    News from Stephanie Bennett a brief review of my doings, mostly musical, occasionally miscellaneous musings... (see also bio) September 2008 was action-packed: I was honored to be asked to entertain at the star-studded gala fundraiser of Animal Acres, a wonderful sanctuary in Acton, California where volunteers work night and day to give a good rest-of-their-life to farmed animals rescued from neglect or abuse situations. Then I entertained at the reception for Emmy Nominees in music, presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Society of Composers and Lyricists. And then I was in the studio with A FINE FRENZY, adding harp parts to vocalist Alison Subol's version of 'The Things We Did Last Summer' for an upcoming compilation. July 2008: at the invitation of the Celtic Arts Center, I presented a concert of music from and inspired by the Celtic Isles, very ably accompanied by my very talented friend Susan Craig Winsberg on flutes. There was a plethora of instrumentation; I sang and played Concert Grand Pedal Harp, Nylon-Strung Celtic Harp and Wire-Strung Celtic Harp. Sue played Silver Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Flute, Irish Wooden Flute, and whistles! The enthusiastic audience ate it up, and a Celtically grand time was had by all. Here are pix of the event. June 2008: quite an eventful trip to Michigan; I attended the bi-annual conference of the American Harp Society, and also while in Michigan presented a workshop at Michigan Harp Center, and a concert at Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor. March 2008: I was the guest teacher/adjudicator for the 'education program' of the Los Angeles chapter of American Harp Society, in effect a master class, wherein I listened to the performances of several harp students and made suggestions on improving their performances. This free annual event is a great opportunity for local harp students to to get tips from someone other than their regular harp teacher. February 2008: I was honored to perform once again at the annual celebration that the Society of Composers & Lyricists hosts for the nominees in the Oscar music categories (score and song). Here I am celebrating with Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard, the stars and also the songwriters of the movie ONCE. November 2007: I went to Dayton, Ohio to give a concert and a workshop for the harp society. Here are some pix from the events... here's more info about my workshops. Also was in the studio with composer Jeff Danna again, playing harp on his film scores. October 2007: I performed at the Celtic Arts Center's Samhain concert. May 2007: Did you see the season finale of hit TV series BONES on Wednesday, May 16? I played the part of 'the harpist at the wedding'. Here are some snapshots. February 2007: And now for something completely different. I reported to a recording session and didn't bring my harp - kept feeling like I'd forgotten something! But no, I'd actually been hired as the lead vocalist on 'Voodoo 2', the new exotica record by the legendary Robert Drasnin, a followup to his 1959 classic, Voodoo. The mid-century-style music is terrific, jazzy, fun, complex yet danceable, and of course, cool and exotic as hell. Here's my page with a few snapshots of the recording sessions... Also in February, I performed at Society of Composers and Lyricists' annual reception honoring the Oscar nominees in music. Here are snapshots of me with some of the celeb honorees, including multi-Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla. Speaking of awards: at February's 49th annual Grammy awards, the Dixie Chicks (in accepting one of the FIVE grammies for 'Taking the Long Way') thanked "all the musicians who played on the record". Hey, THAT'S ME!! The review on Amazon.com calls the CD a "beautiful sonic tapestry (peppered with myriad Beatlesque hallmarks)". That would be due to the beautiful string arrangements by David Campbell. And in yet more February excitement, I celebrated Valentine's day by performing at a fundraiser for the elephant sanctuary of Performing Animal Welfare Society. November 2006: I celebrated Thanksgiving by volunteering at a vegan dinner at the Gentle Barn, where a turkey was the guest of honor, not the main course. August 2006: I performed a concert of my own music for the concert series at Palisades Lutheran Church (in Pacific Palisades, CA), assisted by two very fine musicians, Laura Halladay on flutes and Harry Gilbert on cello. April 2006: what would a Meat Loaf "Bat Out of
Hell" production be without some dulcet harp tones? I played harp on
