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Saturday, March 16, 2013
Renting or Buying A Harp
To Rent or Buy?
What to Look for:
Classical harp, “Nylon, gut and wire strings” - not all wire strings
26-42 strings - no fewer than 26
Full Levers - Needs ability to sharp all strings
Trustworthy Brand: Lyon & Healy, Salvi, Camac, Swanson, Triplett and Dusty Strings
Wrong brands: Rosewood, Harpsical, Balladeer,Paraguayan, heartland, “lap harp”,
Harp Resources
Harp Rental Info:
Stores
Harp Brands to Rent or Buy
Helpful Resources
http://www.enjoytheharp.com/How-pedal-and-lever-harps-differ.html
http://www.harpcolumn.com/forums/
What to Look for:
Classical harp, “Nylon, gut and wire strings” - not all wire strings
26-42 strings - no fewer than 26
Full Levers - Needs ability to sharp all strings
Trustworthy Brand: Lyon & Healy, Salvi, Camac, Swanson, Triplett and Dusty Strings
Wrong brands: Rosewood, Harpsical, Balladeer,Paraguayan, heartland, “lap harp”,
Harp Resources
http://www.harpmall.com/harp_music.htm
http://www.harpcolumn.com/
http://www.harpsociety.org/ and www.scvharp.org
Harp Rental Info:
Angelic Harp will help you find a harp
Harps range from $45-65 per month
from small 26 strings to 38 strings
Stores
Harps etc. - ONLY ONE IN Northern CALIFORNIA
http://harpsetc.com
Rent-To-Own Program
Harps Etc. offers a Rent to Own Program which provides you an affordable opportunity to purchase a new or used lever or pedal harp after a 4 month trial period while locking in the purchase price of your rental harp during your 4 month rental period. At the end of the 4 months you have the following options
Harp Connection
http://www.harpconnection.com/LeverRentalProgram.html
The Harp Connection's Lever Harp Rental Program features both Classic and Celtic Lever Harps for rent nationwide. This program lets you limit your investment while you try one of our instruments. 100% of your first four months rent can be applied towards the purchase price.
Choosing a harp is never easy - that's why we have the best instruments from Lyon & Healy, Salvi, Triplett, Dusty Strings and William Rees available for rent. Prices range from $60 to $80 per month, with a minimum four month rental commitment (payable in advance). Security deposit and credit approval required.
Harp Brands to Rent or Buy
Lyon Healy - http://www.lyonhealy.com/
Salvi - http://www.salviharps.it/
Camac - http://www.camac-harps.com/camac-harps-fr/
Dusty Strings - http://www.dustystrings.com/
Swanson - http://www.swansonharp.com/
Triplett - http://www.triplettharps.com/
Vanderbilt - http://vanderbiltmusic.com/
http://www.enjoytheharp.com/How-pedal-and-lever-harps-differ.html
http://www.harpcolumn.com/forums/
Friday, March 15, 2013
Learning how to Compete and Perform:
Learning how to Compete and Perform:
Originally published in Blair Quarter Note
They say everyone loves a winner, so musicians, like athletes and entrepreneurs, spend an inordinate amount of time preparing to outperform the competition. There’s no scoreboard or balance sheet. Musicians leave their progress lingering in the air to hear every time they perform.
“There’s no way of avoiding competition,” says Roland Schneller, Chancellor’s Professor of Piano. “They play in recital, they all hear each other, they compare themselves, and they want to be as good as they possibly can be.”
But there are few winners declared in a competition and limited numbers of scholarships or chairs in an orchestra. How, then, do music students prepare for a lifetime of auditions and competitions, when the outcome is anything but certain?
Working toward a goal
Culture and competition don’t usually go hand in hand. But all disciplines of the arts at some point become competitive.
“Music is not inherently competitive,” Schneller states. “I have students who are not interested in competition, and I think that’s fine. But when you share music, it is only human to compare yourself to others and it becomes competitive. I have all my [pre-college] students do the yearly local music club auditions, as we call them, in which they play for a judge and get comments. I ask them to do that because it’s a motivating goal to work toward.”
