Autoharp Angels
"he Autoharp Angels is a program currently administered through d'Aigle Autoharps in conjunction with the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering.
The program began in the Northwest as a cooperation of various members of the autoharp community.
Our goal, vision and function is very simple. We collect donated playable autoharps, fix them up as needed, and place them with folks who would love to play but do not have the means to acquire one.
We send each instrument with an electronic tuner. Often requests are made for instruments through someone in the autoharp community who can mentor the recipient and help them in a musical journey. We encourage this whenever possible.
All donations are tax deductable, and it is only because of the generosity of the community that this program exists.
We accept playable 21 bar chromatic autoharps, and cash donations. Cash donations are used to buy repair supplies, books, tuners and for shipping instruments.
You can be an Autoharp Angel, simply by participating in whatever capacity you are able.
Several luthiers have agreed to work with us, including Tom Fladmark, Greg Schreiber, and John Hollandsworth.
If you would like to donate your expertise on occasion, please contact us.
Autoharp Angels Participants
I’ve been designing and inventing things for as long as I can remember – a rocket ship at age six, a carpenter’s pencil sharpener at age eleven, and a submarine at age twelve.
However as a third generation woodworker, my career began with building upscale Scandinavian furniture under the tutelage of my foreman John Hampton. To satisfy my love of music, I played drums three nights a week with Johnny Olsen and the Bandits (I was a Bandit).
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When music became a full time job with my own band, I got my first taste of lutherie by refurbishing band member’s guitars.