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 SOUTHEAST REGION NEWSLETTER |
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National News
42nd National Conference in Atlanta  The Georgia Chapter is proud to host the 42nd National Conference in Atlanta, next June 30 - July 3, 2016 at the Emory Conference Center Hotel. The AHS National Conference is dedicated to bringing world class presenters and performers to Atlanta to captivate the next generation of harpists and to develop the talents and careers of our current members. Please join us for dynamic concerts and workshops, and to enjoy true southern hospitality with friends old and new. Please check www.harpsociety.org/ConferenceInstitute/2016Conference
often for updates on the program, schedule, housing and registration.
AHS Concert Artist
Congratulations to the 2015-2017 AHS Concert Artist, Katherine Siochi! Local chapters have a wonderful opportunity to invite Katherine to give a recital and masterclass in their region. Consider a chapter event that would support this talented harpist and enrich your local community! For more information about the program and Katherine please visit: www.harpsociety.org/About/Programs/ConcertArtist.
Membership
Have you renewed your membership for 2016-2017? The new membership year began September 1st. Don't miss the wonderful upcoming winter issue of The American Harp Journal, or miss out on grant opportunities, insurance discounts, national e-newsletters and much more by letting your membership lapse. It's easy to renew online today at www.harpsociety.org/Membership/JoinRenew.
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Georgia Chapter
Georgia
On March 1, 2015, the Georgia Chapter hosted its biennial Mega Harp Concert at the First Presbyterian Church in Roswell. Over 50 local harpists joined in large and small ensemble to present a variety of music, both popular and classical, to an enthusiastic crowd. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra principals Elisabeth Remy Johnson (harp) and Christina Smith (flute) joined the group to perform the second movement of the Mozart Flute & Harp Concerto. Celtic harper Kelly Stewart also joined the group to add authentic gusto to some Scottish music.
This year's Mega Harp Concert was the final event of the first ever Atlanta Harp Festival, sponsored by the Atlanta and Virginia Harp Centers, which featured Kim Robertson and Bridget Kibbey among others.
The Georgia Chapter would like to thank the performers, their teachers, the event organizers and everyone who helped to make 2017 Mega Harp Concert such a great event!
 Submitted by John Wickey
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Coastal Carolina Chapter
North Carolina
The Coastal Carolina AHS Chapter is looking forward to an exciting year. We began our monthly meetings in September. We meet one Monday night each month to rehearse ensemble music and connect with each other. Each meeting has a unique theme. Shakespeare and the harp, Learn to Play a Bollywood Tune, and A Night of Irish Music are all themes planned for this year. A harp ensemble from the chapter will perform at the Cameron Art Museum's Festival of Trees on November 22. Five members from our harp chapter completed the Music for Healing and Transition (MHTP) training program this October. They will be completing their internships before heading into local hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice centers to provide therapeutic harp music. Harp duo Lilac 94 (chapter president Christina Brier and Manhattan harpist Kathryn Sloat) will present a concert on May 27 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Wilmington, NC. The concert is free to the public and all are welcome to attend.
Submitted by Christina Brier
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Charlotte Chapter
North Carolina
The Charlotte NC Chapter of AHS remains a vibrant (ooh!) community of 55-65 souls, depending on the year--a lovely mix of pedal and lever harpists; professionals, hobbyists, teachers, and students; adults and youth; performance-oriented, therapeutic, and play-only-for-my-own-delight musicians.
A significant effort this year will be educating ourselves about therapeutic harping. Perhaps few of our Chapter members will study to become a degreed music therapist or a certified therapeutic harpist. But all of us have experienced the soothing, relaxing effect harp can have on listeners, and many of us have at one time or another been asked to play for a sick or dying friend/family member. How can we prepare to provide "comfort and caregiving" with the harp and/or enhance the healing environment? We would welcome your joining us for a Saturday evening, March 12, 2016 concert/presentation by music therapist/harpist Lorinda Jones; details will appear on the Chapter website charlotteharps.org after they are finalized.
Chapter member Kathleen Blackwell-Plank is spearheading Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County's annual hospice music workshop (focusing on cultural reverence this time) which will feature Jones as the instrumental practitioner. The workshop will be on Saturday, March 12, 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., in Kannapolis, NC. Contact Blackwell-Plank at Kathleen.Blackwell-Plank@hpccc.org for registration information.
At the request of one of our teenaged members, two of our professional harpists are developing a workshop on starting a personal harp performance business and going digital. The advent of the much-larger-screened (12.9") iPad Pro this winter is tempting even more of us to seriously consider experimenting with making heavy gig books and bazillion paper copies an artifact of the past.
With tremendous effort by the teachers and students, the Chapter will present five ensemble concerts in December and offer Auditions and Evaluations in January/February.
The Chapter also: - is revising our Bylaws (for the first time in 19 years...). What a tedious, detailed, and yet critical task. - plans to add to our website a calendar of harp performances in the area (although we are having to restrain our president from entitling it "What's Harp-ening around Charlotte?!!"). Through this, members can more easily know when each other is playing and thus be supportive, community members who love the harp can know where and when they can hear live harp music, and the Chapter can help our members publicize their public gigs. - if we still have volunteer energy and time after these other efforts, hopes to survey our members to begin to develop a picture of the Chapter's impact on our area. How many performances over the past year have members provided in the community? Who and how many listeners are we reaching--from concert hall audiences to school children and faith community worshippers to hospital patients? How many students are honing their skills under the tutelage of our teachers? How many hours of music do our members provide the community pro bono/on a volunteer basis? We are not sure yet even exactly what questions to ask, but we want to begin to understand how the collective Chapter involvement reaches and affects our community. Has your Chapter made such a survey or do you have suggestions/advice that could help us in this endeavor? If so, please contact Charlotte Chapter president Kristin Andes at Kjandes@aol.com.
