Welcome to the Monarch Cycle!
DEADLINE extended tO OctOber 6, 2021
Here you’ll find everything you need to contribute to our project for Lá na Cruite 2021.
Ireland’s National Harp Day (Lá na Cruite in Irish) is coming up on October 16, and we’re excited to announce a collaborative project to which all harpers are invited to contribute: a virtual harp ensemble arrangement of a beautiful composition by Ann Heymann.
The piece is a theme and variations on a lovely simple tune from the Gaelic harp tradition and inspired by the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. We would love to involve as many harpers of all abilities as possible - beginners and professionals alike are welcome! This piece is designed to have something for everyone, and no contribution is too small. The important part is that we’re all working together!
Harpers, you can record your parts remotely and send contributions to me until October 6. The finished piece will be premiered as part of online concert for Lá na Cruite/Harp Day on October 16. All participants will receive an email invite with the link to that concert when it is available.
We assume most harpers will probably record a thirty seconds to about two minutes of material (though more is fine; feel free to send as much as you want.) With that in mind, there are three approaches that we recommend.
Choose your own adventure:
Step 1: Click the button below that says “Tutorial and Play-Along Videos (YouTube.)”
Step 2: Put the playlist on shuffle. Play random videos until something catches your ear that you’d like to try.
Step 3: Listen to the tutorial and follow along. Try it on the harp. Decide if you’d like to record it.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 until you find something you’d actually like to record. Play around until you’re ready, then give it a go!
Step 5: Check out the very important recording guidelines and advice on this page and make your recording!
Follow the map:
Step 1: Download the PDF sheet music, PDF overview of the piece, and the track in mp3 format using the buttons below.
Step 2: Listen to the piece, in whole or in part, while following along with the PDFs.
Step 3: Pick a place to start. The beginning is great. The end is great. Your favorite part is excellent.
Step 4: Check out the tutorial videos for the section you’ve chosen. Try it on the harp. Decide if you’d like to record it.
Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 until you find something you’d actually like to record. Play around until you’re ready, then give it a go!
Step 6: Check out the very important recording guidelines and advice on this page and make your recording!
Guided tour:
Step 1: Use one of the contact buttons on this page to send me a message requesting me to assign you a short section of music!
Step 2: Tell me - how do you prefer to learn? How long a part would you like? How simple/complex? Improv, or specific notes?
Step 3: I will get back to you with a couple options for you to pick from, and direct links to all materials you’ll need.
Step 4: Check out the tutorial videos for the section you’ve chosen. Try it on the harp. Decide if you’d like to record it.
Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 until you find something you’d actually like to record. Play around until you’re ready, then give it a go!
Step 6: Check out the very important recording guidelines and advice on this page and make your recording!
important: recording guidelines
To record, you’ll need to hear the audio with headphones on one device while recording on another. So, you will need an extra smartphone, tablet or computer.
If you’d like to record outdoors, that would be especially cool, but no worries if you can’t! Harp Ireland has some advice on outdoor recording here.
Try to record in landscape view (the phone horizontal, not vertical.)
Leave 5 seconds of silence at the beginning of your recording and at least 5 seconds (or more!) at the end. Don’t muffle!
Send me your video(s) - you can do as many as you want, any length - via Dropbox, Google Drive, or WeTransfer to clarseach@hotmail.com by Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at midnight Central time.
Please send the video in .mp4 or .mov format.
Label the file (or write me a note) with your name and location as you’d like them to be credited. You may use your full name and exact location, or a first name/nickname only and state/province/country instead of a specific location.
Our piece will be featured on October 16 for Lá na Cruite/Harp Day! I’ll send everyone info on how to watch online.
Please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions! If there are any errors in the materials, or anything else I can do to help you participate, I’m here!