Podcasts about american harp society

As an active orchestral harpist, soloist, accompanist, teacher, reiki master and sound healer, with over 25 years experience, I enjoy every opportunity to share this sacred craft. Providing unique customized music of all genres for special occasions, individualized harp lessons, and Reiki-infused sound healings are especially gratifying for me as I experience a sense of shared joy with others. Orchestral experience spans over 20 years, having had the honor of performing under conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Michael Tilson Thomas, Edwin Outwater, and Charles Dutoit.Have had the privilege of accompanying singers, instrumentalists, and fellow harpists for various weddings, sound healing, chamber music recitals and concerts. Serves as the current President of our Phoenix Chapter of the American Harp Society. A happy participant/performer in several larger musical organizations as harp needs arise.Completed Usui Reiki training during covid, and have continued to pioneer utilizing harp in healing arts.I am a graduate of Arizona State University, San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.https://www.eqharp.comhttps://www.instagram.com/eqharp/?hl=en

Phoenix Chapter of the American Harp Society presents Rita Costanzi, an internationally acclaimed harpist and actress that has recently...

The Principal Harp of the Pittsburgh Symphony Gretchen Van Hoesen will organize and join in an ensemble of 16 harps to play a new score by Alyssa Reit inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's "The Snow Queen" on September 25 at 5:30 PM at Kresge Theater, Carnegie Mellon University.  It is co-sponsored by The Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Harp Society and Carnegie Mellon University. Alyssa Reit will be narrating the Hans Christian Andersen story, Peter Reit will be conducting 16 harpists performing, including Gretchen Katie Ventura and Marissa Knaub Avon, the entire harp department at CMU, the PYSO harp section and many more area harpists.  This production is a setting of the famous Hans Christian Andersen classic, for storyteller and 15 harps. In this performance, the music will incorporate excerpts from participant solos, specially arranged ensemble sections, sound effects, and excerpts from the orchestral repertoire to illustrate the story. The individual solos and ensemble selections will be set as musical interludes. In addition, participants will play underscoring and sound effects, accompanying the text. Harpists of all ages, skill levels, and harp types will be participating.  Alyssa Reit has worked as an independent performer, composer and arranger in the New York tri-state area since completing her Bachelors and Master's degrees at the Juilliard School as a student of Marcel Grandjany in 1975. Composition teachers include Jacob Druckman, Andrew Thomas, and Richard Einhorn. She has performed with institutions ranging from the Orchestra of St. Lukes, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Metropolitan Opera,

Harpist extraordinaire talks her career both as a classical musician and studio recording artist, including her many collaborations with John Williams on such scores as Angela's Ashes, A.I. Artificial Intelligence and The Book Thief Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto JoAnn Turovksy is one of the most accomplished and talented harpists in the world. She is Principal Harp of several Los Angeles-based orchestras: the L.A. Opera orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. In a career spanning now four decades, Turovsky has been lauded and revered with many accolades: she is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the American Harp Society. Harp is an instrument very dear to John Williams as it's often prominently featured in a lot of his film and concert music. Harpist extraordinaire JoAnn Turovsky has possibly the longest and most impressive track record of playing a lot of John Williams' harp parts over the last three decades as his favoured principal harp for studio recordings in Los Angeles. Turovsky is heard playing exquisite harp solos on some of the composer's most lyrical and haunting film scores including Angela's Ashes, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Munich and The Book Thief. Turovsky's impeccable playing can be appreciated even when not playing a solo part, but when accompanying and enriching the orchestral texture, as the harp is used by Williams like a master orchestrator would do. JoAnn has also been a professor of harp at the USC Thornton School of Music for the past three decades and sits on the faculty of the Colburn Conservatory of Music and the Colburn School of Performing Arts, teaching the next generation of harpists. In this conversation, JoAnn Turovsky talks about her impressive career as a classical and studio musician, remembering her many experiences playing for John Williams, including her solo work for Angela's Ashes and The Book Thief, but also illuminating on the composer's use of harp and how he let the instrument shine within the orchestral palette. Visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/ for more information.

