  Friend, • What Carolyn Is Up To: Happy Easter from Pacific Harps • Upcoming Events: Mother's Day: Only 2 Weeks Away! • Feature Article: Q& A with Carolyn! On the Distinguished Speaker Series with Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of Great Britain • About Carolyn: Meet The Artist • Carolyn Recommends: Courtyard by Marriott in Old Town Pasadena! Please add "carolyn@pacificharps.com " to your white list or address book in your e-mail program, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!   Happy Easter from Pacific Harps What a beautiful spring holiday - full of wonderful weather and egg hunts, among many other things! A friend of mine made cute little paper bunnies to go with the tiny chocolate eggs I've been giving out for the holiday, and they are the perfect addition to the pretty spring colors of the the eggs. We also dyed some eggs using silk ties (a technique from Martha Stewart!) which, I am happy to say, also came out beautifully. They are pictured here.  Mother's Day: Only 2 Weeks Away!  Hard to believe we are already to the month of May, but Mother's Day is already only two weeks away! This year, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 8th, and I'm proud to say that the tradition of gift giving to mothers on Mother's Day was actually started in Australia! In 1924, Mrs. Janet Heyden, a resident of Leichhardt Sydney, began the tradition during a visit to a patient at the Newington State Home for women, where she met many lonely and forgotten mothers. To cheer them up, she rounded up support from local school children and businesses to donate and bring gifts to the women, and every year thereafter, more support was raised by Janet with local businesses and even the local Mayor! Happy Mother's Day to all!  Q & A with Carolyn! On the Distinguished Speaker Series with Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of Great Britain  Prime Minister Blair is one of the most respected and admired world leaders. He presented his analysis of some of the most difficult and complex issues of the day in Pasadena, California on March 9th. Carolyn again entertained the audience playing the harp and presenting a varied program of English music. The following is a Q&A with Carolyn.Q: What music did you play? Carolyn: A lot of English music: Classical – Percy Granger, Vaughn Williams, Handel. Folk: Oh Waly Waly, English Country Gardens, Greensleeves, Scarborough Fair. And of course, Beatles. Q: What was your first impression of Mr. Blair? Carolyn: Meeting him back stage, he was very personable and relaxed. Chatted about the harp and asked questions. Q. Any funny or interesting incidents backstage? Carolyn; The Scotland Yard security boys were very funny! Being English they thought it was great sport to make fun of an Australian. We were shushed by one of Tony Blair’s entourage for laughing too much. Then he arrived backstage and was not particularly serious himself. The US special securities personnel that take care of our heads of state (like Bill Clinton) are very serious and staid by comparison. Q: What were the high points of his talk? Carolyn: For me, the high points of his talk were about what he thought he had learned, mistakes made, and the compassion that he genuinely seems to feel. He talked about how in the very darkest days of his time as Prime Minister the only thing that got him out of bed in the morning was his faith in the basic goodness of the human spirit. That everyone he had ever talked to, from tribal villagers to poverty stricken city dwellers in Iraq, all wanted the same things: health and well being for their families and communities. The bottom line for all human beings is not politics but basic humanity, and the ability to be able to take care of ourselves. He wished that he could make that happen for everyone on the planet. Q: What was your favorite audience question? Carolyn: The question relating to why he decided to go into Iraq and stay even though there were no WMDs. He explained that there was a lot more to the balance of power issue than just the WMDs. He discussed the Middle East situation in Libya in particular, and how the West is going to have to decide after Kaddafi is gone which group to support. It is not just about dictatorship vs. democracy. Several groups have banded together to oust Kaddafi, but there is no clear plan as to what to do when he is gone. The West will need to decide whether to just let them figure it out themselves and then live with that regime, or to support a democratic one. A Very tricky and complex situation. Q: Any other impressions? Carolyn: In the question and answer session after his talk, Blair regaled the audience with humorous stories regarding his family and some of the humorous situations he found himself in as Prime Minister. He also mentioned that he had once had long hair and had been in a rock band! *Note: Carolyn’s next appearance at the Distinguished Speakers Series was for Los Angeles Times columnist and author Steve Lopez. Her comments will be included in a future issue.   Australian harpist Carolyn Sykes has been performing in Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States for the past 30 years. She came to Los Angeles fifteen years ago to study for her Masters Degree at the California Institute of the Arts. Since then she has established her private teaching and performing studio Pacific Harps, teaching, supplying harps and performing in orchestras, on concert stages and for special events, both locally and abroad. Carolyn plays solo, as well as with other instruments such as flute, bass, violin and string ensembles and vocalists. Visit Carolyn's website at www.pacificharps.com for more information on lessons and harps, her harp retreat in Mexico, and much more!  Courtyard by Marriott in Old Town Pasadena!  Mention Carolyn Sykes or Pacific Harps at this beautiful, newly renovated hotel in charming Old Town Pasadena, and receive a discount off of conference rooms as well as hotel rooms! This Southern California jewel of the Los Angeles area has everything you want in a modern but historic city. The Courtyard by Marriott Pasadena Old Town is an upscale, full service hotel featuring deluxe guest rooms and executive suites with complimentary high-speed Internet access, not to mention that it also houses a fantastic bisto-style restaurant where you can get luxurious items made just for you. This photo is of Miguel flipping the fantastic omelette he made for me on my most recent visit. If you'd like to experience this highly recommended hotel for yourself, contact Johnny Ridgell (information below) and be sure to tell him that Carolyn sent you! Enjoy! Johnny Ridgell Sales Manager, Courtyard by Marriott in Old Town Pasadena T: 626.755.2524 Also be sure to visit the Courtyard by Marriott's website at: @ Copyright Pacific Harps |
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