Betsy Scott Chapman: News

Has it really been so long since I updated my site?  Yes, indeed!  After a packed schedule running right through the end of "Peter Pan:  A Musical Adventure" at the Tri-PAC, I am stopping to catch my breath!  Upcoming plans include attending the "Sound Healing Symposium"  at Omega Institute and Judging at the International Chinese Martial Arts Championships in Orlando, Florida.  I hope to have time this summer to begin recording my third CD, working with classical guitar player Russ Ferrara.  Stay tuned for news on that, and watch for a new and (I hope) improved redesign of my whole website sometime during the month of July.  Or sooner if I figure out how all those widgets work.....

Two quick updates today:

First, I am canceling Thursday night Tai Chi until further notice.  We'll revisit the schedule once the dark of winter is past.  For now, I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday nights.

Second, just a reminder that you can catch Randi Ellis and me on WPAZ, 1370 AM each weekday from 6 - 9 AM.  We'll have news, weather, music and everything you need to know to get your day started.  We are looking forward to announcing that we'll be streaming over the internet soon, so stay tuned!

More later - stay warm and safe!

This should be a great year, and is starting off with a bang - some exciting new projects are in the works.  Read on!

On the Tai Chi front, classes are still being held on Mondays and Thursdays at Final Results Fitness in Gilbertsville.  This schedule will hold through the month of January, but there may be schedule changes in February.  If you are interested in Tai Chi and these days are not good for you please let me know, it will help with future scheduling decisions.

On the harp front, I've just received my brand-new Carbon Fiber harp, and I can't say enough about it!  It weighs in at only 8 pounds, and will be the go-to harp for my Harp therapy work.  The sound is great, the string spacing and tension is great, having 36 strings in a light harp is great, and I am having so much fun playing it that we haven't even stopped to take pictures yet.  We'll get there, keep your eye on my website!

Of course I still have 5 other harps to keep busy and tuned, and there will be no lack of work for all of them!  Coming up in January is the traditional "Revels" at Parkhouse with the Tapestry Historic Dance Company.  We'll be providing traditional Renaissance music, dance, and the play of St. George and the Dragon.

Later in the month I will be part of the 2-person pit band for "The Frog Prince" at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center.  I'll be playing harp, flute (if I practice between now and then...) and adding percussion and sound effects.  Debbie Snow and I had so much fun doing this for Rapunzel last year that we signed ourselves up again!  Check www.tripac.org for dates, times, and tickets.

And in my spare time (!) I am happy to announce my return to radio after a...well, long absence!  I will be part of the NEW WPAZ Morning Show with Randi and Betsy!  (I'm the Betsy part, in case you were wondering.)  We will be on 6 - 9 AM weekdays, with music, news, weather, traffic - everything you need to get your day started!  The station can be found at 1370 AM, and will shortly be streaming over the Internet, so all my remote friends can tune in (well, ok this might be a little too early out there in CA).  The station went on the air on 12/30, and is going through a week of test runs, up to a grand opening on 1/8.  Our show will start on 1/10.   Those of you who are local know Randi Ellis from Frank-FM, or Shadow Traffic, or her work on a variety of other Philly stations, or her work with the Tri-PAC.  (Yep, Randi's schedule is as crazy as mine.)  Those of you who are remote will recognize her voice from voice-over and commercial work.  None of you will have the pleasure of seeing her everyday at 6 AM, though!  I know  the two of us will be at our best, sipping coffee in our fuzzy bunny slippers as we wake up Pottstown.

So there it is - whether it is MUSIC, MARTIAL ARTS, or MORNING RADIO MADNESS I have it on my schedule.  My best wishes for a happy, healthy 2011 for us all!

No, I'm not either, but here they come!  Take a look at the calendar page for lots of upcoming events featuring harp music, vocal music, yoga, and FOOD!  (Well, what is a celebration without food?)  Note that in "A Christmas Carol" at the Tri-PAC I am not playing harp (it is being played on a keyboard - don't get me started), but I am playing percussion.  All the really fun stuff - tympani, bass drum, cymbals, bell trees, tamborines, and whatever else we conjure up.  After all, harp is a percussion instrument, so I guess I should be able to double on any percussion part, right?  Thanks to Barbara Newberry, Music Director for asking me to do this, the "real" percussionist I am working with, James Dilks, and the whole orchestra for another fun show!

Don't forget the Harrisburg Harp Orchestra concert on 12/18.  I won't be there but good friends 'Nita, Kay, Cindy, Cath, Ruth, and a host of others will be playing.  Definitely worth a visit!

I have REALLY GOOD intentions of updating the site with 2011 dates, but lets be honest, it is not likely to get done until the week between Christmas and New Years.  So in the meantime, Happy Holidays and all the best for a good year in 2011.  Hope to see you at an event soon!

The new CD created with Rev. Barry L. Moyer has arrived - yes, there are 10 boxes sitting on my kitchen floor as I write this!  The Digstation downloadable version is ready to go - just click the link on my Homepage, and CDBaby will have the physical CDs during the last week of May.  Meanwhile, if you would like to order one directly from me just give me an email or a call and I will get it in the mail to you.  The cost is $10, and I'll even include the shipping in that price.

I will get the CDBaby link up on my homepage as soon as it is live.  Thanks to all for your support and patience with this project!