Day One with Sergio and Tatiana - July 6, 2018

Herencias, the brother-and-sister duo of Sergio and Tatiana Aguirre, turned in a wonderful performance at their first event last night in Winchester, VA. It was at a great Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Guadalajara. Happy, noisy and crowded, such gigs are a challenge unlike a concert setting. Like other audiences, this one was surprised, charmed, and astonished at the discovery of this Latin American harp tradition, so little-known in North America.

Their 2018 tour continues through July 17, with concert gigs in VA, WV, PA and MD. 

The first concert gig is tomorrow, Sunday July 8, at 3 PM, at The Station at Shepherdstown, 100 Audrey Egle Drive, Shepherdstown WV. It is sponsored by the Shepherdstown Friends Meeting (Quakers).

Tonight's gig is 6:30 PM at Thunwa Thai restaurant in Front Royal, VA.

The tour continues to Morgantown, Parkersburg and Charleston in West Virginia; to Pittsburgh, State College, and Fishertown in PA; and to Westminster in Maryland. Check for details on my website or on Facebook.

Last Days in Arauca, now in Bogota

In my last days in Arauca, I mostly rested and played my harp. On Friday, while I was in town by myself, I discovered a group of musicians performing in the market. I got their contact information, and Luis called and arranged for them to come to his place on Saturday for a while about 4 PM. Of course I paid them. They turned out to be Venezuelans, and very fine performers. Harpist Victor Morales, I realized after the fact, was one I had picked out as exceptional on Youtube. He did not sing, but his three sons (Victor hijo (jr.), Antonio, and Ericson) sang and played maracas and cuatro. Another harpist and singer was Luis Gonzales. Another singer was Ander Garcia. I made some videos and posted the first on Youtube, "Luna del Capanaparo" sung by Luis Gonzales.

They finally struck water at the farm on Saturday, in the fourth day of effort. Luis was elated. However, we did not go to the farm out of caution because of a threat from the guerilla ELN (Army of National Liberation). A nationwide strike was expected to affect mainly private motor vehicle and public transportation. (There are reports of a bridge blown up and perhaps other incidents in the last couple of days.)

Sunday morning I flew to Bogota where I was very warmly welcomed by Hildo Ariel and family.

It is now Tuesday. I have been getting very good and individual instruction from Hildo. We are talking about our project plans. In September, Hildo will present the fifth annual Encuentro Internacional Maestros del Arpa in Bogota. We might create a tour for US harpists. Before then, Hildo's son Sergio Nicolas will come again to the US in July. After the September Encuentro event, I will act as baquiano (guide) for another student visiting the US, Wuilmer Lopez.

Today I went for a walk out on the main street where the Trans-Milenio runs. It is a rubber-tired transit system with dedicated lanes and raised stations. I went shopping at a big supermarket and at shops and stands on the street. I watched a garbage truck creep along while workers gathered trash accumulated on the curb. Much like a US operation, but the litter and garbage problem here is a lot worse than at home. 

More later, maybe, but it might not be till after I get home. 

Back in Arauca, soon returning to Bogota

A lot going on here in Arauca since returning Friday from Yopal, Casanare.

Saturday morning Luis and I said goodbye to Erika and Adolfo at the bridge on the Venezuelan border. 

I had proposed to return with them to Guanare for a day or two, then take public transit back to Arauca. They advised strongly against it. Bus service is greatly reduced and insecure, they said. Over the years I have not always followed such cautionary advice. I try to be careful but "no risk, no reward" (in economics that's an investment principle, it has wider application). 

Saturday and Sunday were rest, and I spent some good hours practicing my harp. 

On Monday I had a lesson with Armando "Peachy" Ramirez. Tuesday night I spent an hour with Pedro Quintero. Each harpist offers a complementary perspective. I try not to direct the lesson, but to just take in what they may have to offer. Peachy is young, very talented, and enthusiastic about playing, as reflected earlier in his participation at Las Mercedes on Saturday 1/27. Pedro is older, runs a music school (Pequinsan, derived from his name, Pedro Quintero Sanchez) with students coming every evening from 6 to 7 PM. Pedro is more didactic, which is good for me; he moves from one student to another, giving brief corrections or approvals as appropriate. With Peachy it is just him and me, which offers certain disadvantages as well as advantages.

