Happy Holidays & New Year!

December has absolutely flown by! I can't believe that Christmas had come and gone and the New Year is quickly approaching! December has been such a busy month that I have had no time to update the blog. Due to the snow storm that hit the South over the Christmas, I have now found some time to reflect on the exciting performances I have been a part of during the festive month of December. These include...

Sunday, December 5, 2010
University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)
Symphony Orchestra Performance
Adcock Auditorium, Greensboro, NC

Saturday, December 11, 2010
Wedding/Ceremony Music
Millennium Center, Winston-Salem, NC

Sunday, December 12, 2010
NC Harp Ensemble Performance
WhiteStone, Greensboro, NC

Monday, December 15, 2010
Jewelry Show/Harp Performance
Trott House, Newton, NC

Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Holiday Banquet/Harp Performance
WhiteStone, Greensboro, NC

Saturday, December 18, 2010,
Harp Performance
Hickory Furniture Mart, Hickory, NC

Sunday, December 19, 2010
Harp Performance
Abernethy Laurels, Newton, NC

Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Harp Presentation/Performance
Rotary Club of Newton-Conover
Catawba Country Club, Newton, NC

Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas Eve Services/Harp Performances
Corinth Reformed Church, Hickory, NC
Bethel United Church of Christ, Hickory, NC
Grace United Church of Christ, Newton, NC

I have had so much fun performing at these wonderful events this month! I wish I had more time to go into detail about all of these exciting performances, but it just seems like the post would get much to long to actually read! I will continue to give in depth description of my performances in the New Year for your reading pleasure.

I am grateful to have been a part of so many wonderful performances in 2010! I can't wait to see to see what 2011 has in store, as I continue to travel, perform, and teach with a 80 pound harp in tow! Happy Holidays & New Year!!!

Holiday Repertoire!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! It is time to celebrate the holidays with seasonal music! Here is a list of some of my favorite music from my holiday repertoire! If you'd like me to perform for your holiday event, please contact me for availability and pricing. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU...

Angels We Have Heard On High
Away In A Manger
Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
Coventry Carol
Ding Dong! Merrily On High
Deck The Halls
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
I Wonder, As I Wander
I'll Be Home For Christmas
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
In The Bleak Midwinter
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O Holy Night
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Sleigh Ride
Silent Night
Silver Bells
Still, Still, Still
The Christmas Song
The First Noel
The Little Drummer Boy
We Three Kings of Orient Are
What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
Winter Wonderland
AND MANY MORE!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday at Starmount Country Club in Greensboro performing for their delicious Thanksgiving buffet. Afterwards, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my entire family in Newton. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, enjoying great food and company!

Tracy & Korey

Congratulations to Tracy and Korey on their marriage! Tracy and Korey were married Saturday afternoon, November 6, 2010 in the beautiful sanctuary at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC. For prelude, I performed a variety of classical and religious selections, including Clair de Lune, Be Thou My Vision, and Surely the Presence. For the processional, I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod for the seating of the mothers, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach for the entrance of the bridal party, and Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bride. For the recessional, I performed Psalm 19 by Marcello. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous November wedding and enjoy your honeymoon in the Dominican Republic!

Delisa & Roger

Congratulations to Delisa and Roger on their marriage! Delisa and Roger were married on Saturday evening, October 30, 2010 at Davidson College Presbyterian Church on the lovely Davidson College campus in Davidson, NC. I had so much fun performing with flutist, Karen Shuford at this beautiful wedding ceremony! For the prelude, Karen and I performed a variety of classical selections, including On Wings of Song by Mendelssohn, Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod, and Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach. For the processional, Karen and I performed The Gift of Love by Hopson and Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party. For the entrance of the bride, Jane Cain performed Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke on the organ. During the ceremony, Karen and I performed The Wedding Song by Stookey during the lighting of the unity candle. For the recessional, Jane performed Finale from Handel's Water Music Suite on the organ. Karen and I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! I also had a chance to visit with the fabulous Kristin and Aaron Byrum of Charlotte, NC who were there photographing Delisa and Roger's big day! Kristin and Aaron were also the photographers at my wedding last year and I was so excited to see them there! I know that Delisa and Roger's wedding photos will be beautiful! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous October wedding!

