The Event

Here I list some of the things that you need to know and take with you regarding the event.  Most of this information should be in your contract.

 a.  You need to have a contract and take it along.  See Jan Jennings’ The Harpist’s Complete Wedding Guidebook for suggestions.

b.  Be sure you know how to get the location before you leave your house. Print out the driving instructions from mapquest.com or another map site on the Internet. Also check to see if the venue has their own website. If they do, they will often include driving instructions to their location. You should always have a Thomas Guide or other such map in your car at all times . . . just in case!  Know the exact location of the event if it is in a hotel or country club (i.e. the name of the room).

c.  Where should you unload your harp, and where should you park? Will a parking space be reserved for you?

d.  Who should you speak to when you first arrive?  Often this will be the wedding coordinator, or perhaps the hostess if it is a party.  Be sure you have the phone number of this contact and/or the venue where the event will be taking place. It is also VERY IMPORTANT to know who will be paying you.  At a wedding, this is often the best man or the wedding coordinator.  Find out in advance WHO will pay you and WHEN, and bring that information with you.

e.  Besides the fact that it is very common courtesy to know the name of the bride and groom if you are playing their wedding… it is often imperative!  I played at a wedding where the mother of the bride hired me and was my only contact person.  Then, when I got to the hotel there was a list of a dozen weddings, all taking place at the same time, and NONE of the names of the brides or grooms matched the mother’s name that I had.  Luckily, I knew the name of the ballroom where the wedding was to take place. 

f.  Bring along any other instructions you may have been given, such as which pieces they want at what particular time, what time you’re supposed to start and finish, and any other pertinent information.

Your Harp

Most of the items on this part of the list are self-explanatory.  If for some reason I’m not bringing my own stool, and am going to use a chair that they provide, I also bring a small pillow.  This comes in very handy if the chair is very hard, or it is too low.  I ALWAYS bring two tuning keys…you never know when one might wander off!

Amplification

If you’re providing your own amplification, be sure to bring whatever accessories are needed, such as microphone or pick-up.  We sell a wonderful small amplifier that runs off of a rechargeable battery.  However, if your amp needs to be plugged in, be sure you bring plenty of extension cords, as well as an adapter so that your 3-pronged plug will fit into a 2-pronged outlet.

Accessories

Many harpists keep their music in a 3-ring binder with plastic sheet protectors.  This way, they only have to carry one notebook, instead of several books of music.   By the way, it is perfectly legal to xerox any music that you have purchased to make up this notebook.  It is against copyright laws to xerox music that you have borrowed…but it is perfectly okay to make copies of music you have bought to make notebooks for your own use.  Some harpists compile various notebooks for different types of events: one for weddings, another for parties, etc.  However, if you’re going to be playing outside, it is also important to bring some kind of clips to keep the music from blowing. It is very frustrating to be playing page 1, and suddenly the wind blows you to page 5!

A space blanket is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT in the summer time.  You can read more about this blanket here on our web site.  But whenever you’re driving in your car, with the sun beating down on your harp, you need to have a space blanket covering your harp.  Also, you can use it as a ground cover if needed when you get to your gig.  A small throw rug…big enough for you and your harp to sit on…can also be very useful for outdoor weddings.  And don’t forget a dust cloth or dust brush. Most of us don’t think about dusting our harp until we’re at a gig and we notice that it looks terrible!

Be sure to bring your business cards.  Sometimes you need to be discreet and just keep them hidden but available if someone asks for one.  At other events it is okay to put them on display.

Personal Items

I have a clause in my standard contract that says that the people who hire me are required to  provide a shaded area for me to perform in.  However, this doesn’t always work…and so we must be prepared to play in the hot summer sun.  For these times, it is important to have sunblock with you so you don’t turn into a lobster.  Also, depending on the event and whether it is appropriate or not, you might want to bring a festive sunhat and sunglasses.  Of course, these will be more acceptable at a backyard pool party than at a funeral with a full Mass!

I once played a wedding at some beautiful public garden.  When I arrived, the first thing the wedding coordinator did was to spray me down with insect repellent!  And boy, was I glad she did!  Even with that, I was dive-bombed by insects throughout most of the wedding.  Insect repellent isn’t something we normally think about taking to a wedding…but now “I don’t leave home without it!”

Female harp players should be sure to bring an extra pair of stockings in case you get a run or a hole in them.  And, although this sounds obvious…harp players of both sexes should remember to bring along their shoes.  I mention this because many people wear different shoes when they drive a car than when they play the harp.  No matter how fetching they may look, it usually is not considered professional to play a gig in your pink bunny slippers!

Now go out there and bring beautiful harp music to a waiting world!

(This article was first printed in "The Harp Lover's News" Volume 4, Issue 4, 2nd Quarter, 1997, published by the Sylvia Woods Harp Center.  Many of the articles from this newsletter can be found in this Helpful Article section.)

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