Hey 👋. Simcha here, and I'm really excited to share the newest Strings Of Hope Podcast episode with you. In this conversation, I sit down with Erika Lieberman (Erika the Harpist), a performer, teacher, and Renaissance fair harpist from New York. What stayed with me most from our conversation wasn’t the festivals, the performances, or even the harp itself. It was the thread that kept weaving through everything we talked about: learning to trust your own path. Erika speaks openly about...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Simcha here, and I’m feeling especially joyful today. (Simcha is the Hebrew word for joy 😊) Thank you so much for being part of the Strings of Hope Opening Gates gathering. We had a wonderful membership launch Zoom meetup today, with harpists joining from different parts of the world. We played together with modes and improvisation, walked through the vision for the membership, and took a look inside the Strings of Hope platform. For those who couldn’t make it live, I’m including both a...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader👋,One of the popular questions I've been getting recently is: What's a chord? It's a question that a lot of us already know the answer to. But just getting asked it so many times has got me thinking about it myself. I know what a "chord" is, but what is a chord? And how do you go about teaching and explaining this, at its essence, in the simplest way to someone else? I'm not referring to the technical explanation of taking the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a scale to build a 1-3-5...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi there.Simcha here 👋. Tomorrow (April 21'st) I'll be a guest teacher at Hangin With The Harp's live harp stream. Hangin With The Harp is a monthly live zoom from Atlanta Harp Center, and hosted by Robbin Gordon-Cartier, Katie Cook and Mary Jane D’Arville. I'll be sharing a short half hour modal workshop which will be followed by a 15 minute Q&A. If you've been wanting a quick refresher on modes, or would like join us for a group modal harp meditation, then I think you'll enjoy the meet up...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hey 👋,Simcha here. It's been a while. Hoping you're enjoying connecting with the holidays or weekend. It's been a bit hectic and on the loud side here to say the least, but we're doing our best to keep going and music has been a very healing source during this time.Passover to me signifies a time of breaking out of constriction, a rejuvenation of creativity and freedom.On that spirit, I wanted to share with you something that helps me open up to improvisation when I'm feeling stuck. It's that...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader👋 I just posted a new play-along harp video—a short Middle Eastern style lesson with a tanpura drone to help you find that meditative rhythmic flow. We're tuned to A Harmonic Minor scale. The video guides you through building a simple left-hand rhythm over an Indian Tanpura drone, then slowly layering in the right hand, using the G# from the harmonic minor scale to bring out the ancient middle eastern vibe. The Play Along lesson combines Middle Eastern, with Modes, Right and Left...
7 months ago • 1 min read
Hey there Reader👋,Simcha here with a belated New Years email. A bit late, I know! though really, it's never too late to fulfill our dreams, so here goes. What's inside: 🎵 A Somerset story about believing in your inner song, 🎵 A new Strings of Hope podcast with my first harp teacher Adina Haroz, and 🎵 An Israel harp retreat on the horizon... Lets start with perhaps with one of the biggest highlights and lessons for me in this past year. I want to share something that happened to me while...
8 months ago • 3 min read
Hey there Reader 👋 I just wanted to reach out and say a huge thank you from the heart for joining me on Sunday's workshop, Finding Light In The Tension, Journey Through The Modes PTII. Getting to greet each of you before we dove in, hearing where everyone was joining from around the world - Australia, Europe, across the US, Israel, Canada, Georgia - that's honestly one of my favorite parts of these gatherings. It really made my week! There's something so special about coming together as a...
10 months ago • 3 min read
Hey 👋,Simcha here, and boy am i excited for sundays (Oct 23rd) upcoming workshop 'Finding Light In The Tension' Here's a short video sharing one of the ideas we will work with in the workshop, using a drone to help create a meditative atmosphere, encouraging improvisation and exploration.I find that using a drone can be so helpful in entering the magical space of a mode. (A drone is a steady note playing in the background, not those flying helicopter things...)In general I break down the keys...
10 months ago • 1 min read