Category Archives: Free Printable

Keeping Track

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I know you’ve all had “that week”. The one where a  seemingly small thing throws a gorilla wrench into the works.  I’d say monkey wrench,  but the outcome is outsized and puts a crimp in your plans.

So this week, although I had planned a lovely and informative discussion about thinking, my laptop died on me. And frankly, while I’m grateful you’re reading, I’m not inclined to write that many words from my phone. So, we’ll table that discussion for now and instead, I’ll pass along something I can easily do with my (opposable) thumbs!🫱🫲

It is now summer, officially.  We’ve passed meteorological summer, Memorial Day and here’s the Solstice.

I know summer is busy and fun and it’s easy to forget, “Did I practice today?” And in fact sometimes it becomes, “Did I touch my harp this week?”

So, my thumbs and I are pleased to present you with a fun Practice Tracker for the summer.  Just click on the picture below and print it. 

Each day you play or practice,  color in a leaf.  It’s that easy!

I hope this makes you smile, and leads you to intend to practice.  At the end of the summer, I hope you’ll have leafed through it and found success (get it?).

I’m planning to start at the bottom and as I get closer to autumn, I’ll let the leaves start to turn color.  Hope you’ll join me! Let me know in the comments.

SWOT’s it all about?

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Another crazy title – SWOT’s it all about?

I have an unending search for ways to get better at…everything!  And because I have a diverse background and work experience as a researcher, scientist, artist, entrepreneur, and person, I thrive on crossing boundaries between disciplines and practices, particularly applying tools from one disciple to problems from another which is a hoot.  At the least I learn something and at best there’s a huge breakthrough!  One of those stalwart business tools is the SWOT analysis – and it’s a nice fit for our harp playing. 

What’s a SWOT? It breaks into: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.  Clearly this is applicable to business, but to playing the harp?  Yup!

SWOT Chart

Think about it – taking a moment to complete a SWOT on your music could certainly help highlight where you should spend your time*.  Here’s how:

Strengths – What are your strong points?  Tunes you know (really well).  Techniques, at which you excel.  Sets you have put together.  And more.  These are likely your go-to tunes that you always perform, the ornaments you always use, your “signature” approach.  These are solid and need to be maintained, but certainly don’t need the bulk of your attention.

Weaknesses – What aren’t you good at? These are tunes (or tune types) you’re not so comfortable with, techniques you don’t know or don’t do well and avoid.  It’s not tunes you haven’t learned yet – just the ones that clearly aren’t ready for prime time (else they’d be in the Strengths pile).  These are things you need to work on (whether you know it or not).  These things require time and attention to get up to snuff and to be moved to the Strengths.

Opportunities – These are things you could nurture and take on to grow.  It can be tunes to learn, chances to perform, participating in workshops, lessons, or master classes, or sharing tunes with other harpers.  These are all chances to grown and develop and to move (eventually) to the Strengths column. 

And last is:

Threats – which might be the biggest head scratcher, but it’s also the biggest opening.  The word “threat” can be a little off putting so it might be better to think of it as things you might not think about or that you would love to skip (and maybe you do!).  It could also include not having learning opportunities (e.g., beginners without a teacher or not being able to get to workshops because you live far from other harpers).  So, they’re not “threats” as much as “thrusts” – places or things you can pursue to make progress including things to focus on or even gigs to seek.

A SWOT isn’t hard to do – it just takes a little time, some thought, a bit of self-reflection, and maybe some feedback if you have it (and a cuppa might help).  Set aside a half-hour to spend on it.  I’ve included a handy tool to help you do the analysis (click on the graphic (or here) to download).  The first time you do it, it might feel like a lot of work, but I promise it gets easier each iteration – and it certainly can help sharpen your focus.

Give it a try and let me know what you find!      

    

 

* And if you’re a professional, of course a SWOT can be helpful for business too!

Doubt

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This week I was feeling the need for a little inspiration – probably because it’s August and summer and sunny and delightful, so of course I want to be outside enjoying the niceness.  But I’ve got other things to do…like practice.  Do you ever notice how when you most need to practice you also most feel like you need to be more than that?  Or maybe that’s just me.  Either way, this week, just a little share.  If you feel that way sometimes too, this can serve as a reminder that when you’re standing on the horizon, nothing looks close (or do-able) but just like the dawn, just give it a sec and you’ll get there — don’t doubt!