Submitted by Kristin Andes
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South Florida Chapter Florida The South Florida Chapter consists of many professional harpists as well as students and friends of the harp from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and even points further north and south. Since we cover a very large area it is often hard to find locations as well dates that can work for the majority of our members to meet and/or perform. We persevere and do as much as we can together and certainly support and encourage our members in all their musical endeavors. Our South Florida Chapter Harp Circle, consisting primarily of adult students of the harp, met monthly over the summer at the home of Charlene Conner for rehearsals, food, fun, and conversation. We had a great time. Over a dozen harpists were able to participate and 11 (Teva Benshlomo, Janet Brouchaert, Laurel Grube, Vince Giudice, Nancy Palmer, Imelda Jean-Pierre, Nick Starr, Laura Walsh and Donna Whitney along with assistance and encouragement from professional harpists Nancy Ann Gillan and Charlene Conner) were able to play in an outreach performance at the Willow Wood Retirement Community in N. Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday, September 19. 2015. The program included 16 group ensemble pieces, 1 duet [Nick and Charlene], and 3 solos played by Nick, Vince, and Laurel. It was truly an impressive program. The audience was very appreciative. All of their hard work this summer paid off. We have done this for several years now. It is always something to look forward to in the "slower" summer months and we plan to do it again next year. Our wonderful email correspondent, Dr. Glen Arfsten, keeps us informed of area harp related events such as concerts by area and visiting harpists, harps for sale, when regulators are coming to the area, etc., and usually attaches one of his lovely arrangements for our enjoyment. He keeps us all connected and we truly appreciate all he does for us.
Submitted by Charlene Conner
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Central Florida Chapter
Florida
The Central Florida Chapter mourns the loss of our president, Cameron Huster Beck. Cameron had been a member since she was a little girl and had only recently taken over the position of chapter president. The chapter also lost two other long-time members, Christian Frederick and Mary Gregory. They will all be profoundly missed.
Barbara Browning once again organized the Harp Invitational Concert at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church on March 15, 2015. Fifteen harpists performed in the concert ensemble with several harpists playing for the morning worship service. A lovely reception was held afterwards.
Kathleen Bride, professor of harp at the Eastman School of Music, was guest artist at our Summer Recital Weekend July 31 - August 2, 2015, at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Oviedo. Ms. Bride gave a concert on July 31 and was joined on a harp trio version of Grandjany's "Aria in Classic Style" by Kristina Finch and Deborah Wendt. On August 1, Ms. Bride gave a master class and workshops. She joined our chapter ensemble of 23 harpists in a concert on August 2 which also featured videos, dancers and baton twirlers. An audience of 650 attended the performance.
Chapter members will present our annual "Hanging of the Greens" Christmas harp ensemble concert on Sunday, November 29, 2015, at Broadway United Methodist Church in Orlando at 3:00 p.m., organized by chapter president, Verlon Eason. The concert will be free and open to the public. The program includes dialogue by Pastor Tracy Hunter between musical selections explaining the symbolism of the Christmas decorations. There will be a reception following the concert.
The Chapter will host the return of Claire Jones, former Official Royal Harpist to HRH Prince Charles, March 4 - 6, 2016, with workshops, master classes, private lessons and concerts. Percussionist, producer, composer, and arranger Chris Marshall will be performing along with Claire Jones for a Friday, March 4 concert at 7:30 p.m. at Valencia Community College in Orlando. On Saturday, March 5, Claire will conduct several workshops and a master class at Grace Covenant Church in Orlando. Claire and Chris will give a harp and percussion concert at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Oviedo at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 6, 2016. For further information, call 407-719-2038.
Amelia, Elise, and Simone Webb, students of Jan Jennings, will be sitting for their Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM) certifications in December 2015. Lydia Emmons and Sasha O'Kane, also students of Jan Jennings, attended the Summer Harp Academy during July 2015. Lydia is also playing harp in the Central Florida Community Arts Young Artists Orchestra. Jan will join Elzbieta Szmyt to teach once again at the Summer Harp Academy in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, July 3 - 10, 2016. This will be immediately following the national conference in Atlanta at which Jan will perform during the closing cocktail party.
Maria Pollack, student of Verlon Eason, was awarded a superior rating for harp solo in the Florida Federation of Music Clubs Festival at the University of Central Florida in February 2015 and received her first gold cup. Congratulations Maria! Lauren Barfield, student of Verlon Eason, is playing harp in St. Luke's Lutheran Youth Orchestra. Lauren Barfield, Megan Casey, and Abby Kennedy will be performing harp solos in the Florida Federation of Music Clubs Festival in February 2016, all students of Verlon Eason. Verlon Eason became an official Disney harpist in February 2015, performing for the millionaires club for their Valentines dinner. Verlon was also invited to audition as a harpist for a worldwide commercial with results forthcoming.
Submitted by Verlon Eason
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