Chattanooga ChooChoo - Harp

​'There's a first for everything' and I experienced not one, but two this past weekend!

​"This is the first time I've seen a real live harp!", "I've never heard someone play the harp in real life," are comments I hear almost every time I play the harp in public. 
I enjoy hearing which tune is a favorite, which song gets the loudest applause, and watching to see which selection is recorded. 

It was an absolutely gorgeous day last Saturday and perfect for a stroll downtown. Children enjoyed playing Jenga, squealing when the giant tower fell over,
couples competed on corn hole, families enjoyed ice cream, friends enjoyed chats while rocking in the rocking chairs placed around the garden and tourists took photos with the Choochoo.

The Segway Tour came through and enjoyed a little background music
on that part of their tour through Chattanooga! I had yet to perform for a group on Segways! 

And then there was the time when I heard parents yelling a boy's name followed up with "NO!" Before I realized what was happening the child ran up to the harp, as I was playing, and played along with me. Well, maybe not exactly ALONG with me, but you get the idea. He grabbed at the lower strings and shocked everyone around who was enjoying one of Mozart's compositions - "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" K.525.

After dampening the lower strings I continued playing.  The parents quickly caught up with their son, offered an apology and took their son away. 
A minute later the father came back with the young boy and I stopped playing in order to give them my full attention. The boy looked at me and said "I'm sorry." I thanked him for the apology and his dad nodded at me and they walked away. 

To the dad who brought his son back: Thank you!
No harm was done to the instrument and I appreciate the apology. 

Parents: Children enjoy listening to live music. Watching someone play what they hear on TV, the radio, in movies, or on a CD is fascinating. I encourage you to find places that provide live music and besides giving your children a great experience, use it as a time to teach them. Teach them the values of music, good practice, how to treat an instrument, and what to say to a live musician when they walk by.
​(A simple "that's pretty" or "thank you for playing" is great!) 

Playing for SidewalkStages has been a fantastic experience.
A learning experience!
And for that, I'm grateful! ​​

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