Wednesday was very different. I went early with Luis to the farm, first to observe milking and then to begin a well-drilling operation that continues now into its second day. The drill is a metal pipe with a sharp bit at the bottom. Water is pumped down the pipe and a worker rotates the drill by hand. I'll follow up with more as next steps are taken after the drill reaches water.

Wednesday evening I had another lesson with Pedro Quintero, and today (Thursday) I'm just practicing as much as possible so I can perform for my teachers before I leave on Sunday.

A couple of nights ago my computer overheated and shut down. Completely dead. It recovered after cooling down for 8 hours. Overheating is a known issue. In retrospect, after consulting with Apple, I decided I will not leave it plugged in and turned on overnight.

Yopal, Casanare, Colombia, Part 2

Yopal, Casanare is at the "foot of the mountain," the piedmont, a zone of transition between the mountains and the vast plains. After a tough 6-hour bus trip from Arauca, we rested Tuesday night at a small hotel named "Ay Si Si." The name refers to a familiar song that says "yes, yes!" 

On Wednesday morning we visited Laura, the young director of Fundacion Cunaguaro, a nonprofit dedicated to sustainable culture and environment. She sent us to the very lively Centro Cultural, the cultural center of Yopal, where classes were being offered in harp, cuatro, and bandola, and also dancing. The state of Casanare is very progressive in cultural preservation. Among the students were many children as well as young and older folks. My little harp immediately became a focus of attention, harpists Blas Antonio Saenz and Hugo Gonzales gave it a real workout.

Like many harpists here, Blas Antonio Saenz has a nickname, "Juan Bimba." He showed me some tricks and I made some recordings. I went back the next morning for a more serious lesson with him, it has been a big help.

Arrangements are all being made by Adolfo. He had planned a visit with a harpmaker, which did not materialize, so on Wednesday afternoon we just rested. It was a good thing we got some rest, because after about 6:30 PM that we set out on a parranda, a wild adventure that lasted till 2 in the morning. 

I had no idea when we started out that it would take more than an hour to get to La Fortuna, a farm with some modest tourism facilities on the river Cravo Sur. A big attraction is a boat ride from the higher ground to a sand beach where visitors can enjoy live traditional music and refreshments. Of course there are no permanent facilities on the beach because it is is under water in the rainy season.

We arrived at 8 PM just in time to catch a live and multi-media program sponsored by Fundacion Cunaguaroand local ambientalistas (environmentalists). The power-point program depicted the traditional work cycle of cattle ranching, with live singers offering brief samples of the songs associated with the practice of milking. There were perhaps 3 or 4 dozen folks in the audience.

The milking songs are gentle and very lyrical. They facilitate the process of communication among humans and animals. Cows are brought in one by one and tied to a pole for milking. Each cow is named, and its features are well known. A given cow does not let down her milk unless stimulated by the presence of her own calf. As the ordiñador (the milker) sings to and about each cow, the song tells the becerrero (the helper) which calf to bring in from an adjacent pen. Gentle singing presumably helps to get the best production.

Here are a couple of Youtube links that give an idea of this cultural environment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NXyCPUJdcg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB7vWK_YeLg

After the short boat-ride, we settled on the beach with a bonfire and refreshments, with local live musicians. They sang and played very familiar songs, mostly much livelier than the milking songs. The lead instrument was the bandola, not harp, but the songs were the same. Folks in the audience sang along. Later in the evening, two or three visitors stood up to perform as soloists. Of course, Adolfo Cardozo was one who stood up, and made a huge hit. This was his first meeting with a lot of these folks, and they all bonded very conspicuously.

On Thursday, we started a bit later in the morning but then again the day got very busy. We went back to the Centro Cultural where I took an hour of harp instruction with Juan Bimba. Then, after lunch we checked out of the hotel and took a local bus ride to Morichal, where we settled for the evening at the town residence of Julieta and Wilber. The two of them have a live interest in environment and sustainability. Their house is very modest. They have a motorcycle and a rough-looking jeep. Their patio illustrates traditional plant and animal diversity. We did not visit their cattle operation. In recent months Wilbur has been developing a small ferreteria, a farm hardware and feed store on the main road. 

Julieta had asked Adolfo to bring a cuatro (small guitar) for her four-year-old daughter Sara Maria. Little Sara was slow at first, but Adolfo has a great charming way with children. Soon Sara was happily strumming. 

