Humidity

 Check out this snazzy harpy humidifier!

This fall Rowan and I moved from a 'well ventilated' 100 year old farm style house to my daughter's, which is warmer and has newer windows and a heat pump. 

i.e: indoor air that's too dry!

Rowan Luchair

I noticed my Kemper 34 String Luchair harp Rowan wasn't holding its pitch as it has, and several of its upper register strings broke spontaneously ...   so I ordered new strings (and 'Valley of the Dragon' by Sharon Thormahlen and Rosiee Thor), then looked up articles on harp care and humidity! Purchasing one ready made would have been 10-20$ for just one instrument,  so...

Check out this DIY instrument humidifier that I crafted - I got water beads from our local Joanne's (about $4 with a coupon) and used some small containers from the recycling bin, a skewer  to poke holes, and a hot glue gun to craft one. Viola!! 

The strings held their pitch overnight and I think it sounds brighter already! We're so happy! 

I plan to get tubes to make more, both for my other 2 harps and for a couple of friends (one with a Ukulele!) It seems like a great and inexpensive solution for crafting humidifiers for multiple instruments! 

Here's the tutorial on this simple DIY project

Harp humidifier

I added the backpack tag on plastic line (like the button in Paul's 2nd video - link to that one is in the video's comment thread) for ease of removal. It fits through the lowest soundhole, and sits on the harp base.

We'll be playing for the church Christmas concert this weekend, and have done a couples of gigs for the Soroptomists Women Who Wine events, which replace the holiday tour of homes they hosted for many years. 

Hope you're well this season!

🎶 Nadya and Rowan Luchair 

A Harmony of Harps

Having studied piano with an excellent teacher as a child, I began playing harp in 1993., & felt an immediate connection with harps & harp music. Over the last 15 years, three harps ihave joined my 'Harmony.'

The first, 27 string 'Tuilleadh,' ('Tille') was built by Corvallis Luthier Dave Thormahlen, Her name comes from the Gaelic: "to give abundantly, in full measure." Her woods are Big leaf Maple, Black Walnut trim with a Sitka Spruce soundboard, & at 14#, she's easiy to play & lovely for use in nursing homes or for small events.

In January 2007, I wanted a bit more range, & added a 34 string Sligo harp, 'Rowan Luchair,' crafted by Rick Kemper in Maryland to my harmony of harps. Rowan is a round backed, Irish inspired harp made of Koa; the soundboard is spruce & cedar, faced with cherry veneer, & the strings fluorocarbon. Rick's name for this harp, 'Luchair,' is Gaelic for "Joy."
Koa, more familiar in ukuleles, is being discovered by luthiers around the country as an excellent harp wood. Folks loves Rowan's rich bass, & the lowhead style & modest weight (17#) makes her also portable!
My third harp, Bella Luna, came to me as the reward for fulfilling a Millenium Harp Quest. She arrived Feb 20, 2008, the day of a lunar eclipse! Her range is 26 strings, so though smaller than Tuille, she has a surprisingly large voice.

I began using Reiki 'hands on' & distant healing in 1989, & naturally integrated Reiki into my harp music. I have also studied Song Medicine with Eric Vormans, the Sunray Meditation Society, & musicians Laurie Riley, Ani Williams, & Tina Tourin. With the music background, I find it natural to compose & arrange music for the harp.