This blog is one of a series. Each includes one of the students’ final projects from my online course “Blues: Harp-Style” along with  their answers to five questions I asked them to answer. You can Lu’s Blues Homework started sounding distinctly Scottish.  Her “Oyster-catcher Blues” is the result of that synthesis of Scottish lilt and Blues structure … and then … in classic Scottish style, she added a wonderfully improbable story …

Watch & Comment at YouTube

Lu’s Answers to my Five Questions:

–  Give a short description of what it took for you to get to the placeof being able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally

Logistically? The playing? Finding time to practice – but that is always the case. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. My big problem is that I tend to get sidetracked and work on things which aren’t a priority. But the Blues positively encourages you to get sidetracked! Perfect for me. Emotionally? The playing? Learning to relax as I played. Not my best point….

–  What freedoms and blocks inyourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

I’ve always suffered from performance anxiety. The best treatment I have found is to do a lot of performing. And now I have discovered a kind of performance I can do every day and so easily. Just point a video camera at myself. It is HORRIBLE! And sooooo good for me. A good lesson in being a teeny tad less self critical.

– What challenges did you meet toconnect with your own freedom of expression in this project?

The main challenge was to put all my twiddles and muddlings into something coherent and performable. The discipline was wonderful for me.

–  What were your personal “Ahas”?

Personal “Ahas”?  That I seem to have a pathological obsession with the “Blue” notes in any given scale. My tunes all sound so spiky. I don’t feel like a spiky person….

– Is there anything else you’d like to tell people who are watching your video?

DHC is utterly inspiring. Her enthusiasm is contagious. Catch the bug. It’s wonderful.

The next “Blues: Harp-Style” course begins July 29th and runs through the end of August 2013.