June 15, 2019 - Hee Jin Yoon (Harp)
There is no doubt in my mind that Inception started because of Hee Jin Yoon.
Back before the Dream Orchestra concert, I introduced myself at a show when I was doing my due diligence.
I was in the middle of writing my compositions, and I wanted to write for harp.
I had no idea how.
I asked Hee Jin if she could teach me.
Hee Jin is a very petite Asian woman, and she drove to my apartment in a SVU and slung her harp out of the trunk as if she was tackling someone in the WWE.
She set up in my living room, and then Hee Jin taught me everything about the harp she knew: Notation. Pedaling. Fingering. She played various styles of music. And then special effects. How to unconventionally create sounds.
It was exactly what Inception would become (though I didn't know it at the time.)
Every time Hee Jin comes in to mentor, I am thrilled and grateful. She is the sweetest, quietest teacher, but she plays the harp like a force of nature and oodles of creativity.
For some reason, Hee Jin hands me a copy of the harp pedaling chart every time she sees me, and has sent me the file many times over. It's as if she's telegraphing that I don't have it down.
Look, here are all the things I've learned so far:
Firstly, the harp is not a piano. Players only use four fingers per hand.
Accidentals must be adjusted for each pitch using the pedals. (In other words, writing a chromatic scale would not be great harp writing.)
Pedal direction is the reverse of what is logical for a pianist. Flats are up, and sharps are down.
Harpists should be given time to change their pedals.
Many harpists don't like their pedaling written in, so know your player.
Those are the basics. For more, come to one of Hee Jin's workshops.
She improvises. Plays students' pieces reorchestrated for harp. She threw in effects. She challenged the composers in the most graceful of ways.
There are just some people who are just being themselves, but Hee Jin sets the greatest example by doing so.
A privilege to work with her every time.
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