|
|
Sylvia Woods Harp Center
January 2023 Newsletter
|
|
In life, we don't always realize how our actions may influence others. This newsletter features a great example of unknowingly having a positive effect on a stranger.
In November of 2022, I received my favorite email of all time! I'll tell the story in several chapters throughout this newsletter. I hope it brings you as much joy as it has to me.
Happy New Year to you all.
Sylvia
|
|
Chapter One - "About Sylvia" |
|
On the About Sylvia page of my website, you'll see the following paragraph and photo.
Here's a fun bit of TV trivia. The March 1981 episode of the Los Angeles version of Romper Room that featured my harp and me was nominated for a local Emmy Award! Unfortunately, our episode didn't win. But, as they always say: "It was an honor just to be nominated!"
|
|
Chapter Two - What is Romper Room? |
|
For those of you too young to remember Romper Room, here's part of what Wikipedia teaches us.
|
|
Romper Room is an American children's television series that was franchised and syndicated from 1953 to 1994. The program targeted preschoolers (children five years of age or younger), and was created and produced by Bert Claster and his presenter wife, Nancy, of Claster Television. The national version was presented by Nancy Terrell. Romper Room was also franchised internationally at various times in Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Finland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and Australia.
Romper Room was a rare case of a series being both franchised and syndicated, and it was also revealed that local affiliates—Los Angeles and New York being prime examples—would produce their own versions of the show instead of airing the national telecast.
|
|
Chapter Three - Sylvia on Romper Room |
|
|
|
As I mentioned above, I was featured in a March 1981 episode of the Los Angeles version of Romper Room. Here are more photos taken at the time of the filming.
|
|
One little girl is taking her turn to pluck a harp string. |
|
Chapter Four - My favorite email of all time |
|
On November 5, 2022, I received the following email.
Hi Sylvia,
My name is Paul Boles, and I was one of the kids on the episode of Romper Room that you were a guest on in 1981. I'm sure it is very strange to hear from me. Let me explain what led up to this email.
I have been telling the story of my experience on Romper Room for years. And the story has always revolved around you as the guest performer. After you played for us, you invited all of the kids to line up to touch the harp. I was always a bit of a shy and deferential child and so let all of the other kids get in line ahead of me, taking the last place. But then, before I was able to touch the harp myself, the show runners (clearly in the interest of the timing of the show), hurried the end of your segment and moved us along to the next part of the show. I never got to touch the harp. I wasn't overly sad about it, but it did set up camp in my memory, and I've always told it as a sort of funny, tragic story of the poor, sweet kid who didn't get to touch the harp. It's an effective story, if told well.
I began to wonder if I could find the episode online. Searching the terms Romper Room and harp, it didn't take me long to get directed to your site. I can see myself in the picture of the episode you have there. I'm the light brown bowl cut haired boy to your right (the left of the photo), sitting on the floor to the right of the show's host in the green top.
Reading your snippet about the show added so much more to the story, finding out that the episode was nominated for an Emmy! I now tell people that I'm an Emmy award-nominated television personality. I think it's hilarious. My kids tend to roll their eyes (they secretly think it's hilarious as well).
Anyhow, I was telling that story again last night, and this morning I thought that, since you have played such a prominent role in a story that I have told for so long, I should reach out to you to introduce myself. I figured it would be a fun and nice connection to make as the show was important to you and to me, and we just happened to be on it together.
To this day, I still have never been able to touch a harp. One day I will.
I do think I will place a small order from your store (perhaps a pair of the white and yellow accidental rings) so I can finally say that I touched something of a harp associated with the woman who played for me on Romper Room. Reaching out to you and placing that order will be a fitting conclusion to that story.
I do hope you are well and happy. Thank you for being a part of my own childhood memories. I also grew up to be a musician myself (not professional). I'm sure seeing your art and expertise at such a young age was one step on that journey.
Thank you, Sylvia.
Paul Boles
|
|
Chapter Five - My response |
|
What an amazing and fun email surprise! My favorite sentence is "I now tell people that I'm an Emmy award-nominated television personality." That is so funny!
|
|
I immediately emailed Paul and gave him my phone number. The next day we spoke for almost an hour. As you can tell from his email, he has a great sense of humor, and we had a delightful conversation. He later sent me this picture of what he looked like in 1981 since it is hard to see his face in my show photos.
