UCLA harpists come together for a Valentine’s Day Harp Concert at the cafe in the Evelyn and Mo Ostin Music Center. The performance of love songs sets the tone for Valentine’s Day and provides a musical break from the stresses of midterms.

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TRANSCRIPT:

SMITH: With Valentine’s Day approaching, many people find ways to express love and affection. One of the ways in doing this is through love songs and this past Thursday, a trio of harpists did just this at their Valentine’s Day Harp Concert at the cafe in the Evelyn and Mo Ostin Music Center.

AHN: We love love songs and we decided why not share harp music with others.

SMITH: That was Amy Ahn, a third-year student that is one of only two students at UCLA majoring in harp performance. She is thankful for the opportunity to be able to share her musical gift with others.

AHN: I think being a harpist, in general, I like to share my music because it’s a luxury; it’s not something that’s common.

SMITH: The other student majoring in harp performance, Vivian Hsu, also performed at the concert. Hsu is a third-year and is also a psychology student. She not only finds the timing of the concert fitting for the Valentine’s holiday weekend, but also sees it as a good way to balance the pressures of this time in the academic year due to midterms.

HSU: I’m hoping we’ll provide a good study break, this is a very stressful week for everybody.

SMITH: From the previous concerts that the harp group and she have performed, Vivian already anticipates all in attendance to get something from the show.

HSU: Live music has such an impact on people in its essence so I’m hoping it will be a good break for everyone.

SMITH: Prior to the students’ performance, the café was sparsely populated by students studying, but as the time of the performance neared, the Ostin Café began to fill with students and faculty members, until students began to share chairs to enjoy the show.  The trio of harpists began to play and sing for the crowd. First year masters in architecture student, Benjamin Golder, originally at the café’ to study, found himself stopping for a moment to enjoy the melodies from the harp renditions of Beauty and the Beast to the Titanic theme, My Heart Will Go On.

GOLDER: I find it nice to hear some of the students participating out in the open with their work and it’s nice to be kind of informal in the café.

SMITH: Others were also in attendance, enjoying the music amidst their busy lives as students.

STUDENT 1: It’s really nice. I’m doing my homework but it’s really nice to have music in the background, and they’re really talented. Their voices are so beautiful and combined with the instruments, it’s gorgeous.

STUDENT 2: It’s melodic; It’s peaceful.

SMITH: From the attentive faces from all who entered into the café, it was clear the harp trio had achieved what they sought to do by sharing the Valentine’s Day message of love, with more than words alone. For Daily Bruin Radio, this is Milan Smith.

 

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