Kevin Holsinger lost his heart to a harp. When he came upon the handcrafted instrument at a musicians’ convention, he bought it off the showroom floor—with no clue how to play it. “I just fell in love with its resonance and warmth,” the former saxophonist says. Seven years later, he and his folk harp are still making beautiful music. A software engineer and manager with Spectra Physics in Mountain View, he plays with an ensemble called Harpers Hall at charity concerts and Celtic fairs. The folk harp, unlike orchestral harps, is simple to learn, he says: “In 30 minutes I can have you playing—and actually sounding good.”
Photo: Rod Searcey