Please Visit My Harp.com Page!

(Jul. 26, 2019) – Last summer, a representative from Lyon & Healy’s music and accessories division, Harp.com, contacted me about submitting my arrangements for online distribution. I did so with my collections, one at a time, and I now have my own page there: https://www.harp.com/?s=Hanjian+Rondeau

I am pleased that, based on recent sales reports, harpists are finding the books useful. In the near future, I hope to add another unique collection of arrangements to the page and, more important, to the harp repertoire.

Pilates Workout with Therapeutic Harp Music

(Jun. 29, 2019) – Pilates is a physical fitness method created by German-American physical trainer Joseph Hubertus Pilates in the early 20th century. Joseph Pilates uses his book Return to Life through Contrology to present his training method as the art of controlled actions, which when properly applied, should feel similar to a workout.

On the other hand, harp music is associated with harp therapy, a term used to describe using harp music for therapeutic purposes. The harp is regarded by many as a musical healing tool because of its spiritual connection and soothing timbre. Recipients of therapeutic harp music experience decreased pain and anxiety and improvements in sleep, relaxation, mood, and vital signs.

In the 1940s, performing artists and dancers quickly adopted Joseph Pilates’ means of body conditioning. Today, many people do Pilates and are discovering the benefits of the workout. Even though people of different body types can do this workout, performing Pilates will not expose the athlete to risk of injury. The exercise builds strength and improves flexibility. What is common is that these two methods are both aimed at helping people to improve their health both mentally and physically.

Benefits

Although it is uncertain whether Pilates alone can help remedy deformed limbs or correct the spine’s posture, it is evident that including Pilates exercises in your routine benefits your health and helps achieve a leaner body physique. A combination of your favorite supplements from 120 kg, Pilates exercises, and therapeutic harp music can provide a good post-workout program that is great for you to try after intense training. Below are two paragraphs on individual benefits of these two healing methods.

Pilates

Breathing is vital to the Pilates exercises. This helps with blood flow, and the method attempts to coordinate this respiration practice with actions. Although Pilates exercises do not require a lot of strength, they do demand concentration and require a focus on the quality of the workout over quantity.All the workouts are carried out with total control of the affected muscle areas.When doing Pilates, its essential that you maintain a correctly aligned posture to avoid harm by optimizing coordination and rectifying muscle imbalances. The relaxing mood helps improve mental health.

Harp Therapy

As enchanting as harp music may sound, its healing capabilities have been identified, and several psychology experts use this therapeutic method to assist their patients in achieving a peaceful state of mind.Combining Pilates with enchanting harp music is a unique way of toning your body while at the same time giving it the deserved conditioning. Since Pilates classes last up to an average of one hour, listening to harp music as you perform your Pilates can help with concentration and flow in movements. The mild nature of the instrument’s music brings about a relaxed atmosphere wherever you may be engaging in the exercise. Another thing to note is that Pilates is somewhat similar to modern yoga because of their common background as mind and body discipline, but unlike yoga, this workout is focused on core strength and not only flexibility.

House Concert with Harpist William Jackson Middletown, CT

William Jackson of Glasgow has been at the forefront of Scottish traditional music for more than 40 years. He is highly regarded as one of the leading harpers and multi-instrumentalists in Scotland and has gained an international reputation as a composer. In 2004 he was given the Swannanoa Gathering’s Master Music Maker award for Lifetime Achievement, and in 2015 the Somerset Folk Harp Festival awarded William with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

William was a founding member and creative tour de force of Ossian in 1976, which became one of Scotland’s best-loved traditional bands. The band, whose music influenced a generation of musicians, has toured extensively in the USA and Europe.  In 2015, he and the band were inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in Inverness Scotland. 

In addition to his performing, as a composer William is well-known for combining traditional and classical music in such major works as The Wellpark Suite, St. Mungo, Inchcolm, and A Scottish Island. In 1999 his “Land of Light” won the international competition as the new song for Scotland, and in that same year his composition ‘Corryvreckan’ from the album Inchcolm was included on Fiona Ritchie’s favourites collection, “The Best of The Thistle & Shamrock, Volume 1.”

William’s music is featured on many BBC and other television productions; he is not only in demand as a composer of sensitive music, but is increasingly becoming a producer. He directed and performed the music for “Battle of the Clans” for The History Channel, and produced and recorded the music for a new six part series about Scottish National Trust properties for Scottish Television. 

William’s performance on harp, whistle and bodhran is featured on the soundtrack of the motion picture starring Robert Duval and Michael Keaton, which was filmed in Scotland. (Sounding Strings) 

“… he has total command of the Scottish traditonal idiom.” — Sounding Strings

Special Event on “Facebook Live”

(Nov. 11, 2018) — My performance at Brooklyn Arts, Antiques & Refinements in Brooklyn, CT this morning was on Facebook Live.  Most of the selections are from my book, “Something Old, Something New for Christmas” and range from the 13th to the 17th centuries.  Watch here:

Stop in this morning for amazing harp music!!

Posted by Brooklyn Antiques, Arts & Refinements on Sunday, November 11, 2018

“Ten Irish Songs” Now Available at Harp.com

This past June, I was contacted by a representative of Lyon & Healy’s music division, Harp.com, about my work in arranging music for the instrument.

In the spring of 2017, I began in earnest notating dozens of arrangements I had played at engagements over my 28-year performance career and submitting them to SheetMusicPlus.com. Some, including “Ten Irish Songs for All Harps” are also available in my personal store.

I am happy to announce that the collection of lesser-known Irish songs is now available at Harp.com in downloadable format. I have also been invited to submit additional arrangements which I hope to see there over the coming months.

Based in Chicago, Lyon & Healy has been known as the “Harpmakers to the world since 1889,” designing and building harps of all sizes, including the classic Model 23 which I play. The company also sells music, strings, and every imaginable accessory the working harpist might need.

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun…Arranging!

I can’t believe it’s been three months since I’ve posted.  Since I retired from gigging and decided to concentrate on arranging music, I’ve been busier than ever.

I now have a publisher page at SheetMusicPlus and have added more than a dozen new arrangements since mid-March, when I last posted.

My goal of arranging a second group of ten Broadway/popular songs was met back in April.  Feeling as if I’d arranged and uploaded all of my best selections eligible for publication through SMP’s licensing agreement, I returned to Celtic selections, rediscovering songs I’d heard but never considered bringing to life on the harp.

My “popular” song compendium does not include Christmas selections, which are in a category of their own, at least as far as I’m concerned.  I did include, though, a few Christian contemporary songs which I felt were “naturals” for the harp.

In the midst of all of this, two fantastic things occurred:  SMP obtained licensing rights for 1,000,000 new songs…that’s right, one million!  Because of the sheer volume, songs are being added about 5,000 at a time, providing people like me a plethora of music and genres to work through.

A few titles I asked SMP about at the end of May have already shown up in the new list — great songs from classic movies and Broadway shows.  And there are more on the way!

The second thing:  completely unexpected and unsolicited, I was contacted by a major publisher of harp music with a request to submit some of my work.  I quickly asked myself,  “Of everything I’ve done, what I should I send?”

I decided on something I thought would give them the best glimpse into what I’m about while at the same time providing an idea of my favorite songs.  As requested, I provided a bio — rewritten and tailored to the audience — and other information available at my fingertips — literally.

The next day I received a “thank-you” with a promise that they’d be back in touch in the next several weeks.

Wow!  While nothing is guaranteed, it certainly served as an impetus to continue arranging and expanding the harp repertoire.

And before we know it, the Christmas season will again be upon us, and it will be time to find some great new songs to arrange.

 

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