Who's Davy C?

Davy J. Clark, a Master Journeyman Harp Maker, started building harps back in 2002. I took up the playing of a harp more seriously back in 2017. Mostly, I would build Celtic-style harps from kits created by Musicmakers' Kits before I decided to create my own Paraguayan harps by freehand, initially through the guidance of my harp-making mentor, Maestro John Kovac. 

My musical background includes high school band on the slide trombone. Then, I played in the Air Force Drum & Bugle Corps, where I played a type of keyed baritone bugle. I've sung in small & giant choirs. I was even a 1st tenor in a Gospel Quartet for a short season.

But, I eventually evolved into playing the ethnic music of my childhood, namely Scots & Irish Traditional music on the Scots Great Highland Bagpipe & the Irish Uilleann [ill-un] Pipes. I added playing the Irish flute in tradition & many such whistles.

Picture: Davy playing the Irish Uilleann bagpipes with Fritz on violin at a house concert in Detroit, back in the day.

And, always a percussionist, I play the Irish Bodhran, of which I played for very many pub sessions, Celtic Festivals & for a local Traditional Irish band.

Picture: Davy playing the bodhran with Keith (from Scotland) on the djembe.

Besides playing the rock kit drums for a couple of bands in the past, I play the African djembe, Egyptian & Middle Eastern doumbek, and my latest over the last two decades, the Latin Cajon, which has been my go-to drum for the latest band playing popular & rock Christian genre music.

I've learned the Australian didgeridoo, and found it highly advantageous to learning circular breathing on that instrument (a personal achievement I am quite well pleased with).

Picture: Davy playing the Australian Didgeridoo. 

I've tried my hand on the Mountain Dulcimer & a bit of violin, electric guitar, & 5-string electric bass; all just for fun and to say I've done it. I trained as a Shofar'im & play the large Shofar. And, I play the Native American pentatonic flute in the tradition.

In 2015, my son & I created the Celtic Star, a digital electronic bagpipe featuring 4 authentic bagpipe sounds & performance. Its sounds consist of the famous Scottish, Great Highland Bagpipe, the Scots Small Pipes in Lo-A & Hi-D, and the French musette. 

Picture: Davy electronic piping at the local Veterans center for Armistice Day, 2018.

Picture: Davy & his latest 'Celtic Star' electronic bagpipes version.

But, my musical life eventually led me to learning bedside & hospice clinical music on stringed instruments, initially using the 22-string Lynda Lyre I built from Musicmakers Kits. However, desiring a larger sound palette, I discovered John Kovac's large 36-string Paraguayan harp kits. So, I ordered John's Harpmaking Made Simple plans book and built my own. 

Picture: Davy's very first freehand-built, Paraguayan-style harp from John Kovac's HMS plans book and John's matching string & hardware kit.

Eventually, I pursued a harp maker/player mentor relationship with the Maestro Kovac, learning directly from him at his own shop. Then, when he retired, I was blessed to be the one chosen to buy his business, to keep his name and harp innovations going. Subsequently, I retired from my many decades-long career as an Electro-Acoustics Engineer and now run this John Kovac web business & make harps/kits full time.

Pictures: The last time I ever played music with the Maestro, himself playing on my newly created 26-string ParaHarp, March 2022, before his passing in July 2022.

(With Judi Floyd-Kovac on bass kalimba, Steve on guitar) * (Davy playing his Cajon with Cajon brushes)