Music brings a special occasion – in this case your wedding – to life more immediate and profound than any other service!

In this article I want to give you a few ideas on how you can create a musical program that expresses your wedding–ceremony–vision:

Music For Your Wedding

For this very important day my guidelines should give you some help, so YOUR DAY also becomes an unforgettable »musical« experience…

Plan Your Wedding Ceremony

Planning your wedding ceremony and choosing a meaningful music selection for your marriage is the kind of help a professional musician offers.

Hiring a professional musician for your wedding ceremony is a wise choice, because:

• (s)he will show up in time,
• (s)he will be accurately dressed and
• (s)he will make a dedicated contribution so your wedding ceremony flows pleasantly.

Choosing Your Wedding Music

When planning your wedding ceremony there are five important musical choices to make:

1) Pre-Ceremony and Prelude Music

This music selection should create the mood for your wedding ceremony, which is usually quiet, content and magical, preparing everyone for the graceful vows.

Your musical choices can reach from:

• religious,
• classical,
• romantic,
• popular love songs,
• folk,
• celtic

or any combination.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Tell the musician if you have any favorite music pieces and/or special wishes! A professional musician(s) will select other appropriate music to match your basic choice.

2) Solo Music (if any Solo Music)

Solos are usually installed just before the processional or during the ceremony. Shorter ceremonies usually don’t require solo music. Oftentimes a friend of the bride and groom is asked to sing during the ceremony.

3) Processional Music for the Bride

When the groom and the officiant come to the altar the Processional starts.

Both may enter to the same music as the parents, if any music at all. Then the groomsmen enters usually with the bridesmaids.

Traditionally the processional music is glorious, monumental and slow-moving. The bride’s entrance is announced by a fanfare and everyone’s standing.

The bride generally enters to the “Bridal Chorus” from Richard Wagners “Lohengrin” (i.e. “Here Comes The Bride”) — however the choice is up to you. A professional will help and guide you to make a good choice.

4) Recessional Music

The Recessional takes place at the end of the wedding ceremony, usually after the kiss or after the officiant introduces the couple.

5) Music for the Bridal Party

There is a vast universe of music depending on what you want for your wedding party. Normally a Band or a Disc Jokey are the better choice to carry out this job, because people want to dance and celebrate!

However, depending on the size of your party venue and your budget, it is also possible to engage the harp for a more cocktail-style indoor event — which can be an amazing experience — especially for those people who prefer more tranquil music.

What’s next?

I am glad if I could provide some helpful information for those wedding couples and wedding planners seeking out some guidelines for getting started with their music plans.

To see a list of my stock wedding music please check out my harp music wedding play-list.

Further you can sneak in to the »COMMENT AREA« below to see comments (testimonials) on this article or write your own comment if you like. Just click on the comment link below to reach the comment box!

Also feel free to Email me if you have any questions or want further information about harp music and weddings.

My contact information can be found on my Contact Page.

At the time of writing this article my services are primary available in the area of the Canary Islands: Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerte Ventura.

You can also subscribe via RSS to this article or website.

Griset Damas

Director or the Spanish Ballet “Caña Flamenca” and the show
“Castañuelas, cuerdas y tacones”.

El haber actuado junto a Rocio Rodriguez en el espectaculo “Castañuelas, cuerdas y tacones” no solo se convirtio en un trabajo de aprendizaje continuo sino tambien en uno de los proyectos mas agradables y bellos en toda mi carrera como bailarina. La dedicacion, seriedad y disciplina de Rocio fue fundamental para sacar ese proyecto adelante. Su capacidad de trabajo nos motivo a tratar de llegar al nivel de interpretacion que requeria ese espectaculo ya que siempre senti que nuestro aporte podia quedarse corto ante el enorme talento de Rocio.

Directora del Ballet español Caña Flamenca y del espectaculo
Castañuelas, cuerdas y tacone

I can say very proudly that Rocio Rodríguez is an amazing artist!

Her playing on the harp is charming and virtuosistic!

As the First Harp of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Colombia she always revealed great talent and sensibility.

I feel very honored to be her friend and I know visiting her web page you will not hesitate to listen and enjoy her music!

Sincerely,

Irene Gomez
Classical Guitar Player

Finally you can now listen to some tunes of my latest CD-Project! I have set up an own page called “Music Samples” which can find in the top navigation panel — next to the Contact button — just below my picture!

Or just click HERE

Have Fun!

R.R.

She worked in workshops with students interested in the subject music and presented a concert with choreographic dance. She musically oriented the students, and did other similar activities with outstanding qualification.

RICHARD FREDERICK TOVAR CÀRDENAS

En mi calidad de director del Instituto de Estudios Interdisciplinarios de la Universidad Externado de Colombia de Bogotà D.C., hago constar que la arpista Rocìo Rodrìguez Manrique fue profesora de Apreciaciòn Musical durante cuatro semestres con calificaciòn acadèmica excelente.

Trabajò en talleres para estudiantes interesados en el tema y presentò un concierto con coreografìa y danza el cual orientò musicalmente, entre otras actividades similares con una acogida y calificaciòn sobresaliente.

RICHARD FREDERICK TOVAR CÀRDENAS

Lourdes Lobo (violin player)

Tuve la gran oportunidad de hacer música de cámara con Rocío, tengo el recuerdo de su gran sensibilidad musical, además de su excelente destreza técnica. Un excelente control y una intensa pasión, dulzura en su interpretación.

