I was quickly won over by Betty-Ashton’s creativity and expressiveness on this overlooked and misunderstood instrument. But that is part of her mission: Betty-Ashton wants her audience to come away with a new understanding of the harp’s power to heal, to express deep creativity and to bring joy.
While still in high school, the young harpist founded “Harp to Heart,” a music therapy program to minister to babies and visitors in the local hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Unit. In college (Vanderbilt U and the prestigious Blair School of Music) , she continued her ministry, eventually serving as “Musician in Residence” at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as well as visiting other cancer centers and pediatric centers with her healing harp music.
But it’s much more than mellow background music when Betty-Ashton gets going, as “Home” so ably portrays. She moves with great agility from classically influenced to Celtic overtones to intricate and dramatic pieces, all self-penned. The twelve tracks of “Home” highlight her versatility and creativity in both modern and traditional song settings.
I quickly began to worry less about my reviewing duties and let myself relax into pure enjoyment as the tracks of “Home” flew by, moving from the serenity of the opening title track to the surprisingly strapping “Falling,” its notes plunking into my consciousness like fat raindrops on a pond. If raindrops could rock, that is. Yup, “Falling” has the slightest rock edge to it, and by then I knew this harp lady had something special.
“Anniversary” will surprise you with its Celtic overtones, and Betty-Ashton gets into some more muscular strumming on the dramatic “Lolita,” somehow coaxing a Spanish feel from the gilded strings. “Improvisation on Tournier” flows from dark to light, from peaceful to powerful, and the intricate “Yesterday” builds to a deeply expressive crescendo. Do I understand how she does it, how she makes the harp sound like several instruments at once? Not even a little bit; I only know it moves me.
The quiet “Child’s Song” will lull you with its gentle power and the lovely closer “Improvisation on Debussy” grooves with a dark tenderness. I thoroughly enjoy when Betty-Ashton goes to the dark side on that wild harp of hers.
The fact that she uses her musical gift to minister is impressive. The fact that she rocks on it makes it all the sweeter. Viva la harp and Betty-Ashton Andrews!
