Lessons

Private Harp Instruction since 1999

In-person lessons available by appointment in New Orleans

Online / Zoom lessons available Mon / Tues / Wed only

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

A few spots for new students will be available May 2024.

Please send a message through the Contact page

to get on the Waiting List.

Rates & Policies

• RATES - $75 USD per hour, $57 for 45 min, $40 for 30 min (30 min only available for kids’ weekly lessons).

• SCHEDULE - Students must commit to a minimum of 2 hours per month to remain on the schedule.

• PAYMENT - Payment for the month is due at the first lesson of the month. Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay and cash accepted. International students can pay with Xoom - please convert your payment to US dollars. (Some scholarship rates available for international students! Inquire for details.)

• 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! Last minute cancellations (less than 2 hours) will be charged in full. I try to reschedule folks as much as I can, but that is not always possible.

• HOW LONG ARE LESSONS? - Weekly lessons of 30, 45 or 60 minutes are recommended in order to get the most out of your harp instruction. If you cannot schedule every week, bi-weekly lessons of 60 minutes are available. Kids may start with 30 min weekly lessons. For adults, 45 or 60 minute lessons are available. I ask my students to commit to 2 hours per month of lessons, and book lessons by the month.

• SCHOLARSHIPS - I offer a discounted rate for some international students and low-income students. If you are in need of a scholarship, please send a message detailing your harp goals, financial challenges, 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.