Hypnotic Harpistry

This entry was written already on Thursday night, but as the blog website was down, I wasn't able to publish it until now (Friday night). Enjoy!

I could not BELIEVE it when I read Martin's latest entry in his blog. It ends with his choice for the SONG OF THE DAY!!! When I accused him of stealing ideas from my blog, he kindly pointed to the fact that he first wrote about his song of the day before I even started keeping a weblog. Oh well, think before you open your mouth is all I can say to that.
Today was my harp performance in EMO. Because of reasons too complicated to write here, the actual exam will take place next Monday. However, all of my teacher's harp students played today, and there were quite many people. It was really a raving success! The Polar Harp Journal praised the "Highly skilled young harpists determined to take over the international harp stage" while the Carlos Juris Gazette described the playing as "Simply angelical".
No, seriously, it went okay and I would have finally introduced Mummy to my harp teacher if she hadn't started a presentation about the need for a new harp for EMO (only the hand-outs with statistics of the financial situation of EMO and the growing numbers of harp students were missing) which surely lasted until we were back in Helsinki.
Now for a nice weekend, then! Tomorrow will be quite relaxed - first, a rehearsal of Prokofjeff's Cello Sonata with Katariina, then my harp (I always call it my harp, although of course I don't own it) will be transported to Teatterikorkeakoulu (I just hope everything goes fine - first, the box has to be brought from the conservatory, and I don't even know where it's usually kept, to begin with). Anyway, I can expect to easily spend almost two hours with that, and then in the evening we might have an emergency rehearsal, depending on how today's rehearsal went (where Helen, the other harpist played) and I'm now waiting anxiously for a text message which will say tomorrow evening is free - - oh, the text message just came. Turns out we will rehearse tomorrow. So much for a relaxing Friday evening. I'll spend it counting empty measures and sliding my fingers over the strings now and then.
Sometimes I think how much time I would have saved if I'd just dropped the idea of playing the harp when it struck me (no pun intended) - but then again, it's better not to think about that. What's the point? I mean, I never ask myself how much time I would have saved if I'd just quit everything I'm doing right now.
Piece of the day: Edvard Grieg: Remembrances for Piano Solo. Totally suffering from Harp OD? Then this is just what you need to forget the tormenting world of plucking strings and plunge into the world of hammers on strings. Someone once said the grand piano is the instrument, where the harp has gone to sleep....