MUELLER – Nicole (Germany) “Those Bluesy Days”– (BHS3)

One thing I love about teaching at Hip Harp Academy is getting to see the “Final Beginning Projects” that each student does. This is a culmination of Nicole Mueller’s experience in the Blues Harp-Style class – and this is just the beginning!

In the case of Nicole Mueller, she’s actually gone on to create her own jazz harp training program for harpists — and that began here, in Hip Harp Academy – where harpists first learn to fly. 

This post is from a series that shares the Final-Begining Projects from one of my first Blues Harpstyle online courses. Students created short videos based on what they learned in the course, and answered 5 questions about what they got from the challenge of this project.

Below you can see Nicole’s answers to a set of questions I always ask each person to answer about their projects.  If you love the learning process, make sure you read these questions and answers because they often hold a gift of illumination about how we can approach any creative project. 

Nicole’s Answers to DHC’s 5 Questions …

1. Give a short description of what it took for you to get to the place of being able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally
– I need a lot of time to play around with the given form and structure, before I start to develop my own “thing”. In the end, I have to accept that the piece could always be better and more fluent but that I need a version RIGHT NOW.

2. What freedoms and blocks in yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?
– The freedom was that I didn´t have to worry about “right or wrong”. That is really liberating for a classical harpist like me. The block is – well, – that I´m so unsure and insecure about whether the notes sound “right or wrong”…

the freedom of not having to worry about 'right or wrong' #harp Share on X

3. What challenges did you meet to connect with your own freedom of expression in this project?
– At first I found it hard to combine the given structure and patterns with the improvisational/creative parts. But once I got used to it, it actually was a lot of fun.

4. What were your personal “Ahas”?
– That I don´t create stuff without rules and a deadline!

I learned I don't create stuff without rules and a deadlines! #harp Share on X

5. Is there anything else you´d like to tell people who are watching your video?
– This was just an imperfect something, but it definitely was a lot of fun!

It has been a pleasure to share this wonderful course with all of you guys and I hope that we see each other in DHC`s next class!

A NOTE TO THE READER FROM DHC

Hey, thanks for reading this example of what it’s like to go thru a course with me! Did you have A-ha’s or revelations watching the video & reading the answers she wrote? Add your comments below. Please – no critiques – just share what you learned from someone courageously sharing a project that’s the BEGINNING of a lifelong learning journey.

Check out the beginning of a lifelong #harp learning journey Share on X

Want to do some courageous learning yourself? Click here to register for my next Free Online Training and check out my next online course especially for harp players.