[Harp-L] Re: questions about high keyed harps

["shockley" <shocklee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gary Popenoe wrote:
You know, I've come to consider it that I use my whole body to play the note. 
Posture, diaphram support from the abdomen muscles, breathing from the 
diaphram, throat, tongue, soft palate, head position, body attitude.
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Undoubtedly. After all, the body is the soul, as Walt Whitman wrote. But how
we go about recruiting the muscles and the tissues and coordinating everything
into sound production is the big question. I aim for playing unconsciously, to 
ALLOW the body to learn. Keeping the music fresh is probably my number 1
rule (but obsessive/compulsive tendencies tend to work against this -- it's a 
balancing act.) When songs get tired I need to either find new ones or let them
rest for a while. Recently I had to stop playing for about 6 months out of respect 
for my neighbors. When they moved out and I started playing again I was amazed
how much I had improved. I figured if I stop playing for 10 years I might become
a rock star, but I'm back to my old habits...

Shockley