From an early age, music has played a major role in my life. I listened to (mostly classical) music on the radio, danced, played the piano and spent numerous hours recording my own made-up songs on my ‘My First Sony’ cassette recorder. On Sunday afternoons, my Mum frequently took me to classical concerts, and I loved seeing and hearing all those beautiful instruments. I still find it truly magical to attend a concert with a live orchestra.

Over the years I have taken ballet, piano and violin lessons and sung in various choirs. I later switched from classical ballet to Irish dancing (which I still enjoy) and loved competing and performing for small and large audiences, both solo and in groups. Needless to say, I have heard A LOT of music in my life so far and it has definitely shaped me into the person I am today and I can’t imagine my life without it.

Sometimes, you have a strong feeling inside that you want to do something, but then fear kicks in and you start to doubt whether or not you should follow through. This was exactly the case for me when I started harp lessons in 2017. For years, the piano had been my main instrument and I was not even playing the harp for 6 months when I started the International Harp Therapy Program. I thought I would be too inexperienced and that ‘this harp thing’ would be just another interesting (but not THAT interesting) endeavour, so in the back of my mind I was geared up for disappointment. Luckily I proved myself wrong and I’m now a Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioner since 2020.

Amongst many other wonderful things, IHTP has taught me how to improvise on the harp in a way that I’m able to create a ‘cradle of sound’ for the receiver. This sounds as nurturing as it is: essentially ‘holding space’ for someone, with music and sound being the cradle. It creates a safe place for them in which they can let go of tension, process emotions and/or just enjoy harp music that is especially attuned to their needs. This is one of the great benefits of therapeutic harp music.

As a result of learning how to improvise, I discovered that I massively enjoy composing music and that has now become my main focus. Just as I have experienced therapeutic harp music benefitting others, playing harp for myself has helped me on my journey through life as well. It is my way of translating feelings into melodies that others may also relate to.

p.s.: If you’re curious about how you can support me on my harp journey, please read more here.