I had offered to sponsor a harpist for the evening. Around 7 PM Asdrubal Barrios showed up and began to play. In the next couple of hours, about a dozen friends showed up for the party. There was beer and other refreshment. Wilbur set up a barbecue and served beef which was surprisingly tender in comparison with what I have come to expect in many circumstances. Wilbur cut the meat into bite-sized chunks, and put them on a plate. Sara and a couple of other little girls went about offering the plate. Folks picked the bites with their fingers. 

The music went on till 10 PM, with a lot of singing the same, familiar songs. I spoke briefly to the harpist, Asdrubal. He told me that his harp teacher was Juan Bimba, my teacher from the Yopal Cultural Center.

We settled for the night, then in on Friday morning took leave and returned by bus to Yopal. From there we caught the 12 noon bus back to Arauca, arriving there after 6 PM. 

That was Friday. It is now Monday as I write. Saturday and Sunday were mostly rest. I'll have more to say later. Mostly I feel I am making great strides in my harp technique, the next few days I'm focused on that mission.

Yopal, Casanare, Colombia

Wednesday morning, 1/31/2018. This morning I'm in Yopal. Six hours in the bus from Arauca yesterday brought me through four distinct geographical regions.

Arauca is the "sabana inundable," grassland that is 70% flooded during several months of the year. Shortly after leaving Arauca, the landscape change: still flat, still grassland, but with many more palms and trees. This is the "alta sabana," high plains.

After a couple of hours, we came into the "pied de monte," the piedmont. We began crossing running rivers crossing wide gravelly riverbeds. Gently sloping hills, then steeper. We began to glimpse "cordillera," the mountains to the west. We passed through some winding stretches of road, and ended back in the piedmont. 

Plan is to visit farmers and musicians and return to Arauca on Friday.

Again, visiting Las Mercedes and Terekai

Too much has happened since last I wrote on Friday. On Saturday we went to Luis's farm and stayed till Sunday evening. 

The big story for me was the harpist we hired to come to the farm on Saturday. Alvaro "Peachy" Ramirez arrived about 1:30 PM on his motorcycle, but his harp came about an hour later. Meanwhile, he took interest in my little harp, and made great music with it. He quickly bonded with Luis and Adolfo, who love to sing with gusto. The three of them played and sang continuously until after dark, about 5 hours! They know scores of great old songs, and sometimes they make up new words. 

There was a barbecue featuring roast pig and beef ribs. It was served in traditional manner with no silverware, no napkins, just the meat cut up on a bed of fresh banana leaves, laid on the table. Luis rather prides himself in being an indian, indigena, sikuani. This may seem strange, given his privilege coming from a ranching background generations deep. However, he is very respectful of tradition, as a musician and hands-on cattleman.

I got no photos or recordings at the farm, because I failed to take my phone charger. There is electricity, but I was just stupid. Once I accepted the fact that I could not record events. I just relaxed and enjoyed the scene. There is something to be said in favor of keeping it alive and real.

Sunday morning we followed a rough track across the plains to Terekai, a new ranch that Luis is establishing. I've learned a lot about the ecology, sociology, and sustainability of ranching. The ranch consists of a windmill installed a month ago, a small herd, and a simple pole structure of tarps and laminated roofing. Encargados (residents "in charge") are an experienced ganadero and his wife. Luis is a hands-on manager.

The founding of a ranch is a feature of the old folklore, to be celebrated. In this case, the celebration involved composing a song. This is Adolfo's very special talent, but Luis is no slouch. At some point I will put down the lyrics. Basically it says "Terekai is a little ranch, built little by little (poco a poco) by Luis and Milena, enthusiastically (con ganas)." 

Adolfo is a song-writer and story-teller by nature. Before leaving the ranch, he captivated the children with some of his songs presented as Doctora Gallina, "doctor chicken." These are complete with animal sound effects. One little girl, Dana, was spell-bound. She had seemed rather somber before, but now she smiled and laughed out loud. Earlier, she had noticed tiny ticks on my legs, and she alerted Erika who provided treatment. Upon leaving, I gave Dana my harmonica, not just out of gratitude for finding the ticks but also because I think she is may be motivated to become a musician.

On the way home Sunday afternoon, we stopped in several places where Luis and Adolfo made two-minute videos showing how they go about establishing trees in the grassland. This is widely desired, but the challenge is that the grazing cattle destroy the saplings. Their solution is to plant the sapling very near an established clump of bushes or trees that do not attract grazing animals. Adolfo has an online group of more than 150 ganaderos, with whom he shares his brief video consultations. 

