Harpilly Yours,
Bambi Fischer <><
June 15, 2004
Bambi Fischer
Newsletter Editor
fischarper@yahoo.co
Things are looking ALIVE for 2005!
|
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
|
Angi Bemiss, Certified Music Practitioner, has agreed to present several workshops and do a concert as well. Her workshops will include: Building a Genuine Repertoire Using a Fake Book, Recording, Publishing and Royalties, and Music Notation Software and Midi Keyboard: An Introduction. Angi has published 20 of her own original arrangements for lever harp and has 4 recordings to her credit. She comes to us with a fine background of workshop presentations: doing workshops at Somerset, MHTP Conference in Seattle, and Mt. Laguna Musicians' Gathering (sponsored by Robinson's Harp Shop). Ensemble work will include some of Angi's own arrangements.
Our own Verlon Eason will present a class on beginning theory that you will not want to miss!
And that’s not all—we are planning to have vendors, moonlight madness shopping, special awards, A Trip Down Memory Lane, a forum addressing issues about playing for Hospice, hospitals, etc., ensemble work, a talent show, Sunday concert, and Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Myers is coordinating a Madrigal Dinner with us - for our enjoyment (yes, I am working on getting a Madrigal harpist there as well).
Arsalaan Fay has agreed to do pedal and lever harp regulations on site and he will also do wire string replacements - for those of us who have wire string replacement anxiety disorder!
Holiday Inn Select in Fort Myers, Florida has worked out details for a special rate with some nice "extras.”
It would be nice to see all of our “old” friends as well
as new ones join us for what might be our largest conference ever!
Thanks for allowing me this opportunity to help coordinate this special FHF
Family Reunion Conference! I am having a ball!
|
Harpilly Yours, |
Angi Bemiss is one of our guest artists and workshop directors for our Florida Harpers and Friends Family Reunion 2005. Just to give you a little bit of an idea about one of her workshops . . .
Building a Genuine Repertoire Using a Fake Book
This workshop is for students interested in learning to use a "fake book"
to add new songs to their repertoire and/or to be able to play easily in music
jams from "lead sheets." Fake books are songbooks that contain only
the melody line, chord notations, and lyrics. With them, you can learn new songs
– easily and inexpensively. There will be an overview of the format of
a fake book, plus basic lessons on key signatures, chords, transposing keys,
bass patterns, and arrangements.
This workshop has received excellent reviews.
One MHTP graduate commented that "the class was worth the whole conference registration fee!"
Jan Jennings announces the re-release of her recording, "Drifting and Dreaming." This recording was first released in 1984 (on LP!) and is now being released on CD with some additional songs added to the original recording. The CD features easy listening standards.
Jan Jennings will be on the faculty of the Somerset Folk Harp Festival
in July. She will be teaching 3 workshops and performing in one of the evening
faculty concerts.
She will also be on the faculty of Lyon & Healy Jazz and Pop Harpfest later
that same month. She will be presenting 4 workshops, an evening concert, and
judging the lever harp competition.
By Marg Chauvin
Yes, you read that correctly. Over Memorial Day weekend we served up harps of
all makes and played music of all styles. Harps de Jour held two one hour workshops
at the festival. The harpers of the day were Lisa Johnson, Mary Jane Ballou,
Amber Kolleda, and Marg Chauvin; who were accompanied by John Monkus on recorder
and Bill Messer on guitar.
Who are the harpers?
Lisa Johnson, better known as KlezMom is the founder and leader of the 24th Street Klezmer Band from Gainesville. Lesser known is that Lisa attended many of the early harp circles that eventually evolved into Florida Harpers and Friends. She is also extremely talented, versatile, and a long time Festival participant. Lisa brought her 36 string Tara (John Chambers) which has an amazingly deep tone. She also brought Klezmer band member John; John typically provides the lead on recorder while she provides the rhythm backup. They are an awesome duo and proved Klezmer on a harp is possible.
