Dee Carstensen

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Dee Carstensen

Dee's chosen instrument-an 85-pound, 47-stringed electric harp-is rarely seen in a contemporary pop setting or heard outside of stuffy chamber music halls or New Age environs. Dee uses it in a guitar-like way-to stunning effect. "I consider myself a singer/songwriter foremost," Dee admits, "though the harp is such an integral part of me. I often write at the piano," Dee explains, "and then go over to the harp to see how it sounds. The harp is like an upright piano without the black keys and I work those pedals with my feet. The challenge, because I was classically trained with all those glissandos and arpeggios, is to give the harp a rhythmic quality. It's a never-ending lesson, and I keep stretching it."