In October, I applied to be an artist on the Arkansas Arts Council Artists on Tour Roster for 2015. I was lucky enough to be asked to do a presentation in Little Rock on November 7th to the Council Board. It was an interesting experience although, unfortunately, unsuccessful. FOR NOW! But as for the future… try, try again!
For the Art Council I presented a concert program which is based on a tag line that I have had on my website since the beginning of my harp days…. Journeys of the Harp. This past year I did two concerts and from those and the training that I do for volunteers at Circle of Life I have developed what I believe to be a really great concert performance which blends the music of the harp, in all it’s different modes, as well as my journey with the harp. The Council ended up being split in their decision about accepting me into the Artist on Tour Roster and for now they think I don’t have enough experience presenting this program. I can appreciate that. I think perhaps they got my presentation idea a little too confused with my work in healing music and couldn’t separate the two. I want to take both my harp work and myself on a journey down an additional road. Not to leave the healing work (or wedding work!) behind but just to make new paths!
So my challenge for the year is to come up with some additional places, especially out of the Fayetteville area, where I can present my concert. If you have any ideas, let me know!
It was a fun experience presenting in front of the Council and I enjoyed meeting all of the people there. They put you on a very tight schedule and you have exactly 20 minutes to get in and do your presentation. The Council meeting was in a conference room in downtown Little Rock so I set up outside the room in the lobby of the building. While I was sitting in the lobby just tuning up the harp, people were coming in and out of the building and they were all startled to see a harpist sitting by the elevators. I became quite the photo op. Of course, at the moment that Rick walked away for the restroom Dustin McDaniel, the Arkansas Attorney General, came into the lobby. He exclaimed several times “There is a harp in my building! There is a harp in my building!” He couldn’t quite get over it. Someone was talking to him but he stopped and said hi to me before he went up the elevators to his office. Later when Rick came back I sent him up to give Mr. McDaniel a CD. It never fails to be exciting to see people responding to seeing a harp in person!
Here I am tuning by the elevators.