I told Paul not to order anything from my site because I would send him a gift. The next day I sent him a copy of my Teach Yourself book, autographed by "Your Romper Room buddy, Sylvia Woods," in case he wants to take up the harp.
Paul is now an ordained Presbyterian minister and a professor in the Theology Department at Azusa Pacific University. He plays guitar, focusing on jazz music, and his daughter is an accomplished pianist. As Paul said in a recent email, "You and I met a few years before I started playing guitar, but I was interested at a young age, and you were the first musician of real renown I had ever seen in person. What a great start to a lifelong love of music!"
|
|
|
|
This photo of Paul is from the Azusa Pacific University website.
His family photo was taken on their 2021 vacation to Maui.
|
|
|
Chapter Six - the two Paul Bs,
and a dream fulfilled
|
|
Since Paul Boles still lives in the Los Angeles area, I got him in touch with my good friend Paul Baker, who used to teach harp at my store and now owns the Harp In LA studio in Pasadena. And so, on December 28, the two Pauls met, and Paul Boles was finally able to touch a harp. Here's the email he sent me that day.
We just got back from Paul Baker's harp studio. What a wonderful time! Paul was so gracious, welcoming, and kind. I had so many questions, and he answered them all. He played a bit for us (which was beautiful) and . . . I touched a harp! Paul sat me down with a gorgeous Lyon and Healy pedal harp. I plucked out a C chord, and then he walked me through a rousing rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle." The song has never been played with so much happy appreciation. I'm sure of it. And a glissando at the end. Definitely worth the 41-year wait. I can now say that I touched a harp and, frankly, did so better than any of those other kids did that day. How the tables have turned. :)
Thank you so much for connecting Paul and me and making this happen. Connecting with you, receiving the signed book from you, and touching a harp under the watchful eye of another master player have closed the loop of this lifelong story in a really fun and beautiful way.
|
|
|
|
Paul Baker also sent me an email.
Paul Boles and his family were just here at the Pasadena studio. They are very, very nice people. Paul finally got to complete his Romper Room journey and sit down to play the harp. He chose the Lyon & Healy Gold Style 23 to debut with. His rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle" was really good.
They had lots of questions and seemed very interested in all the different kinds and styles of harps. I played a little bit for them on my walnut Dusty Strings 36 and on one of the Lyon & Healy Style 23 harps here.
|
|
|
This month's sale features music from kids' TV shows and movies. The code word is TV.
To get the 15% discount, enter the code word TV in the "Enter Promo Code" box on your shopping cart page and click "Enter Code" by January 31, 2023. See the "How to get the 15% discount" section at the bottom of this newsletter for more information.
|
|
arranged by Sylvia Woods
Mickey Mouse March, Theme from Zorro, Duck Tales, Ballad of Davy Crockett, and more!
Book or PDF
15% off with TV code
------------------------------
|
|
by Kenny Loggins
arranged by Sylvia Woods
Sheet or PDF
15% off with TV code
------------------------------
|
|
from The Muppet Movie
arranged by Angi Bemiss
PDF
15% off with TV code
------------------------------
|
|
arranged by Sylvia Woods
including Dennis the Menace, and It's Howdy Doody Time
Book or PDF
15% off with TV code
------------------------------
|
|
arranged by Sylvia Woods
including The Flintstones, and
The Addams Family Theme
Book or PDF
15% off with TV code
------------------------------
|
|
arranged by Sylvia Woods
Christmas Time is Here
and Linus and Lucy
Sheet or PDF
15% off with TV code
------------------------------
|
|
How to get the 15% discount
|
|
15% off select sale items when you use the code word TV
Our newsletter promo codes are redeemable online and are only valid for the products listed above in the monthly sale section. They are not valid for phone or email orders. This month's code word is TV.
#1. Put the items you want to purchase in your cart.
#2. On the page where you view the items in your cart, type this month's code word TV in the "Enter Promo Code" box and click "Apply."
The actual price of the featured sale products on this page will then automatically change to reflect the discount. For example,
Unit Price: $9.95 (the original price)
Total Price: $8.46 (the discounted price)
You'll also see a note below the Promo Code box saying the name of the promo code you entered and the percentage amount of the discount.
REMEMBER: You must enter this month's code word TV in the Promo Code box and click "Apply" on your shopping cart page by January 31, 2023, to get the discount!
This offer expires at the end of the day on 1/31/2023.
|
|
Sylvia Woods Harp Center
Lihue, Hawaii
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
