Blackley, Becky

Dates:

Active 1871

Active 1995

Biographical notes:

Writer, collector, and performer Becky Blackley is an autoharp expert and enthusiast. From 1980 to 1993, she served as editor of "The Autoharpoholic," an international journal that was dedicated to the autoharp. In 1981, she published "Harp! the Herald Angels Sing!," a book of Christmas songs arranged for the autoharp, and in 1983, "The Autoharp Book," a comprehensive history of the instrument. She has recorded and produced her own music, conducted autoharp workshops across the United States, and served as a consultant to instrument makers Oscar Schmidt-International. She currently works as a Russian-to-English translator.

From the description of Becky Blackley collection, 1871-1995. WorldCat record id: 64695823

As a writer, collector, and performer, Becky Blackley is a well-known autoharp expert and enthusiast. She attended the University of California at Santa Barbara and completed her graduate studies at the University of British Columbia in Canada. From 1980 to 1993, Blackley served as editor of The Autoharpoholic, an international quarterly journal that was dedicated to the autoharp. In addition, she has written extensively on the subject of the autoharp, and her articles have been featured in a number of publications, including Frets and Bluegrass Breakdown . In 1981, she published Harp! the Herald Angels Sing!, a book of Christmas songs arranged for the autoharp. In 1983, she published The Autoharp Book , a comprehensive history of the instrument, its origins and evolution. Becky Blackley performed professionally as a member of Woodshed, a Bay Area bluegrass band. Additionally, she has both recorded and produced her own music, conducted autoharp workshops across the United States, and served as a consultant to instrument maker Oscar Schmidt-International during the development of the diatonic autoharp. She currently works as a Russian-to-English translator.

From the guide to the Becky Blackley Collection, 1871-1995, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection.)