Student Recital Photos!

Everyone Worked so Hard and Played so Well!  

I'm very proud of all of them!

Student Recital Tomorrow!

My Sweet Students at the Flint Institute of Music have put together a great little studio recital for Tomorrow Evening at 7 PM.

Program

Classical Solos

Great Day - Nancy Gustavson

Russian Lullaby - Linda Wood

Distant Bells - Trad.

Selections from Automates - Andres

Processional - Linda Wood

A l'Espagnole - Caplet

Holiday Solos

O Holy Night - Trad.

Little Drummer Boy - Trad.

Silver Bells - Arr. Ray Pool

O Tanenbaum, O Tanenbaum - Trad.

Harp Ensemble

Greenleeves - Trad.

Audition Number 1

This past week end I had my first audition for this season.  I was auditioning for the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra in Benton Harbor, MI.  I was well prepared and, even though I did not win the audition I was fairly happy with how things went. 

On my way home I was thinking about it and I am actually glad that I didn't win, purely because it was a 3 hour drive to Benton Harbor from Ann Arbor.  I don't think I could handle driving that much for a not that much pay.  The orchestra advertised their pay rate as $77 a service and it took a full tank of gas to get there and back (which is now encroaching $50 a tank here).  $27 for a three hour rehearsal (where you typically only play half) and 6+ hours of driving I just can't justify to my husband or take work off for.  Even with a travel stipend 9 hours is a lot of time and I just can't work for $3 and hour or even $8.50 an hour for that matter (not counting gas money).

All-in-all the audition was a good for the experience, and typically I don't mind driving a ways because I really do love playing with orchestras, but next time I might work out my hourly rate before hand and set a cut-off point where it just isn't financially worthwhile for the drive.


I love finding out what others do so....

How far are you willing to travel for a job?

Do you have a per-hour limit or a distance limit?

Leave a comment to share your tips or ideas for everyone.

Teacher Listings

French Method Teachers/Universities

• Eastman School of Music: Kathleen Bride
• www.esm.rochester.edu
• Indiana University/Jacobs School of Music: Susann McDonald
• www.music.indiana.edu
• Julliard: Nancy Allen
• www.juilliard.edu
• University of Arizona: Dr. Carrol McLaughlin
• web.cfa.arizona.edu/music/
•  University of Utah: Cathy Clayton
• www.music.utah.edu

Salzedo Method Teachers/Universities

• Cleveland Institute of Music: Yolanda Kondonassis
• www.cim.edu
  
• University of Michigan: Joan Holland
• www.music.umich.edu

More to come.....

Please send me links, names, and method preferences if you want me to link up any other names!

Thanks!

Harp Festivals and Competitions

I love searching for new things to work on and pursue for either myself or my students so I figured I would post a list of upcoming festivals and competitions that I find information about online.

Competitions

AHS Competitions 

• Lyon & Healy Awards:  http://www.harpsociety.org/CompetitionsAwards/LyonHealyAwards.asp 
• Music: Grandjany Rhapsodie and Renie Legande 
• Awards: $2000 + $500 Gift Cert. to L&H
• Date/Location: June 18-19, 2011 in Denton, Texas
• Review: I did this competition last year and loved it.  It was a great one to enter!  The rep is small which is nice, and there is no pre-screening CD for people to cheat with.  They pick three winners but don't rank them.
• AHS Nationals: http://www.harpsociety.org/CompetitionsAwards/NationalCompetition.asp
• Music: Varies between levels
• Awards: 6 prizes per level between $100 - $1500
• Date/Location: June 19-23, 2011 at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX
• Review:  I did this competition several times as a youth.  It is very competitive and stressful for me.  The competition is held every other year at various locations and you do have a pre-screening CD.   (I have a difficult time with these because even though you are told NOT to edit the CD everyone does and so those of us who refuse to cheat have a tough time making it past the CD round.  I am not bitter, I did make it to the competition one year, with out editing, and I was very proud of my accomplishments!  I am just stating the fact and letting you know as it is something to consider.  While it was a good lesson in Honesty for me as a youth, it was also VERY difficult every year to get a letter of regret after putting in so much work and not even getting to officially compete.)

Youth Competitions

• Young Artist's Harp Competition http://www.harpcompetition.com/ 
• Midwest Harp Festival/Competition http://www.midwestharpfestival.org/

International Harp Competitions

• Israel: www.harpcontest-israel.org 
• Lilly Laskine in France: http://lilylaskine.online.fr/
• USA: www.usaihc.org
• Arpista Ludovico in Spain: http://www.arlu.org/arlu.html 
• Golden Harp in Russia: http://www.goldenharp.ru/
• Netherlands: http://harpcompetition.nl/
• Soka City in Japan: www.harp-japan.com/english.pdf
• Hungary: http://www.harpcompetition.eu/home.html
• Cite des Arts in France: http://www.harpcompetition-citedesarts.com/
• Wales: http://www.wales-harp-festival.com/pages/competitions/1_chief_musician.html
• Goddefroid Competition in France: http://www.harpemosane.be/en/reglement.php

 Feel Free to link up to let everyone know about other competitions!!

Audition Time....

It's Orchestra Audition season for me this month!  I am so excited that there are 2 principal harp auditions open for this season!  But this does mean lots of slow, boring practice.  As much as I love playing in orchestras, I actually despise practicing orchestral excerpts for auditions.  It's just so nerve racking because you never know what the panel wants.....  ie.  Bartok: To roll or not to roll? That is the question!  How much rubato to do on the Nutcracker Cadenza?  (Don't get me wrong I know how I like to play it and have thought through it alot, but I have heard SO many different interpretations and each one is 'right'?) and there are only so many times you can play the Berlioz before you start to want your own dose of Opium.  