Lourdes Lobo (violinista)

I would like to state that Rocio has distinguished herself as a fine harpist during the time that I was Music Director of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Colombia. As soloist she played the Mozart Concerto for flute and harp admirably. Irwin Hoffman Music Director, Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota,. Colombia

I am delighted that you surfed your way to this homepage which is 100% dedicated to HARP MUSIC!!!

Since I have started playing my harp again in 2005 – and still love to spend as much time possible with my little daughter Sofia – I will try to keep this Website as up to date as possible and post new articles once or even twice a month.

If you want you can add a live bookmark to your browser or even subscribe via the RSS function of this site so you’ll be notified whenever I post a new article…

For now – have FUN strolling through my little harp universe and please make use of the comment function which can be found at the end of each post!

Yours

Rocío Rodríguez Manrique

P.S. More Information about myself can be found in the PAGES section under ABOUT ME!

I am far from being a critic so I just want to share my opinions with you, other colleagues and harp music lovers from all around the world.

First of all I classify the different harp music styles because I think that the irish folk harp is not comparable with the classical pedal harp. They are totally different instruments with their own unique structure.

Let’s start with pedal harp music.

One of my favorites CD’s is ”The Genius of Salzedo” by Judy Loman. I simply love this CD. I admire her brilliant playing, expression and also the round sound of her touch, the clarity of every single little note. I especially like the original pieces of Salzedo. I believe that no one else than Judy Loman has played this masterpieces with such greatness. She is not only a great harp player but also an incredible teacher.

The next harpist could not have been better described than by Robert Sherman from the New York Times:

“Nancy Allen is a major artist, with virtuosity all the more impressive for being incidental to the projection of expressive values…”

Nancy Allen has recorded many brilliant CDs. I think she should live at least 300 years to record every possible writing for the harp. I simply love her musicality and her incredible technique. In my opinion she can really sing through the instrument. I especially love her transcriptions of Debussy and Ravel.

Now let’s switch to the Celtic Harp:

From the Celtic Harp I have a special CD that my daughter loves when she goes to bed. Carol Thompson “The Enchanted Isles”. I am not very familiar with all the good Celtic harp players but indeed this is one I love to listen to often.

Also from the celtic harp Kim Robertson is also my favorite. I have no idea where to classify her? You can find her because you can find her in the new age section as well as the celtic one. Her original compositions are gorgeous. I like the way she improvises. We somehow know that improvising with the harp is not always easy and I think that Kim has a very beautiful way of doing it. She’s so expressive that even the simplest song sound outstanding. I admire how she made her own way being a successful harp player.

My next favorite harp player is the outstanding Andrew Laurence King. He plays the double harp (Arpa Doppia). His arrangements of antique and renaissance music are simply amazing and unique. He is a true creative harpist. I specially like the “Art of Ludovico” CD. He brings the renaissance music to a delightful listening experience.

To finish my essay about my favorites harp players, I could never exclude the fantastic South American harp player Alfredo Rolando Ortiz. He plays the paraguayan harp absolutely gorgeous. I’d like to tell him: Thank you for existing Rolando! and for writing the most beautiful south american music, that we classical harp players are now able to play.

Presently I am working on his music and it’s not only a challenge to play these pieces but a true rhythmical and emotional experience.

Well in my experience I have realized that the word »hard« it is to avoid. And another fact: It is not only the quantity of time you spend practicing but the quality of your practice routine.

Here are some tips I have discovered through out all the years by practicing the Harp. I have found that this time is very important to achieve a good performance. We all know of course that the way we prepare our selves for any performance is important to get good results.

To begin I think that the practicing time it is like a Ritual. I think that is a moment to enjoy and love as well as concentrate all our efforts to be able to have solutions for all our technical difficulties and to make the best out of the expression of the music. I Personally always have something hot to drink on my little table, air the room while i am stretching and little things, decorations to make the ritual a comfy place to be.

All this will help to relax our body and mind so this time will be very productive. It is the moment of being connected completely with the music and let our selves go to be able to express the emotions that every piece of music can give us. Isn’t this the purpose of playing an instrument? the music will help us to overcome the technical problems and not the opposite!

Even before sitting down I strongly recommend to take a few minutes to stretch our arms, back and neck. Also I think that the forward bend is important to bring more blood and oxygen to the head – this will help our concentration. At the same time relaxing our minds by breathing . Like this we will avoid tensions and physical problems that can led to panful results. We are now prepared to learn faster and more efficiently.

Taking also a few minutes of your favorites fingering exercises will help you relive some tense muscles and help to warm up a little. I sometimes warm up by playing some difficult passages very slowly so at the same time I can memorize tricky parts. I remember my wonderful teacher Judy Loman who was always saying: Practice L and S! Loud and Slow! It is this moment when we can strengthened our fingers and think about the structure and harmony of the piece.

Being aware of the body’s position all the time is crucial. The positioning of the hand is very important so is the one of the shoulders — don’t screw your back — feel comfortable.

During my song studies I usually rotate the music so I at least play the same piece every second or third day. And when I think that some piece is pretty ready to play I start to play it as I would play for someone or in public. Like that your mind gets the habit of picturing the audience. In the practice room we usually play for our selves and we forget that the main objective is to transmit the music to the audience. Once I heard: The interpreter is the bridge between the composer and the public. So it is good that we think about playing for someone while we practice. Make it also a routine.

One tip that has help me to overcome memory blanks is to play the piece with a lot of interruptions. I mean that when you stop or interrupt for a few seconds any passage you must be able to know how to continue, so you know exactly the notes and the pedals you need to be able to continue. This is a good training for the performance.

If you want to write your comments about this subject you can write me an email

Here are two very interesting books I recommend to read:

The Confident Performer By Dr. David Roland
The Inner game of Music by Barry Green