HARP ENSEMBLE
Jeannie Kern Chenette, director
Harp Ensemble is an ad hoc group under the direction of harp instructor, Jeannie Kern Chenette. It consists of harp students and guest musicians that play together for the sheer joy of making music with others. You can hear members of the ensemble at the studio harp recital held at the end of each semester.
We choose repertoire that fits the interests and the technical abilities of the group. This includes works by classical composers, traditional Celtic tunes, dance arrangements from the Latin Americas, and more. The ensemble encompasses a broad spectrum of musical styles and experience levels.
Because involvement in Harp Ensemble is predicated on lessons,
you will wish to sign up for one of the following courses:
MUS 120.18: This one-credit course is intended for
beginning harp students and some intermediate students. It entails
one 30-minute private lesson each week. Students are expected
to practice one half hour per day. There is no public performance
required although many 120 students do take part in the harp concert
in either a solo or ensemble capacity—mainly because it
is just fun.
MUS 220.18: This course is intended for intermediate players and
above. Expect to work harder for this 2-credit course. Unfortunately,
lesson time is not increased (from 120) but practice expectation
is that you should be in the studio an hour a day. This will enable
you to be well prepared for your weekly 30-minute lessons where
you need to cover the material quickly and effectively. A public
performance is required, but there is no jury.
MUS 221.18: This is the optimum course for intermediate players
who feel harp is a very important part of their life and who wish
to have more contact time with the instructor. Lesson time is
one hour per week and the daily practice expectation is also one
hour. As with Mus 220, a public performance is required, but there
is no jury.
Instruments: The music department owns and makes the following
harps available for student use:
Lyon-Healy Concert Grand (85 CG) purchased 1999
Lyon-Healy Semi Grand (Style 15) purchased used in 1993
Wm Rees 36-string nylon/metal lever harp purchased this year!
(2004)
Kortier 36-string nylon/metal lever harp purchased 1996
Gothic lap harp with brays (used under the supervision of the
early music instructor)
West African kora (dispayed and sometimes used by the ethnomusicology
instructor)