Summer & Jiby

Congratulations to Summer and Jiby on their marriage! Summer and Jiby were married on Sunday evening, October 10, 2010 in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony and The Millstone at Adams Pond in Columbia, South Carolina. The Millstone is an estate that dates back to the 1700's and it was the perfect setting for Summer and Jiby's elegant wedding celebration. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and popular music, including Clair de Lune by Debussy, Gymnopedie No.1 by Satie, and The Way You Look Tonight by Kern. For the processional, I performed The Nightingale by Henson-Conant for the seating of the mothers, Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party, and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. During the wedding ceremony, I accompanied Summer's talented grandfather as he performed The Lord's Prayer by Malotte. For the recessional, I performed How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) by Holland/Dozier/Holland. I had so much fun performing at this elegant wedding ceremony! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous October wedding on 10/10/10!

Leigh & Dominic

Congratulations to Leigh and Dominic on their marriage! Leigh and Dominic were married on Sunday morning, October 10, 2010 in an intimate wedding ceremony in the Great Hall at Castle McCulloch in Jamestown, North Carolina. Kristen and I performed at this wedding as a harp duo! This is the first time that Kristen and I have performed at a wedding as a harp duo and we had so much fun! Kristen and I performed a variety of harp duets for the prelude, including Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod, Le Pins de Charlannes by Renie, and On Wings of Song by Mendelssohn. For the entrance of the bride, we performed Canon in D by Pachelbel. For the recessional, we performed La Joyeuse by Rameau. Kristen and I had so much fun being a part of this sunrise wedding ceremony on such a fabulous date - 10/10/10! Congratulations again to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful October wedding!

Casey & Chris

Congratulations to Casey and Chris on their marriage! Casey and Chris were married on Saturday evening, October 9, 2010 in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at The Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The wedding was held on the golf course overlooking a beautiful lake. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and popular music, including Prelude in C by Bach, Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder, and Over the Rainbow by Arlen/Harburg. For the processional, I performed Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach for the seating of the mothers, Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party, and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. During the unity sand ceremony, I performed The Lord's Prayer by Malotte. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous October wedding!

Martha's Chapel

On Sunday, October 3, 2010, I performed at Martha's Chapel in Apex, North Carolina with Kristen for an afternoon harp duo performance! We were absolutely delighted to be able to perform for the wonderful audience at Martha's Chapel, which included members of the congregation and local community that came to hear the performance.


Following the performance, guests were invited to a social hour hosted by the church in the fellowship hall and were treated to 5 flavors of homemade ice cream! Thank you Pastor Bob and the Martha's Chapel congregation for inviting Kristen and I to perform! We are looking forward to performing at Martha's Chapel again in the Spring!


Here is an outline of Sunday's harp duo program:

La Joyeuse, Rameau

Canon in D, Pachelbel

Dyades, Andres

Le Pins de Charlannes, Renie

Andante from Violin Sonata No. 2, Bach
Performed by Kristen

First Arabesque, Debussy
Performed by Grace

Carolan's Concerto, O'Carolan

On Wings of Song, Mendelssohn

Triptic Dance, Beauchant

Ave Maria, Bach/Gounod

Rumba, Salzedo

Ericka & Brian

Congratulations to Ericka and Brian on their marriage! Ericka and Brian were married on Saturday afternoon, October 2, 2010 in a gorgeous outdoor wedding ceremony at the Mosteller Mansion in Hickory, North Carolina. For the prelude, I performed a variety of popular and classical music, including What a Wonderful World by Weiss/Thiele, From this Moment by Twain/Lange, and Sheep May Safely Graze by Bach. For the processional, I performed First Arabesque by Debussy for the seating of the mothers, Canon in D for the entrance of the bridal party, and Trumpet Voluntary for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, I performed the beautiful hymn Surely the Presence of the Lord by Wolfe after the declaration of consent. For the recessional, I performed How Sweet It Is (To Be Love by You) by Holland/Dozier/Holland. I had so much from performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Congratulations again to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful October wedding!

