Lessons

Private Harp Instruction for over 25 years

In-person lessons available by appointment in New Orleans

Zoom/Video lessons available Mon / Tues / Wed

Practical, Healthy Harp Technique - Playing in Flow - Rhythmic Patterns & Polyrhythms - Double-Strung Harp - Improvisation - Arranging - Traditional Celtic Tunes - Ear Training - Songwriting/Composition - Developing your Creativity - Singing with your Instrument - Playing in Trad Sessions - Repertoire - Performance

The lesson schedule is currently FULL -

please join the Waiting List to be next in line!

Rates & Policies

• RATES - $75 USD hour (weekly or bi-weekly), $60 for 45 minutes (weekly only), $40 for 30 minutes (weekly only).

• PAYMENT - Payment for the full month’s lessons is due on the first lesson day of each month.

• CANCELLATIONS - Cancellations not due to illness or serious emergency are charged in full. Re-scheduling is possible within the same calendar month for cancellations given within 24 hours. If you are sick and need to cancel, please inform me at least 2 hours before your lesson!

• HEALTH PROTOCOL - For in-person lessons, students with any cold, flu or covid symptoms (cough, runny nose, fever, etc.) or who have tested positive for covid-19 will not be allowed to come to their in-person lesson. They may do a Zoom lesson instead, or cancel and get a refund or lesson credit toward the next month. Students, parents or any family members arriving at lesson with symptoms will not be permitted to enter the music room, and the lesson will be cancelled and charged at full price.

• HOW LONG ARE LESSONS? - I offer 30 minute or 60 minute lessons, with a 2-hr per month minimum. If weekly lessons don’t work for you, bi-weekly lessons are available for those booking 60 minutes.

• SCHOLARSHIPS - I offer a limited amount of scholarships with a discounted lesson fee. Priority is given to local low-income students in New Orleans and international students on Zoom. If you are in need of a scholarship, please send a message detailing your harp goals, income level, and what lesson schedule you are hoping for.

  
  

What Kinds of Harp Do I Teach?

I specialize in Celtic/Lever and Double-Strung Harps, with an emphasis on world music, Irish and Welsh harp traditions, music theory, improvisation, rhythmic patterns and arranging. I’m a songwriter/composer, so I love to help creative people who want to learn to write music with their harp, learn to play their favorite songs, or sing and play their harp at the same time.

I also teach pedal harp for songwriters. Pedal harp is the largest of the harps - the kind you see in an orchestra setting. I am not a classical harpist. Although the many kinds of harp have similarities and there is some overlap in the different playing techniques, there are also crucial differences. If you would like to focus on classical music, or if you dream of playing in an orchestra one day, I will refer you to some great teachers who are conservatory-trained classical harpists. The technique I teach is best for lower-tension harps like Celtic harp, Double harp, and Cross-strung harp, so it’s not going to fill in all the gaps for students who want to focus on symphonic music. However, my specific harp technique works great for other styles, and if you have a pedal harp and want to learn music theory, how to write songs, sing and play at the same time, play pop, rock, or folk, or simply learn how to use the harp’s pedals, I'm the teacher for you! 

Finding a Harp

Interested in playing the harp, but need advice on purchasing a suitable instrument for your budget and needs? Email me and I will be glad to help! Always consult with a harp teacher before buying a harp - there are many affordable “toy” harps out there that look nice online but don’t actually play, unfortunately! Always consult an expert before buying a harp.

Re-Stringing Your Harp

Sometimes re-stringing your harp can be a pain. I re-string lever harps for students on occasion - $75 for a lap harp (for example, a pixie harp), $100 for small harp (like a Harpsicle, Dusty Strings Allegro or Ravenna 26), $125 for a large lever harp (32-36 string harps), and $150 for a pedal harp (40-47 strings). I like to hold onto the harp for a few days and tune it multiple times a day, so that it will hold tune a bit faster when returned to the owner. You must provide a new set of strings suitable for your harp. Buy your strings directly from your harp maker, if possible. Putting the wrong strings on your harp can damage it. If you don’t know how to order the right strings, email me and I’ll help.

I re-string harps in New Orleans, Louisiana year-round, and Santa Cruz, California at various times of the year. If you are in the SF Bay Area / Santa Cruz / Monterey and would like to schedule a harp re-stringing, email me and I will let you know when I am coming through the area. I travel there very frequently and I always schedule a few re-stringing jobs while I’m in town.