Mr. Loaf's CD entitled "Bat Out of Hell III, the Monster is Loose"
(released Halloween '06). The songs I played on are "Cry to
Heaven", "Land of the Pig", and "Monstro". You can read all about
it (and hear samples) on amazon.com, here. February 2006: I celebrated Valentine's day by performing (ably abetted by my friend Laura Halladay on flute) at the 'Love Chickens, Don't Eat Them' event held at Animal Acres sanctuary for farmed animals in Acton, CA. In honor of the themes of the day, one of the songs I performed was "My Chicken Valentine" (to the tune of "My Funny Valentine"). "Is your figure less than Greek? Is your mouth a little beak?" Here is a page with a couple of snapshots of the event.  December 2005: This December, there were two concerts that included the premieres of some Stephanie Bennett compositions! The First Presbyterian Church of Granada Hills presented their annual Christmas concert, which included the choir (accompanied by myself on harp, plus string quintet and organ) singing my original Christmas song, "LOOK TO THE ANGELS". Here's where you can order the sheet music if you would like to perform LOOK TO THE ANGELS. It's available with lyrics in either Christian or secular Christmas versions. Then, Saturday, December 10, MESTO (Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra) presented a holiday concert that included my 'CELTIC FANTASIA for flute soloist and multi-ethnic orchestra', based on several Irish and Scottish folk music themes. This piece was commissioned by Mesto to feature multi-flute player Laura Halladay, who did a fabulous job playing low Eb whistle, D whistle, soprano and sopranino recorders, silver flute and Irish wood flute. Brava! Here are some pictures of the event. Also in December, a benefit CD was released by the Celtic Arts Center, to which I contributed one track: myself playing Celtic harp, with Laura Halladay playing pennywhistle, on the traditional Irish tune 'Banish Misfortune'. October 2005: I was invited by the indomitable Robbin Gordon-Cartier (harpist and harp teacher extraordinaire), who teaches the harp classes at Cicely Tyson School of Performing Arts in East Orange, New Jersey, to present some workshops for the harp students. Here are snapshots from that day. September 2005: The good news - the Paul McCartney CD I played harp on, "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard", has been released! The disappointing news... my name isn't on it! Instead of crediting the individual players, the CD booklet merely mentions 'the Los Angeles Music Players'. Oh well... YOU who read these pages, know more than the average Paul McCartney fan knows... about the harp tracks, anyway! August 2005: Along with flutist Laura Halladay, I performed songs from "Bardina's Forest" and other originals, in a concert series in Alhambra, CA. May 2005: Music therapy for animals! I performed at a fund-raiser for ANIMAZONIA wildlife foundation, an animal sanctuary. My friend Laura Halladay joined me, playing flute and helping with the story-telling segments as we performed songs and stories from my animal-themed CD, 'Bardina's Forest'. In addition to performing for the humans in attendance, I also took a small harp over to Saba, a lioness who was recovering from eye surgery and feeling poorly, hoping to soothe and cheer her up with some gentle music. Here are a few snapshots from that day. April 2005: I got out of town for a few days, for a vacation at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The wildflowers were in fine form! That doesn't mean I got away from music altogether, though - no, I brought along a small harp for playing around the campfire. Here's a little photo gallery. February 2005: I played for a reception that Society of Composers and Lyricists gave honoring the Oscar nominees in music. I shook hands with Andrew Lloyd Webber, but didn't ask him for a snapshot, as he was waiting for the loo. I don't know, it just didn't seem like the right time. January 2005: I was honored to start the new year by playing harp at the wedding of top record producer Terry Lewis (of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis fame; producers of Janet Jackson, et al) to the lovely Indira Singh, at a breathtakingly romantic and elegant wedding in Beverly Hills. Here's a snapshot of me and the happy groom. In other January gigs, I played live harp music for a yoga class; played background music for a fashion show depicting women of the Bible; and taught school (music theory classes at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies magnet school). There is never a dull moment in L.A... not even in January!!
