“I love the harp! Building it was quite an experience (I had fun but also learned a lot), and the finished harp is a fine, sweet instrument and truly is a pleasure to play!”
~ Hana Kobot
“My lovely little harp arrived today, and I wanted to let you know how very pleased I am. It’s wonderful that you’ve designed this lovely cardboard harp. The harp has such a sweet tone! I was pleasantly surprised, and won’t hesitate to recommend your wonderful cardboard harp to anyone who is looking for a small lap harp. My husband just told me that the very highest notes are sweeter and easier to listen to than on my main small lap harp. That was disconcerting to say the least, as my all wood harp was about $1,400. I was also so happy to play the beautiful arrangements in “Music Just for This Harp.” It’s not often that I discover music for smaller lap harps, which are my favorites. Thank you for making an innovative, affordable, and nice sounding lap harp!”
~ Holly Goodale
“The harp named herself Hielan Rose 🙂 I have played her more than any other harp I have been able to access due to her light weight and portability – at home, at school and at the park, both sitting and standing (with two scarves to form a strap). As a result I have learned more tunes within the last week than I ever would have expected! Her sound is incredibly sweet and she has held her tune for a very long time. The tension and spacing of her strings is just right for me. Even looking at her brings a smile. It takes some effort to tear myself away from playing to focus on other things, but playing Hielan Rose so calms the mind that everything else becomes much easier to tackle. I can definitely say that it has transformed my life to have her with me.”
~ Susana G
“Dennis, the harp world owes you such a debt of gratitude. You contribute so much and we are so grateful.”
~ Beth Stockdell, Editor of the Folk Harp Journal
“When people see my Waring Harp, I always affectionately refer to it as “The Harp That Can’t Be Killed”. It has survived small children, children with various disabilities, a major household move, and of course, being dropped, pushed, compressed and being piled under without having its beguilingly sweet tone disrupted one bit.”
~ Sherry Lenox
“I had the honor of meeting two very special people, the master Dennis Waring and his wife, they preside over the Waring Music (Harps factory), we saw during the Somerset Harp fest. It was a pleasant surprise for me when I did a test playing a song in one of their small but powerful Cardboard Harps. I stayed surprised that a nice sound came out of that little instrument, and I decided to make an informal video for my social networks. Thank you very much Waring Music for sharing your ingenuity with us, I also think that this harp is a good option for beginners at low cost.”
~ Eduardo Betancourt, Professional Harpist
“The harps Dennis created are needed on the earth now. The sound of them causes new vibrations that go into the earth. The energy of this beautiful sound enriches our homes, our environment and the earth itself. The universe and all life in it absorb the sounds of your harps. Spirits listen to your harp and draw pleasure and joy from its music.”
~ Mari Bentley, Professional Psychic
I want to tell you how much I love my little harp, Astra. We are having a great time together. I love the tone and how well it balances/stands by itself. That makes it great to take to gigs where the kids (of all ages) can come by and play with it. Plus, I have a Little Free Library in my yard so for Halloween I was the Book Fairy and passed out books and treats to the kids. It was a huge hit.
~ Beth Stockwell, Editor of The Folk Harp Journal
“It was a pleasure to meet Dennis Waring at the Somerset festival in New Jersey, and to put a face on the man who is behind the wonderful cardboard harps. The first time I put my fingers on one of your incredible “cardboard harps”, I could not believe what I was getting from such a cleverly-designed light and affordable harp. I was so enthusiastic about it that I could not resist to open my performance by playing a few tunes on it in Tasmania in March 2011. I was proud to show the audience that a musical instrument does not need to be heavy, sophisticated and expensive to enjoy making real music. I will never forget how the audience was amazed by the possibilities of such a small harp. This was certainly one of the highlights of the evening. Congratulations for such an achievement, your design democratizes the harp to a greater public.”
~ Jakez Francois, President of Camac Harps, France
“I must tell you how much we are enjoying your wonderful music creations! They continue to save my sanity and intrigue me musically on a daily basis. It has been a delight to work with you.”
~ Ellen Cree
“You are an absolute genius, Dennis Waring. Your professionality is breathtaking, your enthusiasm is heartwarming. Just incredible.”
~ Minea Alvsten from France
“Wow. Just finished assembling and tuning the harp and I am quite impressed. Full disclosure: I own a 39-year-old L&H Troubadour (that was bought new for me when I was a teenager) and a 2003 Harpsicle. My purpose in buying your harp was to put it in my office. I am a computer science professor at Tufts University. I already have two cardboard banjos made by “backyard music” in my office. This will add a cardboard harp to the display. Students already know there are free banjo lessons available at my office hours; adding harp lessons will not be a major change! I tell my students that the instruments in my office save lives. Any time someone sends me an obnoxious email, I just play the banjo a while and then I don’t want to strangle them any more. While few harps can stand up to the L&H, your harp is better designed than the harpsicle. The upper strings are all reachable with my large hands, and the wooden bridge does away with the problem of aligning the harpsicle strings. As for how it sounds, the two harps are pretty much equivalent in sound, which is saying something since the harpsicle costs 3x as much. Many thanks!”
