Tori Parrish - Wedding Harpist & Composer in Asheville, NC

We need to talk about the Titanic Song™️ (Quick context for this video: my new @marmot rain jacket arrived so I had an impromptu mini concert featuring water themed songs 🌊) I played this for my Titanic-loving bestie the other day (and it took her about 1:30 into the song to recognize it, bless her heart 💕) But this song, no matter who I play it for, always hits. My dad told me a few years ago it was when I played this version of “My Heart Will Go On” arranged by @sylvia_woods_harp_center when I was trying out harps at the @va_harpcenter … that’s when he knew we were taking home a harp that night. More recently, I played for an event for some Hiphop artists and after one heard me warming up that song, had me play it for every single person who arrived 😂 Music is powerful. Music is meaningful. And music is magical ✨ #practicalharpist #toriparrish #ncharpist #ashevilleharpist #weddingmusic #weddingband #weddingharp #harp #harpist

Nobody show my dad what happens at 0:39 🥸 Happy Friday Y’all! I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead. Sending you love Featuring snippets of “Upon the Willows” by Brook Boddie 🎶 Warmly, Tori #practicalharpist #ashevilleharpist #weddingmusic #weddingharp #ncharp #ashevilleharpist #toriparrish #torip

En guard! ✨ All fun and games but let’s also chat today about collaboration versus competition! Especially after really jumping headfirst back into harp-land at the @harpsociety conference last week, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my own imposter syndrome and what it really means to center ✨ collaboration ✨ over ✨ competition ✨ Because I’ve held a lot of inner competitiveness, scarcity mindset (about gigs, jobs, performances…) and feeling like I don’t fit into the mold of what a *harpist should be* And I don’t think I’m alone So I’ll leave you with this today: What if, every time you catch yourself thinking of the “competition” - instead you open your arms and heart (yes yes I know it’s cheesey 🧀) and look for ways to collaborate instead? Is a duel not so different from a duet in the end? ⚔️ @salviharpsofficial @eringoharp @harpsociety @harpcolumn #practicalharpist #ashevilleharpist #ncharpist #weddingharpist #weddingmusician #goldharp #goldharps #salviharp #duel #duet #harpduet

Are you working towards your dreams or are you piecemealing together background music gigs and orchestral subbing jobs to try to build a sustainable business? (Scroll down to the ✨ to get your next step) Listen, I know it’s a monday… SORRYYYYYYYYY 😇 At the @harpsociety conference last week I had so many amazing conversations with musicians. And I got to test out a theory I’ve had for a while now… I’ve found it takes answering the question “What would you do if you could do ANYTHING” about 5 Times before we get to the real answer when chatting about business and life working as a musician. Why? Because most of us are out here trying to follow prescribed career paths that are no longer feasible. And that disconnects you from the big picture of what you really want and are working for. So what do you do? ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Take that dream - that version of your most glamorous, thriving, fabulous self, and what THEIR life looks like… and find a *version* you can do TODAY (Examples in the comments!) Let’s hear your fabulous future dream in the comments and I’ll reply with translation ideas for how you can do a version now! #practicalharpist #toriparrish #ashevilleharpist #weddingmusician #musicianentrepreneur #coaching

The instrument, the myth, the legend…. The Salvi Iris 🎶 Oh to play a golden harp…. 🧚‍♀️ What an absolute joy to chat with the folks at @salviharpsofficial and try out this GOLDEN BEAUTIFUL HARP! The harp that I have had throughout my life is a beautiful Salvi Aurora (can you tell harpists are 100% in love with their harps? 😂) - and it’s been a LONG WHILE since I’ve had the opportunity to test out different harps! I love and will forever love my Aurora but maybeeee just maybe she needs a sibling 😜 @harpsociety #practicalharpist #salviharps #goldharp #goldenlyre #ashevilleharpist #ashvilleharpist #toriparrish #italianharp