December 2004: I played in a delightful production of the Christmas opera AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS by Gian-Carlo Menotti. Here's a snapshot of me and a couple of the stars (Amahl and one of the Three Kings). Also in December, I entertained at the holiday party of Society of Composers and Lyricists, comprised of many of Hollywood's top composers. Here's a snapshot of me making holiday cheer with the Alf Clausen, the brilliant composer for the brilliant TV show THE SIMPSONS. September 2004: I entertained at two receptions for the EMMY nominees at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood. Here are a couple of snapshots of me and my buddy Emmy. August 2004: watch your TV screen for a new commercial for the TV show JEOPARDY in which many different musicians play the Jeopardy 'think' theme for a few seconds at a time. That's me at the harp, with my rendition of the timeless classic. Here are a couple of snapshots of me getting ready for my closeup. Also in August, I played harp on recordings for the upcoming CD by rock band GOOD CHARLOTTE (produced by Eric Valentine) (orchestrated by David Campbell). July 2004 Another lovely CD that I co-created has been released: UNICORN'S JOURNEY, featuring myself on concert grand harp and Marilyn Harris on grand piano, is part of the series of meditation/relaxation recordings that Marilyn and her equally talented husband Mark Wolfram have been creating. This past April, Marilyn and I composed and improvised several peaceful opuses on the spot, while Mark engineered, counseled, encouraged, and created poetic titles for our works. This dynamic duo also has a fantastic new jazz vocal CD out, as well as scoring for film soundtracks, etc! To see, hear and order the new CD, go to CDbaby; or go to Wrightwood Records. June 2004 And now, for something completely different. Have you ever seen a LASER HARP? Instead of strings, there are laser beams. You play it by sticking your fingers into the laser beams, which triggers a built-in synthesizer to play. You can choose from several different sounds; one sounds like harp, one like steel drum, one like harpsichord, etc. I premiered the new laser harp, built by Cosi Studio and donated by Baxter BioScience to Ventura County's Discovery Center for Science and Technology, at an unveiling event on June 2nd. Click here to see. April 2004 I'm black and blue from pinching
myself to see if I'm dreaming. Think of the most amazingly
classic, influential, beloved, legendary
singer/songwriter/composer/star of the 20th and 21st
century. You'd gaze at his records in awe and think "Gee,
someday if I'm really good, I might get to work with HIM!
Sure - in my dreams!!" That's right, Paul
McCartney. I got
called to play harp on a song on his upcoming new recording.
Sir Paul and I worked together one-on-one in the studio,
elaborating on the wonderful arrangements that top Hollywood
arranger David Campbell had created, to come up with harp parts for
a very haunting song. If you still think I'm dreaming,
click here to witness the magic!  October 2003 and now, for something completely
different... my first gig with a Cowboy band, and my first
Civil War Re-enactment. The award-winning Canadian band
COWBOY CELTIC called me to sub for their regular harpist, in
a concert at the big Civil War
re-enactment in Fresno, CA. What a blast!! The music was
wonderful, and being surrounded by thousands of history
buffs in costume and in character was a trippy experience of
the highest order. September 2003: I entertained at a reception for the nominees for music Emmy awards, at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Here's a snapshot of me with thg giant Emmy statue! August 2003 I was invited by the City of Hope Cancer Center's HARPS FOR HEARTS program director, Lisa Lynne, to present a harp concert and workshop for the staff and patients. It was great to get to share my music, and the joy of learning to play the harp, with them! July 2003 I was in the studio with the stellar English ambient band LAMB, playing the harp for their upcoming CD. May 2003 my SECOND CD for At Peace Media has been released and is now available!. Entitled LUMIERE (that's French for "light", by the way - not the opposite of heavy, but as in sunlight/ moonlight/ firelight/ starlight...) This CD consists of my arrangements of Baroque music for relaxation; featuring compositions by Baroque greats Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) and Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787), featuring myself on harp, along with flute players Susan Craig Winsberg and Laura Halladay, and cellist Stefanie Fife. Click here for more details. April 2003 I played at the Warner Bros. movie lot for a big to-do party celebrating the release of the new movie THE IN-LAWS. Security is tight at the studios these days, so I had to get my van and harp inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs, before being allowed onto the lot. (I passed inspection.) What would we do without our wonderful friends the animals?? A DVD of live performances ('NOCTURNAL JOURNEYS, LIVE') by world-renowned percussion/theater group CAMPANILE - including their performance of my composition AU JARDIN DU ROI DES LAPINS - is now available from the CAMPANILE website. CAMPANILE received a nice fan mail about this track. March 2003 I played in the pit orchestra of a great show called LOESSER IS MORE, presented by S.T.A.G.E. LA as a fundraiser for the good works of AIDS PROJECT LA. Click here to see snapshots of me schoozing backstage with a bevy of stars of stage and screen who performed in the show.
