“Creating a Harp Program”

An idea was born out of the pandemic to give our students an opportunity to learn an additional instrument. Our junior and senior high schools began offering our students the opportunity to learn how to play the Harp. Usually an instrument needing a network of private instructors, it is believed that we are the only school district in New York that offers the harp to our students as part of our instructional music program.

To provide an opportunity for our students to learn a beautiful, unique instrument and to showcase them to our community.

We targeted students in grades seven and eight because they already have three-to-four years experience on a band or orchestra instrument. Their knowledge of music notation were needed to apply their skills to the Harp. In targeting students in our senior high school, we knew the advanced, more serious student could be motivated to participate. We are currently teaching five students at the high school. This totals seven students learning harp spanning grades seven through twelve.

After buy-in from our teachers, word-of-mouth advertising worked very well with our students. They were excited to learn a new instrument. Working with vendors, we purchased Boulevard brand Lever Harps. After using our professional harpist’s methods of instruction, students were ready for public performance.

Using our state-wide network of music educators and school arts leaders, it is believed that we are offering the only school-based harp instruction program in New York. Additional advocacy efforts consisted of word-of-mouth advertising by involved students and their families, and the public at large after hearing the ensemble perform at public events. In December, 2023, we will be featured at our state’s All State/Winter Conference in Rochester, NY.

The challenge was always focused on whether students would be interested in learning how to play this unique instrument. We believed students would enjoy it, and the program is showing slow, reasonable growth.

We believe continued student interest and the results they are seeing in relation to adjudication festival scores and compliments earned from our community support this.

Parents of younger students are anxious to have their children learn how to play the Harp after seeing and hearing the ensemble perform at elementary art shows and pre-concert recitals. Our harp ensemble was also featured at a Board of Education meeting.