Most of our financial decisions are made using one metric: our emotions. That might not be the best way to plan your financial future. Financial therapist Rick Kahler joins us for a look at how not to fear the bear market. SDPB's Jordan Rusche checks in on Castlewood, one month after the tornado. Plus, the American Harp Society convenes in Sioux Falls.

https://hurrellharp.comMy guest this week on HarpSong™️ is harpist and self described “Harp Detective” Nancy Hurrell. We had such a fun time talking about the harp, inspiration, and bringing history to life. Nancy is the author of the definitive biography on nineteenth-century Irish harp maker John Egan, The Egan Irish Harps: Tradition, patrons and players. She has taught early harp classes at the Boston Conservatory, Brandeis University, Benslow Music (England), and workshops at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival, the Historical Harp Society and the American Harp Society. With academic degrees in harp performance and fine art, Nancy presents lecture-demonstrations on rare harps in museum collections. Join me over on Patreon for an extended interview with Nancy as we talk about inspiring student harpists and the next book she has in the works among other fun harp related topics.

Hi and welcome to this week's episode of HarpSong™️ Presented by Moon Over the Trees Music and Theatre Productions®. This month marks the first anniversary of my founding of Moon Over the Trees and as a thank you to all of my listeners and folks who have supported me along the way, this week's episode is all about you. If you are enjoying the podcast please let me know by writing a review. For the first 20 people who post a review I'll send you some fun Moon Over the Trees merch. Just send me an email along with your iTunes name.It feels like this year is flying by. March brings us the Spring Equinox and warmer sunnier days ahead and of course, St. Patrick's Day. But, first, this week's episode of HarpSong™️, is all about you! In this week's episode I'm giving you 7 tips for things that will help you be kinder to yourself. Let me know: What are your biggest challenges musically?Are you new to the harp and don't know where to start?Do you need some concrete advice on how to get started recording yourself?Would you like a step by step guide on how to use audio and video editing software?Do you want to hear more about getting started on the harp/piano/voice lessons?Are you looking for inspiration?Ways to relax and unwind?Are you interested in meeting up with folks in the Moon Over the Trees community to share music and theater ideas and inspiration?Did you know that Ireland is the only country that has a musical instrument as its national emblem? What better way to celebrate the harp and Ireland than to discuss the history of the Ancient Irish Harp, its origins, and its music. My upcoming guests on HarpSong™️ will include: The revival of the Clarsach (The harp of The Gaels in Ireland and Scotland)Ann Heymann - Ann is one of the world's foremost performers and researchers of The wire-strung harp, or Clarsach, which was the harp of the Gaels of Ireland and Scotland. Ann is central to the revival of the Clarsach. This year she is receiving two lifetime achievement awards. One from The Somerset Folk Harp Festival and one from The Historical Harp Society of Ireland. There is so much to cover of Ann's 50 year career that I will break my interview with Ann into two parts. And be on the lookout for an article on Ann in the Folk Harp Journal. Speaking of The Historical Harp Society of Ireland: Siobhán Armstrong will also be a guest on the podcast this month.Siobhán founded The Historical Harp Society of Ireland and is passionate about encouraging the revival of The Ancient Irish Harp. She is also director of Scoil na gCláirseach—Festival of Early Irish Harp, which takes place each August in Ireland. The Ancient Irish Harp in Museums: Nancy HurrellNancy Hurrell is a performer and harp historian. She is the author of the definitive biography on nineteenth-century Irish harp maker John Egan, The Egan Irish Harps: Tradition, patrons and players.She has taught early harp classes at the Boston Conservatory, Brandeis University, Benslow Music (England), and workshops at Somerset Harp Festival (NJ), UK Harp Festival and for the Historical Harp Society and the American Harp Society. With academic degrees in harp performance and fine art, Hurrell presents lecture-demonstrations of rare harps in museum collections. Speaking of rare and ancient harps STEAM and The Ancient Irish Harp: Karen Loomis Consultant OrganologistIn the New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, organology is defined as “The systematic investigation of the history, design, technology, and functions (musical, social, symbolic, etc.) of musical instruments of all times and places.”Karen conducts construction and craftsmanship analysis of historical musical instruments using her expertise in non-invasive techniques. Karen provides technical information for musical instrument makers, musicians, museums, collectors, and other researchers. She has led groundbreaking work studying the historical harps of Ireland and Scotland, and recently led a project funded by the Arts Council of Ireland to undertake analysis of the Hollybrook harp at the National Museum of Ireland for the Historical Harp Society of Ireland. Previous work includes scientific analysis of the Lamont and Queen Mary harps. This research is now being used by musical instrument makers to produce informed replicas of these historical harps.Harper Dominique Dodge will also be a guest as well as my friend Missy Graff-Ballone of Wellness for Makers. Missy works with textile artists, silversmiths, and musicians to help them find mindful movement and avoid repetitive strain injuries. We will be focusing on healthy hands and different techniques to increase blood flow, circulation, and flexibility, and energy. Missy has a “Hands of the Maker” bundle on her website complete with tools to help you stretch and maintain good hand and forearm health. March Music: Music for Beginners and BeyondI'm working on pre-recorded online harp lessons where you can learn new tunes, learn how to tune your harp, get more comfortable with improvisation, learn how to improvise for meditation, basics of recording, and more. Workshops for beginners and beyond. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to work on. New Recordings!I have new recordings coming out with music for meditation and relaxation and have teamed up with some local artists who have made some goodies to add to your listening moments of “ahhh”. Hudson Valley potter, Muddy Rib is making custom limited edition harp themed mugs for you to enjoy the special tea blends that my friends at Tea & Absinthe are putting together for you in this musical box set of relaxation.For more information on the 7 Things that have helped me be kinder to myself and help others head on over to my blog. www.moonoverthetrees.com/blog/7-things-that-have-helped-me-be-kinder-to-myself-and-help-others

