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Arranger
I arrange all my gospel hymns for the harp. My inspiration comes from teaching piano for over thirty years. All those John Thompson and John Schaum tunes keep swimming around in my head. Sometimes I put a little humor in one of my arrangements. If you listen closely you will hear Turkey In The Straw on Go, Tell It On The Mountain, Shortnin' Bread on Revive Us Again and Ravel's Bolero running parallel to Silent Night. I enjoy taking familiar gospel hymns and giving them new rhythms and new life. Bibles Our new "ministry within a ministry" is collecting Bibles for inmates. We have placed thousands of new and used Bibles in prisons throughout the United States. We are still collecting Bibles for inmates. |
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Camac French Harp
I started playing the French Camac Electric harp in 1993. My big Blue harp has opened up a whole new world of sound. The electric harp has allowed me a creative edge. I am now able to utilize the entire dynamic range of the instrument by using various "effects" processors and state-of-the-art sound equipment. This technology allows me to create, invent, and orchestrate new contemporary sounds. The Camac Blue harp has changed the classical harp stereotype. The Blue has far-reaching appeal and has given me a chance to design and produce innovative sounds that have never been heard on a harp before. There is such a distinct difference (technically, speaking, too) in playing the acoustic harp and the electric harp. The only word I can think of is POWER. I compare the two harps this way-- I used to enjoy driving a 1962 VW Bug (acoustic harp) and now I drive a fine-tuned Ferrari (electric harp). All that power and sound in my hands! Les Paul, move over! Devoted I am certainly devoted to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Next comes my sweet husband of forty years, Willis Rice. I would have to say my next devotion is to the audiences that come to hear me play the harp. I want everyone to know that my devotion to Jesus is why I continue to practice, perform, and play for people. God's love is so far reaching. I want Him to place His hands on mine as I "praise Him with the harp." |
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Electric Harp
The electric guitar was developed in the late 1940's. Finally, the electric harp is here-50 years behind the guitar, but here, nonetheless. I'm doing my best to catch up. I do enjoy hanging out at guitar stores trying out new amps and effects processors. I look a bit "out of place" being the Church lady and all, but the rockers love big Blue. I have people of all ages telling me how they enjoy the sound of my big Blue harp playing rockabilly, zydeco, the blue, and calypso. I'm currently working on some new rhythms I heard on a Ladysmith Black Mambazo album. (incidentally, Mambazo means ax, and some one once described my Blue harp as a heavenly ax) Eventually, I want to perfect "flamenco" as a harp style. La Bamba was written for harp and I play it! |
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Fun
I love to have fun while playing the harp. I love what I do-to "praise the Lord with the harp." I take my relationship with the Lord seriously and I take my music seriously, but I sure don't take myself seriously. I love to make people laugh. I hope that when you hear the music, the testimony, and the humor-you will laugh and cry along with me. |
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Gospelharp.Com
This is our address on the World Wide Web. Hunter My full name is Linda Kay Hunter Rice. a.k.a. Cornelia Belle Scattergoods. Into My Heart This is my seventh recording. I've tried to record an album every year we have had this ministry. Some of the the selections include-Where He Leads Me I Will Follow, Seek Ye First/Canon In D, Wonderful Words Of Life, I Have Decided To Follow Jesus/This Little Light Of Mine, Are You Washed? and Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen. These are a few of the new arrangements I've been working on. |
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Jazzy
Some folks that have heard me play the harp dubbed me "jazzy". I do love to play "The Blues" and I also enjoy playing the styles of the great jazz piano players in New Orleans. My favorite inspirational recording is In The Sweet Bye & Bye by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. They sure do know how to play and sing Gospel music. Kazoo The kazoo is a toy musical instrument in which a paper membrane is vibrated by the performer's voice. I have a large collection of kazoos. I enjoy humming the hymns and strumming the harp. |
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LRP
These initials stand for Linda Rice Productions. When we record the LRP stands for Living Room Productions. When we slurp our musical alphabet soup it has the sound of LRP. Music Ministry This harp ministry is a "calling" on our lives. After Willis retired from the Air Force, we both felt that God was calling us into a full-time harp ministry. That was 1992. We still have our motto "you call, we haul". My sweet husband, Willis, has been dubbed a sainted harp hauler. We travel every where in a big van, play 100 concerts a year in Prisons and Churches (seventy concerts in prisons and 30 concerts in churches). We don't charge anything to play a concert in a Church or Prison. We don't ask for any traveling expenses or money up front. We promised the Lord when we started this ministry that we would go anywhere He opened the doors. We ask that the Church take up a love offering at the end of the concert, put