This morning I walked into the center and made a few small purchases, including a new harmonica for me. We decided that tomorrow Adolfo, Erica and I will go by bus to Yopal, Casanare, a 6 hour trip. We will visit farms and musicians, then return here by the weekend.

Next on the agenda today will be to go to Peachy's house to return his harp and connect with his father, who was a renowned harpist in the past. Sidelined by a hand injury, this man now has a recording studio in his home.

Other topics later, maybe.

Visit to Las Mercedesand more

Alexi, the encargado at Las Mercedes, is illiterate. He grew up on farms, knows the work very well, and has demonstrated that he can do the job. Alexi came to Luis's farm just a year ago.

The encargado is more "boss" than "farm manager."  He does not need to read in order to know how to move cattle, build fences, and give direction to several other workers. Alexi came to the farm on good recommendation, and did well in his first assignment, to install a fence line. He then requested and received increased responsibility.

Yesterday, Luis and I drove to the farm, Las Mercedes, to deliver a bottle of kitchen gas and various other items. About an hour from town, on farm roads, it is easily accessible in this dry time but tough going in the rainy season. In his research, Luis reports that as much as 70% of the surface area in the state of Arauca is inundado, flooded, for several months of the year.

The trip to Las Mercedes came after a busy morning. We discovered that Adolfo's harp, neglected for several years, needed some repairs. Already scheduled for 3 PM was a harp lesson with "Peachy" Ramirez. We recruited him in the morning to negotiate the needed repairs, which are to be delivered tomorrow (Saturday 1/27/2018). After the lesson came the unscheduled trip to Las Mercedes, then at about 6:30 PM we went to Pequinsan a traditional music school under the direction of Pedro Quintero Sanchez. Here we saw about a dozen students of all ages practicing on harp, guitar, cuatro, bandola, and maracas.

I negotiated the use of a harp from 7 to 8 PM while Luis went elsewhere. I had not asked for his instruction, but he showed interest in what I was doing. In the end, he gave me a great lesson, teaching me to play Alma Llanera.

The traditional teaching of music is entirely by ear. Perhaps I could write a book about that, but what would be the point? Well, maybe just a quick observation: the method involves careful repetition of short phrases, with a very strict insistence on exact fingering and phrasing. There are a great many tunes that constitute a distinct genre, musica llanera, music of the plains of Venezuela and Colombia. It is not enough to capture the melody; there must be acceptable variations, what I am calling conventional "licks."

There's more to be told, about education, culture, bureaucracy, philosophy, through the eyes of my friend Luis. At some point I'll tell his story about the ear-tag controversy.

Now I want to play my harp.

From Arauca, Colombia

I arrived by plane yesterday afternoon, stepped down into the tropical heat of the great plains, the llanos. This is the legendary setting for the novels of Romulo Gallegos. Smack on the border with Venezuela. The last frontier.

This morning I woke up a bit chilly from air conditioning. I'm with my friends Luis and Milena, they are both veterinarians. The little hotel where I stayed in 2014 is now a small animal clinic upstairs and the family's town residence downstairs.

I left Pittsburgh Tuesday evening, had 9 hour layover in Bogota before the flight to Arauca. Bright skys, mild temperature. In the airport I settled down in a very pleasant food court area, listening to music and reading Luis's draft thesis. He's writing sociology, not veterinary medicine; his passion is ethnography of traditional subsistence, including but not at all limited to cattle "production." More later.

Luis knows full well why I have come. Already he has engineered for me two encounters with harpists. Today I will have a lesson with "Peachy". We called on him to work out a plan. 

After eating pizza for supper, we called on Nelson Azevedo, who had given me lessons previously. He greeted me warmly, protested that no, he could not spare time to meet tomorrow, but "sit down for a visit." I declared how much I loved harp music, and how I've enjoyed listening to his CD. Very shortly he decided maybe he could play for 20 minutes or so. Of course, it was terrific. (I played just enough to demonstrate some progress, albeit lame in the true perspective.)

Nelson Azevedo is a truly remarkable musician. But there are so many remarkable musicians here! Of course, I'm really talking about remarkable HARPISTS.

Luis is very solicitous. He is distressed with social ills and cross-border stresses. The border is closed, we cannot simply enter Venezuela as we did four years ago. Many Venezuelans have crossed into Colombia, struggling to survive in marginal economy, including theft but also street entertainment. Right away coming from the airport we saw juggling acrobats at the intersection, children harvesting donations from cars as they came by. Last night we noticed a harpist in a park, presumably a Venezuelan. We will go looking for him today (not at night, Luis insists).