My guest today is composer Alexandra Garner, who actually never intended to work in music at all. Growing up Alex thought she was going to become an illustrator and draw covers for The New Yorker magazine. Becoming a composer never crossed her mind and she even assumed that composers were just “dead guys in powdered wigs”. It wasn't until she enrolled in an electronic music class during her freshman year of college, that she realized she could make her own sounds from scratch and combine them into anything she wanted. She has been praised as highly lyrical and provocative of thought by the San Francisco classical voice, mesmerizing by the New York times, and her music Regularly performed as the composer in residence of the Seattle Symphony. Links Website: https://alexandragardner.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexgardner Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexgardner/ Email: alex@alexandragardner.net Alexandra's composition "Coyote Turns"  Honesty Pill Links Online Business Accelerator 2.0 six month program Free Resource Library Facebook Group Mailing List About Alexandra Praised as "highly lyrical and provocative of thought" (San Francisco Classical Voice),"mesmerizing" (The New York Times), and "pungently attractive" (The Washington Post), the music of composer Alexandra Gardner (b. 1967) is thrilling audiences and performers alike with a clear, expressive sound and a flair for the imaginative and unexpected. She composes for varied instrumentations and often mixes acoustic instruments with electronics, blending lyricism, rhythmic exploration, textural constructions, and a love of sonic storytelling. Alexandra's compositions are regularly featured at festivals and venues around the world, including the Aspen Music Festival, Beijing Modern Festival, Centro de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona, Festival Cervantino, Grand Teton Music Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Library of Congress, Merkin Hall, Strathmore Music Center, Symphony Space, and the Warsaw Autumn Festival. As the Seattle Symphony 2017-18 Season Composer-in-Residence, Alexandra spent several months in Seattle for composing and educational projects. Her new symphonic work, Significant Others, was commissioned by SSO and premiered on the orchestra's subscription series under the baton of Music Director Ludovic Morlot. She also led workshops with LGBTQ+ youth affected by homelessness to create a collaborative composition entitled Stay Elevated, which was performed by musicians of the symphony at the Seattle Art Museum, and directed the Merriman Family Young Composers Workshop, leading 10 pre-college students in a 12-week program culminating in a performance of world premieres. Recent projects include Fade for flute and soundtrack, commissioned by the National Flute Association, Hummingbird Dreams, commissioned by Astral Artists for pianist Natalia Kazaryan, and an adaptation of her orchestra work Just Say Yes for a consortium of wind ensembles. Current works in progress include a quartet for Sandbox Percussion and a work for flute, harp, and percussion commissioned by the American Harp Society. Among Alexandra's honors and awards are recognitions from American Composers Forum, ASCAP, Mid-America Arts Alliance, DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Netherland-America Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution. She is a recipient of the Vassar College W.K. Rose Fellowship in the Creative Arts, a 2018 Rubys Artist Project Grant from the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, and most recently a 2020 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award. She has conducted residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, Harvestworks, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, The MacDowell Colony, and Willapa Bay AiR, and spent two years as a visiting composer at the Institut Universitari de l'Audiovisual in Barcelona, Spain. Her music is recorded on the Innova, Ars Harmonica, and Naxos labels. For the past several years, Alexandra has maintained a private teaching studio and coaching business. She helps composers lead creative and fruitful musical lives through coaching and mentoring, giving masterclasses and workshops, and facilitating dialog and discussion related to artistic career development and the nature of creativity. Alexandra holds degrees from The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University and Vassar College. She lives in Baltimore, MD with her wife and their very bossy cat Longfellow. For more information, please visit www.alexandragardner.net.

