DeVault)

"Perfect Step by Step"

It was PERFECT to do things step by step, first the RH, then the LH, then the voice…  (Margi Miller)

"Opportunities to Improvise"

I’m seeing tons of opportunities to improvise  (Kathy King)

"Great for Ear-Training"

This is great for ear training – hearing these chords  (Robbin Gordon-Cartier)

"It Sounds Nice & Full"

I love that you can add very, simple picking and it sounds nice & full  (Sally Walstrum)

"This is great! I'll use this with kids"

I will use this in May when I play for Kid’s Day at Lindsborgs Mill-Fest. Last year I had about 300 kids in my “Discover the Harp” demo. This is great! (John Miller)

Here’s How the “One Song” Method works:

You learn the song in 3 phases – the way a composer creates it.

  • ESSENCE: You’ll learn the ESSENCE of the piece – a map of its basic structure, and an understanding of the way the piece fits together, on its simplest level, so you’ll truly SEE how the piece ‘works’
  • MASTERY: You’ll learn how to practice in a way that you can quickly master the ‘essence version, so you can quickly experience the beauty of completing and playing the piece on a simple level  – rather than struggling to learn every single detail of a specific arrangement before you feel ‘good enough’ to play it
  • EXPANSION: Once you’ve mastered the essence of the piece, so that you can sit down and enjoy the feeling of actually playing it — you expand it – but only as far as you want. For fledgling players, truly mastering the essence may be their peak experience. For more advanced players, you expand and embellish only as far as your abilities.  For everyone, once you’ve mastered the level that fits your current playing level, you can continue to add if you want, as your technical ability develops.  That means that this is a growing piece – a piece you can continue to expand for years, decades, a lifetime.

And you don’t have to stop there.  The One Song experience teaches you to unlock the piece in many other ways.

You’ll learn to adapt this song to many different situations, and to play it as:

  • An instrumental solo
  • To accompany a singer (or sing and play it yourself!)
  • To underscore a story
  • As a meditation for therapy or bedside playing
  • As a concert piece
  • How to turn it into a DUET or TRIO with flute, violin, clarinet, cello, another harp – or any instrument.
  • You’ll even learn how to transpose it and how to turn the underlying chords inta a gentle bossa nova meditation

And you’ll learn all that from the composer herself (that’s me!) in play-along sessions you can watch online, and downloadable MP3 and PDF files to keep forever

You learn all these powerful musical skills through ONE SONG: THE NIGHTINGALE. And once you see how you can do this with ONE SONG, you’ll see how you can do it with any song … starting with One Song: The Nightingale

These are things you will never learn from reading the sheet musicUsing the “One Song” method:

  • You will know this song as you’ve never known any other song. 
  • You will be able to play it as if you wrote it yourself.
  • You’ll know its essence, so you could play it with your eyes closed,
  • You’ll learn to expand it in infinite ways, master it in its simplicity –  or embellish it ’til it shimmers.

And everything you learn you can apply to other songs.  But you start with this one …

You learn it all with ONE SONG.

 

Invest in Your Creative Expression

Join me for this brand new class from Hip Harp Academy

“One Song: The Nightingale”

We all need an emotional get-away
A place to feel safe, to hear the voice of our own hearts.
Create that for yourself – and everyone you touch with your music

 

ONLY the FIRST 25 PEOPLE WHO SIGN UP!!! (only 3 left!)   

BONUS ENROLLMENT in my first ever 4-Week “Jazz for Harps” Beta program.  This brand new 4-Week “JAZZ for HARPS” Beta program is normally only open to Hip Harp Academy FULL Yearlong Members – so jump in on this bonus now! This is a chance to take everything you learn in “Blues Harp-Style” and learn how to apply it to jazz tunes. 


“One Song: The Nightingale” is
$139 $109 (20% OFF)

Includes 6-Month Access to all Video Trainings
for 24/7 Self-Paced Learning
Plus Downloadable MP3 & PDF files for your personal learning library

Got Questions? Use the “Ask-a-Question” form to get a quick answer.

NOTE:  All students currently in Hip Harp Academy at the FULL Level – are ALREADY REGISTERED for this class. (so if you’re already a FULL-Level member of the Academy, don’t sign up again – unless you want to give me extra money – which I’ll be delighted to take!). 

If you’re NOT in the Academy and you want to make sure to get absolutely everything, including a full year of classes at Hip Harp Academy check out Hip Harp Academy Yearlong Membership Here or just register here.

Hip Harp Academy Full Yearlong Membership includes “One Song: The Nighingale”, “Sing & Play Harp,” “Hands on Harmony”, “Hip Harp Toolkit”, “Strings of Passion” — more than a dozen  classes in arrangement, improv, jazz & blues PLUS any new classes I create, like this one.  If you have questions about how it works, just email using my Ask a Question Form.

Your Guide on this Creative Journey

Hi, I’m Deborah Henson-Conant, and I’ve been composing, arranging and performing since I was a kid. “The Nightingale” is one of my most popular songs.  I’ve sung it in solo shows, with symphony orchestra, with chamber ensembles and in theaters.

