It’s a fascinating community: the international harp community – and it’s NOT just harp players.

When we get together anywhere in the world – like in Hong Kong earlier this month –  the events connect players, builders, composer, arrangers, publishers, teachers, coaches and creatives who design accessories from harp jewelry to harp carts, strings, kits and cases.

We are a COMMUNITY – and none of us exist without the others.  We build on the work of each other, we’re each deeply serious about our work … and we also goof around together.  In this photo Shelley Fairplay, Eleanor Turner and I are each leaning on our CAMAC “DHC 32” harps — my signature model harp, which is built by the man displayed before us – Jakez Francois, the man who made these harps possible, the head of CAMAC harps – and truly, a hero in my life.

Because the community is still small, so many of us  know each other, work together – and most important, collaborate.  As silly as this photo is, each person in this photo represents a deep creative collaboration for me:

• Shelley Fairplay and I are working on a project called “World Harp Ensemble” – a project to create music that can be played easily and learned quickly by harp ensembles so harpists can play together on a moment’s notice — and can host guests who can improvise on this ensemble music — so that the harp community can play together and create concert-quality music as a community rather than only sitting in the audience when a harp luminary comes to play.
• Eleanor Turner, and incredible harp soloist, and I are working on a touring concert of music for harp virtuoso and chamber ensemble that will feature Eleanor’s breathtaking performances and my music!
• Jakez Francois and I have been collaborating for decades on the amazing harp you see in the photo, the “DHC” electric harp – and I look forward to many more collaborations in concerts, festivals and all the ways this harp can enhance the world of music.

Shelley Fairplay, Eleanor Turner and I look cool and collected on stage together — but you can read about our journey with harps through Hong Kong to get to this stage:  CLICK HERE!