Season 1 Episode 12Opening the Harp Chakra - The PodcastBringing you beautiful, healing, magical Harp Music...and talking with the artists that create it...Hosted by Jay MichaelsOn today’s episode, a pioneer in the field of Historical Harps and a pioneer in the field of online Harp lessons. We chat with Cheryl Ann Fulton about her Harps, her Harp Secrets Program, the American Harp Society and we enjoy her excellent music. She also has a Harp Secret Surprise Holiday Gift for you! Listen to the podcast for details. The gift must be redeemed by February 14, 2021.To find out more about the online course: The Foundations of the Touch & Tone Technique for Harp!™: https://www.harpsecrets.com/online-coursesHarpSecrets.com Her website: cherylannfulton.comiTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/artist/id6968584To purchase or stream her music:http://magnatune.com/artists/fulton/https://open.spotify.com/artist/4WZQjddfkBTqhMxJ3LJM8Khttps://www.pandora.com/artist/cheryl-ann-fulton/ARnrn2qcbmtJnk9The Harps in the Trees: https://youtu.be/078IGSP9Cy0Except: Chant for the Trees: https://youtu.be/X70GkDbyzQ4https://www.amazon.com/Lo-Gai-Saber-Troubadour-Music/dp/B000005E7QYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwqglWvM_bXYMWSJ31Iic_A—————————————————————If you have questions, guest suggestions or would like to sponsor this podcast, please email Jay Michaels:openingtheharpchakra@yahoo.comIf you would like to make a financial contribution to help support the production of this podcast (any amount is appreciated):PayPal.me/harperminstrelVenmo.com/harper-minstrelwww.TheHarperandTheMinstrel.comSupport the show (https://PayPal.me/harperminstrel)

Ms. Younger has an innovative approach to teaching, and works exceptionally well with students of all levels and ages. Her encouraging and supportive teaching style helps motivate students within musical style and variations. With an extensive background in classical music and jazz, Ms. Younger has an eclectic variety of musical techniques to offer. Ms. Younger has taught at The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, Adelphi University, Nassau Community College and is currently on the faculty at The Greenwich House Music School in lower Manhattan. She also has a private studio on Long Island and Manhattan. She is the Vice President of the Long Island and Metro NYC Chapters of the American Harp Society, and presents masterclasses and workshops internationally, in which she promotes the use of harp in multi genres. She is currently accepting a limited number of new students in Manhattan and Long Island.    

Welcome to Harp Column Podcasts, where we go behind the stories in Harp Column with host Kristina Finch. In this episode, we talk with Caroline Wilkins, newly appointed Concert Artist for the American Harp Society, along with winner Juan Riveros. For more practical harp news and information visit www.harpcolumn.com, and tune in for more podcasts taking [...] The post Harp Column Podcast Episode 52 appeared first on Harp Column.