~ Alva L. Couch
“I just wanted to let you know that I love my Waring Harp. Thank you for making the kits, they really are easy to assemble, and it has brought a great joy into my life.”
~ Qaiel Peltier, Transition Age Youth Division, County of Humboldt, California
“I have played harp since I was a tiny thing, and the only draw back is that it’s really difficult to cart around– makes playing around a campfire or an impromptu jam session with friends basically impossible. But not anymore, thanks to your glorious cardboard sound box! It doesn’t hurt that I have an intense affinity for all things made of cardboard. I’m so happy to have a harp I can take with me so easily. Thank you, thank you.”
~ Kristen
“The harp tasting at the Somerset Harp Festival was interesting and your little harp showed up a few wooden, and much more expensive harps.”
~ Larry Fisher, Master Harp Maker, Winnipeg, Manitoba
“The sound is much nicer than on the Mid-East harps of a similar size. It’s nice and light – a perfect travel harp. Yesterday we had some family visit us, including a four-year old grand niece. She was fascinated by my harps, and I was so glad to be able to let her play one: your prototype! I sat her down on the sofa with ‘her own’ harp and gave her a first lesson. She loved it, and I am hoping we have started something with her….I would have been reluctant to let a four-year old play my big Dusty, and it would have been way too big for her – but your little harp was perfect!”
~ Gerry Serviente, Organizer of the Somerset Harp Festival
“Everyone I have played the harp for is blown away by its sound! It’s so much fun to watch their jaws drop.”
~ Cindy-Ellen Morgan, Editor of the Harplight Journal
“The instructions in the kit are wonderfully clear and the harp was a fun and relatively easy project to complete. Now I am having fun playing it! Thanks very much. I’ve been wanting a folk harp for a long time but did not want to pay a pricey figure in order to determine if I enjoyed playing one. With your kit I have discovered that I do very much enjoy the harp, have a natural affinity for it, and will pursue playing.”
~ Melanie Crowley, San Jose, CA
“I might have to revise my ideas of where this harp lives. My wife picked it up last night and successfully learned to play Greensleeves as a duet with me. While I have given her plenty of opportunity to learn to play one of the many instruments around the house (and there are tens of instruments available, in every conceivable design), she has not played a musical instrument since high school band 40 years ago. One reason she is interested in your particular harp is that her back often hurts and she can play your harp while laying down! (She is also very much intrigued by your “trash to tunes” program. There is very much in common between that and the way she teaches science based upon exploring the properties of found objects.)”
~ Alva L. Couch
I have my harp all put together now and I am so excited to play it! I have had my first lesson too. I can now play Twinkle Twinkle, Mary Had a Little Lamb and Frere Jacques. I love my harp! I also love seeing the look on people’s faces after they HEAR a harp made of cardboard! It has a beautiful sounds. I wouldn’t have been able to learn the harp if it hadn’t been for Waring Harp kits. Thank you so much for giving me an affordable instrument alternative to learn on.
~ Heather Moffatt Rosen
The instructions were very easy to follow, the kit was very well organized and the harp sounds great! I highly recommend your company to all my colleagues.
~ Kari Staab, Music Therapist, University of Kansas
I’m so grateful for your harp kits. It has been quite a journey the past few years discovering the beauty that playing the harp has brought into my life.
~ Oliver Seary
The mini harp came. I love it. I played it all afternoon. I have to put it down to cook supper but I will pick it up again after supper. And since I will soon be traveling to Israel, it fits my suitcase just perfectly with room to spare. I love that little harp. Thank you.
~ Carolyn Ansell
About six months ago I purchased one of your harps, and have had tremendous fun learning to play with it. It’s been a fantastic purchase, and I’m very glad I decided to buy!
~ Dan Hatfield
Thanks so much! The harp arrived and I am putting it together. I was skeptical at first when I ordered it – particularly with the cardboard sound box, but I am very impressed with the build quality. The joints are not simple and the wood seems like solid maple. I really appreciate your making this available to people.
~ Will Stevenson
Thank you for the wonderful work you do in the harp world! Your harps address the needs of current harpists with grace and ease.
~ Diana Rowan, Virtual Harp Summit
“Thanks so much for this harp. It’s really beautiful. This is the first time I have handled a harp. I play the guitar. But this harp has such tones that I just cant get on the guitar. This is amazing and the chords are all in order, a,b,c,d,e,f,g. Anyway, I’m having a lot of fun and it is easy to play. I’m experimenting with it upside down and backwards sometimes to use the guitar skills I have but I can see the beauty of playing it normally. Thanks heaps for this affordable introduction and that it is so light and portable. I am really touched at this experience, as sometimes the classical guitar sessions end up like a rock, and that’s not what I’m trying to project. I guess to sum up, this may be the instrument that I cant get into trouble with because of the beautiful chords, and that I can’t seem to thrash it like the guitar. Yes, 7 great notes. I like C best. I think it is a heavenly string. So thank you for making it affordable; otherwise this may not have happened for me. Life changing. The harp makes cool sounds in the wind like chimes. I wonder what big ones sound like in the wind?”
~ Dax, New Zealand