Have you ordered your copies of Harp for Today yet? Harp for Today is the new method from Susann McDonald and Linda Rollo, available from:
Musicworks
Harp Editions
Barbara Ellis
4038 Ormond Rd
Louisville, KY 40207
sbesbese@bellsouth.net
Harp for Today is an excellent harp method. Universally suitable for children and adults, I like it because it is absolutely thorough and clear, and because you will not die of boredom working through it.
I also like it because it emphasises the need for a really solid foundation. I could bang on about this for days, but you can read Susann McDonald's own remarks on this here, far wiser and more interesting than me on my soapbox.
Of special interest is the "supplementary advice" section at the back of the Method, covering everything from practice techniques to nurturing your professional reputation. Here are some extracts to whet your appetite!
On tone quality: "It is very important to develop a beautiful tone quality. We should always listen to the quality of the sound we are producing, considering if it is warm, balanced, clear, pleasing to the ear, and with correct dynamics and phrasing.
Students who practice less often have a better tone quality than those who work for hours and have hard callouses! This does not, however, advocate less practice! Dry skin and callouses require..."
On preparing for orchestral auditions: "...If you are not a winner and if it is possible, try to ask the committee for feedback that might help in your next audition. Even thought disappointed, try to be pleasant and get acquainted with the other people who auditioned. And remember, you probably may only need to win one audition! If engaged, you may spend many wonderful years with that orchestra."
On memorization techniques: "...For those having trouble with memorization, it may help to compare the process to memorizing a poem. Each word is important, and each phrase adds to the meaning until one memorizes an entire line or phrase or paragraph or stanza. In a similar way, memorizing each note of each chord, putting right hand and left hand together until one knows an entire measure by heart is a process that continues by adding one short measure to the next. Start with short sections doing many repetitions, perhaps ten to twenty times, until the memory of that passage is very secure..."