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| Levels |
| To help you make the best class and workshop choices, we offer a “levels” guideline. Determine which level best describes you, and look for the
corresponding level number before each class description. |
| level I |
| You have been playing a very short time, maybe a few months or a year, and are still acclimating to the harp. You hear the music you want to play, but have a hard time reproducing these sounds on the harp. You find maintaining good hand position or getting through a song without stopping many times challenging. You may be new to music entirely and still learning to read notes. You are hoping your weekend at Beginning in the Middle will provide new levels of inspiration and information. |
| level ii |
| You have been playing for a year or two and have some lessons under your belt. You understand basic hand position and note reading, but sometimes find it difficult to concentrate on so many things at one time! You have some songs in your repertoire, and aspire to play them more effortlessly and take your playing to a new level. You are shy about playing in front of others, but have thought about giving it a try, perhaps this year at Beginning in the Middle. |
| level iIi |
| You have been playing for a while now and have some ensemble experience under your belt. You are starting to feel confident in your technique and your ability to get around the harp. You are looking for ways to take your harp playing to the next level and are starting to work on ways to make you playing more artistic. |
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| harp required? |
| A few of the classes, such as the Harp Ensembles, require that you bring a harp with you to class in order to participate. We are sorry that we do not have extra harps or rental harps available to offer you for these classes. There are plenty of classes to choose from for those that cannot bring their own harps. |
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| intensive morning workshops |
| These morning sessions showcase each instructor’s specialty in an intensive workshop setting. Sign up for a Friday and Saturday morning session on your registration form, along with an alternate choice. Class size is limited for each class so register early! |
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| Great Celtic Tunes for the Celtic Harp |
| Instructor: Janet Witman |
| Levels I/II (Saturday), Levels II/III (Friday) |
| Harp Required: Yes |
| Designed for Celtic harpers, this workshop will freshen up your repertoire! Janet will provide hand outs of some of her favorite Celtic tunes and present them in a variety of styles; traditional, jazz, and contemporary. From O'Carolan to The Quiet Man, Janet's unique and playable arrangements will provide innovative ideas to help you approach your current repertoire with new eyes and ears! |
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| One Size Does NOT Fit All! |
| Instructor: Robbin Gordon-Cartier |
| Levels I/II (Friday), Levels II/III (Saturday) |
| Harp Required: Optional |
| Practice, practice, practice!!! Well, what if you do practice and still don’t get the results that you expected? Now is the time to learn how to customize your practice so that it fits your personal goals and challenges. Start developing musicianship through harp music and techniques that support the level you are at while adding specific skills for the level you are striving for. The use of etudes, exercises and graded pieces help build the foundation for playing musically. Discover how to connect basic techniques to performances that convey what you want the audience to hear and let your practice fit you! |
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| Pick Your Notes |
| Instructor: Frank Voltz |
| Levels I/II (Saturday), Levels II/III (Friday) |
| Harp Required: Optional |
| It’s difficult to find harp arrangements for everything you want to play so learn to create your own! Piano music is often a good place to start. Frank will demonstrate how to arrange piano music for harp and “sound” harpistic—not pianistic. Learn a few simple rules to tackle just about any tune. Part lecture and part hands on, this workshop will also discuss how to simplify a difficult harp part to create an arrangement appropriate to your skill level. Lastly, we’ll look at lead sheets: how to read them and use them to arrange tasteful harp parts without going crazy. |
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| Playing for Church Without Losing Your Religion |
| Instructor: Rhett Barnwell |
| All Levels (Friday and Saturday) |
| Harp Required: No |
| There may perhaps be no higher calling than when we are asked to play, or feel led to play, for a religious service in a church or temple. This may be a new experience, or for practiced church harpists looking for new ideas, this workshop is just for you! We will take a look at the practical side of playing in a religious setting, including a survey of major denominations and worship styles. The Liturgical Calendar will be explored, and we will see why “Salve Regina” would be a big hit at the local Catholic Church, but a bomb at First Baptist! Practical guides to repertoire, compensation, weddings, funerals and other aspects of playing in a sacred setting will be covered. |
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| Pursuing the Art of Collaboration |
| Instructor: Lynne Aspnes |
| Level I (Friday), Levels II/III (Saturday) |
| Harp Required? No (a pedal and a lever harp will be available for this class) |
