Ten new original songs for harp solo, and a freshly arranged set of four traditional Scottish Tunes for flute and harp: this has kept me very busy!

October Songs for Harp features titles chosen for the autumn season; all of them could be used for a Halloween program. My intention was to write a collection that would appeal for most, including those who do not celebrate Halloween. Some pieces are spooky sounding, but the story is up to the performer.

Extended techniques! I used many that worked on my 36 string lever harp (with fluorocarbon strings). Everything is written for both lever and pedal harp. I look forward to hearing how you are using these pieces! I imagine they will be fun for recitals and gigs.

This piece from “A Walk in the Woods” needed a storyline, and I couldn’t think of any way but stop motion to tell it. As I was writing this collection, I thought about how wild rabbits have to outsmart many dangers, and that led me to imagine them in a film noir spy / super hero story.

“I used to play the _____, and I wish I hadn’t quit.” I’ve heard that so many times, and always encouraged people to start again.

I hope you won’t say to yourself, “I must be as good as I used to be or it’s not worth trying.”

Your hands will not be as young. Your brain will not be either! But that doesn’t mean it is too hard or of no value for you. It just means you have to approach the relearning with love towards yourself, and appreciation for the ways you are growing.

Have you returned to music after a long absence? I’d love to hear your story. If you’re considering it, I hope you will find a way to start again.

Two flute and harp videos for RoseWynde duo (Sandy Norman and Kathryn Cater) for Spring and the wedding season. Ladye’s Delight/Haste to the Wedding are two joyful traditional tunes we have used for many weddings, and work well for pedal or lever harp. Sheet music is available through Alry.
Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring is performed simply. Please enjoy both of these videos to bring a smile to your day!

Ladybuggedy is from “A Walk in the Woods”, a collection of early intermediate harp solos. At this very gentle tempo, it’s not so difficult. It takes a bit of practice to get rhythm down, and there’s a little tricky stuff for the left hand, but generally it’s really fun to play.
… so I decided to supplement my ladybug videos with stop motion animation…

This whimsical little tune was inspired by a baby blanket made by my Auntie Thelma. It’s the pattern known as a Crazy Quilt, and hangs on the wall in my guest room. To illustrate the piece visually for YouTube, I thought some Sun Bonnet Sues could have a little adventure via Stop Motion animation.

“Month of January, and When the Snow and Frost are All Over” is a flute and harp arrangement I really enjoy playing. It’s so icy and wintery!
Although performed and published for pedal harp, it adapts to lever harp very easily. I just put out a short video to give editing ideas.

The recording is from the RoseWynde CD “Winter Ayres”. The sheet music can be purchased through Alry. The pieces are recorded and arranged to be played as a set, but each can be performed as stand-alone pieces.

Light Through the Trees started as a question. A young poet friend on a hike broke the silence by sharing that he was searching for words to describe the light through the trees. All the usual words came to my mind: filtered, dappled…. Then it became a challenge to write music.
I intentionally wrote silences into this piece.

Firespell is from “A Walk in the Mountains” for harp solo, and is about the hypnotic effect of staring into a campfire. You know the feeling? The dancing flames are so captivating!
Here is a link to the videos for the piece, as well as a teaching video. I go on and on about phrasing. But without interpretation, this piece will just be a lot of notes.

This New Age inspired arrangement of Noel Nouvelet for solo harp now has a teaching video. The emphasis is on the lever arrangement, as it will not sound exactly like the recording, but the more general comments I make about technique and practice may be helpful no matter what harp you are using.

I love walking through the pasture in the cold morning frost, and marveling at the intricate frost crystals, how they transform ordinary weeds into ephemeral works of art.
With this wintery walk and a few snaps from last year’s frost in the pasture, I had enough to illustrate RoseWynde’s First Noel from the “A Merry Little Christmas” CD and sheet music collection.

I’m so grateful to have time to share some thoughts on how to play the pieces I’ve written or arranged!
Here’s the latest teaching video. This one is for Holly and the Ivy following on the video I recently released for that flute and harp medley.

Here’s a video of “The Holly and the Ivy” for flute and harp to help you get in the Christmas spirit, and maybe inspire you to perform this lively arrangement by Kathryn Cater and Sandy Duffy Norman: RoseWynde. It’s so fun to play, and can easily be modified for lever harp. It’s also possible to play the harp part on the piano.