It has firmer string tension which really gives my fingers a work out when I am playing long Renaissance Festival days and weddings.   Today I started at the MN Renaissance festival, had a wedding in the late afternoon, so I left the fest and went to the MN Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen.   There I changed into my wedding clothes, played the wedding on a glorious sunny afternoon.  Not to hot or cold, light breeze, and relatively no humidity. 

  It was a perfect setting and temperature for a wedding.   The Wilson Rose Garden, has a large romantic gazebo covered in vines a hanging baskets of flowers. The roses are fragrant in fall hues. It was an intimate ceremony with a smattering of friends and family all dressed sunday best and better. 

  The bride and Groom chose to mix wine as their joining ceremony which I thought was very appropriate since outdoor weddings can be windy and unity candle's have a tendency to be blown out if there is no chimney to protect the flame.

   After the wedding, I changed back into my Renaissance garb (costume) and went back and played the rest of the evening until dark ... and still people wanted me to play. (which is a good thing until your )fingers get cramps!  A busy but beautiful day indeed.

  Many people's budgets have come to a halt as well. 

 He sincerely hopes his efforts will help couples in need of a break.

 Thankfully both brides were smart and had an outside location that was part of an inside venue.

Moral of the story if you're a bride have a safe backup and if your a harpist learn to go with the flow, be flexible and friendly,   Like me . . . ( oh I am so modest) I don't know where that comes from!

Should I be Marginally serious and name it "Spread Your Wings and Fly."  Because on the har,p the technique for playing really well involves learning to spread your elbows out so that you don't cave inward and scrunch your shoulders.  And you won't suffer in your later years.

  Or shall I give it an odd or a silly name like "One String Missing."  Because on a harp more often than not especially if you play it and tune it a lot you end up with strings missing and stuff like that.

I like them both,   Maybe I'll choose one and subtitle it with the other.  Gosh I don't know.  In the meantime I am sort of starting at both ends. 

 I have a lot of compositions and arrangements on my cds. So I am in the process of writing them out.   As I get them written, I'll decide on their level of difficulty and put them in the appropriate book.

Today I am working on the piece I submitted to the International Harp Competition in Dinan -Brittany France in 1993.  I titled it Oceana Ballet, thinking that by putting a French word (Ballet) might actually give me a better chance to win.   (Shameful)

Actually I have been working on it for about a month, transcribing it from its old form done on an ancient computer and written by hand then cut out, glued and assembled and copied on a Kinko's copy machine.I had to create a lot of symbols for what I was trying to convey.  And the computer program I was using didn't have all the options I have now on a modern program.

The piece officially tied 4th place with a spanish composer who didn't even know how to tune his harp. (watch me grimace and bare my teeth.) What a learning experience that was!( a bitter one at that for many years). Now of course it doesn't matter.

  But because of all the politics involved, (it was the tenth year of the competition and they wanted a French winner).  They had already awarded the first prize, to a French lady, and put her name on the winning check 2,000.00FR and a certificate before the competition. So they couldn't award the 1st place and they didn't, only 2nd through 5th.

  Unfortunately for them, she disqualified herself by playing her piece too fast and coming in at 06:20minutes under the timed minimum.   The parameters of the competition, were based on the timed length of the piece.   It had to be original, and it had to be longer than 7 minutes but less than 10 minutes.

They tied all of the other French competitors in the second and third places so it would be a French sweep.   What they didn't count on was that the other French competitors didn't want to be tied.  And an uproar ensued. 

  For us competitors from different countries, approximately ten including one all the way from Australia.  We had no idea what was going on, and why they didn't award the first place, since we had all received the finalist letter telling us (in French) that we were all worth of the top prize.  And all we had to do was show up in Dinan- Brittany, France, to play the World Premiere.

The furious four French winners who didn't win 1st and could speak English and other languages gave us a top notch description of the goings on. Oh  - My - Gosh!! and a few other choice words, in Spanish, Scottish, German, Irish, English, Swiss, Belgian, Luxembourgian . . .  talk about a Fiasco!!

  You know when you win your first competition (Mine was the Scottish Highlander Games in San Diego the year berfore) 1st place in the professional division, and 1st place over all the other competitors, you have certain beliefs about your ability, and therefore certain expectations. Really Really High ones.

  To be bumped down to fourth because of politics, really fries your brain especially after spending your lifetime savings to get to France (a not so cordial place towards foreigners in the first place),  gosh what should have been my first clue!

Well Okay, I was really bummed out, but I really did learn some valueable lessons and I got to meet some really great people who have gone on to be really great performers.

So I don't do live competitions anymore, though I think it has been long enough now 18 years that I could do a competition for the fun of it to learn something new, and not get all bent if I don't even place.  There is a Scottish Festival coming up in May that has a competition on all things Scottish.   I don't even know how to do anything remotely stylistically Scottish the way they would be judging it, but it might be fun to stretch the envelope and go for it.

I'll keep you posted.

The music is very rhythmic, mysterious and beautiful and I am having fun learning and arranging it.  

Yeah,  that's what happened to me at the Renaissance Festival, in MN.  Right when I was performing a new musical idea for somebody my top e - string popped.   It had been going flat for a couple of weeks before and I knew it was going to break, but changing strings is my nemsis on the harp and I just thought I'd wait it out.

