Introduction to Harp Culture
Woodley entered the world of harp music by taking a weekend intensive that cost thousands of dollars.
Thrust into a new world, she was fascinated by the unique industry she found.
• Harp Groups that got together to play and share music and story;
• Harp Shops that repaired strings and sold goods related to the harp;
• Harp Makers who specialized in creating the musical instruments; and
• Harps of various sizes and shapes.
Long associated with angels and mystical qualities, harps have a fascinating history and a whole culture exists around them.
The large pedal harp (aka classical, concert, orchestral, double-action) is the one most people think of when you mention the instrument but the smaller lever harp is also familiar to many (aka Celtic, Irish, folk).
As Woodley pondered, she realized that the harp she needed was a specialized instrument that would need to be fairly small and easily played by anyone—and it needed to be affordable so more could be given to children.
The cost of a harp varies according to the type, size, and the accessories that go with it. Every harp purchase also needed to include strings, a tuner, and a case to protect it.
In most cases, thousands of dollars are usually necessary but there was a unique harp just waiting to be discovered and that would fit the needs of Angel Harps and the children it would impact.
We believe the story of how the Angel Harps mission to help children attracts sponsorship on the local, regional and national levels would be of interest to viewers in a variety of media outlets.
Please contact Dianna Woodley by phone for more information on this segment.
