Last week I bought a new harp! Owned originally by a friend’s mother’s husband’s tenant, it was built one year before I was born.
It is about three feet high, and has 29 strings. I love the little heart-shaped hole in the soundboard and the simple detail along the sides.
This harp is going to travel with me. As much as I love my other harps, they are not very convenient for family vacations, and this little guy only weighs 11 pounds. (I usually bring that many pounds in books anyway.) I hope to take him to many jam sessions as well.
So I was curious about the origins of my new travel-companion, and found a not-quite-decipherable inscription on the inside of the sound box.
Does that say “Jerry Brown” (as in Jerry Brown who owns Musicmakers in Stillwater), I wondered?
I was inclined to think yes. But as soon as I got the harp home and introduced him to my 32-string Gothic harp from Musicmakers, I was 100% sure.
Can you see the family resemblance?
Keep reading: Of Harps and Hobbits
Stephanie Claussen teaches harp lessons out of her home in St. Paul, Minnesota. If you are about to purchase a harp and need an experienced ear or consultation, feel free to contact her for some advice! She would be happy to help you on your own harp journey.