“I coordinate the Tennessee state instrumental competitions for the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) which include both pre-college and college students,” Rose explains. “They get comments, and a winner, runner-up and sometimes honorable mentions are declared in each category. The winners of those categories go on to the division level, which includes eight states. Ours go on to the southern division.Melissa Rose, associate dean and associate professor of piano, agrees that competing strengthens a student’s skills. Many teachers have their pre-college students prepare for these auditions, sponsored by the local music teacher associations, where students are given a rating and comments. At the state level, however, the auditions become more identified as a competition.
“In that case, they are competing against one another,” Rose says. “Most teachers emphasize that this is a way to perform for somebody else. As long as it is promoted in a healthy way by the teacher and the family, I think it can be healthy for the student, because it shows them what’s out there. You might be a big fish in a little pond here, but then you go to this level, and you see that another student can do this [particular piece]. It can encourage the student. You try to avoid the demoralizing aspect of it. I think that’s the responsibility of the support network for the student and the organizers [of the competition].”
Schneller concurs, noting that the younger the student is, the less stage fright they have. “Even students who have no stage fright can develop it as adults. Once the onset of puberty arrives, you become very self-conscious, and it becomes a bit more common. Competition affects you more when you’re older,” he says, “because you are aware you’re being judged, when before it felt more like a chance to show off your talent.”Emphasizing the journey and not the end result is also important to get through a competition without debilitating stage fright. Jared Hauser, assistant professor of oboe, thinks the word “competition” is a stumbling block. “When you go to an orchestral or solo competition, you’re being compared to everybody else,” he says. “That can [turn into] a mind game, so it’s a lot more effective in my experience to say, ‘I know this music; I have a way of playing this that’s my way, and I’m going to show you how it goes.’ If I worry about what they want to hear, then I tie myself up in knots, and I can’t execute anything.”
“The more you compete, the more comfortable you are,” Rose says. “That’s another valuable part of competition.”
A different mindset
“There’s definitely a difference whether you’re doing it with a group or by yourself. Each individual musician has to figure out what motivates them and be able to use it in any situation.”
—Lindsey Reymore
Whether a student is performing in a local music audition or a more intense competition, repertoire frequently comes from several contrasting styles of music. Mindset varies depending on the context—a solo competition judged by a panel of three requires a different mental approach than a chamber music competition in which a student is playing as part of a group in front of judges and an audience. The context affects the way the student prepares the repertoire and the performance.
Lindsey Reymore, a senior oboe performance major at Blair, has competed in both solo competitions and in chamber music competitions.
“There’s definitely a difference whether you’re doing it with a group or by yourself,” she says. “Each individual musician has to figure out what motivates them and be able to use it in any situation. I’m much more naturally motivated in a chamber music setting,” she explains, “because I’m working with other people who I respect and support, so I have a responsibility to them, and that motivates me to practice.
The mental preparation for solo competitions and orchestral auditions is also different. Orchestral auditions are usually behind a screen, even for the Vanderbilt Orchestra. Students walk in without speaking, play the excerpts and leave. On the other hand, auditions for summer festival spots or solo competitions are done in view of the judges.“That same reasoning doesn’t apply to a solo competition,” she says, “so I have had to figure out how to get the same degree of motivation in a different way.”
Reymore auditioned for several summer festivals last year. “[Professor Hauser] prepared me for how I walked into the room and what I [would] wear,” Reymore says. “All these details don’t matter with an orchestral audition because you don’t interact with the judges at all.”
“Preparing for a solo competition, the process is going to be more lengthy and involved than for an orchestral audition, where you’re playing small snippets of orchestral pieces or solos out of context that may be only eight bars long,” Hauser says. “For a solo competition, the student should be thinking big picture: broad, long phrases, direction within the piece, how one movement relates to the next, and how their own personal appearance is important.
“At a solo competition you want to look bigger than life when you’re on stage. Every detail is important, from what you wear, to how you walk on stage, to the way you bow, if you bow.”
Practice makes perfect
Preparation also entails picking repertoire that the student can learn and perform well by the time the competition happens. Because of the time it takes to pick and learn repertoire specific to a competition, students frequently pick something they already feel comfortable performing.