us up in a hotel, and allow us to sell our tapes and CDs. Noise It says in Psalm 100 to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord". We are trying to fulfill that Scripture by lugging around a big Blue harp and a van full of electronic equipment. Yes, the sound of the harp can be soothing at times, but it can also ROCK. Only A Touch My first recording. This album is recorded on an acoustic harp. We went to the Grand Canyon in Arizona for the photos. I literally perched (with my harp) on the rocks over looking the canyon and held on for dear life while Willis took about 50 pictures. A tour group of German and Japanese folks arrived in a bus and asked me to play. With the setting sun and the glory of God's creation all around me, I played the only thing that came to mind-Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow. It was appropriate and appreciated by every one that stepped off the bus that day. We all sat down and watched the sunset turn the world pink. It was, indeed, a holy moment. |
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Prison Ministry
Willis and I have been playing concerts in Federal and State Prisons since 1998. We praise God for the opportunity to take our harp ministry into Prisons and "praise the Lord with the harp". In 2007 Linda will play 70 concerts in Prisons all over the United States. |
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Quentin
As in, San Quentin, California State Prison. Linda played there for the first time on September 22, 2000. Willis and Linda continue to go to the Garden Chapel several times a year to play concerts and worship with the men there. |
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Raconteur
I was once called a "raconteur." I had to look up the meaning in the dictionary. I was pleasantly surprised at what I found in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. It describes a raconteur as one who recounts stories and anecdotes with skill and wit. Softly and Tenderly My sixth recording. I recorded the title song wearing a pair of white nylon gloves. I'm always experimenting with the harp. I love to weave things in the strings of my harp. I have various shoestrings, parachute cords, ribbons, piping, waxed paper, luncheon napkins, and paint chips in my brief case. Audiences are always amazed at the different sounds these household items can make. A simple hair ribbon can imitate the sound of the lute stop on a harpsichord. I use it when I play, Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring. I especially like Sweet Hour Of Prayer, (based on the chords of Basin Street Blues) His Eye Is On The Sparrow, and Higher Ground. Testimony I never play the harp in a concert without first giving my testimony. I always tell of my spiritual journey and how I became a Christian in a Child Evangelism class when I was five years old. I always show my kindergarten picture. Under His Wings This is my 5th recording and my personal favorite. I love Power In The Blood and the rain sound on Showers Of Blessing. The inspiration for the title song was 1955, B-3 Hammond Organ I played while in college. I attended camp meetings when I was young and the gospel songs were always played on an "evangelistic" Hammond organ. I still associate that "Leslie/rotary" sound with sawdust, tents, revivals, and gospel hymns. Vaughan Vaughan The name of my first piano teacher. I started lessons when I was nine years old. I have played the piano ever since. My teacher had a funny name-she rather enjoyed it. It's simple-her name was Vaughan Packer and she married Mr. Vaughan-thus the name: Vaughan Vaughan. The name was so theatrical and exotic for a piano teacher who used to run out of the room and nurse her new baby while I pounded out From A Wigwam - the last piece in the "Teaching Little Fingers To Play" piano method book. I still hate that song! |
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Willis
The love of my life. He has been my husband for 40 years and we have lived and traveled the world together. His career as a pilot in th Air Force took us to many places including Taiwan and The Philippines. I spent 22 years following him around the world and now he drives me in a van all over the U.S. to play my harp for God. He is my inspiration and my sound man. He is also the keeper of the books, harp maintenance man, manager of LRP, booking agent, and multimedia man. He wears a lot of different hats. |
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Xylophone
I played percussion in the High School Band & Orchestra. I also played the harp and piano when I wasn't learning how to play the bass drum, timpani, or triangle. I remember practicing the xylophone part on Danse Macabre by Saint Saens. I can still remember how to play it. I haven't found any use for the part, yet, but there is still plenty of time. Yearly Tours Willis and I usually "hit the road" in January and return home in March. We spend our Winter months playing the harp in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. We play 100 concerts in Prisons and Churches every year. We are usually home in the Spring and take off again for California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Michigan in May. Zydeco That New Orleans "stomp" music that incorporates the rhythmic sounds of a gut bucket, washboard and squeeze-box. I love to play zydeco rhythm on Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. I think I'll go and whittle my upbeat and improve my chops. Good Night. |
| TO ORDER CDs and Cassettes call 1-800-774-HARP. Linda Rice Productions P.O. Box 1306 Bodega Bay, CA 94923 Or E-mail Us At: info@gospelharp.com |