By Carolyn Lund
Second Vice-President
Co-Chair, 2016 National Conference
Alexandra Mullins' term as the AHS Concert Artist will be coming to a close this summer in Logan, Utah. The 20-year-old has had a busy two years performing in cities including Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Phoenix, San Antonio, Atlanta, and San Jose to name a few. In addition to performing, she has been studying with Susann McDonald at Indiana University and is planning to graduate in December.
AHS: You have been the AHS Concert Artist for almost two years. What have some of the highlights been?
I've played over 15 concerts and given master classes. Everyone has been really appreciative. In Utah they have a really big harp chapter, and I got to be a judge for their harp festival. It was really fun to see how many people were there and really excited about harp.
AHS: Has it been difficult to balance school and playing so many concerts?
It's been an interesting learning experience for me. Time-wise it hasn't been too bad. Most of the concerts have been on the weekend, so I don't miss school. I've tried to do music that I'm comfortable with. Every semester I'll have a set program and then I'll change the concert each semester. This experience has helped me figure out what it would be like to actually have a performing career. It's been challenging but good.
AHS: How long have you been involved in AHS Competitions?
I started doing AHS competitions when I was 11 years old. I entered the Junior category in Los Angeles. And then my last one, the Young Professional competition, was in LA. I think I did the competition every year it came except for one year. The first two competitions I did, the repertoire was a little above where I was at the time. Every time I competed, it was really pushing me to learn new repertoire. It's been nice to have something to work for.
AHS: What advice do you have for younger harpists?
A lot of people are like, "I don't think I could ever do the competition because the repertoire is too hard." I think that no matter what the outcome is, there is nothing negative to doing it. It's really great to push yourself. I think it's good character-wise. It's good to lose. I've lost a lot of things too. You should keep trying and eventually you'll get there.