Yes, harpists must drive special harp cars (SUVs and minivans preferred--harpists have been known to take their instruments to a car dealership to test for space) and the harp has a special padded cover. The harp is carefully pulled from the van and gently lifted onto a small trolley.

Once on the cart the harp can easily be wheeled on stage.

Once the cover is removed and the harp is placed back on solid floor, the tuning can begin!

Concert grand harps only weight about 80 pounds--the column is hollow to allow room for the 2,000 moving parts. But since it is fairly lightweight, harps can go anywhere! (Thanks to Louisa Woodson, another Astraios harpist, for the racetrack photo!)