December 2002 Composer/arranger/flutist Susan Craig Winsberg's beautiful CD of CELTIC LOVE SONGS has been released (I played on several cuts - some Celtic harp, some pedal harp.) (I also played on Sue's 1999 release, LA BELLE DAME.) October 2002 Sad news: the death of beloved arranger/bandleader Ray Conniff, with whom I had the honor of touring and recording for many years. He will be missed, but his music lives on forever. September 2002 I played harp on sessions for Steve Hall's upcoming CD, "Sweet Dreams (Treasured Lullabyes)". July 2002 I played harp on several concerts with Mexican superstars, father and son team of Vicente Fernandez and Alejandro Fernandez. Vicente was this year's Latin Grammy Person of the Year award, and also won the Grammy for best Ranchera album. Click here to see a pic of me & Vicente. May 2002 I was in the studio with beloved Japanese singer/songwriter superstar MIYUKI NAKAJIMA, playing harp on her new CD "Fairy Ring". I played Celtic harp on the song "Loved Flower, Unloved Flower" and concert grand pedal harp on "Sea". Click here to see a pic of me & Miyuki in the studio, and the cover of the CD. Click here for more info on the CD. I also played harp on LEEANN RIMES' new CD, "Twisted Angel", working alongside Desmond Child (Songwriter) and David Campbell (arranger). February 2002 At last! My new CD of Celtic Music for Relaxation, entitled 'Avalon', is now available from At Peace Music. Featuring myself on nylon-strung Celtic harp, wire-strung Celtic harp, and concert grand harp, as well as other wonderful musicians playing Uilleann pipes, flutes, tin whistles, and cello, it's a wonderful collection of my arrangements of several traditional Celtic tunes, as well as a couple of originals that I composed in Ireland. Click here for more information. September 2001 As the world mourned the horrific events of 9/11, we were all moved to help in whatever way we could. Some of us creatives were inspired to express our feelings about the day in songs, hoping to help ourselves and listeners heal with our expressions of mourning, loss, gratitude and hope; as well as generating a contribution to the victims' funds. To this end, during September and October, my friend, lyricist Judy Lamppu produced a CD of songs inspired by 9/11 entitled "America Speaks from the Heart". I wrote the music for three of these songs (Land of the Living, Black and Grey, and Spirit of the Light), on which I also played harp (and I arranged the strings on a fourth song, Candle in the Rain). The proceeds go 50% to Namaste Interfaith Center (where Judy worships) and 50% to the Firefighters and Policeman Victims Fund in New York. Also in September, I played harp on recording sessions for Sue Winsberg's upcoming CD of "Celtic Love Songs". This will be another beautiful production by Sue! (See also August '99). And later in September, in my top celebrity-sighting wedding of the year, I played harp for Jennifer Lopez's wedding (to dancer Cris Judd). I led an ensemble that also included flute, violin, viola and cello, in traditional Classical selections. Security was so tight that all the GUESTS as well as all the musicians and other staff had to gather at a holding area, where they had their cameras, cel phones, pagers, and pens & pencils (??) confiscated, then were bussed to the site (a rented estate, not J-Lo's home). I, however, had to drive my harp directly to the site, and the paparazzi who'd gathered were so hungry for news that they snapped photos of my van driving through the gate. This momentous occasion (my van going through the gate) was later televised on "Entertainment Tonight". I am not making this up. (J-Lo looked spectacular, of course. It was really hot out that day, but other than that, it was a fun gig.) August 2001 The CD by West African master Kora player and vocalist Prince Diabate (on which I played harp on the final track, the lovely "Lullabye Waltz"), has been released. July 2001 Time for a little R&R. Drove up the California coast from Los Angeles to Carmel and Monterey, camping out at various off-the-beaten-track state, national and regional parks along the way (such as Lake Cachuma and Montana de Oro). Did the tourist thing at Hearst Castle (the palatial home of early-20th-century millionaire William Randolph Hearst) - spectacular and worth seeing, but not nearly as beautiful or moving as the full moon to whom I played my harp one night atop a windswept hill in Laguna Seca. June 2001 I played for the President of Israel at an event in Beverly Hills. I didn't get a snapshot of us together like I did with Her Excellency the President of Ireland, but you can click here to see the engraved invitation! Security