June 16 will be Father's Day here in the USA, so I'd like to honor my father, Conway Snyder. He was born in 1918 and passed away in 2011 at age 93.

I wrote an article on the Hawaiian Moon Phases in the November 2020 issue of this newsletter and included the following personal message.

The moon played a different but important role in our family's life as I was growing up. Our father, Dr. Conway Snyder, was a space scientist who worked for NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena from 1956 through 1984. He was associated with 14 space missions and was instrumental in NASA's explorations of the moon, Mars, and Venus. His solar wind spectrometer experiments were taken to the moon by Apollo 12 and Apollo 15 astronauts. (This photo shows him with his 1969 Apollo 12 spectrometer.) Dr. Snyder received numerous NASA commendations and awards, including an Apollo Achievement Award for "outstanding accomplishments culminating in Apollo 11's successful achievement of man's first landing on the moon, July 20, 1969," and the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement for his work on the solar wind.

I'll bet that ours was the only family that you know of who had an earth globe, a moon globe, and a Mars globe in our living room!

As I mentioned above, my father received numerous awards during his lifetime, including four NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Awards. This past month, we were informed that his name has been added to the National Air and Space Museum’s Wall of Honor.

Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers and father figures!

-- Sylvia

My brother Don is seven years older than me, and my sister Sheryl is three years older. Our parents instilled a love of music in all three of us, which we have carried throughout our lives. Don became a professional singer and recording engineer and recorded all three of my LPs. Sheryl is still singing with The Sorbonne Scholars, an ensemble of Renaissance music at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France.

When I was very young, our family took lots of road trips. Don, Sheryl, and I were all prone to motion sickness. My parents had us sing to keep us occupied so that (hopefully) we would not throw up. Family lore says that I sang before I learned to talk, singing just the last syllable of the phrases in songs like "My Grandfather's Clock" that we sang in the car.

I also remember singing while my father played the piano. This photo shows Sheryl, our father, and me singing at the piano. And here are more of my early childhood musical photos.

Sylvia playing the piano

Sylvia "playing" the trumpet

Sheryl, Don, and Sylvia singing

On May 25, 2024, Richard Sherman passed away at the age of 95. You may not be familiar with his name, but I guarantee you know his music. He and his brother Robert Sherman (who passed in 2012) wrote some of the best-loved Disney music in the 1960s and 70s.

Here's how Wikipedia describes them.

Richard Morton Sherman (June 12, 1928 – May 25, 2024) was an American songwriter who specialized in musical films with his brother Robert B. Sherman. According to the official Walt Disney Company website and independent fact checkers, "The Sherman Brothers were responsible for more motion picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history."

This public domain photo shows Robert and Richard at the 2002 premier of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Stage Musical at the London Palladium.

In honor of the Sherman brothers, my 76 Disney Songs is part of this month's sale.

Here's a list of their music included in this book and PDF.

Let's Get Together from The Parent Trap

Chim Chim Cher-ee, Feed the Birds, Let's Go Fly a Kite, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, and Stay Awake from Mary Poppins

Winnie the Pooh and Little Black Rain Cloud from Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree

The Aristocats and Scales and Arpeggios from The Aristocats

The Age of Not Believing from Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Spectrum Song from the Wonderful World of Color TV show

It's a Small World and There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow from the Disney theme parks

Here are some of the PDFs I've recently added to harpcenter.com.

Suzanne Guldimann

Hearts of Oak - Songs and Dances of Old England - Arranged for Lap Harp

The Bard's Harp - Music from Shakespeare's Plays - Arranged for Lap Harp

Carolyn Mills

Postcards from a Daydream - three original harp solos

Joy Slavens

In My Heart - original harp solo

He is Born - Il Est Ne - French Christmas song for harp duet or ensemble

Please note: The PDFs in this section are not part of the monthly sale.

Favorites from the 50s

including Fly Me to the Moon

by Sylvia Woods

Book or PDF

15% off with Moon code

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22 Romantic Songs

including Moondance

by Sylvia Woods

Book or PDF

15% off with Moon code

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Moonbeams

a medley of moon songs for

harp solo or harp and cello duet

by Joyce Rice

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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Moon and Memories

by William Mahan

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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Moonlight

by Douglas Beck

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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Moon Over the Mountain

by Sharon Thormahlen

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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Niagara Moon

by Alfredo Rolando Ortiz

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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Moonscape for pedal harp

by Louise Trotter

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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Singing Wings

by Kathryn Cater

including Moonspinner

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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The Japanese Harp

including Beautiful Moon

and The Moon

by Deborah Dahl Shanks

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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A Peaceful Harbor

including Half Moon Sky

by Brenda Bowen Cox

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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Music for a Peaceful Heart #1

including Still the Moon

by Lisa Lynne

PDF

15% off with Moon code

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15% off select sale items when you use the code word Moon

Our newsletter promo codes are redeemable online and are only valid for the products listed above in the monthly sale section. They are not valid for phone or email orders. This month's code word is Moon.

Here's how to get your newsletter discount at harpcenter.com:

#1. Put the items you want to purchase in your cart.

#2. On the page where you view the items in your cart, type this month's code word Moon in the "Enter Promo Code" box and click "Apply."

The actual price of the featured sale products on this page will then automatically change to reflect the discount. For example,

   Unit Price: $9.95 (the original price)

   Total Price: $8.46 (the discounted price)

You'll also see a note below the Promo Code box saying the name of the promo code you entered and the percentage amount of the discount.

REMEMBER: You must enter this month's code word Moon in the Promo Code box and click "Apply" on your shopping cart page by June 30, 2024, to get the discount!

If you forget, or if you have trouble adding it to your order, email Sylvia immediately.  

This offer expires at the end of the day on 6/30/2024.