EdwardRingwald.com

When I retired from the City of St. Petersburg after 35 years of service, it freed up a lot of time I can put to good use. Most of the time it was putting more effort into being at the Florida Railroad Museum as a train conductor as well as an assistant conductor and a trainman so that I can continue to hone my trainman skills from time to time.

But in October 2023, I began learning a new skill that I was never taught in high school or even in college: A stringed musical instrument called the harp. I chose the harp for its dexterity in working my fingers on the strings, not to mention the lovely music.

Besides, playing a musical instrument such as the harp, especially in your older years, is good for you and your mental health. According to this Psychology Today article, learning to play a musical instrument can help stave off age related memory decline as we get older.

My Love and Passion for the Harp

For a long time since attending St. Petersburg College in 1983, I have been a avid listener of harp music beginning with Mexican arpa music heard on a overnight radio program on XEG from Monterrey, receivable as a strong signal at night in St. Petersburg on St. Petersburg College's St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. I listened to it a lot on my way to my classes when I had my classes in the morning hours.

Shortly after the new Sunshine Skyway opened and I graduated from St. Petersburg College in 1987 and joining the City of St. Petersburg four months later, my harp listening experience expanded to German folk harp music played occasionally on WMNF's Polka Party show which I have been a faithful listener of for many years until the program went off the air around 2011.

Then came the era of YouTube. And Apple iTunes when I bought my first Apple iPhone in 2014. My harp listening expanded to not only include German folk harfen music but Chilean arpa music as well all the way to my retirement in 2023 and beyond.

I was asking myself, how could I play the harp?

It All Began With a Serious Cold in October 2023

One weekend in October 2023, I was supposed to work the Civil War Reenactment train at the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish. Two days before, the classic symptoms of a cold ushered in: Sore throat, malaise, headache, stuffy nose ... you name it. As such, I could not work the train that particular weekend.

But one evening sitting at my desktop computer at home changed everything. And it did indeed.

I did a Google search for German harfenduo meaning a harp duet, as I had some German folk harp duets in my iTunes repertoire. Once I did the search I came across a lot of YouTube harp videos, especially harp instruction. So, I clicked on one of the harp instruction videos by Christy-Lyn and went through five different instruction videos on how to play the harp.

Then one video I clicked off to the right side of the YouTube screen interested me the most. It wasn't one of Christy-Lyn's videos: It was a harp instruction video of how to play Just For You by a Canadian music teacher who teaches both the piano and the harp out of Nova Scotia, Anne Crosby Gaudet.

With that, the era of Edward Ringwald playing the harp had begun.

Looking for a harp that would not break the bank

I know, when I think of a harp I think of those grand concert harps that cost into the tens of thousands of dollars. (Similar to buying a new car!) Not so when I searched Amazon and eBay.

I took a good look at Amazon and eBay. Eventually, I came across a 22 string Celtic lever harp that is a good beginner harp for those of you getting started. I ended up purchasing it as a Christmas present to myself. I was so excited from the moment I placed the order and watching the tracking progress of the shipment from the seller to my home. When I got notification that my harp was out for delivery to the moment of delivery I was so excited!

Once I brought my new harp inside I carefully unpackaged the harp. My 22 string Celtic harp came with the harp itself as well as a tuning wrench and extra harp strings. After all, you need to have extra strings on hand just in case. Don't forget the gig bag; having a gig bag helps make transporting the harp very easy, especially when you go somewhere in person taking harp lessons or going to a harp gathering (I try to avoid the fear-producing word as my harp teacher would say, recital).

Next: Harp Lessons

Now that I got my harp and I practiced tuning the harp into C major (thanks to two harp tuning apps and a physical harp tuner I bought on Amazon), it was time for formal harp lessons. Before that, I went ahead and purchased the sheet music to Just For You from Anne's Music Discoveries shop. Costed me only CDN $5.30 which turns out to be USD $4.08 - after all, your American dollar goes further in Canada.

Then I practiced on my own for a month and a half. I know, self taught is good but I needed one on one harp instruction to get me started. With the help of my friends back at the Florida Railroad Museum, it wasn't long until I found a harp teacher right here in St. Petersburg. Her name is Sue Carole DeVale.

Now the formal harp lessons have begun. Once a week using a book that I purchased from Sue I do my harp lessons. I already learned to read music on the treble clef by reading the sheet music to several national anthems of the world. I also knew the five lines of the music staff and how music is subdivided into parts called measures.

The Road to a Better Harp

A few months into my harp lessons, Sue was so impressed by how I took on learning how to play the harp in the short span of a few months. But I needed a better harp than the one I got on eBay a few months earlier. So, I ended up purchasing a much better harp - a Dusty Strings FH34 34 string harp - that would last me a long time. Sure it costed me more but if I am taking harp lessons and playing the harp for the long haul, why not a better yet well known harp that will last?

The Repertoire for my Harp Music

Slowly but surely I have been building my repertoire for my harp music collection beginning with Anne's Just For You. Then more of Anne's music including To The North Star, On The Wind, Meditation as well as Anne's arrangement of Amazing Grace. Other items in my repertoire include Butterflies by Bonnie Mohr (the author of the harp book I am learning from when I go for lessons) as well as Slovenian folk music such as Mi Se Imamo Radi and Oj Bozime as well as a few national anthems from around the world. And I continuously keep adding to my repertoire!

My Performances and More!

Like when I answered my soul calling of playing the harp, this web page is just the beginning! Why not head on over to my Everything Edward Ringwald Playing the Harp website, located at EdwardRingwaldHarp.com!