The Two Most Important Things in My Harp Bag

There are two important things that will be in my harp bag when I go to my Christmas Eve performances this year. I am counting on them to keep me from worrying about those last minute crises that tend to arise at the worst possible moments. Both of these were gifts from thoughtful (and savvy) friends. I hope that these will help you be prepared as well.

The first item is my emergency stand light. This light saved my life, or at least my performance, two years ago. I was playing at a lovely candlelight service. As I set up and prepared for the service, I noticed the low light level, and I checked to make sure I could read my music and see the strings. All was well until just before the service when someone decided to dim the lights. Knowing that I had my emergency stand lights in my bag next to me, I reached down, pulled out the lights, turned them on and set my pedals for the first hymn. Having those lights with me saved me from eye strain, wrong notes and a lot of worry.

The lights I keep in my bag are the Mighty Bright Duet lights. I think they are the perfect solution for lights. They are so small that they always fit in my bag. They are battery powered, so I don’t need to worry about outlets and extension cords. The batteries last a long time, so I never have to worry about the lights not working when I need them.

The LED lights are bright enough to see the music and because there are two lights on separate goose necks, I can direct one light toward the strings. These are not the stand lights I would prefer for every use, but they are meant to see me through emergencies and they have done so, more than once. There is a link to the Mighty Bright website at the bottom of this post, but you can find them at most music stores.

The second thing is my “MiniEmergency Kit For Her.” This not only is extremely practical and meant to solve almost every last minute personal emergency you could imagine, but it has the perfect sparkle for the Christmas season.

This tiny kit is a glittery bag containing 17 essential items. You will find everything from breath spray and dental floss to clear nail polish (and remover!) and double sided tape for those droopy hems. There’s the world’s smallest sewing kit, a band-aid, Advil and an emery board, plus eight more essentials. The entire kit is smaller than an extra pair of pantyhose! You can find the kit at women’s specialty stores, or on their website, listed at the bottom of the post.

With my stand lights and my MiniEmergency Kit, I feel completely prepared when I leave the house. Oh wait, where did I put my music?!

Check them out:

Mighty Bright Duet Lights

MiniEmergency Kit For Her