Heart

Aug 16 2008 by Hannah Davies, The Journal

From California to Durham, Erica Walker has enjoyed her journey, she tells Hannah Davies

PEOPLE always speak of Californians having a sunny disposition, and Erica Walker does nothing to dispel this stereotype. Which is not to say the harpist’s life has been simply a ball. Erica has been through some tough times, but her personality shines through.

Erica was born in Southern California, the daughter of teachers, and grew up in Palm Desert, “a small town in the middle of nowhere”.

She and her sister were both sports fanatics but their mother, who plays the piano, was keen for them to take music lessons as well.

“My mum was really into her music. Because of that my sister and I were kind of forced into that as well for a while. I got really into it, but my sister didn’t.”

It showed dedication to make the regular journey Erica had to for lessons, “I used to have to travel about 60 miles every week to the University of Redlands,” she explains.

But her talent soon shone through. Erica won a number of competitions in California, including the Redlands Bowl Young Artists Competition.

Erica says she was nervous about performing in competitions and in concerts at first, but this early experience toughened her to playing in front of large audiences.

“When you’re younger and playing in front of thousands of people you get scared, but then get used to it.

“Once I’d started to play I was happy and relaxed into it.

“I think you always get nervous. I tend not to get as nervous when I play in front of people I don’t know. It’s when it’s friends or family that nerves set in.”

With accolades behind her Erica decided to move to the other side of America to study the instrument on the East Coast. Erica went to New York in 1997 to study at the Eastman School of Music. Its alumni include some of the most famous musicians and composers of our time, from composer Dominick Argento to bassist Tony Levin, of King Crimson.

She trained under Kathleen Bride, “one of the best harpists in the world,” who is also an associate professor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

Erica recalls her time at Eastman foundly. “I loved it – being able to study under such good teachers was really an honour.”

She spent four years at the university and decided to add a string to her bow by taking a business management qualification as part of her degree.

Conscious of the difficulty of becoming a full-time harpist, and with an interest in the music business, Erica decided she wanted to work in the A&R [artists and repertoire] department of a record company and, after graduation, took up an internship for EMI’s classics division in New York.

To her disappointment, nothing came of it and Erica moved back home to California for a while. Then, out of the blue, there was a call from EMI in New York asking if she would like to work for them permanently.

“I was so excited, it was my ideal job at the time, working with artists in the marketing and promotions department,” she says.

Erica’s job, which she began in 2002, meant she got to go to starry awards ceremonies, including the Grammys, and to take artists and bigwigs from the recording industry out.

“I’d go to the opera at least once a week,” she recalls, “and the Champagne would be flowing.” Despite the perks of the job, Erica began to yearn for a little more, and to get a bit sick of life in the city. “I really was too busy to play the harp, which I missed. It was nearly impossible travelling around the area without a car, yet there was no way I could afford a car in New York

“I found living in such a big city difficult, especially financially, so when a friend of mine got in touch about a job opportunity I jumped at it.”

A friend of Erica’s, also a harpist, asked her if she would be interested in taking over a contract she had on board the cruise liner, the QE2

Erica was delighted at the idea of a change of direction, and packed up and left New York behind with a smile and a contract for three months in the QE2.

Her job was to play while high tea was served.

“It’s a bit of a tradition in the harpist’s world,” she says. “It’s done at the Ritz, I think, in London and in plenty of places in America. Ray Cool does it at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and has done for many years.

“I loved it. I’d always get saved a nice pot of tea, scones, jam and cream to take back to my room!”

Erica was also happy to be back playing the harp on a regular basis.

“It was a really good experience, something I’d never expected. It was a different kind of playing, very intense because I’d be playing constantly. It was hard work, but really good fun.

“It was probably less good for me technically, but excellent in terms of endurance. I’d never played so much in my life.

“The mix of people you had on the QE2 surprised me. You had your 30-year-olds or you have your 65- or 70- year-olds. It meant I did a lot of classical and a mixture of popular stuff.”

The requests were sometimes a little unusual. One repeated request in particular.

“I was surprised to get asked to play the theme tune from Titanic. But it actually proved very popular!”

It was Erica’s work on board the QE2 which indirectly led to her move to England. She fell in love with another musician in the ship’s company, a drummer.

The couple were engaged at the end of 2003 and did another contract working together on the Queen Mary 2.

It was while they were at sea again they decided to make the move to England in August and to get married at the end of 2004.

“We worked on the QE2 again, which was really convenient as it meant my harp could be brought over to the UK.”

But the transition from America to England via the liner was not an easy one.

Erica landed in Newcastle knowing no one and having to adjust to a different culture as well as an unknown city.

She says: “I’d never been to England before I moved here.

“I found it really difficult at first. I had to find everything on my own.

“I also had to learn how to drive again and to read UK maps, to get lost and find my way back.

“Everything was difficult, even from trying to find things in supermarkets that I used to be able to get back home.”

The strangeness of being in a foreign country was also made difficult by the fact she couldn’t even have a bank account of her own. “No one would give me an account until I’d been here for 12 months as my credit rating didn’t transfer from the US. Luckily I found First Direct, which was the only bank who would give me an account.”

But Erica is made of strong stuff and while she was waiting for her work visa to come through she busied herself volunteering and teaching at The Sage Gateshead.

As soon as she had her visa, she began gigging, playing the harp across the region and soon afterwards landed a marketing job at regional development agency One NorthEast.

“I was really busy,” she says. “I was doing the marketing for One North East and then doing the harp at weekends, which had really taken up. It ended up so I was doing seven days a week work – I became hugely busy. But One NorthEast was the best job for me to get into the area. I knew more about the North East than most North Easterners at the end. That was the biggest asset for me!”

Sadly, over the years, Erica’s relationship with her husband had begun to break down and the couple divorced early this year.

Many people would have simply moved back home, but Erica had begun to enjoy living in the region too much.

“I love Durham. I love being so close to the countryside as well as the city.

“Around where I live is amazing, I love being outdoors and there are so many things to do outdoors here.

“My father is really outdoorsy and he said he would love to buy somewhere here so he could visit every summer for the rest of his life. In Durham he loved the riverside and there’s so many places to be active near here, so much to do in the area.”

Erica is now a full-time harpist, having left One NorthEast, and finds herself continually in demand.

During the summer season she is booked at stately homes and hotels across the region to play at weddings and other functions. During the colder and darker months, orchestral work makes up the majority of her time.

Erica has played a number of times with the Northern Sinfonia, Durham Sinfonia and Leeds Sinfonia in addition to bands and smaller orchestras from Northumberland to Manchester.

“My work is going great here. There are a few harpists, but much less than I’ve found in America.

“It’s good to have that community, you share knowledge about gigs and there’s always someone you can recommend if you can’t make a gig.”

Erica admits she was surprised by the work and the reception she’s received here.

“I was surprised by how much people really enjoy live music in the UK. Much more so than in America.”

Erica ended up playing a regular gig at Jesmond Dene House when one of her friends, who used to work on board the QE2, got a job there and heard they were looking for a harpist. “It’s a lovely set of people and its a lovely venue to play in,” Erica says.

“it’s one of the few places where I gig regularly which gives a nice feeling because you walk into a place and you know the people there.”

Erica is currently single and, although she loves working in the region, she does say she wouldn’t rule out a return to the US.

“There is a lot to keep me here, but then there is a lot in the US for me as well.

“It’s difficult. I’m a Californian, but a part of me will always be in love with the North East of England.”