Jessica & George

Congratulations Jessica and George on their marriage! Jessica and George were married on Saturday evening, September 25, 2010 in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina. For the prelude, I performed a variety of popular and classical selections, including At Last by Gordon/Warren, Can't Help Falling in Love by Weiss/Peretti/Creatore, and Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach. For the processional, I performed First Arabesque by Debussy for the seating of the grandmothers, The Nightingale by Henson-Conant for the seating of the mothers, Canon in D for the entrance of the bridal party, and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun performing at this gorgeous wedding ceremony on such a lovely evening! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous September wedding and enjoy your honeymoon in Mexico!

Fall Festival

On Friday, September 24, 2010, I performed at Jones Elementary School's annual Fall Festival in Greensboro. I performed at this event last year, and was so excited to be able to participate again in this fun event! This year the Fall Festival featured bounce houses, face-painting, dress-up photo booths, karaoke, and more. Inside, I had my harp set up to perform, as well as offer students an opportunity to play the harp. I helped them pluck out simple melodies, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and play glissandos (where you run your fingers up and down the harp to create a beautiful angelic effect). I even had Guilford the Greensboro Grasshoppers mascot come over and try playing the harp! I have included a picture of him in this post, so that you can imagine for yourself how he looked behind the harp! Hilarious!!! I had so much fun performing at this exciting event! Thank you Susan for inviting me to participate again in this special event celebrating the beginning of the Fall season!

Introducing the NC Harp Ensemble!

I am proud to serve as the volunteer ensemble manager for the North Carolina Harp Ensemble's inaugural season! The NC Harp Ensemble is directed by Jacquelyn Bartlett, who serves as professor of harp at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Appalachian State University. The mission of the NC Harp Ensemble is to provide professional harp ensemble instruction to student harpists throughout NC, allowing them to benefit from participating and performing with an ensemble, which is an essential component to any musician's training.

The NC Harp Ensemble has several public performances scheduled this season, so please join us for these exciting performances and experience the beautiful music of multiple harps! Also, check out our blog and Facebook page! All of our performances are open to the public.

2010 NC Harp Ensemble Performances

Festival of Trees, benefiting Brenner Children's Hospital
Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 5:30pm
The Education Building on the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds
421 West 27th Street, Winston-Salem, NC

Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 6:00pm
The Chapel at WhiteStone
100 South Holden Road, Greensboro, NC

Sunday, December 19, 2010 at 4:00pm
The Spirit Place at Abernethy Laurels
102 Leonard Avenue, Newton, NC

Here is a great video of the American Youth Harp Ensemble performing Rumba by Salzedo. I'm looking forward to sharing some performance videos of the NC Harp Ensemble in the near future!

Jennifer & Sean

Congratulations to Jennifer and Sean on their marriage! Jennifer and Sean were married on Saturday afternoon, September 18, 2010 in a beautiful wedding ceremony at the historic Old Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen, North Carolina. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and religious selections, including Sheep May Safely Graze by Bach, The Prayer by Sager/Foster, and Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod. For the processional, I performed Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach for the seating of the mothers, Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party, and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous September wedding! It feels great to be back performing again after the birth of my son, Grantham, in late July!

Newborn Portraits

Tim and I are in love with our little man! Here are a couple photos from his newborn photo shoot with Autumn Song Photography in Greensboro. I met Rodney at a wedding I performed at in Greensboro last year and was completely taken with his beautiful photography! I was so excited that he was able to take Grantham's first professional photos. Thank you Rodney for capturing this very special moment in our lives!

Welcome Grantham!

