Utah Theapeutic harp Network Meeting of 8-18-2020 via Zoom
Attendees: (from L to R, Top to Bottom)Kate Dougherty, Heidi Jaeger, Angela Scothern, Laurel Wright-Fiehry, Cris Watts, Pam Archbold, Peggy Cann, Catharine DeLong, Cyndi Bowen, Kristen Rogers-Iverson (not pictured).
We did not meet in July due to everybody being busy or out of town.
Introductions of Members and welcome to Catharine, our newest member. Some highlights: Kate and Peggy took a zoom seminar from Dr. Alice Cash who is promoting her Healing Music Enterprises program. It is all recorded music she sells to hospitals. Chris is still playing for home bound hospice patients 2 days a week. Heidi is playing for a hospice patient 2 times a month, Peggy played for two weddings of family members which she will talk about later, and sang with a mask on for a hospice patient. Kristen is spending her time playing the viola these days, Cindy is getting ready for school to start tomorrow where she teaches music, among all her other jobs and activities and will graduate tonight from two programs she has been working on.
Catherine told us about her journey as a harpist starting at age 11, and graduate of the Chalice of Repose (2013) as well as MTAI program (2019). After graduation she moved to New York and worked for the Visiting Nurse Service of New York as well as a couple of hospitals including Bellevue. She promised to tell us more about her Bellevue experience at our next gathering. She also attended One Spirit Interfaith Alliance https://www.1spirit.org/ where she became an ordained minister. Catharine has moved back to Salt Lake City due to the Corona Virus preventing her from seeing patients for now in New York. We are so happy to welcome her to our Therapeutic Harp group.
Peggy shared her technique for memorizing music fast which she had to do recently for two different weddings. Her son married July 11 and she drove down to Arizona to play for his wedding. The happy couple wanted “Memories” played. Peggy was able to listen to it on Youtube and figure out the melody on the harp which she played for us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4xhbiJ605o
To demonstrate how to break a song down into it’s parts for easier memorization, Peggy shared a song with us called “Prospect” that has been used for several traditional hymns. She encouraged us all to pick up our harps and play along with her while she broke down the song into the A part, the B part and talked about how to remember the chord progression.
Catherine said she learned this song as The Lone Wild Bird which you can find several performances of on Youtube If you want to listen to it. The sheet music can be found at: http://www.reigningharps.com/Music%20Files%202014/Prospect.pdf
The second wedding Peggy played for was her nieces’ who asked for Cant Help Falling In Love With You with the following arrangement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EzbMtyovI8
Peggy listened to it and learned it in 3 days. (Peggy has a phenomenal ear for music). Peggy was able to break it down to the A part and the B part which pleased the bride who approved Peggy’s arrangement.
Pam took two zoom courses over the last two months: One from Christine Tourin on how to record videos and use of Garage Band. The second one was Harp Mastery Four Weeks to Finger Freedom by Anne Sullivan. More information on this course can be found at Harpmastery.com
Final Notes : Catharine had mentioned that the MTIA group was preparing to begin offering bedside Music Thanatology for patients remotely using Zoom. Catharine walked us through how to improve the sound quality on Zoom when playing harps for patients:
To start, on the Zoom screen bottom left hand corner click on the up arrow^ Then click on Audio Setting then Advanced. This should bring you to the following screen where you click on Audio and check the box to the left to “Enable Original Sound”. The next two boxes should be disabled and the last box should be marked Auto. If this is not clear even with the screen shot below, there are Youtube videos to help clarify the directions.
See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkG7yOTRIAk
No date was picked for our next gathering but Peggy recommended we all listen to Rachael Naomi Remen poems on Youtube and she may read one. Catharine will tell us more about playing for patients at Bellvue Hospital in New York. If any of you have something you would like to present please let me know and I’ll add it to the agenda.
It was so good to gather with you all virtually today and I know we all look forward to when we can gather together in person once again.
