Jaci Dawn

When Arwen first inherited the autoharp, we did not have Internet access.

We took the autoharp to a piano tuner who told us that he thought it was warped and would never hold a tuning. But he attempted to tune it (for free) anyway. We didn’t know where to go to find out how one plays an autoharp, although I used to know a woman who did.

So the autoharp languished and Arwen forgot about it when she moved out and I have it displayed as an ornamental antique.

Flash forward fifteen years. Type “autoharp” into a search engine and over 5,000,000 results pop up. Everything from how to tune one to how to play one to videos of June Carter Cash playing her beloved autoharp. Maybe it is time I learned how to play the autoharp?

I used to take it down from the wall and let Zephan bang on it when he was still cruising furniture. He thought it was quite fun and I thought I should buy him a xylophone to take home. But I didn’t buy him a xylophone for which his parents are quite thankful. (Come to think of it, I think they bought him one.)

Think I can make sweet music with it?

Me, neither. But it was worth a thought.