The Autoharp

I’m currently learning to play the Autoharp.

This is an autoharp:

autoharp openmic

It's an Autoharp! At the JoCoCruiseCrazy open mic night.  Original by Scott Russell, under Creative Commons.

It’s also the first time I played in public, but fortunately to a very understanding crowd — open mic night on JoCoCruiseCrazy 2012.

I started playing last August after I decided that I should just stop dreaming of making music again and just do it. I picked an autoharp because Cory McAbee of the Billy Nayer Show plays one in an awesome fashion, especially live.

But learning on your own is hard. Amazingly, the Pacific Northwest and Seattle has an extensive folk and autoharp community and I found a weeklong autoharp camp. I just went and learned a lot in a week, even though I was a beginner. I really recommend “music camp” if you want to get started. There’s apparently also a guitar camp up here in the PNW!

I try to practice everyday. I really do. But more later.