Traveling to Venezuela

This moment feels like a turning point.

Three days from now, I'm heading for Venezuela. This will be my fifth trip. Last night, we presented a "leap day" concert here in Morgantown, and raised more than $1000 for projects. Partnering with a local cabinet-maker (Roland Hunn), we are beginning to offer for sale a new small harp for a small budget: Millennia. A few weeks ago, we presented a Millennium Harper Award (and the first Millennia harp) to Nadya King.

Nadya is our 41st Millennium Harper. Her title is Millennium Harper to the Young Elders of Western Oregon. She has named her Millenia Luna, because it arrived at the time of the full moon.

Our local Almost Heaven Harp Circle is going strong. At our concert, in addition to the circle, we presented three solo performers. Part of the concert goal is to provide exposure, to present local musicians to folks who might hire them for private events. Howard Emerson played wire harp and also sang a Woodie Guthrie song (Deportee). Cindy Lewellen played celtic and church music on her Troubador. I played my Venezuelan arpa llanera, accompanied by a young Venezuelan (Manuel Soto) on cuatro (4-stringed guitar).

I'll be in Venezuela March 5-25. My brother is going with me, and we will travel with Venezuelan harpist Fernando Guerrero Briceno as well as singer-songwriter-cuatrista Adolfo Cardozo. This is our third excursion together (my fifth trip altogether), and it is ALL ABOUT HARPS! Adolfo calls it ARPATUR III.

In April, we'll host a visit from Philip and Pam Boulding, who will present a concert and workshops.

Watch this website for occasional reports from and about Venezuela.