Hi! Thank you for being here with me today on HarpSong™️. Today, April 22nd 2021, marks the first official anniversary of the podcast. That’s the date I uploaded the pilot episode. I didn’t know where it would take me, but it’s really kept me in touch with so many artists from around the world. Many have become good friends of mine. Some I’ve seen more of this year, thanks to zoom and the podcast, then I’ve seen before the strange year 2020 entered our lives.
And it’s those friendships and collaborations with these amazing folks that inspired me to start this podcast.
I’m also sharing a list of upcoming festivals and events with you today.
When I’m coordinating the concerts at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival, when we are in person, I start contacting the performers months in advance. This is where my music performance background meets up with my theater directing and theater tech background. I love helping performers feel comfortable on the festival stage, with their sound checks, lighting, and timing of their sets. (Yes, I’m the one giving the performers the five minute signal. Believe me, most times I want them to keep playing, but after a long day of workshops a two plus hour concert needs to stay on schedule.) After the day’s workshops are over and everyone’s had a chance to drool over the ballroom filled with harps to buy, people grab a bite to eat, get changed and head to the concert.
While all that is going on after the last workshop has ended and we have finished at the lunchtime concert stage, the concert staff gets to work on prep for the evening festivities. This usually starts with us trying to figure out what to eat that will be quick. Sometimes I’ll run out and get Thai or Indian food or pizza for the concert crew. That’s when we can start soundcheck and that’s where I get to chat with the artists and oftentimes share with them some of the local take out.
We swap stories of songs and of performing, of tours and teachers and after the concert oftentimes an adult beverage and some snacks. Everyone brings a little something like cheese and crackers, or fruit and we put it on a table for all of us to share. This is where luthiers talk to artists and sound technicians about the harps and amps, etc, and exchange ideas, this is where one person picks up a guitar and another their harp or a flute or concertina and just starts playing music and sharing stories. It’s where new ideas happen and friendships are born.
What does this have to do with the podcast? Well, I feel so fortunate to get to have conversations with these amazing people and I wanted to share some of that candidness and inspiration, laughter, and commadardarie with you. Workshops are great, but you really don’t get a chance to ask in-depth questions of the artist, and concerts are amazing, but, as I mentioned before, there’s really not enough time for telling stories on stage if you want to have time to play some songs.
Originally I wanted this podcast to cover harp, jazz, rock and roll, education, and theater...basically all of the things that got me to create my company Moon Over the Trees. But, when Kathy DeAngelo, the head of the Somerset Folk Harp Festival, decided to put the festival online in 2020, I thought it was the perfect time to start the podcast by interviewing the harpist and harp makers at the festival. So, HarpSong™️ was born. I have met so many wonderful people through this podcast and I continually make more and more connections in a never ending stream of sharing and discovery.
I would love it if you could subscribe to the podcast. When you write a review be sure to email me at info@moonoverthetrees.com so I can send you some thank you merch. Also, head on over to my youtube channel where I’ve started to put videos of interviews, concerts, and songs. Please subscribe to the youtube page. As soon as we reach 100 subscribers I’ll be able to customize the YouTube url for the page.
I’m also starting a Choose Your Harp Adventure set of lessons. I loved those choose your own adventure books when I was a kid, so I’m developing a series of classes where you will be able to choose your own harp journey of learning. Be sure to sign up for more info on the lessons page on the website.
Join me over on Patreon where you’ll be able to listen to uncut interviews, get access to lessons, and interact with the Moon Over the Trees Community.
Check out the HarpSong™️ Facebook Podcast group and the Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® FB page.
I also created another podcast called, Beat Your Heart Out™️, where I interview rockabilly, jazz, rock, and punk artists from around the world. Later this year I will also be launching a Theater podcast.
Whew! That’s been a busy year! And thanks to all of you I’ve been able to make it grow even more.
Speaking of a lot going on,
Hi! I’ve put together a list of upcoming harp festivals. Please include any that you'd like me to list for others to know about. Send me an email at info@moonoverthetrees.com or find me over on Instagram @harpsongmoonoverthetrees or pinterest. I’ll have all of these listed in the show notes.
Here's what I have so far:
The St. Louis Tionol (tin-awl) “Gathering for the purpose of sharing” is going virtual this year!
Join us April 22-25
https://www.tionol.org/
Gulf Coast Cruinniú
June 18-20
https://gulfcoastirish.org/
Ailie Robertson's Summer Harp Festival 18-20 June Ailie, Maeve Gilchrist, Erik Ask-Upmark, and Michael Rooney
https://www.ailierobertson.com/summe.../summer-harp-festival
The Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS) June 28-July 2, 2021
https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/
The Somerset Folk Harp Festival July 22-25, 2021
https://www.somersetharpfest.com/
July 25-29
The Festival of Early Irish Harp
https://festival.irishharp.org/
Common Ground on the Hill June 28th - July 2nd | July 5th - 9th | July 12th - 16th
https://www.commongroundonthehill.org/class-category/harp
Festival Interceltique de Lorient August 2021
https://www.brittanytourism.com/.../festival.../
Colmcille 1500 events
https://colmcille1500.com/english/
Colmcille1500, of which Ruth will be participating in, celebrates the life and legacy of Colmcille or Columba,1500 years from his birth. It promotes the heritage of the saint whose abbey of Iona linked Ireland and Scotland and beyond. You can find information here about the events,heritage, educational resources, and suggested themes.
https://colmcille.net/colmcille-1500/
The music you are listening to in the background is Nancy Hurrell playing Carolan’s Concerto on her Egan Irish Harp. Check out my recent interview with Nancy. Before that I was performing Blessed Be that Maid Marie, The Butterfly, and my friend Tom Clark’s composition entitled, “Jimmy Stewart”.
So, again, thank you so much for listening and all of your positivity and support this past year. My upcoming guests include: Ann Heymann, Siobhan Armstrong, Karen Loomis, Eileen Gannon, Sharon Thormahlen of Thormahlen Harps, and more… I’d love to hear from you, so please stay in touch.
