Thursday, June 18, 2015

Harp

The protagonist of my work-in-progress has a giant, impractical dream. She wants to attend the Julliard School as a harp major. Will she get there? Probably not, but my character will become a harp major at some college or conservatory. Many of the students I tutor dream impossible dreams as well.

As I worked on my manuscript, I realized I didn’t know much about the harp, so I contacted a local harpist and asked if I could hire her as a consultant. She agreed and told me I should take harp lessons as well. She offered to lend me a small folk harp for practicing. In the two lessons I’ve had so far, I’ve learned far more than I expected.

Here’s a progress report:
  • It would have been better if I’d learned to read bass clef as a child. I’m getting better.
  • My rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” is often recognizable.
  • Sometimes when I see notes on the treble staff, my fingers still feel imaginary clarinet keys. (I played clarinet for about ten years.)
  • The arthritis in my left thumb makes it lazy.
  • Jeremy and his friends love to remind me to practice.
  • Most importantly, I’m learning which questions to ask my teacher to improve my manuscript. 

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Pollen Festival

We get so few honeybees these days, if one stops by the yard, I go full paparazzi. 

A bee fly enjoyed the peonies too.
The wasp preferred the strawberries.