INVENTION XII: HARP CRADLE

This may be the most unusual instrument I have ever built. It was made on the occasion of the birth of the daughter of my longtime collaborator and friend, Sari, who is the vocalist in Music from the Mood Expansion Chamber, one of my major, long-term New York musical projects.

Sari was originally trained as a harpist and it seemed a wonderful experience to both allow Sari to play music for her daughter in her cradle, and for her daughter to have her first experiencing playing music in the cradle surrounding her. The strings produce a pleasant vibration of the woods themselves, which I imagine may have been a magical experience for one so young sitting in the harp cradle.

The harp has 5+ octaves and was designed to be tuned to a C-major scale with the Cs and Gs marked by colored strings. Most of the harp is made from green poplar with a spruce soundboard, with a mythical bird-creature’s head (made of curly maple, bocote, and cocobolo) prominently adorning the top.

The crib part features repurposed antique table legs, hand-carved from mohogany. It has a removable plate that can be placed to distance the child from the strings at night, and various adjustable rails and safety doors. The harp part is made to be separable from the crib should that be desired at some stage.

The child who spent her earliest years in this cradle has gone on to begin her first studies in violin.