Mary Jane Ballou, FHF member, also hales from Gainesville. She migrated to Florida 5 years ago, became enraptured with the harp shortly afterwards and owns an Irish harp by John Chambers. However, she brought her Blevins which has a bright and happy tone. Mary Jane admitted to being “hooked on Classical” and her interest in folk music started with Sylvia Woods. However, Mary Jane shared a variety folk tunes including old-time gospel. Plus being a recent beginner she had words of wisdom long since forgotten by Lisa and myself.
Amber Kolleda, an active 8 year old who studies with Vicki Mansur in Melbourne, gathered her courage and joined us on a 22 string lap harp. She played along by ear, one of her greatest strengths. Amber led us in that time honored folk song “Old McDonald” which is lovely when played in ensemble.
Marg Chauvin, the instigator of the group knew harps were losing ground in the festival and needed to be ‘reborn’. Marg brought her Anastasia by Steen having recently sold her John Chambers to Florida folkie. She recruited Bill from her group Heart Strings to share some contra and percussive dance tunes which are not traditional harp fare.
There are many fond memories of the workshops but the highlight was what else but “Fanny Power”. Do you realize that woman gains beauty each time the tune is played? Just imagine Fanny Power played on four harps, each with a variation, a haunting recorder lead, and a rhythm guitar. It is unfortunate no one recorded it – but in my mind’s ear and that of each musician and audience we will always remember the beauty.
Will we return for the 53rd Florida Folk Festival?
A resounding yes from all participants.
Can you join the group?
Email me at heartstrings@harper.net
for more information.
The Ireland Trip to the Irish Harp Center located in in Castleconnell, Co. Limerick, Ireland and is only about a 2 hour drive from Dublin where following our visit you may wish to attend the World Harp Congress.
Our Dates at the Centre are
July 13- 16 2005: www.irishharpcentre.com
July 13, 2005, Wednesday:
-- Arriving with a visit to an Irish Pub where Janet Harbison is performingJuly 14 through the 16th, 2005:
-- Classes and historical jaunts begin.
The Center has 10 harps available at the center but we encourage those with travel harps to bring them so that they might also play in the International Irish Harp Orchestra for the World Harp Congress.July 16, 2005 (Saturday):
-- We will be heading from Castleconnell to Dublin for the World Harp Congress.
Our Dates for World Harp Congress
July 17-24, 2005: www.worldharpcongress.org/
July 17, 2005 (Sunday):
-- World Harp Congress Begins in Dublin
July 24, 2005 (Sunday):
-- World Harp Congress Closes in DublinThe entry fee for the event is very reasonable.
The concerts are ongoing from morning to night.
You can just listen to music or take classes.
SPECIAL NOTE:
For those interested in Certification as a Therapeutic Harp Practitioner
Christina Tourin will be using the Irish Harp Center in Castleconnell for a
training module after our event and the world harp congress.
You can just stay in Ireland and get it all done! www.harprealm.com
The fees for the Irish Harp Center
Arriving July 13 & Departing 16 are $462 Euros
Include classes, all meals and housing in dorms.
The dorm location is geared up with student bunk beds (8 in 1 room), 4 in the other, and they have one other room with single bed provision.
The rate for a spouse has been established at $250 Euros
Meals and housing only.
These fees will not include the historical jaunts, however, we will get group rates for those.
All persons are responsible for their own plane reservations and transportation
to Castleconnell.
We are shuttling (as a group) to Dublin after our workshop event.
While at World Harp Congress, if you are intending to go,
you will be responsible for your hotel and meals.
This is a WHC event and you should register under their directors,
but we encourage those going with FHF to the Irish Harp Center in Castleconnell
to all go together from there to Dublin.
There is a shuttle that will take us to Dublin on the 16th.
Reservations for FHF's time at the Irish Harp Center July 13 -16,
2005
should be made through Melody Anglin, at 386-767-7862 or Anglinhous@aol.com
Melody Anglin