was understandably thorough, so the harp and I had to be inspected for weapons by the friendly Secret Service agents & their bomb-sniffing dogs before being cleared to enter. I'm happy to report that all went peacefully! The day after the movie shoot, I was playing at a lovely garden party where Graham Nash (of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) was one of the guests. Graham brought out his guitar and the two of us serenaded the hostess and her guests (including Merv Griffin) with a duet version of "Teach Your Children". Click here to see me singing and playing with Graham Nash. April 2001 I've finished making my new CD! On the "At Peace" label of relaxation music (especially targeted for the benefit of massage therapists, or anyone else who needs to relax or help others relax), the new recording, entitled AVALON, contains my arrangements of traditional Celtic tunes (and two Celtic compositions of my own - I wrote them in Ireland, you see). I played harp on every song, of course (nylon-strung Celtic, wire-strung Celtic, and pedal harp). A few other wonderful musicians are also featured, including Eric Rigler on Uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) (Eric played on the scores to TITANIC and BRAVEHEART); Susan Craig Winsberg on flutes, recorders and pennywhistles; Laura Halladay on flute and low whistles; and Stefanie Fife on cello. I'm very pleased with how it turned out and I can't wait for you to hear it! March 2001 got the news from Rima Greer of CAMPANILE that their CD "Nocturnal Journeys", on which my composition "Au Jardin Du Roi Des Lapins" is included, has made it to #9 on the national New Age charts! Rima says that the radio DJs seem to like my tune especially ... January 2001 received my copy of James Durst's delightful new CD "Like the Wind" on which I played harp. My favorite song is the whimsical and touching 'to Jesus' (not a religious song). December 2000 Linda Ronstadt's beautiful new Christmas CD, "A Merry Little Christmas", on which I played harp on several tracks, has been released. Click here to see a picture of the cover; here to find it on Amazon.com. I played on the Christmas Song, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, River, I Wonder As I Wander, and Away in a Manger. November 2000 Everlast's new, critically acclaimed hip-hop CD, "Eat at Whitey's", on which I played harp, has been released... that's me playing the hip-hop harp throughout the haunting song 'Graves to Dig'. Received some concert premieres of a couple of my compositions: Harpist Kathleen Lynch performed my composition "Dragonmaker" (for harp and chamber orchestra) on her graduation recital at Boston Conservatory of Music! And 'musical percussion theater' group CAMPANILE have been performing their transcription (for handbells), of my composition "The Rabbit Who Belonged to the Desert" (Retitled "Au Jardin Du Roi Des Lapins") in concert. (Both of these compositions can be heard on my first CD, 'Stories Seldom Told'.) Campanile's performance of "The Rabbit Who Belonged to the Desert"/"Au Jardin Du Roi Des Lapins" also appears on their new CD, NOCTURNAL JOURNEYS. You can even buy sheet music for the handbell version from Campanile! I had the pleasure of catching their show at Cal State Northridge. You have got to see them perform if you get a chance!! As their website says, "Campanile is a contemporary musical concept show in the tradition of Stomp and Riverdance. Combining handbells, percussion, choreography and comedy, Campanile creates an event filled with rock-n-roll, pop, new age music, dancing and fun." 2008 update: unfortunately, Campanile has retired from performing, but you can still buy their CDs, DVDs and sheet music, and re-live the magic! September 2000 I have been notified that a recording by Native American flute player Golana, on which I played harp and arranged, has received a nomination in the prestigious Native American Music Awards ('NAMMYs') for "Best Instrumental Recording". Congratulations, Golana! August 2000 I had a wonderful vacation in Ireland (mostly Dublin, Kilkenny, Killarney, Enniscorthy, and the Ring of Kerry), where I saw lots of beautiful sights, heard lots of traditional music, and sat in with some of the local musicians playing in pubs... click here for a photo album of my trip to Ireland. July 2000 I played harp on several songs in recording sessions for celebrated vocalist Linda Ronstadt, for her Christmas CD on Elektra records. Gracious and in fine voice, Linda joined large and small instrumental and vocal ensembles in the studio for this eclectic recording. I gave her a copy of my Bardina's Forest children's CD and she called me later from Tucson to tell me how much her kids have been enjoying it! Thanks, Linda! June 2000 On June 4, I played harp at the top-secret wedding of 'Titanic' director James Cameron and Suzi Amis, who played the granddaughter of Gloria Stewart's character in the present-day scenes in the movie. The intimate wedding (the only guests were the couple's 2 children and 2 other friends) was held at sunset in a beautifully landscaped oasis in the middle of the Camerons' 750 acres of wilderness in Malibu. On June 21, I played harp