Subscribers received this as a letter sized print.  Not subscribed?  We can fix that – just go here.  Did you like this (or something like it)? Let me know in the comments!

From Me to You –

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It’s Summer – when we know we should practice but probably want to do anything else.  Lay in front of the air conditioner.  Drink iced tea.  Dream of cooler days.  None of that is very motivating.  Is your practice motivation suffering?

This week – from me to you, a free printable to add some structure to your day so you can focus your practice each day and feel like you have accomplished something.  And you’ll still have time for fun.

Download link for free summer practice guide Click on the button (above – get it? button) to download your free printable.  Post it near your harp so each day you’ll have something to look forward to!

From me to you

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The tyranny of the invisible thingies continues.  And this makes many remain feeling a little unsettled.  We pretend that words like AloneTogether make us feel better – but really, they don’t.  The upside is that we have the technology to keep reaching out to one another – to maintain contact and be together even though we’re at least six feet apart.

Since we have this connection, I wanted to reach out to you my subscribers – with a little poster you might want to print out.  I made it to help cheer you when you’re not feeling so much like playing…even while you know playing will probably help you feel a little bit better and help you to count your joys.

This whole thing won’t last long (in the grand scheme), so stay safe, stay the course, stay home.  And keep practicing.  Maybe take your harp out to the sunshine and play for your neighbors to help cheer them as well and share a joy for them to count as well.

Not a subscriber yet?  You can sign up here.

Harp Room Bling

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Sometimes you just need a little, visible nudge to remind you of what is important to you.  So this week – a downloadable poster.  Print it out (up to 18 in x 24 in) and hang it up near your harp so you remember each time you sit.  Yes it’s goofy – but if it makes you focus or makes you laugh, at least you’ll already be at your harp – so you might as well play a little.To get your copy – just let me know you would like to have it – leave me a comment and I’ll get it to you!

What to play?

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How about a free arrangement of a classic?

We are always casting about for new things to play.  I am forever looking for tunes to add to my repertoire that meet my criteria:

  • I like the tune (after all, I have to learn it and then will hopefully play it forever, over and over again – liking it is very helpful)
  • It fits on the harp (because if I’m going to keep it, I have to be able to play it!)
  • It’s “catchy” (the tune structure lends itself to being easily parsed and remembered – because I need to learn it – typically quickly!)

Catchy is also helpful when people are listening – catchy means that they will recognize the tune more easily (and probably like it too).  And playing what people want to hear is one key to success. 

Classics are, by definition, well known and typically well liked.  And you’re probably going to be asked to play them.  So, having some under your belt will help you shine when you’re playing for anyone (want to bet your cat probably knows all the standards already too?).

So this week, the tune I’ll share with you is a classic traditional tune – well-known, well loved, and currently well used.  Everyone should have this one in their toolbox.  This arrangement is designed to be playable by advanced beginners.  The tune itself is short and so you’ll need to develop some of your own ideas too to make it last longer than a musical amuse bouche.  Use this arrangement as a launching board. 

The tune is hot right now since it is being used as the theme for the Outlander television series – the Skye Boat Song.  It is a song, so feel free to inflect it with all the emotion the lyrics suggest to you.  There is no joy to expansive, no pathos too pathetic – really work your musicality muscles.  And enjoy playing it!

This arrangement is free to subscribers.  Not a subscriber?  It’s easy, just sign up here and each week you’ll get a direct link to the blog, the occasional freebee and more. 

Let me know how you like the tune in the comments.  And if you’re really excited about it, send me a recording of what you’ve done – I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

 

 

Why don’t you play?

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There are loads of reasons we play – all of them good and each holding a key to improving your practice and possibly enjoying playing even more. But sometimes –

We don’t play

We don’t make it to the bench. We can’t d-r-a-g ourselves to the harp. We try, but things get in the way and we just don’t get there.  Sometimes we just don’t want to. Sometimes it’s for a day.  Or a week.  Or much, much longer…

Thinking about why we don’t play can be very helpful (that was pretty obvious!). And knowing why we don’t play might actually be more helpful.

