The Harp Glissando

My An Arkie's Faith column from the January 20, 2021, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

The lighting was dim, and Megan joined in the noisy chatter as the elementary students streamed into the cafeteria. The tables were against the walls, and the chairs in the middle of the room faced an impromptu stage. The children were entranced by what they saw under the lights of the stage. An impressively large and ornate harp seemed to magically rise from its small pedestal base to a height taller than the students.

Megan found a seat near the back of the room and waited for the assembly to begin. After a couple of announcements, the principal introduced the woman with the harp. Beautiful music filled the room as the woman started to play. Megan listened intently. “That is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard,” she thought. After a few songs, the woman stopped playing and started telling the students about the harp.

Megan had noticed that some of the harp strings were colored and some were not. She wondered why. Her ears perked up when the woman began to explain. “The strings of a harp are color-coded for quick reference,” she said. “On my harp, all the C strings are red, and all the F strings are black, although, on some harps, the F strings might be dark blue. All of the other strings are not colored.” She continued, “why are the strings colored? It is simply so we harpists can find our place at a glance.”

“Do I have any volunteers who would like to come up and play the harp?” Almost every hand in the room shot up. Megan wanted to see the harp up close and to touch the strings, but she was a quiet, timid little girl, sitting in the back. She was sure that the student chosen would not be her. “I will choose one boy and one girl,” the woman said. After selecting a boy from the front of the room, she looked towards the back and pointed directly at Megan. Megan slowly walked up to the front of the room, with her heart beating fast. She could not believe that the woman chose her. She was shy about being in front of all her classmates but excited about the harp.

When Megan reached the front, she forgot about everyone in the audience. Her only focus was the beautiful harp in front of her. The woman with the harp said, “ladies first,” and Megan found herself directly next to the harp. “Do you remember when I talked about the colored strings?” the woman asked. “C is red, and F is black. Find a C and play it for me.” Megan reached out and plucked a red string. With that first note, it was a done deal; she wanted to play this instrument.

“Next,” the woman said, “we are going to play a glissando. It is one of the most beautiful sounds that the harp makes, and you will be able to do it. It is played by rapidly sliding your finger along the strings like this.” The sound seemed magical to Megan. “Now you do it,” the woman said. As she drew her finger along the strings and heard the glissando, Megan knew that she wanted to learn to play the harp and make beautiful music.

Megan talked to her parents about playing the harp for a year before they agreed, saying, “we will find you a harp teacher.” From that moment on, playing the harp was a priority for Megan. She did not know what that would look like, but she just knew that she wanted to play the harp. She received a Bachelor of Music in harp from the University of Arizona and a Master of Music from the University of Texas at Austin. She gained a Premiere Prix from the music conservatory in Grasse, France, under Alessandra Magrini and Elisabeth Fontan-Binoche’s tutelage.

Megan’s music showcases a mix of jazz, folk, contemporary, and classical styles that always drive after authentic, meaningful expression. She is an accomplished performer and avid collaborative artist, working with numerous artists in other disciplines, including songwriters, composers, dancers, choreographers, visual artists, poets, and studio musicians.  

I heard Megan’s story in her interview on the podcast, Instrumental with JJ Heller. After telling the story of her life pursuing excellence on the harp, even moving to France to learn from the living legend Elisabeth Fontan-Binoche, Megan recounted the story of her first experience with a harp. That day in the cafeteria at her elementary school profoundly changed her life. In retrospect, her future hinged on that seemingly unimportant moment. During the interview, Megan said, “we can never really guess what God has in store for us.”

In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul wrote, “No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard, no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (ERV) I know that Christians usually quote this verse in connection with heaven. I do believe that we can not imagine the wonders of living eternally with God. But I think that the verse also contains an essential lesson for our lives here on this earth. When young Megan walked into her school assembly that day, she could not imagine her future life as an accomplished performer on the harp who teaches in her private studio in Cabris, France. But God had plans for her.

Gentle Reader, just like God had plans for Megan Metheney to make beautiful music on the harp, He has plans for you. In Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), God says, “I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” What are God’s plans for your life? I don’t know. But I do know that he has a plan. You can be just as sure as David was when he said, “the Lord will work out his plans for my life; for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.” Psalms 138:8 (NLT)