Chords and calluses

Images of celestial figures gently plucking gold strings and angelic melodies floating down from the heavens come to mind when a musician's specialty is the harp.

For Ashley Wong, freshman lead harpist for the UW Symphony Orchestra, harp playing is more about blisters, hours of practice and trying to figure out how to get a six-foot instrument into her car.

Wong, like other musicians, didn't find her preferred instrument right away. Growing up in a musical family, she first tried the piano and cello, but quickly decided neither was for her.

"My mom had this perfume bottle in her room in the shape of the harp and I decided that was the instrument I wanted to learn," Wong said. "Ironically, when my mom was pregnant with me, she was learning to play the harp."

Once she found her instrument, Wong began to understand how much a musician's life resembles a boot camp at times. Nine years of practicing one to three hours a day, combined with orchestra, wind ensemble or harp ensemble rehearsals gives her plenty of time to work on her calluses.

"I have a callus on my ring finger because the ring finger usually ends up plucking the metal strings," Wong said. "I've gotten my fair share of blisters as well as a few blood blisters."

One of the most important aspects of a Wong's musical life is finding opportunities to learn beyond the basics of note names and rhythms. She has attended meetings of the American Harp Society both nationally and locally, learning about workshops, techniques, classes and seminars.

"I participated as a helper in one of the classes my former teacher taught," said Wong. "It was extremely fun because I got to meet all of these harpists from around the nation."

Even though neither her high school nor junior high had an orchestra program, Wong's band directors helped create opportunities for her to showcase her harp playing.

"In band I played percussion, since harp is kind of a percussion instrument," Wong said. "Whenever my band director stumbled upon a piece with a harp part, I'd get to wheel in my harp and play. Actually, my band directors were always pretty cool and went out of their way to find pieces with a harp to make sure I played with them at least once a year."

All that hard work paid off when Wong received a scholarship from the UW School of Music along with her acceptance letter.

"When a freshman auditions for the UW's School of Music, it's also a scholarship audition," Wong said. "What I got was the Foster Scholarship for $1,750. I use it to pay for my school books as well as harp music and CDs of the pieces I'm learning."

The harp, while not one of the most popular orchestra or band instruments, has a long history -- especially in Europe. Dating back to ancient Egypt, Greece and Mesopotamia, the harp's rudimentary shape has stayed the same: a wooden frame strung with lengths of animal guts, hair or metal.

John Egan, of Dublin, Ireland, is credited with inventing the first foot-operated levers that could be used to stretch the strings and thereby change the tone and pitch of the notes. Couineau harp makers in Paris, however, are recognized as adapting Egan's design into what is the modern shape of the harp.

The harp can become one of the more expensive instruments to learn, since the overall cost includes private lessons, maintenance and the instrument itself. The UW does own five harps for students, but many musicians, including Wong, own one or more themselves.

"I like to say I have two and a half harps, since two are concert size and the third is a lap harp," said Wong. "My concert harps are roughly six feet two inches and the lap harp is, obviously, small enough to fit on someone's lap."

Unlike other intruments which can be used to play numerous types of music, harps (like other string instruments) produce unique tones depending on construction.

"There are certain pieces that are written for specific types of harp, for example lever harps, Celtic harps, etc., but it is possible to play [all music] on any type of harp," Wong said.

Since she started at the UW, Wong says her playing ability has already improved: a key part of continuing music education at the college level.

"My private instructor at the UW is Pamela Vokolek," said Wong. "I haven't been working with her very long since I just started studying with her this past fall quarter, but ever since the beginning she's kept me very focused and diligent in my practices and performances. I feel like I've already grown a lot musically under her guide."

Wong will be featured with the UW Symphony Orchestra in its Feb. 22 performance of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5.