Grantham Loren arrived on July 29, 2010 at 9:48 in the evening, weighting 6 pounds, 12 ounces and 20.5 inches long! He is named after the town in England where my husband, Tim and I first met 5 years ago and his paternal grandfather, Loren. Tim and I are truly blessed to be little Grantham's parents! I will be resuming my teaching schedule in the next few weeks and will begin performing again in late September, but right now I am relishing in precious mommyhood with my sweet boy. (smile)

Meet & Greet - Date/Time Change

Hello Friends! Baby Ludtke's due date is quickly approaching and we are looking forward to welcoming this little man into our lives in the next couple days or weeks! I'll be sure to post pictures once he arrives. I am still accepting new harp students in Greensboro and Newton for the Fall semester. I will be at The NewArt School in Newton on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 from 1:00pm-5:00pm to meet with potential harp students and/or their parents, so please contact me to make an appointment or just drop by. Formerly, I scheduled this meeting date for Thursday, August 19, having forgotten about the Old Soldiers' Reunion Parade and festivities happening in downtown Newton that day. So come and learn about harp lessons at The NewArt School on Wednesday and come back for the Reunion festivities on Thursday! I hope everyone is having a great summer and I look forward to seeing you on August 18!

Abernethy Laurels

On Sunday afternoon, June 13, 2010, I performed at Abernethy Laurels in Newton, NC in their beautiful chapel! I was absolutely delighted to be able to perform for the wonderful audience at Abernethy Laurels, which included residents and supporters of the retirement community, as well as members from the local community. I was joined by Kristen (a talented young harpist and pianist) and Amanda (a talented young pianist) for this Sunday afternoon performance. I had so much fun performing on Sunday afternoon with Kristen and Amanda! They are such sweet and talented young ladies!

Our musical program consisted of beginning and ending with congregational hymns, accompanied by Kristen and I as a harp duo. We then performed a variety of harp duets and solos during the program. Amanda performed a couple selections on the piano and Kristen performed the offertory on the piano. Kristen, Amanda, and I truly appreciated the wonderful audience of around 100 people that attended our performance! Thank you so much for joining us! Here is an outline of Sunday's program.

PRELUDE
Grace, Harp

CONCERT
Amazing Grace, American Melody
Congregational Hymn, accompanied by Grace & Kristen

La Joyeuse, Rameau
Grace & Kristen, Harp Duo

The Little Fountain, Pratt
Grace & Kristen, Harp Duo

Passacaglia, Handel
Kristen, Harp

The Maid with the Flaxen Hair, Debussy
Kristen, Harp

Largo from The Four Seasons, Vivaldi
Kristen, Harp

Hungarian Dance No. 5, Brahms
Amanda, Piano

Fur Elise, Beethoven
Amanda, Piano

Carolan's Concerto, O'Carolan
Grace & Kristen, Harp Duo

Ave Maria, Bach/Gounod
Grace & Kristen, Harp Duo

OFFETORY Dawn from Pride and Prejudice, Marianelli
Kristen, Piano

Over the Rainbow, Arlen/Harburg
Grace, Harp

You Raise Me Up, Lovland/Graham
Grace, Harp

Canon in D, Pachelbel
Grace & Kristen, Harp Duo

What A Friend We Have in Jesus, Converse/Scriven
Congregational Hymn, accompanied by Grace & Kristen

Maternity Leave

Crystal and Ben's wedding marks the official start of maternity leave (I can't believe it is about that time)! I will not be accepting professional harp engagements in the months of June, July or August 2010 in anticipation of the arrival of Baby Ludtke in late July. If your event is being held during these months, please contact me and I'd be happy to offer you a referral to another harpist for your event. I am still teaching private harp lessons, so please contact me if you are interested in harp lessons. I am accepting new students in Greensboro and Newton. I will be at The NewArt School in Newton on Thursday, August 19, 2010 from 1:00pm-5:00pm to meet with potential harp students and/or their parents, so please contact me to make an appointment or just drop by! I will also be performing a public harp duo concert at Abernethy Laurels in Newton on Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 4:00pm. Kristen and I will be performing works by Bach, Handel, Debussy, and MORE! This will be my final public performance before Baby Ludtke arrives, so please join us for this Sunday afternoon performance!