OK enough ranting.  

What do you do to prepare for Auditions?

Here's my Complete audition list for this year:

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique

Britten: Young Person's Guide

Mahler: #5 Adagietto

Ravel: Tzigane

Rimsky-Korsakov: Capricio Espagnol

Strauss: Don Juan

Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers Cadenza

Verdi: La Forza del Destino

Wagner: Magic Fire Music

"Don't You wish you played the Flute?"

          

Every harpist has heard this 'joke' at some point in their career and every harpist I know hates it!  No we don't wish we played the flute.  If we did we would have played the flute!  We know the harp isn't the smallest instrument on the planet, and yet we play it anyway.  Surprise!!!  We enjoy playing the HARP!  Once I even got this joke from some old dude driving by as I was lifting the harp into my car. EXCUSE ME!!!  Obviously this isn't the easiest thing to do in the world.  Thanks for interrupting!

I really don't know where this joke originated, but everyone seems to think that 1) it's funny, 2) we've never heard it before and 3) they made the joke up themselves! 

I really want to get a good "come-back" for this that doesn't make me seem rude.  I get that people are trying to be nice and probably can't think of anything else to say, but I am really sick of smiling and laughing and I think my "fake laugh" is getting worse every day.

I've tried every thing from, "no" and "that would make it easier" to "he he he, haven't hear that one before" and "but the harp is so much prettier".  What I really want to say is.... if you really think my harp is so cumbersome that I am not able to enjoy moving it myself why don't you offer to help!  (Not that I need help.  when I turned 16 my Dad signed me up for weight lifting classes and washed his hands of the "Official harp mover" job.  I used to accept help from attractive young men when I was single, but now that I am married I usually just try to get people to leave me alone and let me move my harp) 

What are your favorite comebacks?  leave a comment with your thoughts.

Music Organization Tips?

I always seem to get annoyed with my music organization system.  I tried using a filing cabinet, but that wasn't quite big enough for my larger pieces of sheet music and the edges were getting "eaten alive" every time I would open and close the drawer.

I recently gave up looking for a new system and just made my own.  I love the way magazine boxes look, but they don't make them big enough for sheet music!  I started collecting cardboard boxes, cut them up and taped them back together into the right shape.  Since these boxes are going in the living room I wanted them to look at least halfway decent so I covered them with some leftover fabric from previous craft endeavors.  They turned out pretty cute!!

How do you organize your music at home?  Any tips you want to share are always appreciated!!

Also feel free to add this blog to your blog lists!

Current music

  

I don't know why but I've always found it interesting to know what music other harpists are practicing.  So I think it would be fun to do a monthly "link-up" to know what people are playing.

The recent USA International Competition Inspired me to start looking for a competition to do to motivate myself to practice more regularly.  (Does anyone else find it hard to practice solos after you graduate?)  Eventually I found this international competition in Russia next year where I already know most of the music!  Woo hoo!  So I figured "What the heck" it doesn't hurt to practice and then if the time comes and I actually am prepared I may fly out and compete.  Plus who would argue with a random trip to Russia!

I decided to start with bringing up the Fauré Impromptu.  I recently learned it my Master's recital, but put away as soon as I found out my little sis (who was 17 at the time) was working on the same piece.  Talk about feeling inadequate for a Master's degree!  None the less I have always loved the piece and even though I wanted to learn it earlier in my education,  I was always working on something else and never really had the time to give it the devotion it needed.  I don't think I can ever tire of it!  For a practicing exercise I pulled out my recording device and tried to "teach myself" but I kept getting distracted by the beautiful harmonies and had to listen to it like 10 times before I could pay attention enough to listen for mistakes.  (Don't get me wrong, there were plenty!!)  Despite being a fun practice day, it unfortunately wasn't the most time efficient one!

What music are you working on?  Got any good pointers for the Fauré Impromptu?

About me

My Name is Brittany Hart DeYoung and I love playing the harp.  I currently teach at the Flint Institute of Music in Flint Michigan and freelance with several orchestras in the area.  I received my Bachelor's  degree from the University of Arizona under the direction of Dr. Carrol McLaughlin and my Master's from the University of Michigan with Mrs. Joan Holland.  I thoroughly enjoy practicing and would do it much, much more if I didn't have a day job that took up all my time. (Working on that goal) I also love teaching and being able to be a part of helping someone make their life better through music.  Nothing does better at making my day than when a student turns to me and says "thanks, that was a fun lesson!"

I have a wonderful husband and "Harp Mover" who is always willing to help me move my harp up and down the stairs of our current 2nd floor condo.  Someday he plans on buying me a house with ramps instead of stairs. 

I love being crafty and decorating on a budget.  Being a musician takes up a lot of time and doesn't pay very well, but I have learned that leftover cardboard and packing tape can do a lot to make a house a home. (Well, technically you have to add other things as well, but cardboard seems to be a running theme in my home)

I hope you enjoy reading my new blog!

Welcome!!

I know at some point we all feel like this, but none the less I have been searching for harp blogs for fun reading and I haven't been able to find much, so I decided to start one myself!  I love reading about harps, harpists, and all things musical!  Please let your harpist friends know about this blog and always feel free to comment on any post at any time! I want to know what you think!