![\"cristinablack_013\"](\"http:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/cristinablack_013.jpg\")
<\/a>Just because a story doesn’t have\u00a0a happy ending, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be told: that’s the main message I got from the music of harpist\u00a0Cristina Black<\/a>. As well as choosing a unique instrument, she offers a unique perspective as a storyteller. Her songs range from satirical on “Drunk Rich People,” where she\u00a0pokes fun of those who have replaced real joy with wealth and booze, to\u00a0tragic on “Alvarado,” where she uses a lullaby-like melody to piece together the story of a man\u00a0murdered in her\u00a0Los Angeles\u00a0neighborhood.<\/p>\n Cristina took a break from music to answer some questions about her introduction to music, how she learned to incorporate the harp into\u00a0modern songwriting,\u00a0and her personal style. Check it out:<\/p>\n AudioFemme: The harp is such an amazing\u00a0instrument, but not often used in today\u2019s popular music. How did you start playing it?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Cristina Black: It was my mother\u2019s idea. I think she just wanted to be soothed and amused on a daily basis, so she put me on the harp at a pretty young age. I\u2019ve gone in and out of playing it seriously since then. At times, it has been a bit of an albatross. I most recently picked it back up about three years ago, when I moved to Los Angeles, and it\u2019s been propelling me forward and upward in this insane spiral. My mom was onto something, because this thing is cool. It is a healing medium… I didn\u2019t realize that until relatively recently. Now, I am obsessed with it. We\u2019re together every day, me and my harp. My friends get jealous.<\/span><\/p>\n AF: What about playing music, in general?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n I started banging on the piano and begging for lessons at age four. That\u2019s how it started. I studied classical piano, voice and harp up through high school. I also play baritone ukulele, which served as a cheaper, smaller stand-in for a magical instrument when I was separated from my harp. The ukulele made it possible for me to write songs because I could think about music on a much more basic level. Restriction can be inspiring… ask Jack White.<\/span><\/p>\n