Angels' Harp What life and art means to me
Angel's Harp means to me one who aspires to listen to or play music with a Heavenly sound. It is the good feeling in what I want to hear. Any form of art can apply though. The Rock group "Ten Years After" published an album in the early 70's titled "A Space In Time", which is hugely popular for one song to this day.... "I'd Love To Change The World".... but I don't know what to do...... so I leave it up to you..... It has that catchy acoustic guitar that many practice as they learn. On that same album is a song titled:
"Once There Was A Time"
Once there was a time I'd rob my mama
For a good meal and a smoke
Once there was a time I'd sell my brother
For a dollar when I was broke
But I'd never sell my guitar
And my strings were always sharp
'cause if I don't have a guitar
I'll be strumming on some Angel's Harp
And if I don't get to heaven
And I go down there below
Better be a guitar when I get there
Or, I will refuse to go
Once there was a time I was hungry
And I'd find my food in some bin
But I'd never, never sell my guitar
'cause that would, darling, that would be a sin
When I was young this was a favorite record and I used it often to help teach myself guitar. My father would not let us listen to Rock music as we grew up in the 60's. So we listened mostly to Country and Jazz. Pete Fountain, Chet Atkins, Boots Randolph, and Johnny Cash were among our early influences. My father was a great fan of Dixieland Jazz and collected records of all of this "Sweet" music. I learned to enjoy many forms. I want to celebrate the good feelings and creativity from a broad spectrum. Therefore my list is long and varied. I love a great deal of Classical, Big Band, Jazz, Blues, Rock, and Popular, just about anybody who can express and have a little talent can make a joyous noise unto the Lord.
Music is a very influential aspect of life for most. We spend a great deal of time and money in order to take part in or enjoy the making of it. We love to find something to identify with in our favorite artists or genre. Sometimes we take this very seriously and even become competitive, either as an artist or a fan. I have seen some very staunch discussions on who might be the best guitar player or singer for instance. There is a reasonable point to where most of us can agree upon what true talent is, but to be fair, music is a matter of taste and we should endeavor to focus on the enjoyment rather than the debate. I would love to share with you both the enjoyment I find and to discover what makes you tick. It's all good stuff as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You won't learn much unless you open your mind to new things. This doesn't mean one should not have preferences and remain focused, but we should also respect the opinions of others.
The line in "Once There Was A Time" suggested the name "Angelsharp" as an email name and I have kept it for a very long time. It helps me to keep that Sweet aspect in what I try to create on guitar and in many other things that I do. I want to write about subjects with a positive message and focus on subjects that feel good. I want to take photographs of happy occasions and fun times. Animals have become a very popular subject for the camera and I love Dogs and Cats. Recently a wedding afforded me the chance to take some candid photos that brought great joy to those involved. I have many things to share and I hope they go a long way towards keeping this site vital. I really enjoy the reactions and comments that photos can attract. It wouldn't be the overwhelming presence that it is on the internet if this wasn't one of the best ways to communicate.
Long ago I was a CB radio junkie and I loved to randomly chat with others. I find the internet a much more powerful and diverse way to do that very same thing. It also keeps me close to my friends and is a marvelous source to learn from on just about any subject. I was impressed by a teacher that the most intelligent thing we can say is, "I Don't Know". We must remain honest with ourselves and others and be ready to learn. It costs far too much to fake it and waste everyone's time, including your own. We may not realize it at an early age in school, but learning is a life long process and the sooner we can come to that conclusion the more time we have in our endeavor. It is my hope that we can be friends and make progress in this journey. Let the music, images, and the words bring joy. May we grow in the experiences and learn to love each other in the process. And I pray that in the end, we'll be strumming on an Angel's Harp.