Beth Kollé
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  1. King of the Fairies & Kerry Polkas, Trad. Ire.

From the recording Stone Circle - 'Voyage North'

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One of Ireland's incomparable set dance tunes is a grand and moody hornpipe. We follow it with two wild Kerry polkas, Glen Cottage and the one that comes after Glen Cottage

BIO

Beth Kollé has immersed herself in the harp music and traditions of the far north of Europe. She has taught music and folk-dance for years, and recently led her third harp concert tours to Scandinavia (the HARPA Tours). Beth also sings, and performs on double-strung harp, piano and flute.

Beth makes her home in Seattle, Washington. Besides performing solo, she is part of two groups: The Seattle Harp Duo (with Harper Tasche) and Greensleeves (with Susan McLain). Beth has written ten popular books of arrangements for lever harp, including The Northern Folk Harp, The Scandinavian Folk Harp and The Double-Strung Harp. Her CD’s reflect her special interests, offering a selection of harp music from the Northern Lands.

WORKSHOP LIST

Playing for Weddings - Intermediate to Advanced level, harp optional. Would you like to play for weddings? How do you find that kind of business? What do you do once a bridal couple wants you to play for their wedding, and what if something goes wrong? We’ll go point by point through the details: marketing yourself, writing contracts, giving wedding previews, preparing repertoire and the nuts and bolts of playing for weddings. We'll stage a mock wedding and practice playing a bridal processional – get ready to laugh, this is one of Beth’s most popular workshops!

Playing in Public - Intermediate to Advanced level, harp optional. Would you like to play gigs? Have you been asked to play background music for an event and aren't sure how to go about it? How do you find that kind of business? We’ll go over the details: marketing yourself, writing contracts, preparing repertoire, equipment and gig etiquette. You'll come away with a clear plan of action.

Playing from the Heart, not from the Nerves – All levels, bring harp. Why can I play so well at home but freeze up in public? We’ll answer that question and more in this workshop. Every player needs tips that really work to help the music come easily in public. Learn how to prioritize your concerns and ease your anxieties in the future. This workshop is effective both as a short session (75-90 minutes) or as part of a full-day session which includes Master Class for Arrangement and Performance or Performance Preparation (see below).

Master Class for Arrangement and Performance – All levels, bring harp if you'd like to play. Volunteers of any level may play a piece for the group. Beth will gently draw out and encourage the player, and will make suggestions for enhancing the arrangement and performance. Audience participation is encouraged in this safe and accepting environment. You’ll be amazed at the improvement each musician makes!

Performance Preparation - All levels, bring harp. Have you discovered that playing a piece several times a day will not prepare you to perform it? Learn to develop a solid foundation for your playing as Beth reveals the latest research on the best ways to practice. With proper performance preparation, your practice time will become more effective and your confidence level will increase. Learn the different kinds of memorization that you can rely on to support you during performance.

Scandinavian Music for Lever Harp - All levels, bring harp. We'll talk about what makes Scandinavian music different from other ethnic music, including modes, melodies and interesting lever settings. Learn two or three exquisite traditional songs from Scandinavia by walking through the dance steps, clapping the rhythms and then playing the tunes on our harps.

Swedish Polska for Harp – Intermediate to Advanced, bring harp. The ‘polska’ is a Swedish dance in ¾ time – but you could never mistake it for a waltz! Experience the unique rhythms of the polska while we learn one or two traditional tunes. Be careful, they’re addictive!

Celtic Music for Lever Harp – All levels, bring harp. Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton claim credit for producing wonderful Celtic music. We’ll discuss the importance of tradition, learn several beautiful tunes, and explore techniques for ornamenting and accompanying those melodies. We’ll also discuss the difference between playing for dancers and playing for listeners.

Harp Ensemble for Everyone - All levels, bring harp. Play one part or switch around in this fun harp ensemble. We'll learn the parts for two or three songs, and when we put the parts all together - magic happens! In some arrangements, the Harp One part may be played as a stand-alone solo for intermediate to advanced players.

Traveling with Your Harp – All levels, no harp necessary. Every musician wants to keep their instruments safe while traveling. We’ll discuss your options for air travel with your harp, including finding the proper case, packing guidelines, working with the airlines, airport procedure, and negotiating immigration and customs for international travel. 

Playing from Lead Sheets - Beginner to Intermediate, bring harp. A lead sheet contains the  melody line plus chord abbreviations designed to encourage you to make up your own accompaniment. There’s no bass line, it’s up to you to figure out what to do with your left hand. This class will help you to understand lead sheet notation and some basic chord progressions and fun vamping tricks while learning three or four tunes.

Creative Bass Lines - All levels, bring harp. Tired of the same old fifths and chords in the bass? Learn to make the most of your left-hand accompaniment by exploring chord variations, inversions, arpeggio variations, ‘noodles’, fillers and passing tones. We'll work on several traditional tunes to help us practice our skills, and open up a whole new world!

Basic Notation Review for Reading Lever Harp Music - All levels, harp optional. For those who need a review, we'll go over basic staff notation from key signatures to time signatures, first and second ending repeats, lever changes, codas and chord notation. Bring all those questions that have been nagging you while reading music.

Just Enough Theory – All levels, harp optional. No need to get a degree in music in order to understand the basics of music theory. Here’s an overview of scales, modes, chords and chord function that will help you create your own arrangements. We’ll discuss voice leading tips that will make your music sparkle. If you don’t know what all this means, then this workshop is for you!

Scandinavian Folkdance – All  levels, no harps necessary. Bring two feet and at least one ear and get ready to have fun on the dance floor. We'll learn a simple traditional Norwegian song-dance, danced in a ring with any number of people. Then we'll learn a traditional waltz or reinlendar (also called schottische), both easy dances that will introduce you to the wonderful world of Scandinavian couple dancing.

Basic Double-Strung Harp (only if there are 2 or 3 double-strung harps available) - We'll learn the basic techniques used on the double-strung harp: doubled melody, echoing, overlapping chords and alternating notes. Beth will share useful tips and exercises aimed at helping you play with more ease. This is an ideal class for beginners and for harpers exploring the possibility of playing the double-strung harp.

Intermediate Double-Strung Harp – Once the basic techniques have been mastered, it’s time to explore new music and practice those techniques. Bring your double-strung harp and let’s have some fun! We’ll work on several traditional tunes and an original one, plus work on improvisation techniques that the double makes possible.