Harping Hands - #Harpril - Day 14

Harping Hands - #Harpril - Day 14​

Photo Credit: Keith Heptinstall 

Let's imagine something for just a moment.

​Close your eyes and picture a beautiful harp sitting on stage, lights are dim in the auditorium and everyone claps as a young lady wearing a long black dress enters the stage from the right. She takes a bow and sits down behind a beautiful dark wood harp with gold designs down the sound board. The performer gently places her hands on either side of the harp and slowly leans it back onto her right shoulder. She takes a deep breath and begins to play the most beautiful song you have ever heard!

Before she arrived at this performance she spent many hours practicing. She had to plan her time carefully because she played too long one day and got a blister on her left ring finger. She practiced some with a bandaid but it's just not the same as using your finger. Once that blister healed she was able to play a bit more, until another blister formed on her right index finger and before she realized it, it popped and there were spots of blood on the strings and the down the sound board. After cleaning that up she took another break. She'd study the music without playing so she wouldn't lose what she had learned so far but gave her fingers time to heal.

As soon as they were good to go again she continued practicing, plucking the strings softly, slowly working her way up to playing the correct dynamics, especially where there were several fortissimo measures in a row! She practiced for several hours, with 10-15 minute breaks every hour, not only so she'd have the song down and performance ready, but so that her fingers would callus. She persevered through the callus making process and performed an amazing recital for family and friends.

That beautiful music you heard came with not only a lot of time, practice, and perseverance, but also some pain! ​

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook,  and Twitter!
​