The International Harp Therapy program requires graduates to record a body of tunes across many genres so that a practitioner has material to work with, and expand.
The repertoire consists of three tunes each from eleven genres of music (Broadway, Children's music, Classic/Medieval, Country/Western, Ethnic, Holiday/Seasonal, Hymns/Spiritual Music, Oldies, Patriotic/Anthem, Opera, and Pop). A twelfth genre, "Chinese Elements," listed below contains the Chinese Traditional Elements of Fire, Earth, Water, Metal, and Wood - uniting traditional Chinese medicine and music as a healing duo.
Two additional song categories include: "IHTP Classic Repertoire" for Harold Arlen's Over the Rainbow, played often to promote general peace and hope in the world, and the "Celtic Circle of Music," described below.
The "Celtic Circle" is a unique approach developed by IHTP founder Christina Tourin in which improvisation and repertoire lead listeners through the "Celtic Circle" of the three noble musical genres of ancient Ireland: Suantraighe, soothing and music to promote rest and rejuvenation; Goltraighe, sorrowful and melancholic music to aid emotional release; and Geantraighe - lively music to dance and set the foot a-tappin'.
Forty songs are presented below.
Along with our ability to create spontaneous music on the fly with improvisation, IHTP requires that practitioners also have a repertoire of simple and familiar melodies. In some cases, melodies need to remain simple and slow; in other cases, more complex melodies and improvisations are required. Listeners include residents in hospice, hospitals, senior care facilities, animal shelters, community centers, kindergartens, etc.
Students are free to select pre-arranged music or create their own arrangements. The tunes you will hear meet the quality acceptable for IHTP certification, though as of 2023, they are over 12 years old. They are not representative of what I would offer at a public performance. These selections are examples of some that I might provide aid and support in healthcare environments, and would be played according to the listener(s) and situation at hand.
Songs were recorded on small therapeutic harps. Occasionally I will slow the tempo down to demonstrate different ways the tune could be used therapeutically.
Song Title | Genre |
---|---|
1. Edelweiss [listen] | Broadway |
2. On the Street Where You Live [listen] | Broadway |
3. Seasons of Love [listen] | Broadway |
4. Celtic Circle of Song [listen] | Celtic Circle |
5. Eleanor Plunkett [listen] | Celtic/Folk |
6. Erev Shel Shoshanim [listen] | Celtic/Folk |
7. My Lagan Love [listen] | Celtic/Folk |
8. I'm a Little Teapot [listen] | Children's |
9. Kumbaya [listen] | Children's |
10. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star/Alphabet Song [listen] | Children's |
11. Brahm's Lullaby [listen] | Classical |
12. Clair de Lune [listen] | Classical |
13. Sheep May Safely Graze [listen] | Classical |
14. I Fall to Pieces [listen] | Country/Western |
15. Unchained Melody [listen] | Country/Western |
16. You Are My Sunshine [listen] | Country/Western |
17. Anam Cara [listen] | Element of Earth* |
18. Diamonds From Heaven [listen] | Element of Fire* |
19. Scarborough Faire [listen] | Element of Metal* |
20. Harbor Cove [listen] | Element of Water* |
21. Snowy Wood [listen] | Element of Wood* |
22. Amazing Grace [listen] | Hymns |
23. Humbly I Adore Thee [listen] | Hymns |
24. Poor Wayfaring Stranger [listen] | Hymns |
25. Over the Rainbow [listen] | IHTP Classic Repertoire |
26. Morning Has Broken [listen] | Oldies |
27. Red River Valley [listen] | Oldies |
28. Shenandoah [listen] | Oldies |
29. Intermezzo [listen] | Opera |
30. Musetta's Song [listen] | Opera |
31. Traumerei [listen] | Opera |
32. America, The Beautiful [listen] | Patriotic |
33. God Bless America [listen] | Patriotic |
34. This Land is Your Land [listen] | Patriotic |
35. Imagine [listen] | Popular |
36. Moondance [listen] | Popular |
37. My Heart Will Go On (Titanic) [listen] | Popular |
38. In the Bleak Midwinter [listen] | Seasonal |
39. Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming [listen] | Seasonal |
40. Silent Night [listen] | Seasonal |