More later.

Heading for Colombia

One day from now I'll be winging toward Bogota, and from there to Arauca.

Harping for Harmony on a Roll, Heading into 2018

Hello, Friends, Happy Holidays,

At Thanksgiving, I'm grateful for your support and encouragement over the course of many years. It has been a while since I wrote. I will respond personally if you reply (jl@harpingforharmony.org). I appreciate your feedback and I humbly ask for your financial support.

Harping for Harmony Foundation (HHF) has made some giant steps in 2017, with big plans for 2018 and beyond. As always, the mission is harmony and community, locally and globally, through harp music. My personal devotion, since 1995, has been presenting Latin American harp music to new audiences. 

In March, 2018, a Harping for Harmony tour with Paraguayan harpist Nicolas Carter will reach VA, WV, PA and MD. Nicolas is very well known in the harp world; he performs widely in the US and abroad. Yet this astonishing talent and these remarkable traditions are virtually unknown to the general public. I want to change that situation!

In 2017, HHF sponsored a short appearance with Nicolas Carter, and more extensive tours with Colombian Hildo Ariel and Venezuelan Angel Tolosa. We have presented these and many other remarkable talents, over the years. To improve their visibility in the US, I'm working on a list of artist profiles.

Please help with a donation

More background...

This year I've been seriously working to develop the potential of Harping for Harmony Foundation (HHF). Established in 1995, the organization has been relatively inactivefor several years. This has changed in 2017. Our founding documents are now posted on our website. There is independent verification showing slow activity in recent years. 

In 2014, I spent three weeks in Bogota, Colombia, studying with master harpist HIldo Ariel Aguirre, founder of Academia Llano y Joropo. Then in 2015, I hosted Hildo's son, Sergio Nicolas, a remarkable young harpist who has beencelebrated in Paris this year.

Three times a year since 2014, HHF has sponsored events with a number of other harpists, links are shown on the sidebar at harpingforharmony.org. This is a collaboration with harpmaker John Kovac of Front Royal, VA, and others.

Bottom line, we raised just under $6000 in 2017, all from donations and tips at our events. We have $2500 on hand, but that won't be enough for our plans for 2018 and beyond. We have not been supported by grants. Your donation now will boost our year-end numbers, so that we can offer matching when applying for grants in the future.

It is all about

Presenting Latin American Harp Music
to New Audiences

Thank you for reading, and for your support and encouragement. Peace!!

John Lozier, Executive Director

Copyright © 2017 Harping for Harmony Foundation, All rights reserved. 


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Charleston, West Virginia, with Hildo Ariel

Charleston, WV. Wednesday July 12, 2017.

All afternoon, Hildo Ariel played in the center court at the Charleston Town Center Mall. Many folks walked on by, but others stayed listening at the tables and benches near the Starbucks., I think it is safe to say that folks were certainly not expecting to hear harp music from South America. The mall management made it super-easy to be there, thanks to Lisa McCracken and a very helpful technician named Charlie. Lisa gave us an open invitation, and a generous gift card for use with the mall merchants.

We were surprised at lunch when the Chinese food vender, a young Chinese man, spoke with us in perfect Spanish! We learned that he had been born in China but raised in Venezuela from an early age. When I was in Venezuela, I noticed a lot of Chinese in business, even far out in the countryside. Those were the years of Hugo Chavez, whose international outreach brought Venezuela closer to China. Hildo Ariel, as a native Colombian, was able to say that the young man's accent was clearly Venezuelan and not Colombian.

The evening program was at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston (UUCC). The program was well received although attendance was very light. Our contact at UUCC was Paul Dalzell, and he broadcast parts of the program live on Facebook.

This morning, 7/13, we will move on to Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Day Three with Hildo Ariel

Today is a busy day. We leave Front Royal, VA. Next stop is Goose Creek Friends Meetinghouse in Lincoln, Virginia. Then McLean, Virginia at Langley Hill Friends Meeting. After a private event in Sterling we'll go to Friends Wilderness Center for the night.

So far the tour has been terrific. 

Hildo Ariel has arrived!

Friday 7:30 AM. Next event is today at 12:30 PM at Samuels Library, 330 E. Criser Road, Front Royal, VA.

Introducing Juan Lucero

Hola (Hello) !  

