Project Proposal:
'An EP composed of solo harp and electronics performed and produced by myself. The pieces will be performed on a lever harp with the use of loop and Fx pedals. The style of works will be atmospheric and ambient, exploring different textures on the harp with extended techniques and with the Fx pedals. My blog will document my development of exploring my effects pedals and inspirations throughout the year. The personal value of my project will be to capture my development during my time at university as a harpist and as a musician. The intended outcome is to contribute to the growing community of harpists who use electronics and harp to change perceptions of the harp. Specifically, with the use of the lever harp in my EP due to the majority of recorded harp and electronics being produced on the pedal harp.’
I have always longed to find my style as a musician. As a harpist I have attempted to move away from the classical music stereotypes attached to my instrument. Yet I have felt in a limbo of where I 'fit' musically. During my time in Sheffield I have collaborated with a variety of different musicians and have explored guitar effects pedals and improvisation on my harp. I have come to realise that my musical identity and personality are intertwined and have led me to become the experimental musician that I am today. Before arriving at the University of Sheffield to study music, composition and music technology were difficult for me. This project seemed like the perfect opportunity to capture my sound and to push the boundaries of what I think I am capable of as a musician.
In my second year of university I purchased a soundboard transducer for my harp and experimented with guitar effects pedals after collaborating with a guitarist. It introduced me to a whole new world of harp playing and the more I had a go at using the pedals, the more I wanted to invest in my own. Over the summer before my final year of university I got a job to purchase equipment to create my own ambient harp set up: I got reverb and delay pedals and a guitar amp. This gave me an exciting starting point for exploring this project.
I am looking forward to beginning this project and seeing where it takes me!
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