Welcome

Welcome to our first issue of Young Harpers Almanac! We're pretty excited about it, and hope that you will enjoy what we've pulled together here. We want YHA to be fun and informative, so don't be shy about letting us know what you'd like to see in it, what you'd like changed, or whatever! Better yet, don't be shy about sending us your articles, stories, music, artwork, bios ... well, we'll get to all that in our Harp Notes section, which should be up eventually!

First, allow us to introduce ourselves:

Meet the Editors

DEIRDRE 'FLIPPY' WHITE

Hi! I'm 14 years old. I started lessons in North Carolina, and now take lessons in Baltimore, Maryland. I play both pedal and Celtic harp. I think they are both very beautiful and unique instruments. I also play piano and flute.

I like to compete, and have won some golds at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, Loch Norman Highland Games, Charleston Highland Games, and a second place at the O'Carolan Festival in Keadue, Ireland. Since my Dad is from Ireland, it is easy to get over there!

Right now I am the harpist with a local community symphony and was a band member of an Irish music group. I have played in a couple of youth symphonies, as well.

I also love to write and compose, and read, read, read and travel! I love to ride horses. I am editor of HarpDream and co-editor with Jane Valencia on Young Harpers Almanac!

NOTE from the other Ed.: HarpDream-The magazine where harpdreams come true is also for kids. It's a wonderful magazine! To find out more, send email to Flippy at white@apcnet.com.

JANE VALENCIA

Well, I guess I count as a "young at heart". I'm 33 years old, with a 2 1/2 year old daughter named Amri (who occasionally strums the harp, but usually prefers to shout into the sound holes of my big wire-strung harp to hear the echo), and my husband, Andy. Andy and I created the Harp Mailing List about seven years ago, when we had recently moved to Oregon and I was desperate to speak with other harp players. We still help run the list today.

I'm also a member of a Celtic harp duo, Knodel & Valencia with Debra Knodel. It is great fun to play as a duo--I highly recommend it! We have recorded two albums. Deb and I also operate a mail-order catalog called ... a harper's garden.

I play wire- and nylon-strung Celtic harps and a gut-strung Gothic harp. I also play oboe and sing. I love to write, and some day I'll realize my dream (since I was 7) of writing books (children's fantasy novels in particular). Harp playing has been an incredible adventure--an unexpected but amazingly fun detour in my life.

When I thought up YHA, I immediately thought of Flippy. I'd read HarpDream, so I knew she was already doing the kinds of things I envisioned with this Web magazine! Besides, I knew from my harp duo, that it's much more fun to share a project with another person!

And I've been right!

Credits & Copying

Editors

Publisher & Web Design

Harp Twiddles

- feel free to send us your harp twiddles!

Thanks To

New Moon

Thanks and Acknowledgements are given to the following copyright owners for permission to reprint their work. "Harps In History: Ancient Egyptian Harps" and "Harper or Harpist" by Deirdre White, "Deseo Mi Sombrero" by Megan Tully, "Daniel Cesar Lopez - Arpista de Paraguay" by Allegra Hardulfi, "Once Long Ago, In Ireland" by Sarah Burns. Pictures in "Harps In History: Ancient Egyptian Harps" are from Dover Publications.

Copyright

All artwork, photos, music, and articles are the property of their creators. Feel free to print anything in YHA if you wish copies for your own personal use, to share with friends, or to give to your students or teachers. We ask that you make sure that your copies indicate the author's or artist's name (when known), and that they are from Young Harpers Almanac - http://baruk.zendo.com/almanac.

For uses other than personal or educational, please contact Young Harpers Almanac - email: harpbiz@baruk.zendo.com.

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