Carl Swanson is himself an accomplished harpist, and has written numerous articles over the years on various aspects of harp literature and harp pedagogy, as well as articles on harp maintenance.
These articles have all been published in either the Journal of the American Harp Society or the Harp Column. Because of regular requests for copies of those articles, he has decided to post them here so that you may copy and read them yourself.
• Corrections for Fauré’s Une Chatelaine en sa tour . [pdf]
• That Page! Solutions to the Pedal Nightmare in Debussy’s Danses [pdf]
• Corrections to Debussy's Sonate Pour Flute, Alto, & Harpe:
Third Movement: Final [pdf]
• A Prescription for Success
Beta Blockers and their use for performance anxiety.
• Debussy and his Danses
How did he want the first page played?
• Who actually wrote the Impromptu of Fauré?
Did someone else have a hand in the composition
of this piece?
• Travels with the New York Harp Ensemble
An entertaining look at the foibles and disasters that
result from four harpists and four harps traveling all
over the world.
• The Big Day
Learning how to perform.
• What the Judges Heard
How do judges judge a competition? What do they listen for? You may be surprised!
• Harp Maintenance
The importance of humidification.
• Hasselmans Remembered
What was it like to study with the most influential harp teacher in the history of the instrument? Here are four eye witness accounts.
• Rememberances of Pierre Jamet in His Centennial Year
Four people who knew Pierre Jamet well describe what he was like as a person, a teacher, and a mentor.
• Where's the Action?
What is the most overlooked and most important part of the pedal harp?
Carl Swanson