| Whoever said “no man is an island” understood the fine art and rewards of playing chamber music! No matter how disciplined, dedicated, or methodical our practicing is, we’re still doing it in a vacuum. It may be great to have Fido at your feet, staring up with unadulterated adoration, but that cannot prepare us for playing with other people. Wherever you are in your development at the harp, it’s never too soon to learn to play with others! Take advantage of the hands-on coaching with the faculty. Come prepared with one of the works listed below and we will work with you on preparing and performing the repertoire. Participant enrollment in this class is very limited. Plan to sign up early. (Observers are welcome.) |
| Participants should choose 1 piece to prepare from the following repertoire: |
| Harp and melody instrument: |
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Level I: Stage I (or) Stage 2 Duos; arr. Stephanie Curcio |
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Level II/III: En Bateau (by C. Debussy, arr. F. Carmen) |
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| Harp and Piano/Organ: |
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Level I: Spagnoletta (or) Campanae Parisiense from Vox Celestis (5 pieces for Harp and Organ); arr: Samuel Milligan |
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Level II/III: Concerto in C (any mvt.); by A. Vivaldi, arr. K. Bundock Moore |
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| Harp Duo: |
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Level I: Tarantella; by P. Beaumont, arr. Lynne Abbey-Lee |
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Level II/III: Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring; by J.S. Bach, arr: J. Escosa* |
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*All harmonics in the Bach/Escosa are optional. If you choose to play the notated harmonics as open notes, do so where written. |
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| Harp Ensemble A |
| Instructor: D'Arville |
| Levels I/II (Offered Friday and Saturday-choose one day) |
| Harp Required: Yes |
| This harp ensemble workshop is for harpists at the beginning to intermediate levels of playing, and those with little to no previous ensemble experience. We will cover the basic elements of ensemble playing, such as following a conductor, listening to others, and working together as a group. Those who wish to will have the opportunity to play with the group in an informal concert before our Saturday evening festivities. If you find a part you are learning is too difficult, just do your best to play what is comfortable for you—remember, it’s an ensemble, and there is safety in numbers! Participants must purchase original copies and learn the following music: |
| Duets for Harp; by Meredith Mancini |
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Harpin' Chopstocks |
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Shenandoah |
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| Jupiter; by Holst, arr Janet Witman |
| Music of the Night, (reduced 1 or 2 part) by A. Lloyd Weber, arr. Lynne Abbey-Lee |
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| Harp Ensemble B |
| Instructor: TBA |
| Level II/III (Offered Friday and Saturday-choose one day) |
| Harp Required: Yes |
| This ensemble workshop is for harpists at the intermediate to advanced levels of playing (suggested 3 years of training), and those with some previous ensemble experience. We will work together as a group to achieve the best sound possible, follow a conductor, and listen to each other. Those who wish to will have the opportunity to play with the group in an informal concert before our Saturday evening festivities. If you find a part you are learning is too difficult, just do your best to play what you can —remember, it’s an ensemble, and there is safety in numbers. Participants must purchase original copies and learn the following music: |
| Strolling Through the Strings; by F. Voltz |
| Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring; by J.S. Bach, arr. J. Escosa |
| Jupiter; by Holst, arr Janet Witman |
| Music of the Night, by A. Lloyd Weber, arr. Lynne Abbey-Lee |
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| Afternoon and Sunday Classes |
| These one hour general-session classes are offered throughout the afternoon and on Sunday. Some are offered only once, while others are offered twice over the weekend. You do not need to register in advance to attend these classes. |
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| Crossing Over from Celtic to Classical |
| Instructor: Janet Witman |
| Levels: All |
| Harp Required: Optional |
| This workshop is designed for Celtic harpers who would like to cross over to some standard classical works for weddings, church prelude music, or just for the experience! Janet is a celebrated Celtic recording artist, as well as a graduate of the esteemed Curtis Institute of Music. She will highlight examples of techniques that work, and others that need to be left on the shelf and how to make a smooth transition. |
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| Crossing Over from Classical to Celtic |
| Instructor: Janet Witman |
| Levels: All |
| Harp Required: Optional |
| This workshop is designed for classical harpists who would like to play Celtic music on concert tension harps designed for classical repertoire. Janet is a graduate of the esteemed Curtis Institute of Music, as well as a Celtic recording artist. She will show you what works and what doesn't when selecting Celtic music to be played on our larger "cousin" instruments. |
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| Get It Right the First Time! |
| Instructor: Lynne Aspnes |
| Levels: All |