“With MTNA, you apply early in September and auditions are in November,” Rose says. “So you have to predict in September what you’re going to be able to play in November. I always get the question, ‘I couldn’t get the piece ready, so can I change it?’ No, you cannot.
“I think if you really want to win a competition, you’re going to want to take your seasoned repertoire. You generally don’t take something new.”
“We put together the whole thing in one semester. They came over to my house for a week during winter break to rehearse all day, and then after that we had as many coachings as we possibly could at school,” she says. “We rehearsed five days a week and then every day coming close to the competition. I think it was a little too much, looking back on it,” she says.Reymore, along with Thomas Crespo, BMus’11, (bassoon) and junior Valerie Hsu (piano) made up Troika two years ago. The undergraduate chamber music trio made it to the live rounds of the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition along with the pre-college Parthenon String Quartet, made up of Alvin Kim (cello), Will Bender (viola), Jacob Schafer (violin) and Annie Bender (violin). The Fischoff is one of the best-known and influential competitions in the United States. Reymore and her trio only decided to compete at the end of the fall semester.
Their youth as a recently organized trio made it even more significant that they were chosen by the Fischoff, which only selected 48 entries from a total of 130 to play in the live rounds that year.
“They were pretty young, compared to most of the field for Fischoff,” says Hauser. “The judges were looking for the overall package of a group and not the individual virtuosity of each player. It doesn’t mean that the players aren’t virtuosic,” he explains, “it just means they’re looking for a blend and a maturity.”
“Our biggest comment from the judges as to why we didn’t advance [to the semifinal round],” Reymore says, “was that we had balance issues. We had played in various places—at Blair, in people’s houses—but it shows maturity for a group and for individual musicians to be able to adjust to a hall right away, which is not even something I had thought about until then. It was a learning experience to realize that there were subtle things like that that can make such a huge difference.”
“The Fischoff does a really nice thing,” Rose says. She helped coach Troika and her son was a member of the Parthenon String Quartet. “After they announce the finalists, they have an ice cream social for all the groups, and they have all the judges available to talk to each of them. They can go over things that the judge didn’t write in the comments. I really liked the more educational component, and that they could actually talk to the judge and get some feedback.”
With big competitions like the Fischoff, competing is a way for a performer to launch a career. However, only concentrating on competitions does not necessarily lead to a well-rounded educational experience for a musician. “Competitions sometimes get a bad rap, too,” Rose says. “If you’re only always working toward a competition, I think that’s very limiting. You’re limiting your repertoire and not working on other areas of your musicianship.”
The bottom line is that competitions are not necessary to enjoy making music, but they can help serious students progress in technical skill, planning and musicianship, whether they win or not.
“If you use competitions as a tool to help you grow, then they’re great,” Rose says. “You always have to enter a competition thinking, ‘Gee, if I win, it would be really nice.’ Don’t go thinking, ‘I’ve got to win this competition,’ because there’s no point in it. You need to think that this is an opportunity to play for other people, to get comments and to grow as a musician. If you go with that attitude, you’re fine, and I think most teachers try to promote that.”
by http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/03/blair-top-spo
Sunday, March 10, 2013
How to Prepare for Music Competitons
How to Prepare for Music Competitions
by Dr. Thomas Swenson
by Dr. Thomas Swenson -
Music competitions are a regular part of life for many students who plan to go to music school and seek a career in music. Three “realities” of music competitions:
1. Any performance — whether in a competition, a lesson, for friends, or at Carnegie Hall — is just a “snapshot” of your talent and skills. Prepare and do your best, and then be proud that you did!
2. Music evaluators (judges) love music. They are evaluating the communicative power of your performance; they are not judging you personally.
While accuracy is something to continually strive for, most judges want to be emotionally moved by the music. Even with a few errors, music can magically connect people with ideas that transcend language.
3. Music competitions do not have easily quantifiable scores. Unlike a soccer game, where you simply count the number of goals, music ratings are somewhat subjective. Judges do their best to take into account many things:
• overall musicality
• stylistic elements (somewhat debatable)
• adherence to the score (creative interpretation versus the minutia of the score)
• the entire program you prepared (diverse styles performed equally well)
• the individual pieces (like you, judges simply have music preferences)
• musical intuition (who can really define this?)