(and played percussion on a few songs!) in the band led by
classic Motown singer/songwriter/recording artist Leon Ware,
writer/producer of the classic Marvin Gaye album "I Want
You". For this spectacular performance (known as "I Want You
Live"), we played selections from that classic album. The
other musicians in this band included some of jazz and
R&B's brightest stars, including: Click here to visit Leon Ware's site... here to see a few snapshots from the rehearsal. April 2000 Marston Smith's delightful new CD 'Celtic Cello' has been released, featuring Marston on cello and myself on harp, playing Celtic favorites such as Londonderry Air (also known as Danny Boy), Skye Boat Song, Saint Patrick's day, etc. We recorded it last December at my studio (Harpworld Studio A), at which time I came up with the arrangements. Click here to visit Marston's site... here to hear a clip from the CD! Also played harp on recording sessions for Steve Hall's lovely new recording of easy-listening piano orchestrations, entitled "Always; Music Forever". February 2000 once again, at the invitation of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Harp Society, I performed songs from my CD 'Bardina's Forest' at a concert of New Music for Harp. January 2000 welcome to the new millennium! A composition of mine was used in a restaurant scene in the hit series PARTY OF FIVE at Columbia Television! November '99 Played harp with Persian superstar Dariush at Hollywood's glamorous Pantages Theater. Click here for a snapshot of me & Dariush. October '99 Brasil - bom dia, mais uma vez! (That's Portuguese for "Brazil - hello again"!) Yes, another concert tour with Ray Conniff Singers and Orchestra, promoting his two new CD's, "S'Country" and "S'Christmas". Lovely days in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, the always charming Curitiba, etc. Also a couple of days in Uruguay while we were at it. Snapshots: me with Mr. Conniff ...the beautifully painted wooden case of the harp that we rented in Uruguay ...Ray onstage at Ibirapuera Park, Sao Paulo; and my view from the stage at Ibirapuera. September '99 at the invitation of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, I performed Irish and original music for Her Excellency, Mary McAleese, President of Ireland. What an honor! Click here for the photographic evidence. I also met the Foreign Minister of Ireland, Mr. David Andrews. When Mrs. Andrews remarked that I appeared to be a different race from the very tall Foreign Minister (I am not quite five feet tall), I explained that my ethnic heritage is part Leprechaun. August '99 Susan Craig Winsberg's beautiful new CD, "La Belle Dame: Music of Love, Longing and Sorrow in the Celtic and Poetic Traditions", on which I played pedal harp and Celtic harp and did some arranging, has been released. Check it out at CraigRecords.com. July '99 Played harp at recording sessions for Ray Conniff's two new CD's, "S'Country" and "S'Christmas". April '99 Composed & recorded some new orchestral pieces for my composer demo (film production companies, music supervisors/editors etc. may inquire). Also performed material from my BARDINA'S FOREST CD at a concert of New Music For Harp presented by the L.A. Chapter of the American Harp Society. At the same concert, harp/flute/viola trio Entr'amis (Jennifer Duke, harp; Suzanna Giordano, viola; James Lasota, flute) beautifully performed my compositions "Music in the Shape of a Quilt" and "Music in the Shape of a Brook". March '99 It's finally in a theater near
you: hit movie "the Other Sister" with DianeKeaton, Juliette
Lewis & Giovanni Ribisi (filmed in '98). I play the part
of the harpist at the (first) wedding. You actually get a
good look at both myself and my harp (a Venus Paragon, for
you harpophiles who keep track of such things.) Click here to see my
snapshots from
the filming. Also in February, Celtic fiddler Mary Barton and I performed live on the cable TV show "Bridging Heaven and Earth", from Santa Barbara, California. January '99: Happy New Year! I was in the studio quite a bit, playing harp on a musical, a movie trailer, a film score, and a rap record! Variety is the spice etc...