Spend a little time thinking about it – when you don’t play, why is that? There are as many reasons as there are musicians, but here are four possibilities –

  1. Busy-ness. We all have so much going on every day. And there are only so many hours.  And it’s already time for bed, and… I know. I get it. I live there too! Sometimes we don’t realize how much work is required for this love affair with our harps. Or other stuff has crept into our schedule, putting the squeeze on our practice time. Or maybe, when we allow ourselves to sit, to sink into the lovely comfort of the space playing creates, we fall under the spell and spend “too long” there. So, the next time, we tell ourselves we don’t have time.  And soon we’re not practicing at all! But this strategy doesn’t work.  We know we need consistent practice, otherwise we lose ground. Rather than beating yourself up (either for not practicing and for practicing and not getting other things done) – allot, and keep to – a daily, short appointment with your harp. There isn’t much time, but if you could devote just 15 – 20 minutes each day, you would see progress…and still have time to make dinner and watch (insert your favorite TV show here). Make yourself a star chart (like you’d make for your kid’s chores) to reinforce your success!
  2. Fear of Failure. This is such a silly coping strategy, but I see it over and over – you have a gig coming up and need to learn a piece. The date is looming large and you keep putting off starting on it – yikes! And this is a downward spiral because the longer you put it off, the more likely you’ll be right, and you will do badly. But (here’s the insidious part) if you put it off and do badly – at least you’ll have an excuse. It’s crazy but true. So, in that 15 minutes a day you’ve allotted for practice (see above), be sure that about 1/3 of it is devoted to learning something new. This means that you have allotted this time to work on that thing you need to play at that event that’s zorching up but perhaps more importantly – it means you are well practiced at learning new things (so at least that part isn’t scary!).
  3. Overwhelm. I know – playing the harp looked so easy. And when you started – it was. But as you go on, there’s so much to learn, and remember, and work on, and do, and it all requires practice! I mean, really – you must practice tuning and reading and body position and hand position and breathing and melodies and harmonies and phrasing and listening and hearing and – oh, never mind, I’m so tired thinking about it, I’m exhausted – I think I’ll go watch a little tv. You do need to practice all these things and more – but – the more you practice them, the easier they become.  They become more manageable. In the same way, you can manage your practice time. Give it structure. Know what you want to accomplish. Have a plan. You can use a practice planner (like this one) to be sure you know what you will do. You can also ask for help if you’re lost – ask your teacher or schedule a coaching session (I can help) to decide on an approach you can work with. Then you won’t flounder deciding what to practice – you’ll know what you’ll work on, for how long, over how many practice sessions, and when you’ll be satisfied.
  4. It’s that time of life. Sometimes other things take center stage – an change to your family, a new job, a relocation, a new hobby. Or sometimes you just need a break – a change of scenery.  “It’s not you, it’s me” you might say to your harp. Your harp is like a true friend – it will understand your focus has shifted. And like a true friend, it will be there as you go through these changes. And you’re lucky – your harp will be there to give succor and support when needed. Don’t feel badly about not playing if you’re focused on something else. Would your friend (or your harp) deny your new joy? Or reject you when you come back? No – of course not! So, don’t beat yourself up – enjoy your new focus and come back to your harp for those 15 minutes each day or when you’re ready.

There are so many good reasons to play, don’t let a couple of little things derail you. Just don’t let them throw you so far off you feel like you can’t return. And don’t ever think you’re alone – we have all been there – and we’ll be glad when you’re back!

Printing Clarity

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Sometimes it’s the easy stuff that is so hard to do. For instance, we know that we need to practice, but we struggle to make it onto the bench regularly.

We know that we will have a better feel for our progress if we capture the interim steps and yet, we don’t write down the details that would help us remember what was going on or understanding what has happened while we were working.

Picture1We have a lot of reasons that we don’t mark our progress. Many of us just don’t have a good way to capture those thoughts and notes. So I developed a free printable log that you can use to track your progress. There are places to note what you’ve done.  There is also room to write down your impressions of what is going well and what you need to continue to work on.

There is no “right” way to use this log – the point is to use it for your own growth. You can also use it during your lesson to assure you remember what you wanted to work on while you meet with your teacher or coach. It includes those things that I have found are good prompts for staying focused.

Click on the link to download your free copy of the Practice Log printable.  Give it a try and let me know if printing this brings you clarity – if it works for you!