THE EPIPHANY

Lisa Lynne detoured from rock to 'Harps for Hearts,' and started brightening lives

By Marcia Manna

With cascading curls framing her face and graceful fingers that caress the strings of her Celtic harp, Lisa Lynne is the image of a New Age fairy princess. It's quite a makeover from the days when she played electric bass in 1980s rock bands, earning her living in the rough and tumble club scene.

A jam session at a Renaissance fair lured Lynne into experimenting with the harp and her musical direction changed.

"I had always loved acoustic music and used mandolin in my rock bands, but the harp just blew me away," said Lynne, who will perform tomorrow at Seaside Church in Encinitas. "It was an epiphany. I fell in love with it and immediately made it a big part of my life."

For the past 10 years, Lynne has recorded and toured from coast to coast, playing her original compositions at outdoor festivals, theaters and concert halls. At heart, she considers herself a street performer and likes to say she plays "in places where life is really lived."

But listeners can also find her in places where life is a struggle to survive. Like many musicians, Lynne pondered the ways that she might connect with a larger audience.

As Lynne looked over her dozen harps, lined up "like sailing ships," she came upon a solution that started an interesting ripple effect.

"I took all of them to my grandmother's convalescent program in my van," she said. "First, I set them up in a circle and did a little concert. Then I moved the harps toward anyone who wanted to play."

Some of the senior citizens were shy, others were curious. Aged hands reached out to pluck the strings and as the room resounded with music, spirits brightened.

"It was so incredible, I knew I was on to something," said Lynne. "The harp is unique in that it is a forgiving instrument. Even a child, or someone without skill, can make a pleasing sound, simply by pulling on the strings, one at a time. People are amazed at the pretty music they can play."

The reaction inspired Lynne to establish a not-for-profit program called "Harps for Hearts." She distributed letters to hospitals and care centers, describing the positive effects of playing and listening to the harp.

Two years ago, the City of Hope National Cancer Center in Duarte invited her to become its first musician-in-residence. Based on Lynne's program, the center launched a workshop and concert series called "Hands On Harps."

There, patients can learn to play and listen to harp music in a way that many believe promotes healing. Both employees and patients embraced the idea.

"It's probably the only place in the world that has so many harpists on staff," said Lynne. "Pretty neat."

During her time at City of Hope, Lynne composed the songs featured on her new album, "Hopes and Dreams." To her surprise, the CD ranked No. 6 on the Billboard New Age Instrumental chart.

"This record was so intimate and personal to me," said Lynne. "I didn't think it would be considered a commercial release at all. It was a love song to the patients and I didn't think it would get any airplay."

Another perspective was gained by Lynne's involvement in the "Hands On Harps" program. One that enriched her life.

"I've developed friendships with people who are involved in a long-term battle (for life)," she said. "I'm an easy crier. But when I'm at City of Hope, even playing for a baby who is very sick, I feel more love than sadness."

Marcia Manna: (760) 476-8223
marcia.manna@uniontrib.com