HarpSong™️ Harp Podcast: A Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions®

About HarpSong™️ Harp Podcast: A Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions®

Welcome to the HarpSong™️ Podcast: Interviews with Harpist and Luthiers Presented by Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions. I am your host, Maureen Buscareno and I hope to inspire you and to help you discover amazing music and artists from around the world. I love bringing people together through collaboration, creativity, and community through the arts. And all along my journey I’ve always met interesting and talented people. So, sit back and join me on this magical creative journey.

Publisher

Maureen Buscareno

Category

arts · arts · music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Apr 2020

Latest episode

10 Feb 2022

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Feb 2022

   Liza Jensen: “We have to take the opportunities as they come and say yes to the open door.”

   www.moonoverthetrees.com/podcast Welcome to Season 3 of the HarpSong Podcast! Thank you for listening and for your support. I’m so excited to be kicking off this new season with today’s guest, Liza Jensen. I hope you are taking time for yourself for care and for treating yourself with the same kindness that you would show a friend in need…maybe that means playing your harp in the morning or composing a song as you watch the snow falling, maybe just having a cup of tea and taking a breath help you to recharge… Just like us, our harps need some TLC every now and again, too. So, let’s take time to help the harps that help us and also keep nurturing and being kind to ourselves while we take those opportunities that cross our paths. As Liza says in this interview, “We have to take the opportunities as they come and say yes to the open door.” So many of you have sent in questions about harp regulation and taking care of your instrument that I knew I had to have Liza on the show. I’ve known Liza for 10 plus years and she is just fantastic, as you will hear. My interview with Liza was recorded in November of 2021 just before she left for her harp regulation trip to Singapore. It was her first time back there since the COVID-19 shut down. Through curiosity, determination, and sometimes self doubt, we can still welcome opportunity and the gifts that saying yes to life can bring. Liza Jensen, is one of the most sought after harp technicians in the world. Her journey of becoming a harp technician has taken her on her own personal journey of discovery that is sure to inspire. Liza is pleasantly surprised as to how she ended up in this career. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a very musical family. Her mother taught flute and encouraged Liza to learn harp. Liza is also an accomplished flutist Living in a small rural town Liza appreciated how the harp got her out of the house to meet new people and discover new places. Liza’s harp practice got her accepted into The Eastman School of Music where she studied with Kathleen Bride. Liza recalls some of Professor Bride’s wise advice “You don’t need to practice more than three hours a day, because 1. You don’t want to injure yourself and 2., and I [Liza] really took this to heart, you need to have a life to put back into your instrument…to put back into your music. And for that, I really appreciated her.” Even with being accepted into one of the top music schools in the world Liza struggled a bit with Impostor Syndrome. She thought, “Maybe if I understood more of how the harp works, that would give me more confidence.” Liza has always had a mechanical brain and could be found trying to figure out how things work and how to fix them. Even when she was in high school she remembers trying to figure out how to repair the school’s harp. At one point Pat Doogle, one of Liza’s harp tech mentors, made her take the harp apart and reassemble it so that she could see the inside and see how each part is related to the other. It was a big “Ah ha moment” for Liza. Her curiosity, attention to detail, and hyperfocus are some of the things that make her a great harp tech. She is also extremely personable like a doctor with good bedside manners. “This is a big deal to me, one reason it does take me longer [to work on a harp] is that I like to talk to you about your harp. I want to know if you are having specific issues, but also, I have very sensitive ears, so I may hear a buzz that you didn’t even know existed…or even if you come to me with a problem that you do know exists, I want you to understand what it was I did to make it go away. Because a lot of times it’s just something silly. More often than not, it’s something silly like a string end. That’s why I give the classes to give you a checklist of what to check for that you can do easily for yourself, especially in the lever harp world. “ It is no surprise that Camac harps have made her one of their International harp techs. Liza stresses the importance of having your harp regulated. She suggests getting your pedal harp regulated a minimum of once every other year, but if you are a professional, every year. Lever harps, if they don’t move much and depending on their construction they should be regulated around every three or four years. But if your harp does shift more than you will need more servicing. “Not all the harp techs work on lever harps. That’s another way that I feel that they are very neglected. It’s getting better, I think. And I feel that part of that is due to Somerset [The Somerset Folk Harp Festival] (https://www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtml#jensen).” “I feel that there is something special about the lever harp community…the pedal harp community is more formal whereas the lever harp community is more bohemian, but not less sophisticated.” “I don’t know why, but I have this Bob Ross approach” to teaching harp maintenance…”it’s all going to be ok” LINKS: https://www.facebook.com/liza.jensen.16 (https://www.facebook.com/liza.jensen.16) https://www.camac-harps.com/en/liza-jensen/ (https://www.camac-harps.com/en/liza-jensen/) https://www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtml#jensen (https://www.somersetharpfest.com/index.shtml#jensen) MENTIONS: American Harp Society https://www.harpsociety.org/ (https://www.harpsociety.org/) Kathleen Bride https://www.esm.rochester.edu/faculty/bride_kathleen/ (https://www.esm.rochester.edu/faculty/bride_kathleen/) Harp Island and The Harp Society of Tasmania https://www.harpsocietytasmania.org/past-events (https://www.harpsocietytasmania.org/past-events) Camac Harps https://www.camac-harps.com/en/ (https://www.camac-harps.com/en/) Katryna Tan http://www.katrynatan.com/ (http://www.katrynatan.com/) Emily Hopkins https://www.emilyharpist.com/ (https://www.emilyharpist.com/)