Greetings! Welcome to the return of the Pushing The Envelope Podcast!  PTE and CT Summerfest are pleased to bring you the fourth in a series of interviews with the CT Summerfest ensembles-in residence and composer faculty. Today's podcast features an interview with CT Summerfest ensemble-in-residence, Apple Orange Pair. Don't forget, PTE's radio presence continues for it's 27th year, airing on Saturdays from 11am to 2pm EST on WHUS / Storrs, CT (http://www.whus.org/listen-live).    Enjoy! Joel     CT SUMMERFEST is a weeklong contemporary music festival for the education and career advancement of emerging composers and performers. The festival is comprised of seminars, lessons, rehearsals, and recording sessions for participants, as well as a free concert series open to the public, featuring ensembles-in-residence and new works by participant composers!   The concerts will take place from June 16-20 at The Hartt School's Berkman Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT. All of Connecticut Summerfest's concerts are free to attend and open to the public. No advanced ticket reservation is required, and live streams are available!   Apple Orange Pair (Emily Boyer, horn, and Colleen Potter Thorburn, harp) is a duo committed to engaging audiences through a growing repertoire for this unexpected pairing. Since its founding in Connecticut in 2010, the duo has premiered fourteen new works by emerging composers. Five of these new works are featured on their debut album, “Seeds,” released in 2013. Apple Orange Pair regularly serves as an ensemble-in-residence at new music festivals and universities, where they present workshops on contemporary composition for their instruments and bring to life new works by student and faculty composers. They have performed as ensemble-in-residence at Connecticut Summerfest at Hartt School of Music in Hartford, where they are returning for a second season this June, and are serving as ensemble-in-residence for Central Connecticut State University’s music department for the 2016-2017 academic year. Apple Orange Pair has been honored as the recipient of commissioning grants from the American Harp Society and the Yale School of Music’s alumniVentures program. They have also participated in several chamber music residencies at Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire. For further information, please visit http://www.appleorangepair.com

Wednesday, September 21, 2016 6:00 PM Father Tullio Proserpio, Christian Tradition Suggested donation $10, click here to make a donation ahead of time Join a contemplative practice of music, readings, and silent reflection to commemorate International Day of Peace. Ordained in 1996, Father Tullio Proserpio has served since 2003 as Chaplain at the National Cancer Institute in Milan, Italy, and is currently doing research at the Methodist Research Institute on hope in cancer patients. He has authored scientific articles on the topics of hope and bioethics. Joining Father Proserpio is harpist Pat Flores. Pat has performed publicly as a harpist for over four years. She is a member of the Greater Houston Chapter of the American Harp Society, Gulf Coast Harpers, and Houston's Orchestra On Call. A reception follows the program.

Recently hailed by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette as a performer who plays “with a flair that we are coming to know well,” Heidi Van Hoesen Gorton joins the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as Principal Harp for the 2011-2012 season. She has been described as one of the most outstanding solo, chamber and orchestral musicians of her generation and has performed solo recitals the world over from New York to Los Angeles, Vancouver to Vienna. Heidi earned two degrees in harp performance from The Juilliard School of Music under the tutelage of Nancy Allen, and has also studied with Gretchen Van Hoesen, Anne Marguerite-Michaud and Elizabeth Fontan-Binoche. Heidi visited New Orleans through the New Orleans American Harp Society chapter and gave a recital and a workshop, which brought a wonderful response from the local harpists and fans around New Orleans. Patrice Fisher, president of the New Orleans chapter of the American Harp Society, interviews Heidi while visiting New Orleans.

Deborah Henson-Conant is a Grammy nominated artist, who sings & plays the harp, tells stories and composes symphonic music. She has made her own path, composing since age 12. She first studied classical harp, then she developed her own style, combining blues, swing and Latin Jazz, with storytelling and humor. Deborah has toured with the Boston Pops, premiered her own orchestral compositions, played at jazz clubs in Germany and Celtic festivals in France. In 2007, her one-woman show, Invention and Alchemy, debuted on PBS and was nominated for a Grammy award. You can hear Deborah Henson-Conant perform and teach at the 2013 New Orleans Jazz and Pop Harp Weekend, June 6 through 9. For more information, go to www.neworleansjazzharp.com. This HarpTalk program was sponsored by a grant from the American Harp Society and produced by the New Orleans Chapter. Our host is Patrice Fisher and our audio engineer is Carlos Valladares. You can find out more information about Deborah Henson-Conant at www.hipharp.com.

