We are grateful for the time Gillian Benet Sella spent with our preprimary and elementary students during her visit to The New School Montessori this week.
Gillian is the harpist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and related some of her experiences as a harpist, explained the intricacies of the instrument, and shared some of the techniques used to create different sounds. She also played several wonderful pieces that inspired and delighted the children.
Some interesting facts about the harp:
- In addition to playing the strings with one’s hands, a harpist must also have command of the seven pedals at her feet. Each pedal is associated with a note on the scale. Pressing the “C” pedal affects the sharpness and flatness of each “C” string on the harp.
- The lower strings are made of wire. The middle-range strings are made of sheep gut, and the highest strings are made of nylon similar to fishing line. They must all be changed once a year at a cost of $500 – and they sometimes can break during a performance which can be quite exciting!
- Harpists must file the calluses from their fingertips to maintain a soft surface which produces the best sounds from the instrument.
Gillian did a wonderful job presenting – what for some was their first close-up experience with the harp, and what was for all – a terrific learning experience.