Years ago (probably 15-20), I got to see Greg Buchanan in concert. After the concert, we went up to talk to him, & he let me play his harp! That was so cool! (Not sure I’d let some strange kid sit down & play my harp…) However, I believe he said he had the view that it was all God’s anyway. Isn’t that so nice?!
Well, fast-forward to now. I sent an email to his wife asking if he’d be willing to do a 5 Questions with… interview. And here it is!
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How did you get started touring with the harp over 30 years ago?
About 8 months after I became a Christian, I felt a very clear calling from God to devote the rest of my harp playing primarily as a means to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to encourage the already believers through the music of the harp.
In the southern Baptist Denomination which I was licensed in it was called Music Evangelist, or Music Missions. Pastors or Music Ministers would hear about the Halleluiah Harp Concerts and invite me to come to their churches or events. This turned out to be an amazing opportunity as a Nation Scope Gospel Musician. Doors appeared to open throughout many different churches and fellowships.
I just went wherever I felt the Lord was opening the doors. Many times they took generous offerings for me and provided lodging and food. Other times it was gratis or very minimal, but the Lord ALWAYS took care of our needs.
In addition to all this, God granted me a loving wife who felt the call as well. She was able to use her gifts to manage and steward things in a way that glorified the Lord. We both embraced a non-extravagant life style and felt like we do not- a tremendous honor to be in ministry.
What are some ways that touring has changed since then?
Over ten years ago, we felt a real shift with the demand for our kind of ministry (actually the entire Gospel Music Industry, as well as many Secular Venues) as the National Economic Crash hit.
We still had opportunities, but we could definitely feel the change. From approximately 1985-2005 we were doing between 250-300 concerts a year- often times 2 different concerts on Sunday in two different cities. We were able to afford management, financial accountant and a full time road driver/soundman.
At this same time, my parents were having severe life circumstances which required more and more of our attention & time. So it all seemed like a natural process (although difficult). Currently we do approximately 1 two-month National Tour usually in Fall and a few shorter regional trips and local events in California , etc…
Do you have any advice for someone interested in taking a similar path playing the harp across the country?
My standard answer is ‘Where God Guides, God Will Provide.’ He is not limited by man’s limitations. I have my own unique style of playing and a dramatic testimony which I am eager to share. You will have your own special style and calling and testimony to present to the Lord and His Churches.
Step out in faith with the love of God in your heart and watch God open doors according to His will. Don’t let the difficulty of things distract you from the leading you sense in your heart. The rewards and the blessings we feel after 35 years of ministry are beyond description. Trials have been GREAT, BUT GOD is ALWAYS Faithful! He uses it all for His glory!
One of the harps you play is a blue electric modified Lyon & Healy Salzedo. What are your tips for making the most of an electric harp?
Most of the venues I play in require some form of amplification. Therefore, along with the rhythm style I play, and with bass kind of rhythms in the left hand, the adjustments from acoustic to electric was well worth the effort.
For example, last year I played in Pigeon Forge, TN for 8,000 seniors in a 10,000 seat room. I was playing my Electronic Acoustic Harp solo. It filled the room in an amazing way and the people were happy and blessed.
On the other side of the coin, when we take a portable speaker in a small retirement home, it seems to project the harp in a very satisfying way as well. I believe God will impress on you what style of instrument to play as well as what type of music to play.
Do you have any interesting concert stories to share?
Too many to write! One that comes to mind which is very precious- In thousands of concerts, I always end with “Amazing Grace,” after my testimony. One particular night, I felt an overwhelming leading to end with the theme of the movie Chariots Of Fire.
For a moment I quarreled with the Lord silently in my mind, but felt certain it was His leading and dutifully played it with blessing added upon it. In the end of the afterglow period when I was just about to start tearing down and packing out, I noticed 2 women walking to the front of the church towards me. One of the ladies had obviously been weeping for some time, and her friend had her arm around her comforting her and leading her towards me.
Without any hesitation, the comforting friend thanked me for playing “Chariots Of Fire” at the end of my presentation. I immediately responded, “is that your favorite song?” She nodded politely, “yes, but there is much more to it than that. ” She told me, “a year ago tonight, my friend here had a funeral for her baby boy who passed away. The special song that was played for his funeral was ‘Chariots Of Fire.’ As you started to play the song tonight, my friend sensed the Lord speaking to her spirit, ‘Your boy is fine and with ME, and you will surely see him again!'”
With this, I started to cry and was reminded just how important music is when God is using it. (And just how personal God is to His own!)
I will add this, Christian people have told me many different times and places how the music had touched their life and blessed them in a special way. I do not believe this is anything other than God’s ways of expressing His love and goodness through many diverse ways. I think this will work with any person who will truly offer their gift to the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ! Whether you play at the bedside of a child of God transitioning into Heaven, or playing for large satellite TV Broadcasts, small intimate Bible Studies, a Billy Graham Crusade, a little country church- there is a similarity to it all.
So whatever you find in your hand, use it for the Glory of the Lord, with all of your heart and with all of your might and leave the results to Him. Amen.
And there you have it! 5 Questions with Greg Buchanan. Listen to some of his recordings on the “Fischarper Blog Guests” Spotify playlist!
Who else would you like to see interviewed in this series? Let me know on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below!
-Barbara
Fischarper interviews may be edited for accuracy (spelling, punctuation, etc.), sentence flow, space, etc. Interviewee views are not necessarily endorsed or shared by Barbara Fischer or Fischarper, LLC.
Greg is a world-class harpist whose aggressive style of playing redefines the listener’s concept of harp performance. His ministry has been a mainstay in America’s churches for twenty-seven years. Greg’s innovative style draws the listener into the very presence of our Lord, from tender worship to foot tapping, hand clapping, jazz-styled praise. His love for the Lord and his appreciation of his deliverance from many years of addiction to drugs, alcohol, and the occult give him a genuine love for others that is expressed powerfully through his ministry. Greg presents a heartfelt testimony to which today’s hurting people can truly relate. He has multiple recordings to his credit and has appeared at many major conferences, conventions, churches, and Christian colleges. He has been married to his wife, Becky, for twenty-five years, and they have three children, Matthew, Erik, and Bree.
(read more here)
Barbara Fischer runs Fischarper, LLC and loves her job as a harpist and private music educator. She enjoys blogging about various aspects of the music field on fischarper.com/blog. For more music resources, check out the Fischarper store. Find out where you can find Barbara on the interwebs here. And you can sign up to receive Fischarper updates by joining the email list.
Great interview and questions! Thanks for interviewing Greg B. He’s my all
time favorite harpist! Keep up the great work!
So glad you liked it! Thank you for reading & leaving a comment. 🙂 Let me know if you have any requests/suggestions for future posts.
thanks for the information