2. 

   24 Nov 2021

   Tiffany Schaefer: growing a Celtic Music Community

   My guest today is harpist Tiffany Schaefer. Tiffany is a harp teacher and performer based in Ohio. During our chat we discussed the Ohio Scottish Arts School, or OSAS for short, and how, “music is bringing people together and [how] it is ageless that way.” Tiffany grew up in a musical family and started playing the harp in 2007. Her involvement in OSAS and The Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA) brought her into the world of Scottish traditional music. The first harp album she found in her local library was by Sue Richards and she became inspired by Sue’s playing. You could imagine Tiffany’s surprise when Sue was one of her adjudicators at her first OSAS’s harp competition! We talk about many of the amazing harpists who have inspired her, many of whom have been interviewed on this podcast folks like: Rachel Hair, Corrina Hewat, Kim Robertson and more...make sure to check out those episodes in our archives. On competition: Although it can be nerve wracking, “It’s a great way to work toward something and get some feedback from people who know what they are talking about.” Tiffany is passionate about creating community, something that we here at HarpSong™️ and Moon Over the Trees are as well. Tiffany’s hope for her free FB group, “Mastering Celtic Music”, is that it will, “grow into a hub for Celtic music and all different kinds of instrumentalists...not just harpists.” You can also check out her Patreon page for classes, and arrangements for the harp. On performing: Tiffany performs as a soloist and accompanies her own singing and storytelling. Right now she has two ensembles, one plays Renaissance and Baroque repertoire and the other is an Irish Traditional group called, Creggane. Check out her youtube page for more information. LINKS Tiffanyharpandsong.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUqbcWka4EgODStHBzWBUg Mastering Celtic Music FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/347044529772564 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tiffanyharpandsong Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS): https://ohioscottishartsschool.com/ The Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA): https://www.shsa.org/ Sue Richards: https://www.suerichards.net/ The first harp album she found in her local library was by Sue Richards and she became inspired by Sue’s playing. You could imagine Tiffany’s surprise when Sue was one of her adjudicators at her first OSAS’s harp competition! We talk about many of the amazing harpists who have inspired her, many of whom have been interviewed on this podcast folks like: Rachel Hair, Corrina Hewat, Kim Robertson and more...make sure to check out those episodes in our archives. On Competition: Although it can be nerve wracking, “It’s a great way to work toward something and get some feedback from people who know what they are talking about.” Celtic Music Community: Tiffany is passionate about creating community, something that we here at HarpSong™️ and Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions® are as well. Tiffany’s hope for her free FB group, “Mastering Celtic Music”, is that it will, “grow into a hub for Celtic music and all different kinds of instrumentalists...not just harpists.” You can also check out her Patreon page for classes, and arrangements for the harp. On Performing: Tiffany performs as a soloist and accompanies her own singing and storytelling. Right now she has two ensembles, one plays Renaissance and Baroque repertoire and the other is an Irish Traditional group called, Creggane. Check out her youtube page for more information. LINKS Tiffany’s Website: Tiffanyharpandsong.com Youtube: Mastering Celtic Music FB Patreon: www.patreon.com/tiffanyharpandsong Ohio Scottish Arts School (OSAS): ohioscottishartsschool.com The Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA):www.shsa.org Sue Richards: www.suerichards.net 5 Pointe Cafe in Cleveland, Ohio (supporter of local musicians): www.5pointscafe.com

