Final-Beginning Collection 2025 Q3 – Part 2 [Member Spotlight]

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

Inspired by the Laundry Blues, I created the Blues in A for the harp. I included an intro, 3 choruses, separated by a walking baseline, and then an ending.

Attach your homework in PDF or JPEG format here:

Boredom Blues Notes.pdf

Describe your written materials – if there’s anything in particular you want to say about it to help people know what they’re looking at, add that here.

These are my notes for the Boredom Blues

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

I knew NOTHING about playing or singing the blues and had NEVER recorded myself playing or singing, before I started the Blues for Harp module. The videos in the module, the PDFs, and the chat were all instrumental.

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

In particular, it took a lot of time to learn to sing and keep rhythm, and I suspect I still need time with this.  I have also had to get comfortable with sharing my work, because I’m a very slow player.

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

The freedom to play with my harp that I got from the course has been so huge for me and has helped me build confidence. Learning to keep going through mistakes and to forget about sheet music, has been very liberating.

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

I don’t think it was challenging for me to learn to express myself, but I still needed someone to show me the way, which is what DHC has done.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

Just feeling more confident with the instrument is huge. I have started playing with my friends, even if all I’m doing is playing the “big letters.”

What were your personal “Ahas”?

I literally teared up in the Somerset Conference when DHC gave us a license to play anything with the Cats and Dogs Giggle game. That was the first time any teacher has told me just to play, and it was so fun!

Is there anything else you want people to know when they watch your video?

Keep in mind I’m still learning!

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

Final Beginning Project – under Copyright

This was “winging it” to the max. I had originally planned to play something else. The night before, I changed my mind and decided to do Bėsame Mucho. I practiced it from memory for a little while late that night, and went online to listen to the parts I was unsure of. The next day, I met the guitarist, ran through it once and then we filmed it.

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

Freedom from the black dots.

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

I learned things from being filmed. Some of those things are not pleasant, but it gives me specifics that I will work on.

Is there anything else you want people to know when they watch your video?

This is a recording that I made at a flute retreat back in April. I was reluctant to share it because, although I am happy with my playing, there are a lot of other things within it that are still not “PERFECT” enough. But I am sharing it because I wanted to share something and try to get past the gremlins in my head.

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

I keep continuing my project on “Daphné or our Forests”. Here is the 5th performance ( saturday 13 th of september) .
It’s the end of the end of the performance, people is singing with me the poem that Daphne and Orphee have composed to celebrate the metamorphosis of Daphne as human being ( she was first a laurel) thanks to the intervention of Godess Aphrodite.
The poem is an ode to Nature composed by Georges Sand.

Attach your homework in PDF or JPEG format here:

Board(1)(1).png
4(1)(1)(1).png

Describe your written materials – if there’s anything in particular you want to say about it to help people know what they’re looking at, add that here.

Here is my new poster, in comparison to the precedent : I show myself and I have transformed the title to be closer to the subject.

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

relationship between “Dominante”  V and I, C and G, 
and the relationship with the relative minor A

The pattern  with the importance of left hand

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

I went to play outside to be in the place where would be the performance.
Every time, It helped me because one people, ( “passant”) stopped to listen and to talk to me. And while talking, I was more relax with playing harp

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

freedom : ( before I talked about).

blocks : ( the natural pressure of the performance, I feel in the top of my back). Having a friend close to me to help prepare relaxed me

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

To do my performance even with raining, protected by the trees! and people had the corage to come!.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

quotidian life! 
To do with the work in progress, the imperfect.

What were your personal “Ahas”?

To play more every day of the week the things we do on monday.

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

I can’t submit the correct class above, it doesn’t offer the power of pattern.

This is my final beginning project for Q3

Describe your written materials – if there’s anything in particular you want to say about it to help people know what they’re looking at, add that here.

This is a sampling of a Freeze Pedal effect combined with a Line 6 “Glitz” sound effect (I think it’s a type of delay).

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

I was MIA for most of the quarter as I was very busy with festivals, wedding gigs, family responsibilities and then preparing for the school year.

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

I hit a real wall of discouragement at the half bake. I decided to focus on one sound effect basically, and since members of the academy were unfamiliar with the freeze pedal last time I mentioned it,i thought I would feature it.

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

I struggled with time the whole quarter, which led to discouragement. In the end I decided to use that demon pot method to evaluate what all the negative thoughts could be transformed into.

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

Once I decided to focus on one sound only for the FB, I then had a better experience choosing a simple three chord song (She moved through the fair) to improvise over, and really feature the freeze. I am still looking to have a 2 1/2 hour set list this weekend, and this type of music is what will fill up the space at the garden show.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

I had a lot of ups and downs all quarter and struggling a lot right now with external and internal things. Sometimes I feel like “why bother” and the power of pattern seems to be the one thing that’s reliable in an otherwise unreliable world. 

What were your personal “Ahas”?

Focus on what you can do.
There’s always a solution.
Who/what would I be if I wasn’t perpetually overwhelmed?

Is there anything else you want people to know when they watch your video?

The horrible relentless clicking doesn’t have to be there – there are two ways to initiate the freeze. There’s another way to use the pedal which is quieter. I’m not sure an audience will hear the clicks. I personally thought I liked this method better until I heard the play back. 

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

Danny Boy arranged by Deborah Henson-Conant with added improvised intro and interlude.

Describe your written materials – if there’s anything in particular you want to say about it to help people know what they’re looking at, add that here.

The arrangement can be found at https://dhc.gumroad.com/l/XfxGE?layout=profile

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

Freedom to explore and play with the songs I love. I also tried to look for the patterns while studying the sheet music.

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

It took some time to learn the arrangement as it is very difficult for me. I also had to let aside my perfectionism (I tried at least) as I never managed to play the sheet music without mistakes, let alone the improv part that is a bit below any musical standards at some points.

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

I always struggle with my extreme perfectionism, it was not different with this song. At the same time, I gladly accept the freedom to improvise and explore, which I get at the Academy.

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

I could not quite connect the improv parts with the song, and deep down, I was also afraid of demeaning a perfectly beautiful arrangement.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

I recently got very discouraging feedback on my harp playing from local harp players, but the HHA chats and classes have quite the opposite effect. You are always encouraged to play, explore and express yourself with music, regardless your level and technical possibilities.

What were your personal “Ahas”?

I am free to explore the music I love and enjoy it, despite my poor harp technique.