Welcome! Whether you are taking your first steps with music, auditioning for graduate programs in harp performance, or seeking to bring your own original musical ideas to life on the page, I offer private instruction in harp and music composition.
My greatest joy in life is working with my students to develop their ability, curiosity, and musical perception. I am a creative problem solver who understands the value of active learning. Expect me to ask you a lot of questions! I hope you will do the same. Together we will develop strategies to achieve your musical goals.
Areas of Instruction:
- Harp Lessons: Establishing fundamental technique to support a lifetime of healthy playing, developing a rich sound, and employing creative strategies for optimal use of practice time.
- Audition & Competition Preparation: Targeted coaching for summer programs, university auditions, and competitions.
- Composition & Music Theory: Counterpoint, the fundamentals of harmony and voice-leading, instrumentation and orchestration, notation, and developing your initial ideas into a completed score.
Getting Started
Lessons are available for students of all ages and levels, offered both in-person and online. To inquire about availability, rates, or to schedule a consultation, please get in touch.
studio recital fall 2023
FAQs
Where do you offer instruction?
- my home studio in Inver Grove Heights, MN
- Blessings Academy at Hastings Arts Center in Hastings, MN
- Luther College in Decorah, IA during the school year (I take students from the surrounding community as well)
- For a few weeks each summer, you can find me at Lutheran Summer Music!
- Online (Composition or advanced harp students only. Not recommended for beginner harpists.)
Do I need a harp at home to start taking harp lessons?
Not immediately. I have a small lap harp that I will happily loan to you in between your first two lessons while you look for your own.
After that, yes, you will need a harp to practice at home!
Where can I find a harp?
For small harps, there are a few local options:
- Music Makers in Stillwater, MN (rentals available)
- Hobgoblin in Redwing, MN (has an attractive rent-to-own option)
- Harps can sometimes be rented from Groth Music in Bloomington, MN
There are a couple more online-only options great for beginners:
State-of-the-art harps (small and large) can be purchased with financing options from Lyon & Healy in Chicago, IL, the only major harp-maker in the USA.
A harp purchase is a big decision! And a word of caution: make sure you know what to look out for before purchasing a used harp.
As your teacher, I am happy to consult with you as you choose between options. Just ask!
How much do you charge?
I offer two initial trial lessons for the cost of one with no obligation to continue. My rates are similar to those of most professional instructors in the Twin Cities. Please contact me for pricing.
What should I expect during a harp or composition lesson?
Harp Instruction:
Every lesson, I will guide you to:
- critically listen to and evaluate your own playing
- find technical and/or musical solutions for the parts of your playing that can improve
- apply creative practice strategies for deep and efficient learning
Beginners can expect to spend a lot of time learning technique (the mechanics of sound-production). We will progress to note-reading, aural skills, music theory, musicality and musicianship, stage presence, performing skills, and more.
Composition Instruction:
My teaching philosophy as an instructor of composition is to equip you with the tools you need to write the music that you want to write. In addition, I will take every opportunity to introduce you to ideas and music that will challenge your assumptions and enrich your imagination.
Complete beginners can expect to focus on establishing fundamental music theory, counterpoint, and voice-leading skills. Assignments will progress to creating ideas and developing them.
An advanced high school or college student can expect to be asked what you want your music to do and to identify where your music may not be working the way you want. We will find solutions for achieving the sound you want while applying principles of composition such as varied repetition. I will give targeted assignments in orchestration or analysis as appropriate.
studio policies
Payment is due for the month on the first lesson of the month (I will send an invoice in advance) and is payable via check, Venmo, or Zelle.
If you cannot make your lesson time:
If you notify me 48 hours in advance of the lesson, I will reschedule your lesson.
If I receive less than 48 hours of notice, I can only accept cancellations, with the following exceptions:
First illness: In the case of illness/injury with less than 48 hrs notice, I give makeup credit for the first such absence each semester (Sept-Dec, Jan-May, June-August), but none thereafter.
Inclement weather: Please stay safe! I am happy to issue makeup credit for inclement weather cancellations.
In the unusual event that I cannot make your lesson time, I will either reschedule or offer a refund as you prefer.
About me
- Instructor of Harp and Composition at Luther College
- 2nd prize winner in the World Harp Competition 2024
- American Composer’s Orchestra Earshot Readings participant
- B.Mus. in Harp Performance with a Concentration in Composition, Vanderbilt University
- M.Mus. in Harp Performance, McGill University
- M.Mus. in Composition, Eastman School of Music
I have studied with and/or participated in masterclasses with internationally-renowned harpists including Jennifer Swartz, Marian Shaffer, Kathleen Bride, Anneleen Lenaerts, Bridget Kibbey, Xavier de Maistre, Mario Falcao, June Han, Elizabeth Blakeslee, Susan Bennett Brady, Nicole Brady, and Judy Loman.
Composition mentors have included Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, Robert Morris, David Liptak, John Rea, Michael Alec Rose, Stan Link, and Michael Slayton.
My students regularly win spots and participate in GTCYS, MYS, Dorian Summer Camps, and the Minnesota Harp Society scholarship and evaluations programs.