Patti Hood

Patti Hood has recorded with Yes lead vocalist Jon Anderson, and recorded and performed with past and current members of Tool and Guns N' Roses, but it is her volunteer work doing harp therapy that is most fulfilling for her. She studied concert pedal-harp for ten years, and vocals for thirteen years. Patti performs Irish ballads, folk songs, pop songs, and meditative instrumentals.

How I Came to Play the Harp and the Story of my Harp

by Patti Hood 

 

Many years ago, I started to have a desire, no, a need to play the harp. I would even dream about it at night. My fingers ached to touch and play a harp. Back then you couldn't rent them and they were so very expensive to buy. I was only a waitress at the time. I looked for one and one-half years to find a harp to rent.

 

One night I had a dream. I dreamed that Harpo Marx was TALKING to me. He told me that he would teach me to play the harp on the harp that he played.

 

About two months later I was waiting on a customer, he asked me what I REALLY wanted to do with my life. I told him about my passion to play the harp. He told me he knew a woman who owned two harps and had also been a teacher.He said he would introduce me to her and see if she would take me on as a pupil and rent me her other harp. Turns out that she had no intention of taking on any pupils any more or renting the other harp. But when she met me she immediately said yes!

 

The harp she rented me is a 1926 Lyon & Healy. I studied with her for 10 years. She was quite elderly. At the end of the 10 year period, she told me she was giving me theharp! And then she told me a story. She said to me, "You know, Harpo played your harp!" I couldn't respond. I was so stunned. I couldn't even move. Then she went on to explain about a show  (and I was in such shock that I don't remember exactly which) that had something to do with the MGM movies, which she had played the harp in. She was in the orchestra pit and had the pedals set for a glissando. Harpo lept off the stage, pushed her over on her bench, and played the glissando on my harp, gave her a big kiss, then ran back up on the stage. She is long gone now, but I wish I could ask her what show that was for.

 

So I told her about the dream I had about Harpo about two months before I met her. She was an amazing person and I will always love her.