Sadie Turner, 1st prize winner of the American Harp Society’s National Competition, made her solo debut at age 18 with the Houston Symphony Orchestra as winner of their High School Concerto Competition. As a recitalist, she has performed throughout the United States. In the orchestral arena, she has performed with the Houston Symphony, New World Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Arkansas Symphony and the Rice University Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. During the summers, she has also participated in several acclaimed festivals such as the Tanglewood Music Center for two summers, the International Festival Institute at Round Top, Texas Music Festival and the Salzedo School for Harp.

CHRISTA GRIX Christa fell under the spell of the harp during her first lesson at 16. Two years earlier, she was transfixed by live jazz during a performance at her high school. The two influences have shaped, but not limited her explorations and accomplishments on the instrument. Equally adept as both a classical and jazz harpist, she is one of those rare individuals who can make the transition from the jazz rhythm section to the symphonic string section sound effortless. The appeal and respect her music generates has taken her throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe as an invited soloist and clinician at all the major harp festivals and conferences. Christa released her first jazz harp recording, freefall, in 1996, on the Freefall Music label. Her second recording, Cheek to Chic was released in 2002. She is the President and CEO of Freefall Music, and founder of ArtnHarp, a division of Freefall Music. She currently sits on the board of the Detroit Musicians Fund, and is a past board member and executive committee member of the American Harp Society. Upcoming national and international appearances include performances at the 2010 Conference of the American Harp Society in Tacoma, Washington, and the 2011 meeting of the World Harp Congress in Vancouver, British Columbia. You can contact Christa at christagrix@mac.com and read more about her at http://web.mac.com/christagrix

A veteran member of McNeese’s music faculty, Miss Belew is a graduate of Hardin- Simmons University (Abilene, Texas) and Indiana University, who has taught piano and harp, as well as courses in pedagogy and literature of the two instruments. She has coached both MSU’s harp ensemble and that of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Harp Society. Barbara founded the first American Harp Society chapter in Louisiana in 1972. She was the Southern Regional Director of the AHS from 1973 to 1979. She has played harp in the Lake Charles Symphony and several other area performing organizations, including Baton Rouge Symphony, Rapides Symphony and the opera in Beaumont, Texas. Miss Belew maintains active membership in the AHS chapter, the Lake Charles Piano Teachers Association, Louisiana Music Teachers Association, and Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, honorary/professional organization for women educators. She recently was named to the 2010 edition of Who’s Who in America. Barbara was the founder of the McNeese Summer Harp Camp in 2000. You can contact Barbara Belew at bbelew@mcneese.edu.

Mary Radspinner began harp studies with Jeanne Henderson in the Milwaukee Public School System. Jeanne provided many kids with the opportunity to learn the harp who may have never had the luck otherwise. Mary credits her love of music and the harp to Jeanne, a wise teacher who imparted many different styles of playing to her students, preparing them for all kinds of work in the music world. She also studied string bass and voice. In 1977 she earned degrees in applied harp and music education from Alverno College in Milwaukee, WI. During the next 10 years she taught elementary general music, elementary band, high school orchestra, choir and music theory. Mary free-lanced in Houston for 11 years, playing an average of 4 events per week, and during that time she served as substitute harpist with the Houston Symphony and second harpist with the Houston Ballet Orchestra. She has served as president of the San Jacinto Chapter of the American Harp Society, SW Regional director of the American Harp Society, and president of the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen. She chaired the International Folk Harp Conference held in Galveston in 1998. Mary is the immediate past president of the Scottish Harp Society of America. She served as editor-in-chief of the Folk Harp Journal for a six-issue interim. In 1993 Mary and her husband John Gill opened Melody's Traditional Music & Harp Shoppe, a harp specialty store in Houston, TX. In 1999 Mary and husband John established Afghan Press, specializing in harp music publications. Afghan Press is named after John and Mary's beloved Afghan Hound, Melody. (1987 - 1998). Mary instituted the harp events at the TX Scottish Festival in Arlington, and has chaired the harp competition events for the Houston Highland Games. She was a winner in the Florida Summer Harp Seminar pop harp competition in 1994, and is the 1995 Texas champion Scottish harper. She performs and gives workshops throughout the country on harp techniques for relaxation, ensemble ideas and improvisation. You can find out more about Mary Radspinner at www.maryradspinner.com and contact her at mary@folkharp.com.