A few months ago, I received a greeting card with this picture of a doll made by Carleigh Hoff on the front. The image is entitled "Music of the Muse." The card included a lovely letter from Albuquerque harper Michele Buchanan. Here's part of what she said.

"I'm sending you this card to remind you of the many kind things you did for my friend Carleigh Hoff. I know this is ancient history, but when Carleigh was bedridden in 2005, I went many times to help her hold the harp so she could play—even for just a few minutes. Carleigh told me that you had given her the harp, and I want you to know how much she appreciated your kindness. Those notes so close to her chest filled her with peace and comfort."

I had no recollection of Carleigh, and I was sure I had never given her a harp, so I looked her up in the customer files on my computer. I discovered that she was a friend of my long-time employee Heidi Spiegel. When Heidi bought a new harp in 2000, she gave her Caswell Gaelic harp to Carleigh. So, it was Heidi's kindness and her harp that warmed Carleigh's heart, not mine.

I talked to Michele and asked her to tell me more about Carleigh. Here's her email reply.

In 2005, I visited Carleigh at her studio in the west valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, while she was battling terminal cancer. Despite her illness, her studio remained a place of incredible creativity. She was a gifted artist who created wonderful sculptures, or "dolls," which were photographed and featured on greeting cards. While her work included many subjects, such as Native American dancers, many of her cards featured ancient-looking harpers. She even hand-carved miniature harps and other intricate accessories for the dolls to hold.

But as she was nearing the end of her life, Carleigh couldn't position her harp to play, as she had lost all her strength, couldn't walk, and was basically bedridden. So I would lift the harp into her arms and help her play duets with me. We played songs from memory together and spent many loving hours with the harp on her chest.

I want you to know that Heidi's gift of her harp eased her pain and made her last days comfortable and serene, as the sound of the strings filled the air. Those of us who play at Hospice will know what I mean, and it is rewarding for us, too. I hope all your readers will open themselves to everything harping brings their way. You will never be disappointed!

Sometimes we don’t know the extent of our actions or the consequences, of course, but I want you to know, Sylvia, that your efforts in promoting harping have made a giant impact for so many people, including me.

Here are memories of Carleigh from my former employee Heidi and her sister, Lisa.

Here's what Lisa told me.

Carleigh was unlike anyone I had ever met. Her big, toothy smile was welcoming and warm. I met Carleigh in 1973 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She'd been brought in to create and sew costumes for a dance in the Dance Dept seasonal concert. I was one of the many dancers in that piece, and I volunteered to help her. We went to the Costume Department along with other students who came to help. We all chatted, laughed, talked, and sewed for hours, with Carleigh holding court with her workers. The other students left after dinner, but I stayed with Carleigh, sewing all night til morning. So fun!! After the concert, Carleigh and I got together in Los Angeles, where she met my family. We all became friends and continued to have many adventures after that.

(This 1972 black-and-white photo shows Carleigh inside her art piece entitled "The Wood Beyond the World." Used with permission: Carleigh Hoff with her art piece, Scripps College. Scripps College Photo Archives, Ella Strong Denison Library, Scripps College, Claremont, CA.)

Carleigh loved creating in different art forms. Besides her costume and sewing skills, she was adept at drawing, sculpture, painting, and music and dance, which she incorporated into her artistic creations. She played harp, piano, and some wind instruments. Yoga was also a regular thing. When she couldn't pay for yoga classes, she would offer to paint calming images of giant flowers on studio walls.

Carleigh was also an expert in antique carousels. She was often hired to repair the carousel animals in Santa Barbara and the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles. She also made a whole series of Christmas ornaments based on these carousel animals. 

And here are some of Heidi's memories.

I got to know Carleigh better through my period of costume work, which started in the 70's. She worked for some very impressive clients, and when a major deadline came up for a show or film shoot, she would often ask if I could help out. 

I remember once taking a break on the stairwell of a costume house when Bob Mackie slipped and fell, literally, into my lap! He asked who I was, and I explained that Carleigh had asked me to help out. He then began to speak about how much he admired her work, so humbled by her imagination. I'll never forget that. He called her the "woman of beautiful ideas." Though I stopped the costume circuit, Carleigh and I stayed in touch for many years.

Carleigh moved back east in the 1990s, though she often came to L.A. and Santa Barbara to visit. She didn't have a harp, and during one of those visits we talked about her taking the Caswell harp. It felt like it should be Carleigh's harp, not mine, and it could help her adjust to her new life outside of California. So I simply passed it on to its rightful owner. 

I want the world to remember Carleigh as an incredible artist with an otherworldly imagination that seemed to flow from her being. She died much too young, with so many more worlds and creatures left to create. She always had a vision, and did what it took to make her 'beautiful ideas' a reality and bring magic out of the ordinary. Carleigh stood her ground, refused to be compromised by Hollywood egos, and lived entirely on her own creative terms. If only we could all be like that.

This color photo is from a 1996 article about Carleigh's artwork when she was 46. The editor of Viewzone has given me permission to share the article with you. You can find it here: When Dolls Aren't Really Dolls . . . The Magic of Carleigh Hoff.

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

Rhett Barnwell

Ode to Joy: Rhett's arrangement of Beethoven's famous piece.

Rondeau: An intermediate arrangement of Francois Couperin's 1717 Rondeau: Les Barricades Mysterieuses.

Simple Gifts: An easy-intermediate arrangement of this beloved Shaker hymn.

Margot Krimmel

Skye Boat Song: This traditional Celtic song is used as a theme for the "Outlander" series. Margot has arranged it for advanced-beginner to intermediate players.

Judith Aucoin Olson

Angels We Have Heard on High: Judith has created five variations of this traditional carol, following the story of the shepherds' journey to Bethlehem.

Shari Pack - duet medleys for two lever or pedal harps

Hawaiian Melodies: My Heart's Choice, Paahana-Hula, Violeta, Maunawili-Hula, and Aloha Oe.

Timeless Children's Hymns: Jesus Loves Me, I Love to Tell the Story, Brighten the Corner, Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, and The Church in the Wildwood.

Carol Wood

The Beasts of Bethlehem - for harp and alto voice: Set to the poetry of X. J. Kennedy, Carol's 21 songs add a new element to the rich tradition of associating animals with the Christmas story.

Sir Gawain and The Green Knight: Carol's five compositions were inspired by the late 14th-century Middle English poem associated with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

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

In honor of Carleigh, Michele, Heidi, and Lisa, this month's sale features books and PDFs with the word "Friend" in a song title.

To get the 15% discount, enter the code word Friends in the "Enter Promo Code" box on your shopping cart page and click "Enter Code" by September 30, 2026. See the "How to get the 15% discount" section at the bottom of this newsletter for more information.