Author Archives: rileylaurie

There is a special element of great duo or group musicianship that, to an outsider, can seem uncanny; something more than just two or more people who are able to play the same piece at the same time. When the music is flowing out of them expressively and with an almost electric energy, it’s asContinue reading “Intuitive Musical Communication  – Getting in the Zone With Your Musical Partners”

Those of you who are teachers have surely noticed that some students are creative learners, while others prefer to use a formulaic approach. Both ways of learning are, of course, valid, and both types present challenges and delights. Generally speaking, the formulaic learner is often someone whom we might refer to as left-brained  –  someoneContinue reading “How Do You Teach Creativity?”

Recently there was a discussion on one of the music list-serves regarding overtones. There seems to be some confusion about what they are. Many were confusing them with sympathetic vibration, when in fact they are not the same. Here’s what the difference is: sympathetic vibration is when a vibrating object causes other objects to vibrate,Continue reading “Overtones, Sympathetic Vibration, and Resonant Frequency”

No matter how much we learn about music, there is always something additional to learn. But also, whatever our skill level, there’s always something we should already know but we missed or skipped. Those missing pieces limit our skills and our enjoyment in playing. We may not even realize there is something missing that could solveContinue reading “Understanding the Building Blocks of Music”

NEWS FLASH! I will be on a concert and teaching tour in July – please go to https://laurierileymusic.com/lauries-concert-and-workshop-tour-schedule. See https://laurierileymusic.com/lauries-concert-and-workshop-tour-schedule NEWS FLASH! I am pleased and humbled to announce that I wil be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Somerset Folk Harp Festival in July! This is an annual international gathering of harpers.  http://www.somersetharpfest.com/presenters4.html#riley NEWS FLASH! After AugustContinue reading “News from Laurie!”

My Life in Music By popular demand! Laurie’s autobiography! A must-read for all musicians! This life story expresses the challenges and joys of becoming a successful professional musician, from earliest childhood influences, through detours and uncertainties, and through the career that has been my lifelong passion. Formerly, I wrote about a portion of my touring life in my books “AllContinue reading “It’s finally here – my new book…”

April  2017           JULY 20-23 at the Sheraton Parsippany Harp pioneer Laurie Riley has been there, done that! When Laurie Riley took up lever harp in 1981 there were very few musicians playing the instrument and very few harpmakers making folk harps. Laurie Riley is this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, recognizedContinue reading “I am thankful for this honor!”

Is Your Music Right-Brained or Left-Brained? Although almost no one is completely right-brained or left-brained, most of us tend heavily toward one or the other. A right-brained person is usually defined as someone who is intuitive, expressive, and creative; a left-brained person is usually defined as someone who is matter-of-fact, logical, and precise. Right-brained musiciansContinue reading “Is Your Music Left-Brained or Right-Brained?”

Every performer who has been on a stage with a sound system knows that it adds a dimension that can be either a pleasure or a challenge.  Sound systems are supposed to enhance your performance, but sometimes they do just the opposite. Here are some hints to make the sound system experience as successful asContinue reading “Working Well with Sound Systems”

The mind is like a puppy: it won’t just automatically do what you tell it to do  – you have to train it.  Interestingly, training doesn’t just apply to the things we need to focus on, but we also need to practice how to relax mentally and physically, and how to develop the habit ofContinue reading “Focus and Relaxation: The Essentials of Great Musicianship”