5 Benefits Gained from Participating in Music Competitions
1. An opportunity to overcome technical, musical, and mental challenges.
This should be one of the most important goals of entering any competition. Many times you may overcome a challenge in your practicing, but overcoming a challenge in a public venue is a much more celebrated victory.
2. Exposure to many people who appreciate and support music, including teachers, college/university faculty, and potential employers and fans (who may eventually become financial supporters).
Many students have made important connections at competitions that eventually led to scholarships or participation in other unique programs. Feedback from these people, especially the judges, can help you identify your strengths and areas to further develop.
3. An opportunity for your “fans” to witness and acknowledge your growth (some competitions allow an audience).
Anyone watching your performance (typically family, friends, teachers) can provide important feedback about your long-term development.
4. A chance to observe your peers.
You can gauge your own strengths and weaknesses against those of your peers. You may also be exposed to, and inspired by, new and exciting repertoire.
5. An honorable recognition of your musicianship.
If you happen to place in, or win, a competition, include it in future applications and your résumé.
Final Advice for Anyone Thinking about Music Competitions
• Seek out competitions that are at the appropriate level for your development. Doing so ensures that you are more likely to have a positive experience.
• Prepare to your best ability, perform your best, and be proud of your performance—no matter what actually happens.
• Good resources –– books, articles, videos, and even “performance coaches” –– can help you develop strategies for performing at your peak.
• Be proud of winning a competition, but remember it is only a momentary recognition. Be respectful and sensitive to your peers who don’t fare as well as you.
• Prepare to your best ability, perform your best, and be proud of your performance—no matter what actually happens.
• Good resources –– books, articles, videos, and even “performance coaches” –– can help you develop strategies for performing at your peak.
• Be proud of winning a competition, but remember it is only a momentary recognition. Be respectful and sensitive to your peers who don’t fare as well as you.
Dr. Thomas Swenson, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of the Center for Musical Excellence at Salem College and President-Elect for the North Carolina Music Teachers Association, has distinguished himself as a national leader in the field of piano pedagogy. He is published in many journals and books, has presented at national conferences and workshops, and has taught students throughout the world. Dr. Swenson holds degrees from Minnesota State University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and the University of Oklahoma. He can be heard on numerous CDs as a soloist, accompanist, arranger, and producer.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Summer Goals
Aaahhh.... Summer. The sunny weather, the BBQs, the swimming pools, and plenty of free time without any homework. Its long awaited arrival is approaching at last. What better time than summer to gear up on practicing? Now that you don't have to worry about homework for other classes you can really focus on practicing the harp! No more excuses!
This is an excellent time to be setting goals for where you'd like to be when the school year begins. Is it your desire to test for level 5 or 6 in the ASTACAP harp exam this August? Do you want to be prepared to play a stunning solo during a student performance? Maybe there are a couple of great pieces you have been wanting to learn for the last several months, but due to the hectic schedule of the school year, they have been on your shelf collecting dust. Now is the time to be proactive and set the tone for the next year!
Consistency is key. Make it a habit to practice daily. If you wait to play a game or watch a movie after you have already practiced, it is much more rewarding than the guilt you will feel when you keep putting practice time off. If you miss practicing one day, make up for it by practicing more on the next day.
Strategic. Know your schedule and set daily goals for practice time. Are you too tired to practice after you come home late in the evening? Try practicing in the morning. Are you too busy rushing out the door in the morning? How about later in the afternoon? Keep a practice journal and find out which time of the day is easiest and then stick to it.
Just because you are devoting more time to practice does not mean you can't enjoy your summer. You don't have to practice 3 or 4 hours a day. The rule of thumb is: 30 minutes daily for beginners, 45 minutes to 1 hour daily for intermediate students, and 1 hour or 1 hour and a half daily for the advanced. Considering there are 24 hours in a day, that's not so bad, now is it?
By Abigail, Angelic Harp Academy
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Arts & Crafts and Fine Arts: What's the Difference?
Arts & Crafts and Fine Arts Are Not the Same Thing... Learn How to Tell the Difference!