December '98: Always a busy season for me, this month included arranging the music and leading the ensemble for Ozzy Osbourne's 50th birthday party. Included in our repertoire were 3 classic Ozzy tunes: Mama I'm Coming Home, Crazy Train, and No More Tears, which at the request of Mr. Osbourne I arranged for 4 harps, 2 flutes, and 2 oboes. I am not making this up. November '98: Hooray! My new CD, Bardina's Forest is out! I'm so excited about how it turned out. The music is beautiful, not blah like some kids' records; I think all ages will enjoy listening to it. The themes are mostly the wonders of nature, the miracle of the imagination, and the importance of kindness to animals. I had a great time researching the science (do you know about the platypus's secret weapon and unusual parenting techniques???). I played harp in the orchestra in Celine Dion's Christmas special, "These are Special Times", which aired Wednesday November 25 '98 on CBS. Man, can she sing! ... I arranged and played
harp on a very beautiful tune, "Early Winter", on
Mary Barton's forthcoming CD. I also arranged and played
harp on a CD by Native American flute player Golana. September '98: in South America for another concert tour with Ray Conniff, his Singers & Orchestra. Click here for the exciting photojournalistic evidence. July '98: Quite an eclectic month! One day I was playing classic rhythm & blues (yes, on harp!) as a member of Bobby Womack's band at the Old Pasadena Jazz Festival. (Electric harp is great for this kind of setting - you can go direct and the stage sound engineers can crank that puppy as loud as they want.) The next day I was performing Mozart and Vivaldi with a chamber trio, alfresco at Orange County's ritziest Ritz. The next day I was playing big-band easy-listening arrangements in the recording sessions for Ray Conniff's new CD of Frank Sinatra tunes. Never a dull moment! Also, my new compositions for harp, flute, and viola, Music in the Shape of a Brook and Music in the Shape of a Quilt were premiered by Entr'amis at a well-received concert presented by Pacific Composers Forum. May '98:Entr'amis, the classical harp-flute-viola trio (Mary Dropkin, harp; Jim Lasota, flute; Suzanna Giordano, viola) are performing my composition Michigan Winter at their upcoming concerts in Beverly Hills and at the American Harp Society Performing Artists Competitions. Entr'amis first performed this work at the Redlands Bowl Summer Concert Series. In just a bit of international touring, played in the band of Persian singing superstar Dariush to screaming, sold-out audiences in Vancouver & Toronto, Canada. What a great experience to be able to participate in the music and the celebrations of other cultures! One of the great blessings of being a musician. January '98: See what happens when you live in L.A.? I spent a few days in front of the cameras for a Garry Marshall-directed Touchstone/Disney feature film "THE OTHER SISTER" with Diane Keaton and Juliette Lewis. In a daring stretch of my acting talent, I was cast in the role of a harpist at a wedding.. Ancient History from Stephanie Bennett...other snapshots I've come across that have some historical significance... 80's: I play the harp for the wedding of
Chick Corea and Gayle Moran. I play the harp on tour with Sly Stone and Bobby Womack. back to
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