Our daughter has been taking harp lessons for almost two years and her teacher takes some of his students to a couple of events around town. One is the Valentine Day’s Harp Concert at the Maryville Public Library. The other is the Rossini Festival, the largest street festival in Knoxville, TN.
Our daughter playing the harp on the Union Ave stage during the 2024 Rossini Festival
Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating that day, but we made do. At least the rain stopped before we got to the stage.
The William Lovelace Harp Ensemble right now consists of the teacher, William Lovelace, and three of his students. They also have a violinist who plays with them on most pieces, a retired orchestra director from the Blount County Public School System.
The William Lovelance Harp Ensemble
It was lovely to see our daughter on stage, braving the 51F, windy weather. I came prepared with hand warmers and was passing those out to all the girls before the concert. Our daughter decided to keep her blanket on her knees through concert. Who cares what it looks like when you are freezing?
For me, it was the first time transporting her harp to a concert, so I was nervous about it. Also, parking in a big city can be tricky, but it worked out. The attendants told me which parking garage to go to after I dropped off the harp at the Union Ave stage.
Our daughter is already receiving requests to perform at wedding chapels in Gatlinburg, so this Rossini Festival performance was just the boost she needed for her self-confidence.
How wonderful!