3. 

   7 Oct 2021

   Aisling Lyons: Journeys

   I came across Aisling Lyons’ music while reading through some posts from my alma mater, The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (https://www.irishworldacademy.ie/) at The University of Limerick. We did talk a bit about UL during our chat.. The track playing in the background is Aisling’s composition, ‘Buíochas’, which translates to “Thank You” in Irish, was composed as a thank you to UL and it is also a track from her new album coming out later this year. You can find this opening track on Spotify, iTunes & Apple Music, and Bandcamp ahead of the album’s release later this year. Artists joining her on this track are: Fiddle & Viola: Fergal Scahill, (https://www.fergalscahill.ie/) Double Bass: Paul O'Driscoll (https://www.nightsinshanaglish.com/paul-odriscoll.php), Guitar: Seán Lyons (https://www.facebook.com/seanlyonsmusician)and the beautiful album artwork was created by County Clare artist Sorrell Reilly (https://www.etsy.com/shop/SorrellReilly). LINKS: Aisling’s website: https://aislinglyonsmusic.com/ (https://aislinglyonsmusic.com/) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3VMWWedquxRNHXJiSp3Vbm?si=SYmJGunHTmi4AflNB3jlkg&dl_branch=1 (https://open.spotify.com/album/3VMWWedquxRNHXJiSp3Vbm?si=SYmJGunHTmi4AflNB3jlkg&dl_branch=1) Bandcamp: https://aislinglyons.bandcamp.com/track/bu-ochas (https://aislinglyons.bandcamp.com/track/bu-ochas) Instagram: @aislinglyonsmusic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aislinglyonsmusic (https://www.facebook.com/aislinglyonsmusic) Artist Sorrell Reilly’s Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SorrellReilly (https://www.etsy.com/shop/SorrellReilly) Fiddler Fergal Cahill: https://www.fergalscahill.ie/ (https://www.fergalscahill.ie/) Seán Lyons: https://www.facebook.com/seanlyonsmusician (https://www.facebook.com/seanlyonsmusician) Tolü Makay: https://tolumakay.com/ (https://tolumakay.com/) Lá na Cruite, Harp Day 2021 takes place on Saturday 16th October: https://www.harpireland.ie/national-harp-day-overview/ Irish World Academy of Music and Dance - University of Limerick https://www.irishworldacademy.ie/ (https://www.irishworldacademy.ie/) Aisling grew up with music, in fact her parents met through Irish music. Unfortunately, Aisling’s father passed away while she was studying for her masters degree. She decided to take a year off from her degree and focus solely on music. Working on the material for her newest album became a form of therapy for her and helped her with the grieving process. Along with composing and performing on harp and concertina Aisling is also a harp tutor at UL and most recently collaborated with Tolü Makay (https://tolumakay.com/) to perform for Irish President Michael D. Higgins’ 80th birthday. Aisling and Tolü Makay’s performance of, “Don’t Let Go '', for Irish President Michael D. Higgins’ 80th birthday https://twitter.com/TG4TV/status/1382738357273378817?s=20&fbclid=IwAR2HzM1KhJhvFfR-HYcnt7Z94yR_mB0KZz4UL65fNSj3xIn6q7KdktddtyI Aisling will also be participating in the annual Lá na Cruite | Harp Day 2021. And for all of your harpers out there be sure to check out Harp Ireland’s website for more information on how you can participate.

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

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