Josh Layne's Harp Blog

I’m a classical harpist and composer – welcome to my blog

  • Upcoming concerts – May 4 and 18, 2025

    Upcoming concerts – May 4 and 18, 2025

    Join me in Chemainus and Victoria, BC, for a concert filled with stories! A time-traveling guitar in Deborah Henson-Conant’s Baroque Flamenco, a tragic tale of elves and a chevalier in Henriette Renié’s Légende, the evocative landscapes of Vivaldi’s Winter and Smetana’s The Moldau… these and more promise an unforgettable afternoon with the harp. This coming…

  • Was it worth it? Part 3- Bach’s Andante and wearing a publisher’s hat

    Was it worth it? Part 3- Bach’s Andante and wearing a publisher’s hat

    I’m looking back at my decision to typeset and publish my arrangement of the Andante from Bach’s Organ Sonata No. 4.

  • Two new music videos, and the story behind them

    Two new music videos, and the story behind them

    (This was initial sent out to my newsletter subscribers – join to stay up to date with what I’m doing and get free sheet music!). It was a cold night in Hamburg and my hands were freezing… I thought I’d share the stories behind my two new music videos, starting with this performance of Bach’s…

  • The season finale of Harpist in the Wild, season 6, plus a live-stream celebration!

    The season finale of Harpist in the Wild, season 6, plus a live-stream celebration!

    The 8th and final episode of Harpist in the Wild, season 6: Duets, goes live at 8am PST on Saturday, March 1, 2025 – you’ll be able to watch it here. This episode is another harp and voice duet with Rafaela Schützner, featuring the haunting Irish song She Moved Through the Fair, recorded in the…

  • Harpist in the Wild returns!

    Harpist in the Wild returns!

    (This was originally sent out as a newsletter to my email subscribers – join my list to have this delivered right to your inbox!) I’m thrilled to announce the final two videos of Harpist in the Wild season 6: Duets! Season 6 has featured duets that I recorded during my 2023 European adventures. I posted…

  • How long this publishing project took me (wearing a publisher’s hat)

    How long this publishing project took me (wearing a publisher’s hat)

    How long did it take me to typeset and publish my harp arrangement of the Andante from Bach’s Organ Sonata No. 4? Let’s find out! As I mentioned in my last post, the piano transcription that I was working from is five pages long. I estimated that it might take me about 5 hours to…

  • Happy New Year!

    Happy New Year!

    I hope 2025 brings good things to you and yours! I welcomed in the new year (as I’ve been doing since 2016) with an improvisation. I hope you enjoy!  And on New Year’s eve I wrote the first of a series of planned blog posts about “wearing a publisher’s hat” – various topics to do…

  • Wearing a publisher’s hat – new blog series

    Wearing a publisher’s hat – new blog series

    These days, amongst other hats, I find myself wearing the hat of a music publisher (in a very small way). I had planned to do a bunch of blogging from this perspective in 2024, and yet here it is, December 31st already… Guess I better get on it! As a publisher, one of the decisions…