Spreadsheets and Starlight - balancing art and everyday life with Erika Lieberman
Episode notes
In this episode of Strings of Hope, I sit down with Erika Lieberman — known as Erika the Harpist — a Renaissance fair performer, international teacher, and folk harpist from New York. Erika discovered the harp at age 25 at a California Renaissance festival and never looked back.
We talk about what it's like to perform at Renaissance fairs, how she balances a full-time paralegal career with a thriving harp performance schedule, recording her CD A Fine Fair Day at home, and what the Somerset Folk Harp Festival means to the folk harp world.
Erika opens up about the imposter syndrome she felt the first time she was invited to teach at Somerset — and how pushing through it changed everything.
We also hear two beautiful pieces: Child Grove (John Playford, 1651) and Isle of Aegis, a traditional Scottish air.
This conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered whether they're "good enough" — as a musician, a teacher, or just someone trying to follow a dream.
🎵 Music featured:
Child Grove — John Playford, 1651
Isle of Aegis — traditional Scottish air Performed by Erika Lieberman
🌐 Links:
📀 Erika’s CD:
A Fine Fair Day — available in her shop
📱 Follow Erika:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/celticharplady
Instagram: @celticharplady
🎻 Follow Strings of Hope: https://stringsofhope.com