Then while working with a student, very unexpectedly my bottom E wire (31 - string Gothic) popped.  I am presently working on breaking in Sunny, my California harp.  It (she) needs some new hardware. I am tempted to sand her completely down and refinish her.

She is the harp that my dad built in California for me for when I went to visit and perform.   Eventually I'll probably take her back but when I went to visit last time I was disappointed to see that she had been relegated to the back wall with teenager clothing hanging on her.

She has a nice full bass sound on her, having been built from a kit of the 2nd generation Gothic redesign with a spruce soundboard and forward extending of the sound box.

I venture to say that in a year or two of breaking in she'll have a really nice sound.

This is an article I pulled off of the internet in a quest for learning more about health for my self and friends.  I carry many of the supplements that are mentioned in this article in my Amway Global business. to access my site, go to the links page and click on the Amway Global Link.

The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness

Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants. After this happens, the body can "reduce" or regenerate another protective glutathione molecule and we are back in business.

However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can't get rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward spiral of chronic illness.

But that's not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That's why studies show that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.(i)

Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool -- and out of your body.

And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development.

If you are sick or old or are just not in peak shape, you likely have glutathione deficiency.
In fact, the top British medical journal, the Lancet, found the highest glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly, lower still in sick elderly and the lowest of all in the hospitalized elderly. (ii)

Keeping yourself healthy, boosting your performance, preventing disease and aging well depends on keeping your glutathione levels high. I'll say it again ... Glutathione is so important because it is responsible for keeping so many of the keys to UltraWellness optimized.

It is critical for immune function and controlling inflammation. It is the master detoxifier and the body's main antioxidant, protecting our cells and making our energy metabolism run well.

And the good news is that you can do many things to increase this natural and critical molecule in your body. You can eat glutathione-boosting foods. You can exercise. And you can take glutathione-boosting supplements. Let's review more specifics about each.

9 Tips to Optimize your Glutathione Levels

These 9 tips will help you improve your glutathione levels, improve your health, optimize your performance and live a long, healthy life.

Eat Foods that Support Glutathione Production

1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.).

2. Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis. As you know, I am not a big fan of dairy. But this is an exception -- with a few warnings. The whey protein MUST be bioactive and made from non-denatured proteins ("denaturing" refers to the breakdown of the normal protein structure). Choose non-pasteurized and non-industrially produced milk that contains no pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. Immunocal is a prescription bioactive non-denatured whey protein that is even listed in the Physician's Desk Reference.

Exercise for Your Way to More Glutathione

3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and thereby helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance your body's own antioxidant defenses. Start slow and build up to 30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like walking or jogging, or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3 times a week is also helpful.

Take Glutathione Supporting Supplements

One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein -- so you wouldn't get the benefits if you did it this way. However, the production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main supplements that need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione. Besides taking a multivitamin and fish oil, supporting my glutathione levels with these supplements is the most important thing I do every day for my personal health.

4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This has been used for years to help treat asthma and lung disease and to treat people with life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose.  It is even given to prevent kidney damage from dyes used during x-ray studies.

5. Alpha lipoic acid. This is a close second to glutathione in importance in our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification. The body usually makes it, but given all the stresses we are under, we often become depleted.

6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These are perhaps the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione. Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical functions in your body. Take folate (especially in the active form of 5 methyltetrahydrofolate), B6 (in active form of P5P) and B12 (in the active form of methylcobalamin).

7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione.

8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols), work together to recycle glutathione.

9. Milk thistle (silymarin) has long been used in liver disease and helps boost glutathione levels.

So use these nine tips and see how they work to help you optimzie your glutathione levels. When you do, you will take one more step to lifelong vibrant health.

Now I'd like to hear from you...

Had you ever heard of this important nutrient before?

Have you tried any of the advice in this article?

What effects have you noticed on your health?

Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

References

(i) De Rosa SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, Anderson M, Green A, Mitra D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, Moore WA, Ela SW, Parks D, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915-29

(ii) Nuttall S, Martin U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645-646

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

Because my stress level went down by the 4th day of not being at work I could see without my glasses.    It was very nice, I can see up close even.  

Its amazing what stress will do to your body.   Don't forget to take a vacation and see different sights or plan time to just let your hair down. Or in my case since my hair seems to be falling out,  I just let my skin droop!

Shouldn't be a problem right?  Just follow directions drive up to the front door, unload the harp and play for the event.

Wrong!!!

On this afternoon a huge funeral to honor a St. Paul Policeman shot in the line of duty, snarled traffic with hundreds of police cars coming from downtown St. Paul to file in parade past his former work place which was a few blocks down the street from my destination.

Everything was blocked off none of the driveways or entrances were available so I ended up driving over hill and dale parking in a distant parking lot down a steep grade and hiking with my harp to the the appointed place.

Whew! I'm  glad I brought my Renaissance Harp Gothic 31. I made it a little bit late and still managed to play the gig to the satisfaction of the Volunteer banquet planners.

This is what I'm used to doing being there when you want me to despite the odds and the difficulties I will make it happen for you.