My youngest student is coming today with her new harp!! It is so exciting when a student gets their first “real” harp. I have two small lap harps that I am able to loan to students while they are first starting. They aren’t great but they do give someone a chance to test out the harp theory in practice to see if it lives up to the dream. People expect it to be so easy – the harp is dreamy and wonderful – shouldn’t it be easy to play? No, it really isn’t. It is work. Although, I’d say the awkward sounding stage on the harp is shorter than it is on some other instruments. And even scales can sound fabulous! So when a student makes the commitment, both financially and personally, to buy their own harp and go forward it is a big deal. This is usually a time when I see a nice leap forward in their ability and confidence. It always makes me feel good as a teacher and I’m excited to share this part of the journey.