Harpists gone wild 🧜🏻‍♀️ Thank you Mr. @heartlandharps for this CORE MEMORY! About this year’s @harpsociety conference…. I couldn’t help but notice the activity titled “harpists in a pool” 🎶 🏝️ but I had NO idea it was going to be this 👏🏻 good 👏🏻 Among a million other things, this conference has gotten me a step closer to my childhood career goal of becoming a mermaid. You may know the story… I started playing the harp at 6 years old. How? According to my mom, I came home from school one day and declared I wanted to play the harp! Now, I don’t actually remember this. But my working ~theory~ is that I was *obsessed* with mermaids as a child (still am) and I thought playing the harp would get me a step closer to my ultimate goal of mermaid-hood 🧜🏻‍♀️ Stay posted for soooooooo many good things to come! @harpcolumn @stringsiren @eringoharp @hannahtheharpist_studio @melodysteinharpist @addisonlineharp If I missed tagging you please comment! 🙏🏻 #practicalharpist #ashevilleharpist #toriparrish #ncharpist #mermaid #mermaidharp #harpconference #ahsconference2024

Happy Monday! I’m currently at the @harpsociety conference in Orlando (so stay tuned for all the amazing updates on THAT later this week!) so for now enjoy a walk through the @biltmoreestate 😘 #practicalharpist #ashevilleharpist #ncharpist #toriparrish #harpconference #harpistsinapool

Hi, I’m Tori 👋 I’m a creative tornado, a warm blanket and cookies by the fire, a strategic Capricorn and a dreamy Venus in Pisces. I value authenticity and joy 💃 I love to dance, play, paint, and smell the sweet Southern summer air 🍃 I’m proudly queer, non-binary, and polyamorous 🌈 I love rituals and hot Cheetos 🍟 I struggle with anxiety and depression 🫐 Welcome to this space. Whether you are a partnership, polycule, event planner, musician, or loving lurker- you are welcome here 💕 I’m Tori - a wedding harpist and creative entrepreneur. I play my music to tie together threads of ceremony. I play to tell stories. I play to surprise and delight the kiddos at the ceremony and sass the uncles who think I can’t play rock and roll. I love working in weddings because I love the ritual. I love the intention of committing to someone or many and choosing to walk a path together. And I love working with musicians to build a better world where artists are valued, supported, and paid in a Capitalist world where money is a necessary resource. Who are you? #ashevilleharpist #toriparrish #practicalharpist #weddingmusic #musicforwedding #ncharpist #wncharpist #asheville #ashevilleartist #lgbtqwedding #lgbtwedding #glbtwedding #queerwedding #queerweddings #polywedding #poly

Where the north wind meets the sea 💨 There’s a river full of memory 📚 Sleep, my darling, safe and sound 🛌 For in this river all is found 🌊 #ashevilleharpist #weddingmusician #toriparrish #ncharpist #wncharpist #ncweddingmusic #frozenii #frozen2

I DID drop the mic INSIDE the harp while filming 😅 (If you were in my stories a couple weeks ago you saw it happen lol) I decided to (give in? Succumb?) buy a wee little Bluetooth mic for my phone! And I wanted to test out the best place to attach it to the harp 😊 Why? 🥇 I play almost all outdoor weddings, and you *may* have noticed I do a lot of filming of myself playing before the event begins! (PS Musicians - comment or DM me “photo list” and I’ll send you info on what to take photo/video of at gigs!) And the 💨 wind 🌬️ is certainly a prima Donna sometimes! So I’m on a mission to find the best way to get good audio while recording videos of my playing with my phone! Not that you need to buy anything else, but here’s your key for grabbing the mic stuff and a freebie list for musicians of what videos and photos to take on gig day 😜 Get the mic - DM or Comment “Mic” or 🎤 Get the freebie - DM or Comment “shot list” or 📷! Now do you want to see the blooper of me dropping the mic all the way into the harp? 😭 🤣 #ashevilleharpist #ncharpist #weddingmusician #toriparrish

Like seeing your teacher at the grocery store - Angels go off the clock just like you 😇 #ashevilleharpist #ncharpist #weddingharpist #ashevilleharp #toriparrish #weddingmusician #livemusic #ashevillewedding

Take a walk with me… 🍃 🧚‍♀️ ✨ #ashevilleharpist #toriparrish #toriharpist #ncharpist #weddingharpust #weddingmusic #weddinginspo