Crystal & Ben

Congratulations to Crystal and Ben on their marriage! Crystal and Ben were married on Friday evening, June 4, 2010 in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at Colonial Country Club in Thomasville, North Carolina. For the prelude, I performed a variety of musical selections, including The Nightingale, The Prayer and O Perfect Love. For the processional, I performed Air on the G String by Bach for the seating of the mothers, Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke for the entrance of the bridal party, and Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance for the bride. For the recessional, I performed How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) by Holland/Dozier/Holland. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony on such a lovely evening! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous June wedding!

Church Performance

On Sunday afternoon, May 23, I performed (what I entitled an interactive recital) at Martha's Chapel in Apex, North Carolina. Originally, Kristen (a talented young harpist) and I were planning to perform harp duets. This was to be our first of two harp duo concerts. Unfortunately, Kristen was unable to perform. Her older brother, Ryan was in a serious car accident on Saturday afternoon. Kristen of course was greatly missed Sunday afternoon, but Pastor Bob Brinson at Martha's Chapel has invited us back to perform a harp duo concert in the Fall. I will be sure to let everyone know the date and time we select.

Due to the limited time I had to change the recital program from harp duets to harp solos, I thought that having an interactive harp recital would be a fun way to engage and entertain the audience by performing pieces and/or songs that were familiar and/or special to them. The interactive recital involved recital attendees selecting 10 pieces and/or songs from a list of 20 pieces and/or songs to be performed during the recital. The recital attendees enthusiastically accepted this task and created a wonderful harp program with a variety of musical selections, ranging from classical to popular to religious. I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod, Canon in D by Pachelbel, How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You) by Holland/Doizer/Holland, Over the Rainbow by Arlen/Harburg, Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder, What a Wonderful World by Weiss/Thiele, You Raise Me Up by Lovland/Graham, Precious Lord, Take My Hand by Dorsey, When Peace, Like a River by Bliss, and Amazing Grace.

I was absolutely delighted to be able to perform for the wonderful audience at Martha's Chapel on Sunday, which included members of the congregation and local community that came to hear the performance. Thank you Pastor Bob for inviting me to perform and I look forward to performing again at Martha's Chapel in the Fall with Kristen!

Pray for Ryan

Kristen (a talented young harpist) and I have been practicing diligently for the past few weeks preparing music for our harp duo concerts at Martha's Chapel in Apex, NC on May 23 and Abernethy Laurels in Newton, NC on June 13. Unfortunately, Kristen will be unable to perform at our first concert this Sunday. Her older brother, Ryan was in a serious car accident this afternoon. My thoughts and prayers are with Kristen and her family during this challenging time. I will still be performing in Apex tomorrow afternoon, but of course it will not be the same without Kristen's beautiful music. Please pray for Ryan and Kristen's family during this difficult time.

Nancy & Joe

Congratulations to Nancy and Joe on their marriage! Nancy and Joe were married on Saturday afternoon, May 22, in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Newton, North Carolina. Nancy and Joe were married underneath a beautiful white arbor overlooking the vast countryside. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and popular selections, including Canon in D, O Perfect Love, and You Raise Me Up. For the processional, I performed Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach for the entrance of the pastor and groom and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Despite the early morning showers, the weather (of course) was perfect for Nancy and Joe's wedding! Congratulations again to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful May wedding!

Courtney & Rick

Congratulations to Courtney and Rick on their marriage! Courtney and Rick were married on Saturday morning, May 22, in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at McComb Park in Hickory, North Carolina. The morning rain lifted just in time for Courtney and Rick to be married in front of the beautiful white gazebo overlooking Beaver Memorial Garden. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and popular selections, including Clair de Lune, At Last, and Can't Help Falling in Love. For the seating of the mothers, I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod. For the processional, I performed Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party, Over the Rainbow by Arlen/Harburg for the entrance of the flower girls, and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous May wedding (sans rain)!

