From Home Design to Harp Practice: The Power of Small, Consistent Steps

Last summer my husband Zach and I bought our first home, and it's been both exciting and overwhelming, especially when faced with so many projects.
In this video, I draw a parallel between our home transformation and making progress in harp playing. I’ll share how small, consistent steps can lead to significant improvements over time. Whether you're decorating your home or mastering your harp, the key is gradual progress!

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What harp is in the background?

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Learning the harp and want to stay inspired? Here are some next steps:

4) LET’S CONNECT!
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* Just so you know, some of the links and promotions I share are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you decide to buy something. Your support is truly appreciated!

[JuneCampbell-bc]

This is such great advice. I started taking piano lessons a couple years ago. I only play for my own enjoyment but have ventured out to playing in my churches music fest. I am in my 80s and because of the beautiful music you and Christie-Lyn have put on Youtube I have fallen in love with learning to play the harp. I can read music so feel like this is my new personal challenge. I bought an inexpensive minstrel harp to "test the waters" and have really fallen in love. I will continue to follow you on You Tube as there are no harp teachers in my area. Thank you for your advice.

[tahoesnowlion]

Great points! Congratulations on your new home.🎉

[civviez]

I love this! We just completed major renovations on our home to have our own guest house. Thank God! And I should be getting my first harp soon, and can't wait to add practice and worship times to my routine and build my skills!❤❤

[CarolineWeharp]

Thank you for your encouragement With ; “ it’s ok to take your time and small steps to completion” I keep chipping away at jobs to do in the home and on the harp, it certainly stops burnout and loosing interest! Your home looks beautiful.

[catholicdoula]

Thanks Carrie - wow, love the makeovers of your house. (We should do that with ours!) Now, you got me wanting to renovate and play harp more!! Well, today I moved around things in our bedroom (it is tiny) but I wanted to have more room for harp playing and I think I accomplished that - will have to take a picture or something later - anyway, see you in class since I am in the beginner course. ;) I think I like the 5 minute or 10 minute practice idea. I have been so busy this week my poor harp has not been played much. I am learning a tune and I need to figure out how to do rolled chords for it - so maybe that will be my 5 minutes of practice. ;)

[wadinglady]

I really enjoyed this video. I think part of the enjoyment came from the fact that I’ve been in my first home now for 10 years and we are still working on completing projects. In fact today we just replaced the bathroom fans and put in an attic fan for all the heat that we get here in the south.
But with regards to The Harp because I do listen to other Harp and I wonder sometimes if I will ever make it to that level
I am going to go in and practice now, but my goal will be to make sure I set up the experience of recording myself. I have the equipment. I just don’t understand the technology so that’s my goal for today.

[EdwardRingwald]

Great points, Carrie! As a beginner harpist, I try for 10 to 15 minutes of practice every day. I recently gave a small performance for a wellness retreat that I recently attended and it shows that my daily practice plus my weekly lessons (I work with a harp teacher here in St. Petersburg, Florida) show in my performances.

[connieennis]

Thank you! Wonderful idea! I am actually taking a 6 week Harmony course with Heather Downey. I can focus each week on the course and what I am learning. I have done that with the Learning the Harp courses also. It keeps me focused and encourages me to continue to learn the harp!

[connieLo]

Tips. I love other people tips and tools they use. Nice analogy. I like to compare it with learning to drive and purchasing a car. Including that gas pedal and how quickly progress our skills with repetition and focus. Eventually most of it comes without thinking about it.

[lindalosse]

Hi Carrie, I take your Harp Beginning class and I’m enjoying it and learning so much. What a great analogy oh learning the Harp and fixing up your home. I am going slow and enjoying the process.Your home looks so warm and inviting. Thanks for sharing!🤗

[SharonCullenArt]

Your home looks lovely. And I love the dark paint on the walls 9n your office/harp room or whatever it is. You should do your videos with that dark background. I think it is so much easier to see your harp. 😊 But the entire home looks beautiful. You asked what we do to add that 5% to our practice. For me it is a problem. I have inhibited my progress I feel, by playing through pieces and moving on. I get bored quickly. It is a bad habit. My teacher Stephanie Claussen says I’m making amazing progress and I’m doing very well. She reminds me where I was a year or 3 ago. But I think about it and I have made things a regular part of my practice. When I hit trouble spots I chunk them and chunk them, and back up to get rid of that fateful pause that inevitably happens when I hit that trouble spot. I go back to old music and play it. It may be slow at first but then it is suddenly so much easier than I remembered when I first learned it. I used to write in the notes of the bass clef because I only knew treble as a flute and clarinet player. And then Stephanie told me to stop. It slowed me down significantly at first, but within a month or so it became easy. Now I am writing in chords over the melody, learning major and minors and at church I write chords into the piano parts so that I can play along. I’m loving the Worship courses Christy-Lyn is doing. So I see I have made great strides. I am on vacation right now camping and brought my Harpsicle with me. I made a set list of small harp pieces and some large harp pieces that are easily converted and I’ve been playing those along with so, e of the easier pieces like “A Thousand Years” as well as some of the more difficult ones like Clocks, and Butterfly Jig. It is fun.

[LittleSchoolie]

Your home looks so beautiful, what a great job you’ve done! Loved the comparison to learning the harp and taking things in small bite size chunks. Mine is to try to learn a new skill each month to give me chance to learn and practise 🤗 Thanks for the encouragement and support ❤

[charlenedunning]

Thank you for your harp tips. I have improved my confidence when playing in front of people and technique by following your tips. I won't give up!

[caliburrn]

lol that 'come and take it' poster needs to be behind the harp

[girlscangolfcoachfordyce]

Very encouraging and just the thought I need after being discouraged about not getting this quickly enough. Thank you Carrie, a blessing from God!

[TrinityDivineMozart]

Praise the Lord, that was absolutely wonderful, congratulations. 😇🎼

[GreenRose]

The sun room looks so bright and airy. I love rooms with alot of windows and no curtains, even the rain looks good in rooms like that. I would love a video of you playing Harp in the sun room😊 🌞. Lovely video Carrie and good job on the renovations ❤

[pegzsik]

Thank you! I was getting a bit discouraged.

[leannamanuel]

Today's goal is placing correctly when moving from one octave to another.