March update - more sponsors

While I was spending January and February totally immersed in all things harp any other projects were put on the back burner, or at most I did the bare minimum needed to keep things ticking over. As February turned to March and the excitement from the grade 1 exam and Clueless in Concert died down I realised that I had an awful lot to catch up on. Concerts to organise, pieces to be practised on my regular instruments and music to arrange for a forthcoming schools project all needed to be done pretty quickly. I had intended to play the harp every day even if just for five minutes and with a list of sponsors who had donated on or after the exam day I still had that extra motivation. First up was Dad's wife Sue who sent a donation on the morning of the exam. A tribute to Sue should include her ability to have lived with my Dad for the past 12 years (the raising of an unimpressed eyebrow when Dad and I burst into hysterics after sharing a daft joke demonstrates this) but her other skills include celebration cake making and anything else artistic. However I did sense some competition with regard to Dad's attention through appearances on the BBC as on the Monday morning Sue managed to get her name read out on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Radio 2. She'd got in touch with a Dutch pen-pal after some years of being out of touch and texted this happy news as part of Evans's "Listener Breaking News". I did a good 20 minutes on the Monday evening for Sue playing through some brand new pieces. Running out of manageable harp pieces I tried an easy piano book but piano music does not transfer that easily to harp. There need to be few accidentals and not too many notes at any one time. I settled on "Swaying Branches" by Thomas Dunhill and a little number by Tchaikovsky.

Pat and Martin, husband and wife participants gave another donation as I had got a distinction. Mum also handed over the bonus distinction, which delighted the rest of the family. At school a few pupils (and some dinner ladies!) had seen my on the TV so used the opportunity to stop working in lessons or rehearsals by asking about it. The most common question is "is it hard to learn the harp?" My answer is "yes, but I practise lots" in the hope that they will be inspired to do some more practise themselves. The second question I get asked is "are you going to take grade 2?" The answer is that I'll probably take it as soon as I've learnt some of the pieces and scales. I am keen to as I think I work best when I have a goal in mind. And I want to put more certificates up around the house.

Tuesday's session was dedicated to Julie, a saxophonist at Palace Band. The enjoyment of music can be shared easily and as an example Julie recently donated a spare clarinet, suggesting I could pass it on to someone who might benefit. I now lend it out to beginner pupils who are not yet in a position to rent or buy their own and will then update Julie when the clarinet and its owner take an exam! Julie's session was much the same as yesterday trying out new pieces and playing for fun. I am now not tending to time my practice sessions as I just get going with any recent pieces and play until I get tired or think I ought to do something else. Wally, another Palace Band member had Wednesday's session, which was a little shorter but still enjoyable. Having a house in France Wally has spotted an opportunity for some music in the local town square and has organised some fellow musicians to go out in April to provide some entertainment. Thursday was for Pat, a member of Walden Winds, and is a clarinettist who is working hard to get through the exams above grade 5. Finally for this week Tricia had Friday's session. Tricia is a clarinettist who enjoys a lot of chamber music, playing in a wind quintet and ensembles featuring strings and piano. This gives her the chance to play some of the great clarinet repertoire sadly not available to most players. Knowing and being friends with a keen viola and pianist always helps! I am hoping to do some playing with others on the harp but I might need to get a little better first, and find some patient individuals with whom I can play some easy repertoire!