When the Harp Becomes Your Voice: Story of Grounding, Growth & Creative Courage – Laure [Member Spotlight]

What happens when you allow your harp to speak for your transformation? For Laure, it began with one simple intention: to ground herself — not just in performance, but in life.

Last quarter, Laure joined Hip Harp Academy and immediately began working on a project she called a “Prelude.” But this prelude was much more than a beginning. It was a mirror of her metamorphosis — both musical and personal.

“I’m in a kind of moment of metamorphosis, like the chrysalis,” Laure shared. “I’ve taken some radical decisions because of the need for time to create.”

This was not just about playing music. This was about becoming.

A Harp Named Aurore, a Street Called Echo, and a Character Called Daphné

Laure’s project starts with a story.

In her piece, she introduces her harp — Aurore — almost like a character. The setting? A poetic street in Paris: “Rue des Orteaux: the street of garden”, leading us to the “Theatre of Echo.” At the heart of it all is Laure herself — embodying the character of Daphné.

“Daphné is my name in Greek: Laure. Through her truths, I am speaking about my own.”

Grounding as a Creative Practice

For Laure, one of the deepest challenges was simply the act of beginning. Not the technical beginning — but the emotional one.

“I am working on how to ground myself for the beginning of the performance,” she wrote.

She used tools from Hip Harp Academy — like the freedom of glissando — not only to play music, but to shift her state of being.

“I’ve been practicing aikido for many years — so I know myself. But I have the old habit of not breathing and being too straight. I had to let go.”

The project became a practice in embodiment — of bringing her full self to the stage, through breath, through movement, through music.

A Family Affair (with a Touch of Laughter)

Laure’s video, titled “À Aurore,” was lovingly filmed by her 11-year-old son, Enzo — a detail that added both intimacy and whimsy.

“The video was taken by my son Enzo, with a little bit of fantasy,” Laure said. “He was laughing during a Louis de Funès movie while I had my harp and text beside me. It helped me relax. I was happy he was OK to make the video for me.”

Sometimes the support we need comes from the most unexpected (and joy-filled) places.

The Story Comes Alive with an Audience!

In Laure’s “Final-Beginning” project, Academy members got to see Laure’s “put-together” of the story in her studio, filmed by her son – and the next week she shared a special treat: the moment she first shared the story with an audience.

See the video on the left to watch Laure’s practice video titled “À Aurore,” filmed by her 11-year-old son, Enzo.

See the video above to watch Laure’s practice video titled “À Aurore,” filmed by her 11-year-old son, Enzo.

See the video below to watch Laure’s performance video titled “Nos Forêts” recorded at the Théâtre de l’Echo, Paris.

Freedom, Blocks, and Becoming the Music

As many members in the Academy discover, freedom and fear often show up hand-in-hand. Laure was no exception.

She spoke of the stress leading up to her live performance. Of habits from childhood that made her want to “do it right.” Of the vulnerability of speaking through story and sound. And yet — she chose to move forward.

“The freedom of letting the harp sing, of doing a glissando like a gesture … that’s where I found my expression.”

And she did it not alone — but with the support of a creative framework and a like-hearted community.

“Becoming part of Hip Harp Academy helps me to go on with my project. It gives me tools — and confidence — to express myself.”

A Moment of Audacity

Laure’s biggest “aha”? That she dared.

“When I met Deborah in France, I felt that I had to connect with her to awaken in me this audacity.”

Her project — humble, heartfelt, and powerful — marks the beginning of Laure’s journey into creative courage.

“It’s the beginning of the beginning,” she says. “Next Monday, the video on stage. And it will continue.”

Letting the Harp Speak for You

Laure’s story is a living embodiment of the Hip Harp Academy philosophy:

• Connection, not perfection,
• Don’t do more. Hide less
• Freedom over fear

Her work reminds us that creative transformation doesn’t always come in grand performances or polished techniques. Sometimes, it starts with breath. With story. With letting go.

And maybe, with a little help from an 11-year-old cinematographer.

Want to discover what your harp could say if you let it speak for your truth?

Join us in Hip Harp Academy and begin your own creative transformation.