Sonya & Brandon

Congratulations to Sonya and Brandon on their marriage! Sonya and Brandon were married on Saturday evening, May 15, 2010 in a beautiful indoor wedding ceremony at Hobson's Lodge in Richmond, Virginia. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and popular selections, including Canon in D, How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You), and You Raise Me Up. For the seating of the mothers, I performed Psalms 19 by Marcello. For the processional, I performed Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach for the entrance of the bridal party and Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, I performed How Beautiful by Twila Paris for the lighting of the unity candle. For the recessional, I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Congratulations again to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful May wedding!

I'd also like to share with you a beautiful poem from Sonya and Brandon's wedding program.

Yesterday
We discovered love,
gently unfolding in our hearts,
whispering of the joy to come.
Today
Our dreams will come true,
creating memories that
we'll cherish for a lifetime.
Tomorrow
We begin a new journey
hand in hand,
eager to explore
a world of promise.
Forever
We will share
an everlasting love
that could come
from God alone.

Sweeney Todd, Mother's Day & GRADUATION!

This weekend, I performed with in the orchestra for Bandys High School's musical production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Catawba, NC on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8. I performed the harp part with Austin, one of my harp students at The NewArt School in Newton. This was Austin's first experience performing orchestral music and she did an excellent job! Austin and I had so much fun working with the talented students at Bandys and participating in such a wonderful musical production!

On Sunday, May 9, I performed at the Lutheran Home Hickory West in Hickory, NC for their Mother's Day Tea for residents and visiting family members. I had so much fun performing at this wonderful event! I performed popular, religious, and classical favorites, including Amazing Grace, What a Wonderful World, and Over the Rainbow. Thank you Wendy for inviting me to be part of this special event. I was delighted to be able to perform for the residents and their families on Mother's Day!

In other news, I graduated on Thursday, May 6 from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina with a Master of Social Work degree! This is a goal that I have been working towards for the past two years and I was honored to be able to walk across the stage and obtain my Master's degree! For the next few months, I will be focusing on performing, teaching, and getting ready for the arrival of Baby Ludtke! There are also some great music projects in the works that I will be excited to share with you in the near future!

Denice & Gerard

Congratulations to Denice and Gerard on their marriage! Denice and Gerard were married on Saturday evening, May 1, 2010 in a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony at The Hall and Gardens at Landmark in Garner, North Carolina. For the prelude, I performed a variety of popular music, including How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You), From this Moment On, What a Wonderful World, and Over the Rainbow. For the seating of the mothers, I performed Psalms 19 by Marcello. For the processional, I performed Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, I performed Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder for the sand ceremony and The Lord's Prayer by Malotte for communion. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun being a part of this beautiful garden ceremony on such a perfect Spring day! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous May wedding!

I also thought I'd share a photo of Baby Ludtke and I getting ready to go to Denice and Gerard's wedding in Garner. My husband and I can't wait to meet Baby Ludtke in July!

Cortney & Trey

Congratulations to Cortney and Trey on their marriage! Cortney and Trey were married on Saturday evening, April 24 in the beautiful sanctuary at St. James Lutheran Church in Rockwell, North Carolina in front of 500 family and friends! Due to the large crowd arriving to support the marriage of Cortney and Trey, I performed an hour of prelude music beginning at 4:30pm for their 5:30pm ceremony start time. For the prelude, I performed a variety of popular and classical music, including What a Wonderful World, Can't Help Falling in Love, From this Moment On, Psalms 19, and Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. For the seating of the grandparents, I performed Surely the Presence of the Lord by Wolfe with organist, Susan Trivette. For the seating of the mothers, Holly Wagoner (vocalist) performed How Beautiful by Paris. For the processional, Susan performed Canon in D by Pachelbel for entrance of the bridal party and Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke for the entrance of the bride. During the lighting of the unity candle, William Bradley (vocalist and groomsman)performed You Raise Me Up by Lovland/Graham. For the recessional, Susan performed Allegro Maestoso from Water Music by Handel. I had so much fun being a part of this beautiful wedding ceremony with such a variety of music! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous April wedding and enjoy JAMAICA!

