I'm grateful to Maren Schormann for sharing her harp story with me, and for giving me permission to share it with others.
Maren wrote:
“When I heard about you being interested in people`s stories with their instrument and what makes them so passionate about it, I immediately felt the urge to think about mine and share it...
I’ve loved music and dance for as long as I can remember. It has always been very important in my life; it helped me to relax and recover from school or a stressful day and simply made me happy.
I started playing piano at ten, and at the age of 13 I wanted to learn to play the harp. So my parents and I went to a professional harp player engaged in the local theatre. I was quite thin at that time and she found that her pedal harp was far too big and heavy for me. What a disappointment!
Now, about 40 years later, I felt there was still something special about the harp and I decided to have a go. Somehow it seemed to me that there was a healing aspect in playing this instrument: physically healing for my painful finger joints as well as for my soul. I imagined that the gentle playing movement of my hands, in combination with that particular brilliant, resonant and deep sound of a harp, would touch my heart in a way that no other instrument could.
In May 2021 I finally found “my” harp - a 34 string Celtic harp.
”What helps you love your harp….what keeps making you come back to play”…- you posed these questions on your website:
Well, in addition to the things already mentioned before, it also helps me create a space of mindfulness and of uplifting consciousness in a way, immersing myself in different moods. So I love to discover new compositions that create different emotions. Perhaps it`s even a kind of musical meditation.”
Maren also kindly shared that my compositions are part of her harp experience, and this makes me feel so honored! After I asked if I could publish her story, she added:
“I`ve heard of so many people finding they are far too “old” for learning an instrument, or who have been told at school they are not musical enough….what a pity! In my opinion it isn`t about achievement at all, or of proving something to someone. For me it`s simply about the beauty of music. And that´s it. I`m so glad you want to make people excited about the harp and see it as your mission.”
Do you have a story to tell about your harp journey that would encourage others? Send me a message through the contact feature on this website, or message me on Facebook. I look forward to hearing from you!