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Harp therapists pull strings in San Diego

By David Moye

March 13, 2006

San Diego--The International Harp Therapy Conference, a bi-annual conference that brings together harp therapists from around the world, is changing how the harp is viewed by the masses.

The conference is the brainchild of Christina Tourin, president of the International Harp Therapy Program, an organization that promotes the healing effects of music, and the harp in particular.

Tourin says the harp is the “purest instrument” for music therapy because “it has crisp but soft sound—it’s not like, say, the trumpet. Also, there’s an association with angels that people find healing.”

Currently, harp therapy is becoming a popular treatment, especially in hospice, and Tourin says the plucking practitioners learn to play in a manner that matches the mood and body tempo of their patients. Harpists also work to master a resonant tone matching the person being healed.

There are harp therapists all over the world, but Tourin says it’s a pioneering field that got its start in San Diego back in the late 1960s when a man named Robbie Robinson came back from Paraguay with a small hand harp.

Robinson worked with Tourin to create a program that teaches “harp therapy” to people who may not even be professional musicians. In fact, no musical training is sometimes an advantage.

“There are some caregivers who pick it up within two months and sometimes they’re better at harp therapy than the professional musicians because there is less ego involved. They don’t get in the way of the music.”

The conference will feature seminars on topics such as playing Hawaiian music on the harp; marketing yourself as a harp practitioner and which musical tones match up to which acupuncture pressure points. But the highlight will be the March 17^th concert featuring the “World Harp Orchestra,” which will feature 150 harpists from places like Paraguay, Israel and Japan.

Because the concert is taking place on St. Patrick’s Day, the music will focus on Celtic compositions. However, Tourin says funds from the performance will be donated to Katrina relief.

The World Harp Orchestra Concert begins at 7 p.m., March 17, at the Red Lion Hanalei Hotel, 2270 Hotel Circle North. For more information, log onto www.harprealm.com

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