Harpist Valérie Milot
pieces, and to demonstrate the harp’s versatility.
‘We often become attached to a theme, and this offers a pathway to guide new listeners along in their discovery of the harp. As a result, for this work, I went with my favourites while attempting to lean away from the original arrangements. This includes transcriptions of orchestral numbers, and others originally designated for the guitar, the violin and the piano.’
On April 8th, 2020, Valérie Milot and family suffered a great loss, with the death of her father, Dr. Martin Milot, of Three Rivers. The website featuring his obituary is flooded with fond memories of friends, family and former patients. With this grief still so close, speaking of him was left at her discretion, yet she responded quickly and with great care.
‘I have always spoken of my father when in interviews, since the very beginning of my career, as his presence in my life was critical to my career choice. My father was a devout amateur musician. Outside of his hours as an orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital, he practiced classical guitar for countless hours. This album’s arrival in my life in tandem with numerous emotionally moving coincidences in relation to the end of my father’s life, beginning with learning at the beginning of March that he was terminally ill with stage four cancer that was rapidly taking hold, just as I began recording this album.’
With the album launch approaching, Valérie and team began working swiftly, completing work on it just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic’s spread in Quebec. She began her own self-isolation in her father’s company, and was able to share the album with him. He listened to it many times, and truly loved it.
Dr. Milot was hospitalized for the last week of his life, a difficult experience for the family. They could not be with him, speaking to him via telephone, although he was then unable to respond. The attending nurse played Valérie’s album from time to time for him. The family was permitted to be in attendance with him for the final hours of his life, and played his favourite tracks for him.
‘In a way, I have sealed my relationship with my father in this album. It is dedicated to him. In those final weeks he asked me to never stop playing the harp, and I intend to stay true to my promise.’
When asked about the current pandemic and its impact on her work, she is not waylaid in the final stages of her album release. With a final treatment required, Solo will be released in May, with Youtube video production being delayed until this summer.
‘We contemplated delaying the release of Solo, yet this feels like the right timing for this type of album – it is intimate and provokes introspection.’
With the last month’s challenges, Valérie is just beginning to surface again. She hopes that music lovers still recall the importance of coming together in a hall for a live performance, that there is resurgence in popularity of attending such a show when COVID-19 is behind us.
While the entire musical community is currently experiencing the same paralysis, Valérie is well-surrounded with supportive professionals. Performer and booking agent Louis-philippe Hébert, currently based in the Eastern Townships is a treasured part of Valérie’s team, and the dynamism of this collaboration will certainly bring Valérie Milot to stages in our midst.
For more information on Valérie Milot’s work, please visit her website, www.valeriemilot.com, and her Facebook page Valerie Milot – Harp/e/fe. Her music is available on Youtube, Spotify and Google Play Music.