| Harp Required: No |
| This class will focus on resources to help develop a solid foundation in your harp technique. Learn consistent and effective ways to drill fundamental basics such as octaves, scales, and cross-unders, as well as the nuances of playing. Make your harp playing easier and more enjoyable! Learn to identify the skills needed to conquer "the hard spots" in your pieces through reliable and dependable technique. Lynne will give you practical exercises and ideas to take back to your practice room! |
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| Go For Baroque |
| Instructor: Rhett Barnwell |
| Levels: All |
| Harp Required: Optional |
| This workshop takes an in-depth look at the glorious period of musical composition in which great composers wrote a great deal of music for every instrument except the harp. We will explore the reasons for this omission, and examine the relatively small body of music that actually was written for the harp during this time. More importantly, we will examine the wealth of transcriptions for lever and pedal harp that now make it possible for us to perform all the Baroque music we could ever want! |
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| The Harpist’s Top Ten |
| Instructor: Frank Voltz |
| Levels: All |
| Harp Required: No |
| So you want to be a gigging harpist but you’re not quite sure how to get started. You need to concentrate on the basics! Like the basic black dress (or tux) in your closet, having a few essential harp tunes in your repertoire will provide the foundation for your career as a professional harpist. You will discover a list of harp music for weddings (including sacred selections), church services (lots of familiar hymns) and background music (music that you’ll enjoy playing) opportunities. You just don’t want to practice for practice’s sake–you want to get out there and show the world you can do it! This workshop will provide tips from a professional musician and give you an opportunity to ask questions. |
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| Hear It, Like It, Buy It! |
| Instructor: TBD |
| Level: All |
| Harp Required: No |
| This popular BITM class gives you a chance to hear harp music played by a professional harpist so that you can decide if it’s something you might want to add to your own library. We’ll come armed with lots of favorites we think you’d like to hear, but you can also bring things you’d like our harpist to play. |
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| I Hear a Harp |
| Instructor: TBD |
| Level: All |
| Harp Required: No |
| Are you overwhelmed by choices when you walk onto the floor of a harp showroom? Do you wonder about the differences in sound between each make and model? In this class, which takes place in the exhibit room (only open to class members during this time), a professional harpist will play and describe different instruments so you can make a side-by-side comparison of each one’s sound. Virginia Harp Center offers the largest selection of harp makers in the country, so take advantage of this opportunity to hear them all! |
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| So You Want to Play the Harp? |
| Instructor: TBD |
| Level: Basic Beginner |
| Harp Required: No |
| This class is for the novice just starting his/her foray into the incredible journey that is the harp. Welcome! We will discuss the basics of beginning, including: |
- the process of buying/renting a harp
- which harp is right for you
- the difference between a lever and a pedal harp
- how to find a teacher
- good beginner material
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| String Changing Seminar |
| Instructor: TBD |
| Levels: All |
| Harp Required: No |
| This class is for anyone who gets a knot in their stomach just thinking about what would happen if a string broke and you had to change it in a hurry. We will show you how to tie a basic knot and how to secure a string to the tuning pin. If time permits, we’ll also talk about changing wire strings. |
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| You want me to play with an orchestra??? |
| Instructor: Robbin Gordon-Cartier |
| Levels I/II, II/III |
| Harp Required: Optional |
| One of the greatest joys of performing is having the opportunity to perform with others. One of the scariest aspects of this type of performance, however, occurs when you have no idea how to prepare adequately. Orchestra and chamber music opportunities are often turned down, not because of lack of ability, but because you may not know what questions to ask before agreeing to play. Learn to assess the levels of the pieces that you are being asked to play and how the harp fits into the group once you have learned the music. This class will explore repertoire commonly requested and show you how you can “play well with others.” |
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| zen and the art of harp maintenance |
| Instructor: Howard Bryan |
| Levels: All |
| Harp Required: No |
And you won’t be afraid to ask! Friendly and ever so patient harp builder Howard Bryan returns to help you understand our inseparable companion friend, and sometimes temperamental foe, the harp. He will discuss how to inspect a harp (what you don’t want to find when you inspect a harp you bought on E-bay), along with performing a harp “autopsy” (on a real live harp!) to show you the inner workings of the harp.
During the second part of the class Howard will spend time on ways to move our little beauties (sometimes beasts!) and entertain questions. Curious companions (and designated harp movers!) are encouraged to attend. |
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