Fine Arts teachers often cringe when their classes are referred to by unknowing parents or colleagues as 'Crafts' or 'Arts & Crafts'. There is, in fact, a major difference between Fine Arts and Arts & Crafts, both of which are distinct entities. Often, the terms are used interchangeably by the uninformed, but to an Art teacher (or professional artist), there is a negative stigma attached and one cannot be mistaken for the other. Learn how to recognize the difference between Fine Arts and Arts & Crafts below:
High Art vs. School Art - A Look into the History of Art Education
Art Education became a required discipline in U.S. schools during the 1800's Industrial Revolution, when students primarily learned drawing and drafting, important skills which could be used in designing factories and engineering new products.
An Art Education trend in the early 1900's led to the introduction of 'School Art.' It was thought that children shouldn't learn technical skills, but should be experimenting with materials and creating images of their choosing. Enthusiasm was more important than learning skills, and new materials such as finger paint were invented.
When the progressive Montessori curriculum became popular, children were taught to use materials only in a specific, acceptable way that did not create a mess. Individual expression was disregarded and emphasis was placed on making the school polite and hospitable. These trends created the basis of the modern Kindergarten and elementary classroom - where 'School Art' was designed to be child-centered, based on warm holiday themes, non-messy, and experimental.
Arising later, a backlash against 'School Art' proclaimed that this was not Art at all and did not teach students an appreciation for the 'High Art' that existed in museums and the professional Art world.
What is Arts & Crafts?
In the Art world, 'Crafts' is the overall term for artwork or products that are skillfully created by hand by practiced experts - 'the craft of woodworking', 'the craft of glassblowing', or the 'craft of pottery'.
The term 'Craft', however, has been taken out of context to represent the 'crafts' made by young children and to those who set up handmade, seasonal home-decorating wares for sale at 'craft' shows. The term has been turned into a verb and adjective: "I'm feeling crafty today!" or used as a decorating style: "I'm decorating my living room with crafts." In a school setting, 'Arts & Crafts' is the new term for the idea of 'School Art', referring to students making a similar general decorative product from the step-by-step instructions of an advisor.
What is Fine Arts?
In the Art world, 'Fine Arts' is the term used for the overall study of the professional field of Art - past and present. In a school setting, 'Fine Arts' refers to students learning who professional artists are and what they do, utilizing strategies, perfecting advanced skills, studying history and gaining an appreciation for 'High Art.'
The Focus
The focus of Arts & Crafts is for students to create single, guided activities with a pre-conceived end result. Often, the assigned projects are based on holiday themes, events, or in conjunction with enhancing learning in another topic. For instance, if students are learning about penguins in Science, they might take half-gallon milk containers and craft them into standing penguins; or, if Thanksgiving is approaching, students might be assigned to trace their hands and fingers, then glue on feathers to create turkeys. If students are introduced to a culture, often it is stereotypically touching the surface (like cutting out menorahs or making a dream-catcher). The focus in Arts & Crafts is making a product.
The focus of Fine Arts is for students to learn the history of Art -artists, cultures, movements, style and the history of civilization; to improve skills, vocabulary, techniques and studio methods based on the practices of real artists; and to discern, think critically about, and evaluate Art. A Fine Arts lesson may begin with studying the history of Japanese printmaking and the artist Hokusai, learning the methods of relief printmaking, creating a print, and then evaluating it critically afterwards. When students are introduced to other cultures, the Fine Arts teacher goes into detail, placing an artwork in its cultural context (students do not just recreate an African mask, they learn how and why they were made, their significance and symbolism, then create an original idea for a mask of their own, using similar techniques). The focus in Fine Arts is gaining in-depth knowledge.
The Materials
The materials used in Arts & Crafts include inexpensive, safe, readily available products: washable paints, glitter, school glue, feathers, googly-eyes, cookie cutters, popsicle sticks, beads, play-dough, construction paper, Styrofoam cups, paper plates, chenille pipe-cleaners, yarn and often dozens of pre-assembled 'kits.'
The materials used in Fine Arts include higher-quality oil and acrylic paints, canvas, clay, specialty brushes, screen-printing materials, sharp tools, computers, custom products used for certain techniques, and other materials that career artists use in the field.
