Bellingham woman teaches how to play lap harp

MICHELLE NOLAN - FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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Stressed out? Learn to play the lap harp.

That's the advice of Bellingham's Christine Magnussen, who offers lessons in-person to local students and online to people around the world.

Magnussen, who had been playing the piano since she was 3, discovered the joy of harp music at age 41 on a trip to Nova Scotia 13 years ago.

| ANDY BRONSON | THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

MORE ABOUT CHRISTINE MAGNUSSEN
Christine Magnussen has two Web sites, www.HarpSpirit.com and www.peacecalm.com. For details about lessons, contact her at relax@harpspirit.com.
Magnussen's CD, "On Wings of a Dove," is available at www.peacecalm.com.

"I'm firmly convinced that learning to either play the lap harp, or to enjoy harp music, can make a major difference in the quality of anyone's life," she said.

Question: Is it difficult to learn to play the harp?

Answer: People always think of harps as these large, beautiful instruments, but there are also these wonderful lap harps that anyone can learn to play. I look at a harp as a vertical piano. Anyone who has played piano can transition easily, since it's the same scale.

Q: Are there other advantages to lap harps?

A: When you're holding that lap harp right up against your body, you're feeling the vibrations so intensely that the harp becomes one with you. This is not some strange thing. Civilizations since biblical times have known of the benefits of harp music.

Q: How do you reach and teach people in other countries?

A: I use Skype technology over the Internet. It's pretty exciting to know you're helping someone thousands of miles away to learn such a beneficial aspect of their life.

After working in medical harp therapy in the late 1990s, I became more convinced than ever that I wanted to help people cope with stresses that affect all of us in so many ways.

I had been a hospice volunteer when I lived in Eugene (Ore.). When I started playing the harp, I recognized immediately the therapeutic value of the instrument. I was one of the first people in the field of harp therapy.

Q: How does harp music relieve stress?

A: As soon as a person begins to play or listen, they can feel stress leaving their body. It's a great distraction from mental or physical pain. It slows the heart rate and increases endorphins, leading to an increased sense of well-being.

Q: What do you mean by "harp harmony"?

A: The entire spectrum of the harp harmonizes with our bodies. You can feel the vibrations coming into your body. My students are people from all walks of life and all ages, and I've seen over and over how they release tension by playing the harp. During the hour they're with me, they're disconnected from the stress of life.

Michelle Nolan is a freelance writer.