I now play it on the beautiful electric harp that was created for me by CAMAC Harps, the “DHC Light”.  (You can read about that in my recent TEDx talk)

I’ve been playing the harp since I was a young adult. I started on the pedal harp, but when I switched to lever harp, after touring for about a decade, I started to really love the harp.

That’s when I started performing “The Nightingale” and discovered how much people love this song. I’ve had the opportunity to perform around the world, to see my music – including this song – on PBS Specials, to open for Ray Charles, to tour as the Boston Pops’ soloist, to go to the Grammy’s as a Grammy Nominee and to be interviewed by some of the greatest  personalities and journalist of my time, like NPR’s Scott Simon, Joan Rivers, CBS Sunday Morning’s Billy Taylor.

I’ve been called the “Jimi Hendrix of the Harp” and a cross between Leonard Bernstein and Xena, Warrior Princess. But this simple, beautiful song has always been one of my most requested pieces – anywhere I go in the world.

I’m so happy to be able to share it with you now from the inside – to show you the secrets I’ve learned about this piece, how much it’s shown me and just how much you can do with it.

 

As Featured In:

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REGISTRATION OPENS SOON

REGISTRATION OPENS SOON

REGISTRATION OPENS SOON

OPTION #2:  JOIN the FULL “Hip Harp Academy” Yearlong Membership and get a full YEAR of classes

Sign up for the Full/Core ‘Hip Harp Academy’ Year-Long Curriculum. ‘Strings of Passion’ is the first course of 2017, and the full curriculum INCLUDES “Strings of Passion” PLUS over 10 different programs including “Hip Harp Toolkit / Arrange Yourself,” “Summer Harp Jam,” “Hands on Harmony,” “Blues Harp-Style” – you can see all the courses at HipHarpAcademy.com

BEST DEAL

Pay in Full

($1997 for the full yearlong “Hip Harp Academy” Curriculum with over 10 guided courses INCLUDING “Strings of Passion”)

PAYMENT PLAN

12-Month Payment Plan

($178 each month)
For the full yearlong Curriculum with over 10 guided courses

OPTION #2:  Join the Jazz Harp Track

You get 4 Classes for 4 full months of Training

    • OPTION 1:  Pay in Full  ($997 for the 16-Weeks of Jazz Harp Studies including Blues HarpStyle, Blues by the Dozen, Jazz for Harps and BONUS Summer Harp Jam 
    • OPTION 2: Payment Plan  (4 payments of $265)

“You provide the most inspiring, amazing space for students to break through the challenges, let go, and feel free. 

It is so fascinating how you explore the emotional and spiritual aspects of music together.

I love how you keep it real and think out of the box all at the same time, and I love both the fun and profound sides of what you express and explore.”

Tess Nurman

If there is one lesson that DHC emphasizes over and over, it is to appreciate and enjoy what we can do at this time, knowing that we can and will continue to improve.

This support has had an effect on me that has gone beyond my harp-playing.

Harriet McKenna

“I play almost daily at the hospital or hospice, and put all of this into practice immediately, so it really sinks in.”


Betsy Scott Chapman

“This has been the best workshop ever! I like having plenty of alone time to work with the concepts in the lessons. At other workshops I can’t hear myself think or play. I really like the online course”
Dawn Sessions Penland

“I have not had this much fun playing my harp for months. Since I’m fairly new to the harp; I’m also learning a great deal from the suggestions, ideas and comments of everyone. Taking copious notes & tucking them away for when I’m ready for new concepts.”
Laurie Esch Taylor

REGISTER NOW for “BLUES HARPSTYLE”

“Strings of Passion” is the first course in the 2017 “Hip Harp Academy” Curriculum
To register, sign up for “Hip Harp Academy” “FULL” OR Register for “Strings of Passion” a la carte

HERE’S HOW:

A. HARPISTS ONLY:  Register for the Full “Hip Harp Academy” ($997 for the full year – OR choose the 12-month payment plan). Core ‘Hip Harp Academy’ Curriculum is a yearlong program that INCLUDES “Strings of Passion” PLUS over 10 different programs including “Hip Harp Toolkit / Arrange Yourself,” “Summer Harp Jam,” “Hands on Harmony,” “Blues Harp-Style” (see them all at HipHarpAcademy.com)

B. ANYONE:  Register ONLY for the 10-Week “Strings of Passion” program  a la carte  ($797 for the 10-week “Strings of Passion” program – or choose the 3-month payment plan)

The Nightingale

by Deborah Henson-Conant

Who will sing for the nightingale
When the night is gone – when the daylight comes?
Who will sing for the nightingale
When she sleeps alone in the sun?

Many’s the time her silken tones
Soothed my rough and weary bones
Many’s the time her lullaby
Brought me to my rest

But who will sing for the nightingale?
Her own sweet song is silent now.
Who will sing for the nightingale
When she sleeps alone in the sun?

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