Yo soy Juan Lucero (I am John Lozier)

Mi amigo Venezolano, el arpista Fernando Guerrero me ha puesto el apodo (nickname) Lucero, o Lucerito (star), porque suena algo como mi apellido, Lozier. Lucero es una palabra que se encuentra con frecuencia entre las letras de los canciones romanticos, muchas veces refiriendo a los ojos. 

My Venezuelan friend, the harpist Fernando Guerrero, has given me the nickname "Lucero," or "Lucerito" (little star), because it sounds rather like my last name. Lucero is a word that is often found the lyrics of romantic songs, frequently referring to beautiful eyes.

Mi intento aqui (My intention here)...

• es ponerme el nombre Juan Lucero o Lucerito cuando escribo en español, o en forma bilingue.
• (is to call myself Juan Lucero or Lucerito when I write in Spanish, or in bilingual form.)
• Otherwise, in English only, I am John

(Here's a link to Lucerito de mi Llano, written by Augusto Bracca and sung by the legendary Eneas Perdomo. Spanish lyrics are in the description.)

- Lucerito

Arpa Central (or Mirandina, or Tuyera) and other links...

Victor Morales performing in "central" style, but on arpa llanera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkxjsQ_Jg0k

Again, Victor Morales:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAsa7hIYQMI

Here is a link to my teacher Jose Gregorio (Goyo) Lopez (I've posted this before):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU_f1itCoc4

And the same Goyo Lopez demonstrating an intermediate exercise (my own field videorecording):\

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR-Nx7Uceq8

Spanish Language Instructional Enrichment Program

Spanish Language Instructional Enrichment Program:
Live Latin American Style Harp Music and Conversational Spanish

I have begun offering a Spanish language instructional enrichment program, featuring live Latin American style harp music and conversational Spanish for middle and high school Spanish classes. Latin harp style is my special devotion; I speak very good Spanish; I read books in Spanish for fun, and I travel in Latin America every year. A retired cultural anthropologist, I have worked under contract with the WV Department of Education for more than 10 years. Specifically, my work in K-12e ducation has been with Learn and Serve projects and with after-school programs (21st Century Learning Centers).

Many people do not realize that the harp is very popular in Latin America, especially in Venezuela, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Mexico. My program provides a mix of live harp music in the Latin styles; questions and answers in Spanish; audio and video materials and other cultural information. Learning objectives include motivating the study of other cultures as well as the learning of the Spanish language. The program includes presentation of folk songs with transcriptions and translations, a tool for building vocabulary.

Please explore this website for more information. Harping for Harmony Foundation is dedicated to promoting "harmony and community, locally and globally, through harp music." Since 1995, projects have touched on topics of peace, childhood, livelihood, health, and democracy.

In the course of a typical school day, the program can be delivered to 5 or 6 classes, to 150 students or more. A daily fee of $400 is requested, negotiable, and may be waived. Travel may be extra.

I invite Spanish teachers, school administrators, and advocates for education are invited to contact John Lozier for more information.

John Lozier

Press Release - Harp Concert May 21 Promotes Music and Healing

    Morgantown, WV, May 5, 2010. Local harpists will offer a concert at 7:30 PM on Friday, May 21, 2010, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Morgantown. Featured local performers are Christine Mazza and Howard Emerson. John Lozier will demonstrate the Venezuelan arpa llanera and briefly discuss his visit there last year. Also performing will be Mazza's Morgantown Harp Ensemble and the Almost Heaven Harp Circle coordinated by Cindy Lewellen.
    
    Tickets are $10 for adults, two for $15, and free for children under 12. Tickets are available in advance or at the door. Send order to HHF, 345 Virginia Avenue, Morgantown, WV 26505. You also may call 304-599-8233 or 304-276-5141 or email jl@harpingforharmony.org

    Christine Mazza teaches harp at WVU. She performs regularly with opera, ballet and symphony groups in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, and also in schools and hospitals through the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and the Arts in Education Program.

    Howard Emerson is a Certified Music Practitioner in the Music for Healing and Transition Program (MHTP), and has served on the staff at Ruby Hospital since 2002.

    John Lozier is Executive Director of Harping for Harmony Foundation, established in 1995. Sponsored by the WV Department of Education, he has visited many schools where he offers music from many lands, and particularly from Latin America.

