I am forever indebted to my musical training I received when i was younger. I started music at the ripe age of 8 on violin of all things. Throughout my childhood years I went to summer music camps, participated in solo and ensemble competitions, played with various after school honor groups and countless other activities that drove my mother absolutely crazy at times. All of those things however were not in vain. From all of those experiences I gained the most invaluable experience of all learning to play in ensembles, how to follow, and listen. This is a skill set that quite a number of harpists are lacking- plain and simple- but it's not entirely their fault. Many children begin their musical studies in third or fourth grade and immediately are placed in group instruction settings aligning with their skill level. Harpists on the other hand do not get this. A number of harpists start lessons at a young age (often 8 or so) and continue private study for years and years before ever playing with an ensemble-which puts them at a severe disadvantage compared to their peers. This will continue to be the case until affordable harps are made available at the elementary level for schools to purchase.
I urge all of my younger harp students to participate in their school band or orchestra program. Parts can easily be written by myself for the student to be a part of the ensemble and gain invaluable experience. The next option is learning to play a melody instrument so that ensemble skills are gained, although not at the harp. Another option is finding a friend and playing duets, this is the easiest way to gain ensemble experience in a safe environment.
As a harpist, the more hats you can wear, the more employable you will be to potential suitors when being called on for various performances.
