Recording is an art in its own right. Each session is a new experience, a field of exploration. In this article, I share three essential lessons which I have drawn from my last studio recording sessions – and which I hope will help other harpists to approach this moment with serenity and pleasure.
1. According your harp: a gesture to never neglect
Give her harp before a session? Sure. But what I understood is that we have to re-allocate all the time, including between the catches.
In a studio, everything can affect the accuracy:
- the displacement of the instrument,
- ambient temperature,
- Or even... a solo a little too passionate!
It's not a chore, it's a habit that saves a grip. Nothing more frustrating than recording a beautiful moment... and then hearing a slightly false rope. So yes, it takes time, but it's the prize of excellence. And the ear becomes thinner and thinner by listening.
2. Welcoming Change and Collaboration
Even when we've prepared, written, repeated... the studio reserves surprises. And that's what makes the recording alive.
What I have learned is that we must leave room for others, for their ideas, for their visions. Sometimes an outside look can transform a song, enrich an intention, open a path I would never have thought of alone.
I learned to let go of my certainties. Yes, you can be in love with an arrangement... but the studio is also the art of adapting, improvising, collaborating. And often, that's where magic works.
3. Playing with great musicians: pure fun
This time, I recorded in duet with Cedric Le Donne, drummer and percussionist with whom I have been playing for a long time. It was a first: a duo album.
We just played. No pressure, no search for perfection — Just two musicians who dialogue. Sometimes a song was recorded twice, and it was already "in the box". Other times, we played four versions to explore.
What I felt? Great freedom, deep joy. As if everything we had built for years finally found a simple space to express itself. I look forward to sharing this new project with you.
And then... a thought for those who make it possible
Thanks. Greg Lampis, sound engineer, for his listening and expertise. His work has captured every shade, every intention.
What the studio sessions learn
The studio is a place of continuous learning:
- Patience
- Flexibility
- Joy to play together.
These three lessons already accompany my future projects.
What are you?
Sharing our experiences
I would be delighted to read your anecdotes, your difficulties or your most beautiful recording memories.
Write me to info@rossitzamilevska.com
And to follow the release of the new album « Double Vision », consider subscribing to my newsletter (at the bottom of the page).
