“This is my version of “new Blues…I made it as complete as possible and hope it is catchy.” ~ Joke Verdoold

Joke Verdoold plays her version of DHC’s “New Blues” and takes it beyond the page. Joke took snippets given in the Hip Harp Academy chats and “glued” them together to put her unique twist on this fun piece of music.

Joke is one of the daring harpists who are challenging themselves to develop new ways of self-expression in Hip Harp Academy by combining the skills and tools of improv with each person’s natural abilities and passions – creating new hybrids of expression that expand what it means to be a harp player.

JOKE SAYS …

“This is my version of the New Blues, with some (not all) of the variations. I made it as complete as possible and hope it is catchy. “

This is my version of the New Blues, 
with some of the variations. I made it as 
complete aspossible and hope it is catchy. Share on X

1. Describe your final project.

This is my version of the New Blues, with some (not all) of the variations. I made it as complete as possible and hope it is catchy enough to play it on our Annual Music Festival, October 1.

2. What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

I worked snippet style, making snippets out of various aspects, practise them separately and then gluing them together. I had to accept that it was different every time and sometimes had to cope with mixing things up completely.

I worked snippet style, making snippets out of various aspects, practise them separately and then gluing them together. Share on X

3. Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

I had to turn my emotional button down in order to just logistically put all the parts inside the piece in the correct order, give it an ongoing feel and finish it without gaps.

4. What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

Since the only way to arrive at some place is to go on, I decided to block my own criticism. But the consequence was I lost my feeling in the process.

I had to stop my own feeling, in order just to go on and at the same try to get a blues feel. Share on X

5. What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

I had to stop my own feeling, in order just to go on and at the same try to get a blues feel. That was a difficult contradiction. At a certain point I couldn’t distinguish it anymore.

6. What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

The more I practise/work on things/know about things, the less confident I become and the more I realise how little I know.

7. What were your personal “Ahas”?

Not sure; repeated technical practising I still experience as utterly demotivating

8. Is there anything else you want people to know when they watch your video?

I just hope they experience a blues-feel.

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Hey, thanks for reading this example of what it’s like to go thru a course with me! Did you have Aha’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 check out Hip Harp Academy where daring harpists get their creative wings.