    This year's concert call special attention to the comforting and therapeutic benefits of harp music, and will benefit programs of Harping for Harmony Foundation. Local activities include helping to fund MHTP training for local harpists, and sponsoring the Almost Heaven Harp Circle, under the direction of Cindy Lewellen. The harp circle meets on the third Thursday of each month at the Church of the Brethren, 464 Virginia Avenue. The group consists of musicians of all ages and skill levels, and newcomers are always welcome.

    The mission of Harping for Harmony Foundation is to promote harmony and community, locally and globally, through harp music. In 2000, the foundation began offering Millennium Harper Awards to recognize individual harpists around the world who have completed a "worthy quest" involving live performance, local public service, and personal growth. Through this program, HHF has given away more than 40 small harps. Financial and other support has been provided to harpists and harpmakers in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, Northern Ireland, Haiti, Russia, Mexico and Cyprus.

More information: John Lozier, 304 276 5141

March 20, 2010, Irish Spring Festival, Ireland, WV

Believe it or not, IRELAND is but A DAY'S DRIVE from half the population of the United States!!  I am referring to Ireland, WEST VIRGINIA, a tiny Lewis County village almost exactly at the center of the (almost heaven) the mountain state.

On Saturday, March 20, 2010, harpists from near and far will gather here. Local folks have celebrated their Irish Spring Festival since 1982. I first brought my own harp here in 1994. Soon after, I formed Harping for Harmony Foundation (HHF), and our local harpers (and some illustrious outsiders) have faithfully attended the Irish Spring Festival ever since. (Sue Richards came in 1995, shown in photo here.) The free program offers beginning and intermediate harp workshops, and a free concert for the general public.

This year, I will teach some Venezuelan techniques at the intermediate workshop, and Ruth Heavener will teach beginners. The schedule for Saturday, March 20 is as follows:

• 10 AM             Intermediate workshop - Venezuelan harp techniques with John Lozier
• 11:30 - 1:30   More harping, and/or enjoy other festival events
• 1:30 PM          Concert rehearsal (all harpists present who wish to perform)
• 2:30               Concert
• 3:30               Beginner workshop - with Ruth Heavener

All events are at Ireland United Methodist Church. Please come as you are. Extra harps will be available for beginners. No charge for any events, no advance registration is required.

This annual event is sponsored jointly by the Shamrock Extension Homemakers' Club, Harping for Harmony Foundation, and the Almost Heaven Harp Circle. For more information, contact John Lozier (304 276 5141) or check the following links:

http://www.angelfire.com/wv/irishspringfestival/
/almost-heaven-harp-circle/

ARPATUR 2009 Summary Report

ARPATUR, a mission of Harping for Harmony Foundation in Venezuela

I spent the month of November, 2009, in rural Venezuela, chiefly in the region known as the llanos, in the states of Apure, Barinas, and Portuguesa. This was my fifth sojourn in the region; we have come to call these trips ARPATUR (harp tour). Over several seasons, ARPATUR has helped to draw attention and prestige to the strong traditional music of harp, cuatro and maracas.

During the first week, I traveled with four companions, visiting traditional musicians in towns and villages, and on farms. The party consisted of Adolfo Cardozo, singer and professor of agriculture; Fernando Guerrero, lawyer and pedal harpist from Caracas; Adolfo's wife Erika Escobar; and my brother Dan. See details of "La Baecera Initiative" below.

After the first week, I settled in Barinas and studied intensively with harpist Jose Gregorio Lopez, better known as "Goyo." I also attended harp classes at the Casa de la Cultura. Also, on several occasions I visited Caney del Arpa in Guanare, where harpist Aurelio Rodriguez (better known as "Longo") performs with other musicians in a longstanding circle of friends.

La Baecera Initiative

The focal point of ARPATUR 2009 was on the first Saturday night at La Baecera, a rural settlement of scattered ranches near Elorza. Adolfo and Erika had taken me each year to spend a couple of days to her family farm, El Coromoto. On this occasion about 50 friends, neighbors and relatives had gathered to celebrate the inauguration of a folk arts school, called the Semillero de Arpa y Joropo de La Baecera "Tio Esteban y Juana Romero" (workshop for harp and dance at La Baecera honoring Uncle Stephen and Juana Romero). At this stage, the school is not a physical place but rather a meetingplace of minds interested in cultural preservation. At the celebration, a harp, a cuatro and a pair of maracas were presented to the new school.

The turnout was very satisfying to Adolfo and Erika, who proclaimed the event a resounding success.

