"Gaberlunzie Man" (my own accompaniment to a poem I wrote--no one
but John can tell if I make mistakes!)
"Come by the Hills"
The songs in Lesson 2 of Sylvia Woods' book
A lot of things if I just play the melody (putting both hands
together is hard for me, but I'm getting there)
2 versions of "Frere Jacques"
"Clementine"--but I've promised myself, now that Faith finally
passed me on it, that I will not play the darned thing for a loooooooong
time!
"The Chimes" (thanks, Sue!)
I started singing in choirs and choruses when I was six, until my
late thirties, and to my astonishment, was told in my mid-thirties that
my voice was good enough to do solos. The choir director who told me
this was surprised by that. I explained that while I had understudied
various others in high school, especially for Opera Festival, I was
never chosen to solo, and then realized why: the music teacher did not
have a mike, so she needed kids who could belt. I can't belt. Lacking
volume, I tried very hard to sing clearly and precisely, but it took a
long time to shake the idea that I couldn't solo unless I could be loud.
I also had piano lessons from 9-14 from a truly lousy teacher (any
of the rest of you take lessons on an instrument for any length of time
without having to learn the bass clef?) who was far more interested in
getting her buck a lesson than in my learning (this was the early to mid
60s). I finally rebelled, since it was one of those vicarious parent
things of my mother's ("I never had the chance to have piano lessons,
but you're going to") and pleaded to spend the time on Opera Festival
instead. Mother started to take lessons, and quit in less than a month,
realizing for herself how lousy Mrs. Green was. She learned more on her
own.
I got my harp six years ago, but didn't really give myself permission
to learn until a few months ago, and then was able to start regular
lessons twice a month. And every time Faith tells me that I am
improving, and I know that she is right, I really am, and this is so
exciting that I can hardly wait to do more. I think that it is initially
harder for adults to try to learn, not because we cannot learn, not even
because we are so busy, but because we have so much more emotional
baggage and old tapes to contend with ("You'll never learn to play that!
You failed at the piano--why are you spending money on this? You're too
stupid, too klutzy," etc.) and these can hold us back until we work
through them.
I'm a much better teller than I am a harper--but then I've done it
for much longer, and 7 yrs. ago thought myself the veriest beginner at
that. I regard myself as now a journeyman, and hope in time to achieve
more mastery. It's an on-going process. And there is the rest of my life
to enjoy my progress....and then eternity--think of the harps we'll have
then! No tuning problems, no breaking strings, no limitations on
range....
--Barra
Everything will perish save love and music.--Scots Gaelic proverb
Harpers have pluck--but don't get strung out.--Barra the Bard