Katie & Eric

Congratulations to Katie and Eric on their marriage! Katie and Eric were married on Saturday evening, April 17 in a beautiful wedding ceremony at Konnoak Hills United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, NC. I performed a variety of classical and religious music for the prelude, including Air on the G String by Bach, You Raise Me Up by Lovland/Graham, and When Peace, Like a River by Bliss. For the seating of the grandparents, Katelyn Marks and Derek Drye, talented vocalists from Winston-Salem, performed When God Made You by O'Brien/Carswell. I met Katelyn and Derek in August 2009 while performing at Summer and Lance's wedding in Lexington, NC. I was so excited to be able to hear them sing again! Katelyn will be opening for Bucky Covington (country singer and former American Idol finalist) on May 7 in High Point, NC. Katelyn and Derek are certainty on the rise to country music fame and I enjoyed seeing them both again! You can check out Katelyn's music on her MySpace page . For the seating of the mothers, Katelyn performed The Parent's Prayer by Steven Curtis Chapman. For the processional, I performed Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party and Bridal March from Lohengrin by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. During there ceremony, Katelyn and Derek performed The Prayer by Sager/Foster after the giving of the bride and I Will Be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman for the lighting of the unity candle. For the recessional, I performed Psalms 19 by Marcello. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony! Congratulations again to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful April wedding!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I performed at Corinth Reformed Church in Hickory, North Carolina for their worship service this beautiful Easter morning! It was such a pleasure to perform at Corinth again and to see so many familiar faces! I performed a variety of religious selections for the prelude, including Be Thou My Vision, Amazing Grace, Jesus Loves Me (based on Clair de Lune), and The Lord's Prayer. For the offertory, I performed my own arrangement of Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up. I always enjoy performing at Corinth and had so much fun being a part of this beautiful worship service. HAPPY EASTER!

Donna & Rodney

Congratulations to Donna and Rodney on their marriage! Donna and Rodney were married on Saturday afternoon, April 3 in an imitate wedding ceremony at Bethel United Church of Christ in Hickory, North Carolina. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and religious selections, including Be Thou My Vision, Amazing Grace, and Simple Gifts. For the processional, I performed Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach for the seating of the mothers, Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke for the entrance of the bridal party, and Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, I performed The Lord's Prayer by Malotte for the lighting of the unity candle. For the recessional, I performed Ode to Joy by Beethoven. I had so much fun being a part of this gorgeous wedding ceremony on such a beautiful spring day! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous April wedding!

Snips and snails...

I noted in a previous post that some very exciting things were happening in the Ludtke household keeping me distracted from blogging. What might this distraction be? My husband, Tim and I are expecting our first child (a little boy) in late July or early August 2010! We are very excited to begin this incredible journey of parenthood to a hopefully healthy and happy bundle of baby cuteness! Due to this exciting news, I will not be accepting professional harp engagements in the months of June, July, August and September 2010, except for those events that have been scheduled previously. I know of some other wonderful harpists that I would be happy to refer you to if your event is happening during these months. I will still be teaching harp lessons in Greensboro and Newton during this time, so please contact me if you are interested in harp lessons.

Since I haven't really been keeping everyone updated on my harp performances recently, I have decided to start fresh (instead of trying to catch up on posts) beginning with a wedding tomorrow afternoon! I am looking forward to performing at some wonderful events in the upcoming months...so STAY TUNED!

What little boys are made of? (Nursery Rhyme)

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails,
And puppy dog tails,
That's what little boys are made of.

