World-renowned concert harpist Gianetta Baril has dedicated herself throughout her musical career to sharing music and its stories, on stage and off, around the world.
But in March 2020, as live music concerts and events were forced into cancellations and people retreated to their homes, Gianetta felt called to find a new and safe way to bring the comfort and solace of live harp music to people who felt isolated, exhausted and anxious.
“COVID-19 is asking us to be creative and learn how to turn on a dime, so I had to find a way to get my live harp music to people,” says Gianetta. “I’ve seen the transformative power of my instrument.”
But, the question of how weighed down. With no indoor or outdoor gatherings of any kind, and traditional performance venues shuttered, this made performances challenging to plan. So, Baril decided to hit the road with her concert harp in a new project she calls Harp to Heart.
Throughout the fall, Gianetta Baril drove 6,000 kilometres across Alberta and British Columbia in a modified Ford Transit High-roof van (the only vehicle tall enough to fit a concert harp) and played almost three dozen performances for audiences in campgrounds, schools, seniors residence and more. “It wasn’t just about what the music did, but about the stories, the audience would share about the power of music in their lives,” Gianetta recounted. “To me, it underscored the power of music.”
But, a tour of this nature does not come without its challenges. From leaks in the roof to a broken water pressure pump, not to mention the administrative and financial challenges of going on tour, Gianetta is grateful for financial support from audience members through her GoFund Me page, as well as support from groups like Awesome Without Borders and Cam Clark Ford.
“Over the winter months, I have both missed the audiences and the joy of sharing music,” says Gianetta. “But I used that time to plan my next journey across Canada and built a new vehicle better suited to the long journey.”
So, Gianetta Baril is literally gearing up to hit the road for a second leg of her Harp to Heart tour —this time heading east across Canada towards Newfoundland in a new, fully fitted Ford Transit High-roof van from Cam Clark Ford, and a massive amount of music loaded up on her laptop ready to be shared.
On the next journey of Harp to Heart, Gianetta will be travelling over 30,000 kilometres, visiting a number of Canadian cities and passing through all kinds of beautiful Canadian landscapes.
“I don’t travel as a tourist. I travel as a traveller, and one of the things about making this trip across Canada with a concert harp is that it opens doors to interactions with all kinds of people that you wouldn’t get if you were just going to look at the pretty colours in Peggy’s Cove.”
Before she hits the road, Gianetta is preparing a live stream performance with the Polaris Centre on Sunday, April 25 at 3:00 pm, with tickets available at polariscentre.ca. “I hope the music will bring comfort and courage to the audience, and I will also share a few stories of my journey and the big reveal of my new van!”
For more information on Harp to Heart, including the upcoming live stream performance, tour dates & locations, and how to support Gianetta Baril, you can visit harptoheart.org.
Interview by Simon MacLeod, Calgary Classical Contributor
Learn more about Harp to Heart