Part 2: Interview with Ann Heymann

Written By Maureen Buscareno
Ann Heymann with ornately painted low headed harp

Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with harpist, teacher, composer, and historian, Ann Heymann. In Part 2 of our interview Ann and I are joined by Kathy DeAngelo, the director of The Somerset Folk Harp Festival, who like Siobhán Armstrong of The Historical Harp Society of Ireland, are each giving Ann lifetime achievement awards this summer. 

This chat is really where Ann and I talk about how the harp is an icon.  

“I am very grateful to have the instrument in my life and it is my full joy and inspiration now.”
— Ann Heymann

We discuss the mythology of the harp, The Dadga, The Tuatha Dé Danann, and legends and metaphors embedded in the harp.  As Ann says,

“..I realized that encoded within the legends are all of these metaphors which connect.  It makes it magic, it makes it true, it makes it real.  It’s like a formula embedded...trying to connect the whole world and life.

Music was magic.”
— Ann Heymann

On Teaching and Learning


Ann talks about being, “addicted to ‘ah-ha’ moments” and how she loves teaching and learns so much from her students and finds that the feedback she gets in lessons is really nice.

Ann is always learning and wanting to gain more insight into her own playing which has prompted Ann to release a new verion of her first tutorial on the harp, “Secrets of the Gaelic Harp”.  The second book will be entitled, “Secrets of the Gaelic Harp; In the Second Manner”


Some Highlights of Ann’s Career:

We discuss highlights of her career including:

  • Her time at Granard and her first harp competition there.

“Granard made a real difference because it made me start taking what I was doing seriously...it made me feel a responsibility.”
— Ann Heymann

  • Discovering playing with coupled hands:

“...was a real a ah-ha thing and it was through Pibroch...When I recorded the pibroch, “Lament for the Harp”, to me I actually thought, “Ok, I don’t have to do another thing in my life.  I’ve done my duty.”
— Ann Heymann
“You don’t know when another breakthrough is going to happen and they are a gift when they happen.”
— Ann Heymann

After doing the Pibroch Ann got drawn into other things.  She was involved in other aspects of the harp and after doing that Ann got involved with doing the Telyn Rawn, the horsehair harp. Ann says that she a learned so much from doing the Telyn Rawn project. She hasn’t released the recordings yet of her performance on The Telyn Rawn at Brecon Cathedral and at Tewkesbury Abbey.

Visit Ann’s website to purchase her music, schedule a lesson, read up on her amazing research, and more. Ann will be teaching online this summer at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival and will be receiving lifetime achievement awards from Somerset and The Historical Harp Society of Ireland at their Scoil na gCláirseach, Festival of Irish Harp Festival both happening this July.

A big thank you to the folks at Temple Records in Scotland for giving me permission to use some of Ann’s recordings on this podcast.  Check out their website https://www.templerecords.co.uk/


LINKS

HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY THE HARP?

4 Week Beginner Harp Classes 

Launches this June 21tst!!

Have you always wanted to learn how to play the harp, but have no idea where to start? I totally know that feeling.  

When I first became interested in playing the harp I didn’t know where to start. I looked at teach yourself how to play the harp books, which were good, but I needed more guidance.  I’ve been wanting to put together a course that would inspire lovers of the harp just starting on their journeys.  the “Your Harp Adventure” series starts this June 7th with an Introduction to the lever harp.  

 

I walk you through the basics of this 4 week class:

  • getting comfortable with your instrument

  • making music and improvising right from the start

  • you’ll learn tunes by ear, as well as basics of music theory, basics of reading music

  • you’ll also have access to a live FB group once a week where you can ask questions and meet up with other harp players starting on their musical journeys.

  • I know there is so much information out there and because I want you to feel the progress you will be making, the video lessons are no more than ten minutes each giving you bite sized chunks of information that won’t be overwhelming.

  • Plus you can rewatch any of the videos and learn in your own time, plus you will have access to a community of learners from around the world cheering you on with me.

  • All for $59 that includes pdfs of music and guides, templates for inspiration and practicing, and more.

  • Launches on Monday June 21st!

 

Partnership with One Tree Planted:  I care deeply about the planet and creating a business that gives back to nature. That's why I'm thrilled to share that we are partnering with One Tree Planted/@ontreeplanted to plant a tree for every item sold or class purchased.

 

One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to global reforestation. They plant trees to restore nature and biodiversity. They also raise awareness about the importance of trees, offer businesses like ours a simple sustainability solution, and motivate younger generations to do something positive for the environment.

Maureen Buscareno
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Karen Loomis: Finding the Secrets and Stories of Ancient Harps

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Ann Heymann: “The harp composes and the harp arranges and my hands are trained by it.”