Pulling the Strings

Some people say music is only for hobbyists, but for exceptional artists like Holly Angel Paraiso, music is her life—her full-time profession. Holly confesses it is really hard to make a living out of playing harp. Though, with the right amount of passion and dedication, it is not at all impossible for a harpist to create a niche in the Philippine entertainment industry.

Holly Angel is an American who became a Paraiso when she married her Filipino husband Rolando. For 11 years now, Holly’s home is the Philippines. But long before she found her paradise in country, Holly has already established a career as a harpist in Maui Island, Hawaii. She has been playing the harp for 35 years and is currently freelancing in weddings, store openings, fashion shows, product launches, tea services, receptions and other special functions.

Now, Holly shares more about her passion, career and life.

How did you get started?
I heard (someone playing) a harp in an orchestra, one time when I was still young. I really fell in love with it. I begged and begged my parents, until finally they got me a small harp. It wasn’t a big expensive one; it was kind of a tubador. I was 14 or 15 years old when I learned to play that and then I begged for a big one. They got me the really scaled down model, the basic kind but I really appreciated it.

Then when I was a teenager, I saw this beautiful blonde harpist by the name of Kippy Lou Brinkman in a harp conference in Seattle. She was former Ms. Washington State and she was in this beautiful gown playing all these love songs. And then I thought, “That’s what I wanna do!” It just hit me. I knew exactly what I wanted. I said, “Okay, I can do this (play harp) in a restaurant, too”. After a year of studying in Stephens Women’s College in Columbia, I quit and just went straight to work at a local holiday inn where I got a full time job as a harpist. I have never been unemployed since.

What does it take to be a good harpist?
I got proficient in harp after a couple of years. Mastering the harp depends on how much you work at it. Just like any regular musician would do, you have to practice. The longer you practice, the better you can be.

It’s really a necessity that you take piano or keyboard lessons first. It’s a lot easier if you do. The harp has seven foot pedals, and they change the key. The combination your foot pedals are in determines the key. When you have a sharp or flat coming along on the music, you have to press whatever pedal is supposed to be that sharp or flat or natural.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a harpist?
I got the market cornered. That is the advantage. There aren’t other harpists. (While, the disadvantage is) the size of the instrument. It’s not like a flute that you can take in a public transportation. I have to have a van and a driver. And because it’s a large instrument, I need at least two persons to carry it. They’re heavy, and if something goes wrong with the harp, I’m out of luck. There’s no one to fix it in this country, and I can’t send them back to United States. That will cost me too much money just to even mail it over there.

Harp is not a popular instrument in the Philippines. Is it hard to sell your services here?
When people know it’s available, they take it. I’m just letting people know that it’s available.

How do you compare playing in Hawaii and playing here in the Philippines?
In Hawaii, everything is so much casual. People go to Hawaii to have a wedding on the beach. The weddings are probably 30 minutes the most. They just want me for the vows and entrance. And they want it on the coast, so I have been sprayed by the water hitting the rocks but I’m a good sport. People love the casualness of Hawaii that’s why they’re there. I’ve never done a beach wedding here.

The rituals here are longer, about two hours or something than in the United States. There, it’s just a just a fraction of that and only a few people are there because they have to fly everybody over. There are not 500 people going to a reception like there is here.

What is your favorite piece?
I love the song “When I Fall in Love”. People, even if they are totally silent, they’d turn around and applaud me for that one. They love that. Maybe it’s because I play it with so much love. It makes me cry. The most requested songs are “Moon River” and “Somewhere in Time”, but my favorite is “When I Fall in Love”. I love the old love songs.

Can your clients request for a song not included in your list?
Oh, you just gave me the notes and I’ll learn it. Even if I don’t know the song (being requested), if it’s their favorite, I’ll learn it for them. And I have never asked for an extra charge. Sometimes, they’ll have a list of pieces. I’ll pick the ones that are really important to them like the song for the first dance.

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered so far as a harpist?
My continuous playing for hours and not giving myself a break would give me blisters, like during Valentine’s Day. That’s a rough day. I would have tough skin on my fingers because I play so often. But when I really overdo it, I get blisters. No, I don’t put ointment, I just leave them alone or it will turn into more tough skin. But I’m very professional. I won’t get up for it. I didn’t even wince. I just smiled and continued. And, a band-aid wouldn’t help because it sounds funny when you have the skin on the strings. And no (you can’t wear gloves), you can’t do that, it will sound muffled.

If you have not become a harpist, what do you think you’d be instead?
First of all, I wouldn’t be in the Philippines. I would not have married my husband. I’d probably still be in the United States. If I didn’t play the harp, I would not have gone to Hawaii. Probably, I’d still be playing the piano. Or actually I think I would have been happy at being a personal chef. I used to love cooking when I was still in Hawaii.

Holly must be born to play harp. She never gets tired of doing it, “I just love to play, play, play until they ask me to quit. I love playing for people. I love what I do and people say it shows.” And as spoken by a true musician, “It feels really good to have it (the harp) under my fingers. Only a harpist can understand the feeling that you needed to play. It feels good when you pull the strings”. Myka Santiago

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