Musical Reflections

When the pandemic “hit,” many musicians’ businesses were turned upside down. It took some time to figure out if and how we could become viable again. Zoom to the rescue! (Zoom is a videoconferencing platform – now used by millions worldwide.)

The only problem is the harp doesn’t sound very good on the Zoom platform. (Zoom is set up for speaking voices, not musical instruments.) After extensive research, we decided to invest in sound equipment. And as usual with technology, one thing led to another!

First, it was a condenser microphone/stand/cable, then the iRig interface from the mic into the computer. Next, was a lapel mic so you can hear Tami and finally, ear buds so she can hear you. As Tami worked with her vendor, his business was booming! And guess why … every musician’s home now has sound equipment! Overnight, the musician’s world changed … yes, we are a resilient and flexible people because we continue to be passionate about offering our musical gifts and services to the world.

You can decide for yourself if you approve our sound on Zoom. Contact Tami at tami@musicalreflections.com or 952-829-1919 for details.

In the last blog post, I discussed using Zoom for presentations/performances. And frankly, my somewhat negative experiences using it for those purposes.

On a more positive note, where I have seen Zoom work very well:

• My therapeutic harp lessons – I have been working with students who already play the harp, but are interested in learning more about playing at the hospital and hospice bedside.
• Virtual harp therapy – I wrote about this in an earlier blog. I am excited to offer this as a virtual healing modality and the opportunities are endless … around the globe!

So, CoVid-19 has blessed us with many changes and using technology, specifically Zoom, in some beautiful, unique ways. I am grateful to be here at this amazing time in our human evolution! If you are interested in additional information for either of these, I look forward to connecting.

Everyone’s on Zoom … I am, too! And here’s “my take” on it. After doing numerous live events over the past 21+ years, I wasn’t sure how I would like performing on Zoom.

I did two harp group events during the initial lock-down of CoVid-19. While the actual virtual events went OK, the hardest part was ending in a quiet house (my living room) without any audience feedback. So, the quiet after presentations/events has been a big adjustment!

That said, I’ve recently invested in upgrading my system and am excited about offering many different types of Zoom sessions! Interested? Let’s connect! I look forward to working together …

I posted about harp therapy lessons a couple months ago. After playing at the hospital and hospice bedside for the past 24 years, I feel called to share what I have learned and experienced via these therapeutic harp lessons. It is my passion to teach harpists who want to learn more about playing the harp in the healthcare setting. These lessons can be preparatory to study in a certified harp therapy program or as a “stand alone” to begin offering harp therapy services.

I’m happy to share my first three students have completed the eight-week course. They were a joy to teach and each of them will do great work with the harp at the hospital and hospice bedside. I use the Zoom videoconferencing platform so I can work with anyone, anywhere in the world! In fact, my students were located in Minneapolis, Michigan and the Netherlands. If you are interested in learning more, let’s connect!