Matt DeBlass

My music draws from the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, England, Canada and the US. It includes both instrumental pieces and vocal songs. My playing, arranging and singing is heavily influenced by genre-blending folk harpists such as Loreena McKennitt and Alan Stivell.
I can perform entirely instrumental sets or a mix of instrumental and vocal pieces, as your occasion demands. I have a baritone voice which has sometimes been compared to Gordon Lightfoot in style (in fact, I have a number of Lightfoot songs in my repertoire I sing with either the harp or guitar accompaniment).

The harp itself is a what's known as a "Celtic" or "Lever" harp. This is a folk instrument which is distinct from the style of harp found in orchestral settings. It's smaller and with fewer strings (34 as opposed to the 47 on orchestral harps) and uses small manual levers to change keys. Unlike the harps used in the orchestra, it doesn't have pedals for hands-free key changes, which means it's not well suited to a lot of classical repertoire, but it's perfect for for most folk, singer-songwriter, and popular music. It's also a lot more compact, standing at about four-and-a-half feet tall. It's large enough to have a visual presence at your event, but not so big it will be in the way!

The harp and my voice are both loud enough to be heard unamplified at most small events, but the instrument is equipped with an electronic pickup system for larger venues and I can provide amplification or connect to a house system as needed.

Matt DeBlass is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Philadelphia. He has around 25 years of gigging experience and is an avid collector of old folk songs. While he performs a lot of traditional Celtic material, he also has a broad repertoire of contemporary and original music.
Matt's musical journeys have taken him from his home state of New Jersey to Scotland and Ireland, and all across the eastern half of the US, and he's played music in such unusual spots as a castle in northern New York, a cave in Wisconsin and a train rolling across Pennsylvania.

Stage space required: Approximately 6' square for harp and stool. The area should be relatively flat and protected from extended exposure to the elements.
Amplification needs: Microphone on a boom stand (voice), standard 1/4" guitar cable inpute (harp)

I can provide sound reinforcement in either the form of:
-A combination amplifier suitable for a small room (1 electrical outlet required)
-A PA system consisting of a powered speaker and mixing board suitable for moderately large spaces (2 electrical outlets required) with this I can provide a second microphone for emcee/annoucements

Because I don't move around when I play, lighting is fairly simple (if applicable). The instrument sits on my right side, and I would just request that the lighting mix be mostly neutral. There are reference strings on the harp, red for C and blue for F and if the lighting is heavily red or blue colored it can be a little had to see them!