Who's Davy C?

I started building harps back in 2002. I took up the playing of a harp more seriously back in 2007. Mostly, I would build Celtic style harps from kits created by Musicmaker's 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, Air Force Drum & Bugle Corp where I played a type of keyed baritone bugle. I've sang 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 Scot's Great Highland Bagpipe & on the Irish Uilleann 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 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 digeridoo, 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 Digeridoo. 

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 Shofarim & 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 Scot's Smallpipes 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 lead 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-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)