Tio Esteban was a harpist, a neighbor and relative, who played for dances a generation ago. Juana Romero, also a neighbor, was a beloved dancer and teacher. Tio Esteban and Juana Romero are both remembered in the lyrics of a song recorded by popular singer Alfredo Parra.

El Tuco, the local harpist at the celebration, learned to play from Tio Esteban. Tuco will be the first  harp teacher in the new school. According to Fernando, Tuco's style of harping is very authentic, simple, and typical. A landless leatherworker, now in his 50's, Tuco cultivates a garden with a wife and daughter. Tuco's harp has been in disrepair for some time, so he can only play when another harp is available. His harp was sent for repair, and another harp left with him for his use. Recently, Adolfo reports that Tuco and his wife and daughter all play the harp on a daily basis.

Barinas Harp School and Private Study

At the government-sponsored Casa de la Cultura in Barinas, various classes are offered for children and adults, including harp as well as guitar, dance, puppetry, painting and more. I was readily accepted at the Oswaldo Zapata's harp classes which are offered two days a week for 2 hours. I was also referred to Jose Gregorio Lopez as a private harp instructor. Given my limited time, I resolved to take advantage of both opportunities.

I attended about 6 harp classes. These classes attracted as many as a dozen participants, mostly male children and adolescents, but also including two females who appeared on one or more occasions.

In Zapata's classes, I saw a great enthusiasm for the harp from these young people. Most of them were technically advanced well beyond my level. Classes were held in a small patio, with everyone playing at once. It was difficult to hear oneself over the din. The teacher went from one student to another, observing technique and making suggestions. In this situation, I did not command much attention from the teacher. As days passed, I got a bit more attention from Zapata as I began to display what I was learning from Goyo Lopez. I was never asked to pay for these classes. Quite properly, Zapata dedicated his attention to his young students and not to me, an outsider who would likely never amount to much. I later discovered that Zapata himself was a student of Goyo Lopez.

Concurrently with Zapata's classes, I studied privately with Jose Gregorio "Goyo" Lopez, who turned out to be an excellent teacher and generous spirit. In the days ahead I had a lesson almost every day, and twice on some days. Goyo also encouraged me to make video recordings.

My experience with Goyo Lopez was much more productive in personal terms. However, Zapata's harp class at Casa de la Cultura deserves a great deal of credit for sustaining the cultural tradition.


Harping for Harmony Foundation Involvement

Harping for Harmony Foundation invested $5552 in ARPATUR 2009. $1000 was earmarked by the board specifically toward the purchase of a computer for Adolfo. Airfare was $1252. The balance of $3300 is shown in the accounts as per diem for 33 days at $100/day.

Actual per diem costs were lower, offset in many instances by private hospitality (room and board). Funds  thus saved were in turn used to offer reciprocity including meals, supplies, remunerations and donations of various sorts. Harpist Tuco received $50 for lessons he gave me; Goyo Lopeze received $300; Tuco's harp was sent for repair at a cost of $200; the La Baecera folk school initiative received $300.

I give much credit to the harp class at Casa de la Cultura, but did not offer any financial support as it is a governmentally funded institution.

Last Day in Barinas, Venezuela

Harp here is nothing strange, so many fine harpists! I´ll post some video
in days and weeks ahead.

Living here evokes a sense of how things might have been in Scotland or
Ireland, in earlier times. This country is divided by class. The slick
Sunday papers are all about style, conspicuous consumption, with countless
ads for plastic surgery to enhance feminine ideal beauty. On the other
hand there is a vaste class of workers and the under-employed, ranging from merchant and service enterprises down to day laborers and beggars (limosneros).

People here are somewhat distrustful, but also courteous and
generous, they do not ignore the beggars.

In this setting, it is instructive to read Romulo Gallegos, who wrote
about this land almost 100 years ago. More on this maybe later.

For two weeks I have been playing my harp in the Plaza Bolivar, early
morning and throughout the day. Folks sometimes talk to me. Some are
highly educated, like to share their views with me. Others are the simple
street people. Their question is most often "How much does a harp like
that cost?" Sometimes I answer, but more often I avoid the question.

Bottom line, the harp is expensive. For the poor, learning to play the
harp well is an avenue to social advancement. For the well-off, the harp
is likely to be regarded as a hobby, more a risk than an enhancement of
social status.

With mixed feelings, I´m leaving Barinas in a couple of hours, will be
back in the US tomorrow.

Regards from Venezuela.