The Techniques
The techniques of Arts & Crafts rely heavily on students learning to follow directions. This often explains why you often find that students who make the 'best' or 'neatest' elementary crafts are often the advanced young children - the ones who have learned how to listen to a teacher and follow their directions closely. Incidentally, it is the most creative students that tend to do poorly with reproducing examples at a young age, but later grow up to become amazing, creative artists.
The techniques of Fine Arts are predominantly based on imitating the methods used by professionals and working on perfecting those vocational skills - whether it is learning how to use equipment, software, tools, research methods, critical analysis, or principles of design. While students are mastering the techniques of professionals, they are encouraged to think creatively, be original and express themselves.
The End Result
The desired end result of an Arts & Crafts activity is to create a duplicate copy of a teacher-made project. Often, the goal is for students to do their best in neatly copying the teacher's example, showing expertise in simple skills, such as cutting, gluing and assembling. An Arts & Crafts teacher wants to be able to display the student's work in the hallway, or send it home for parents to display on the refrigerator.
The desired end result of a Fine Arts activity is for students to creatively express themselves and their own interests and ideas, while experimenting with new mediums and practicing technical skills. A Fine Arts teacher wants students to learn from the process of the activity, which is seen as more valuable than the end product. Frequently, there are open-ended results to a Fine Arts lesson.
The Benefits
The benefits of both Arts & Crafts and Fine Arts are many. Arts & Crafts introduces and helps young students to practice basic skill sets. Though activities are carefully guided, students are given the opportunity to learn about the decorative arts, and their interest for Art may be developed to pursue further learning in Art later on. In short, Arts & Crafts helps promote interest in Fine Arts. Likewise, the benefits of Fine Arts are many: it benefits serious Art students by helping them to advance further skill, prepares career artists, teaches students to think critically about the world around them, helps students to understand visual media and cultural propaganda, and enhances learning of human civilization.
Who cares? Why is there a stigma?
So why do Art teachers care if they are referred to as 'Crafts'? For starters, Art teachers are constantly on the guard and in defense of their positions. They have to be - schools all across the country are cutting their Art programs. From the "No Child Left Behind" Act, schools are slashing all parts of education not associated with the main testing areas - Reading/Writing, Math, etc. Art teachers have to continually advocate for their programs and explain how Art can help enhance learning in other subject areas - Art students read about Art, write about it, learn about History, use Math, scientifically experiment with materials, etc. Art teachers are constantly promoting the educational aspects of their programs, and fighting for their place in the schools. They must re-assert that they are not babysitters, they do not glue macaroni on paper with students, they do not have students draw in coloring books - but that they are a core educational program, just like Math or Science, teaching their own state-required objectives. To call an Art teacher's work 'Crafts' is to essentially demean the teacher - it lowers the importance of everything they work for, and deems it to be less than serious.
A Time and Place: Fine Arts and Arts & Crafts
Would you say that 'playing catch' is equal to learning the fundamentals, strategies, teamwork, and history of Baseball? Would you say that giving a child a tambourine to shake is equal to learning about the history of Music, important composers, playing an instrument in an orchestra, and learning about rhythms, crescendos, chords and other musical terminology? Probably not. While one is an entire field of learning, the other is a simple activity introducing a basic skill which may help to promote interest in the other - however, both are valid and neither is better or more correct than the other.
In truth, there is an appropriate time and place for both Fine Arts and Arts & Crafts, as they both offer distinct benefits and cater to different audiences. While Crafts may be more appropriate for preschools, general classrooms, Sunday schools, or camps; the whole discipline of Fine Arts is what should be taught in school Art classrooms. The importance, however, is just to distinguish between the two and understand that they are not the same thing.
Learning the difference between Fine Arts and Arts & Crafts is important for a number of reasons. First, it helps avoid confusion - especially for students (and their parents). Second, it reiterates the importance of the educational aspect of Fine Arts - a subject that is unfortunately viewed as 'expendable' by administrators and the public who grew up viewing FineArt and Crafts as interchangeable. Third, it shows respect to each discipline, by giving them (and their teachers) their due respect.
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