December Update

On Saturday, December 12, I performed at Emily and Christopher's beautiful wedding at Catawba Chapel in Salisbury, North Carolina. For the prelude, I performed a variety of music, including these popular selections chosen by the bride - Wonderful Tonight by Clapton, Can't Help Falling in Love by Weiss/Peretti/Creatore, Beauty and the Beast by Menken/Ashman, and What a Wonderful World by Weiss/Thiele. For the processional, I performed My Cup Runneth Over by Schmidt/Jones for the seating of the grandmothers, Be Thou My Vision an Irish Melody for the seating of the mothers, Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party, and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. During the wedding ceremony, I performed The Lord's Prayer by Malotte after the vows of the marriage covenant. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony. Congratulations to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous December wedding!

On Sunday, December 13, I performed Benjamin Brittan's Ceremony of Carols with the chamber choir at First United Methodist Church in Lenoir, North Carolina. The Ceremony of Carols is a famous work for chamber choir and harp, and progresses over twelve short movements. I had so much fun working with Mark Parker, Director of Music, and the talented choir at First United Methodist. It was an amazing experience being able to work with this talented group of musicians and be part of such a beautiful performance.

On Wednesday, December 16, I performed at WhiteStone: Masonic and Eastern Star Community's Christmas Party in Greensboro, North Carolina. I performed as this wonderful holiday event last year and was pleased to see so many familiar faces! I performed a variety of holiday music, including Winter Wonderland, Silver Bells, The Christmas Song, O Holy Night, Silent Night, and Still, Still, Still. I had so much fun performing at as this fun holiday event! I wish all of the residents and staff a wonderful and prosperous NEW YEAR! I have a few more December performances to update you on...so stay tuned!

2010 - First Blog (November Update)

There have been some incredibly exciting things happening in the Ludtke household recently (which I will update everyone on at a later date) that has kept me preoccupied from blogging about my harp activities. I had the opportunity to perform at some fabulous events during the holidays season and I am excited to share these wonderful performances with you!

On Thursday, November 19, I performed on the harp with the Lenior-Rhyne University Concert Band conducted by Daniel Kiser at the P.E. Monroe Auditorium in Hickory, North Carolina. I performed Variations on a Nursery Tune, opus 25 by Ernest von Dhnanyi (1877-1960). This delightful piano concerto featured Julia Byrd, a junior piano performance major at Lenior-Rhyne University. I also performed Little Red Schoolhouse by William Grant Still (1895-1978). I had so much fun performing with the Lenior-Rhyne University Concert Band and I am looking forward to performing more orchestral music in the future!

On Saturday, November 21, I performed for Tammy and Lee's intimate wedding ceremony at their beautiful home in Greensboro, North Carolina. I performed with flutist, Karen Shuford and we had so much fun performing as a harp/flute duo. We performed a variety of classical and religious selections for the prelude. For the processional, we performed Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. For the recessional, we performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. Karen and I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony. Congratulations to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous November wedding!

On Sunday, November 22, I performed at the Hometown Holiday Showcase at the Newton-Conover Civic and Performance Place in Newton, North Carolina. This showcase featured beautifully decorated trees and other festive decor, holiday-themed children's artwork and a large selection of gifts and decorations to buy. This wonderful event featured a harp trio! I invited one of my harp students at the NewArt School to perform, as well as a former harp student that is now studying harp at the North Carolina School of the Arts. We had so much fun performing classical and holiday ensemble music together as well as performing solos. I have to say, the only thing better than one harp is THREE HARPS! Thank you Austin and Kristen for sharing your wonderful talent at this special event!


On Friday, November 27, I performed for Carrie and Andrew's beautiful wedding ceremony at Saint Francis of Assisi in Mocksville, North Carolina. I performed a variety of classical and religious selections for the prelude. For the processional, I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod for the seating of the mothers, Psalms 19 by Marcello for the entrance of the bridal party, and The Nightingale by Henson-Conant for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, I performed The Prayer by Sager/Foster for the lighting of the unity candle. For the recessional, I performed Ode to Joy by Beethoven. I had so much fun performing at this beautiful wedding ceremony. Congratulations to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful November wedding!