First rejection
As is customary in almost all cases, the first thing I tried was a lever harp, generously lent by Gertrude Endrödy (formerly Niederrheinische Symphoniker). However, after I immediately switched to the concert harp, it took me more than ten years to pay tribute to this instrument.
The first session
The session in Dublin, mentioned on the page telling the story about the bodhrán, also gave the impetus to practice on the harp Irish Trad. So it happened that a small Bardic 27 from the manufacturer Camac Harps France moved in and accompanied me for more than ten years now.
The atypical lever harp
What fascinates me most about this harp and what makes it so pleasant lymeable for me is the very high string tension compared to other lever harps and the string spacing. I don't need to change my playing technique and can pay more attention to the music. Last but not least, the combination of the classical playing technique of the concert harp with the high string tension is responsible for an unusually high volume of the harp in Irish Trad Sessions, which was always received with great pleasure.
Exploring new territory
For me, as a classically trained musician, everything about improvisation is initially unknown territory, so it was also necessary in Irish music to crack a nut. Here usually only the melodies are handed down/recorded, the accompaniment is improvised appropriately. This can make it possible to hear the same tune both harmoniously and in terms of rhythmic accents in completely different versions.
The incentive and high ideal
One of the greatest inspirations on this path was the music of the band Lúnasa, I like the mixture of an inescapable musical power and at the same time free-breathing joie de vivre, implemented in a fabulous interplay.