Heather turned 40 last weekend, and this week she's flying solo with something a bit more personal than usual. It's an honest look at how she handled the run up to a birthday she really didn't want, and what she'd do very differently next time.

It's not really a birthday episode though. If you've ever put something off because you were dreading it, you'll recognise a lot of this. That same pattern turns up all over harp playing, and Heather talks through how to face it, why changing your mindset is much easier said than done, and why she's heading into this next year with a lot less dread.

In this episode:

– A whole year spent worrying, and the moment Heather realised nothing had actually changed

– How a poor attitude sucks the fun out of something before it even happens

– Why a bit of a wallow is fine, but a year-long one isn't

– The stressful lesson, the exam, or the technique problem you're quietly avoiding

– The three choices you've got when a concert's coming and you're dreading it

– Reframing the work you've put in, the people listening, and the sound of the harp

– Why sharing it with someone is the most useful thing you can do first

This is a vulnerable and funny one, and really it's about how much time and enjoyment we can lose to something we can't change, and how quickly that turns round once we choose to look at it differently.

Host:

Heather Downie – Harpist, Principal Lever Harp Tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Founder of How To Harp

Learn with us:

https://www.HowToHarp.com (membership, courses, retreats)

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