Sara Shute | Houston Harp Teacher
Harp Lessons focused on artistry.
Whether you are a beginner or ready to level up your harp playing, I will meet you where you are.
“Always leave them wanting more.”
Susann McDonald on recital programming.
“I. MEAN. WHAT. I. SAY.” Lucile Lawrence on mental self-talk/ direction of phrasing during performance.
“Tradition is not a good enough reason to keep doing something. If you are doing something just because that’s how it’s always been done-that’s not good enough.” Nancy Allen, New York Philharmonic Harpist
“Get on up, get into it, get involved.” James Brown
Teachers & Study
Susann McDonald wikipedia article
Artist Diploma, Indiana University 2007
Master’s of Music, Indiana University 2005
Bachelor’s of Music, Indiana University 2003
During year long Susann McDonald sabbatical: Isabel Perrin, Naoko Yoshino, Jana Buskova, Sebastian Lipman
Aspen Summer Music festival: Nancy Allen, Gretchen Van Hoesen
Lucile Lawrence wikipedia article
Boston University 1996
1994-2000 Boston University Tanglewood Institute
Prizes & Awards
- Anne Adams Award Winner, National Harp Competition Salt Lake City 2003
- 3rd Prize Young Professional Division American Harp Society National Harp Competition Los Angeles 2005
- Participant in International Harp Competition in Israel 1998
- Participant in The USA International Harp 2001 Competition
- 1st chair Texas all-state 1992, 1993, 1995
Harp Lesson Request
FAQs
1. Is the harp easy to learn?
You will be able to play Mary Had a Little Lamb at the end of your very first lesson. Just like everything else it takes lots of hard work to master, but you will be able to play/ perform several pieces pretty quickly. It is standard for harpists that start in the fall to be performing Christmas carols at the beginning of December.
2. Do I need to be able to read music in order to start?
No- I can help you with that! It is similar to learning the alphabet. Once you know it you just need to work towards fluidity.
3. Do I need to have my own harp?
You will need an instrument for practicing. Lever harp rental runs at about $75 a month plus a one time delivery fee. Pedal harps are also available for rent at a higher price point. For true beginners I recommend starting on a lever harp. Get comfortable with that and then progress to a pedal harp when ready.
This is the route I would advise new students that do not currently have access to an instrument to take. Here is a link to Vanderbilt, the company that I recommend for harp rentals in the United States.
*Try to avoid purchasing a harp on ebay. Unless you are very familiar with harps, things can get sketchy fast. I’m happy to discuss harp procurement.
4. What ages do you teach?
5 years to 101 years. Unfortunately if you are over 101 I will need to refer you to another teacher. Otherwise, let’s go. If you are up for harp lessons I’m up for teaching you. I enjoy working with adult students and hearing why they want to fit the harp into their life now.
5. What genres/ different styles of music do you teach?
Pretty much all of it. That includes pop music, classical music, folk music, and irish music/ music for the celtic harp. My main focus is on pop/rock music and classical harp repertoire. If your primary interest is celtic music I would recommend that you seek out a celtic music specialist!
If you are interested in learning to arrange music for the harp we can get into that too!
6. How much time will I need to practice each week?
That is up to you. Ideally you will be playing at least 30 minutes a day. This really depends on what you want your progress to look like! I do not have any practice time requirements, just that you respect your time and my time.
7. Are private lessons right for me if I am just starting out?
The benefit of individual harp lessons is that you get to spend time working on the things that YOU need to work at your own pace. You get instant feedback. I personally loved having harp lessons well into adulthood. In fact, if i could have a job consisting only of taking harp lessons and masterclasses I might choose that.
8. What will we cover during the first lesson?
For the absolute beginner we will cover the basics like how to sit behind a harp, your hand position, how to tune, and we will get you started on a piece of music. We will also discuss how you would like the harp to fit into your life. I don’t really like to use the word ‘goals’ when talking about the harp because it is an art form. But for this one lesson we can talk about your goals.
9. Are online harp lessons effective?
Zoom lessons can be a great way to start and offer anyone, no matter where in the world you are located, a chance to study.
In Person & Online Harp Lessons
For beginning students: We will work on the basics such as your posture and how to balance the harp. I will help you establish a relaxed hand position, and work towards a nice, warm tone
For intermediate students: We will evaluate what you already know; what you feel has been working well for you and what hasn’t been working so well. Then, we will go from there.
For advanced players: Show me what you got. For burnt out, run down professionals click here immediately.
My Teaching Values
Welcome! I’m glad you are interested in harp lessons. I’d like to share a few of my thoughts on harp playing and harp lessons.
First thought:
If playing the harp isn't fun-you're not doing it right.
Practicing can be soothing and relaxing.
Hmmmmm. Sounds good to me. Wouldn’t it be neat if when you were done practicing your mind was more at rest than when you started? Practicing can be tedious and exhausting when you are pushing yourself too hard. As a teacher, I will try to help you find a pace of learning and working that is sustainable for your mind (and your hands, and back while we are at it.)
As a harp teacher, my hope for you is that you develop enough skill to be able to sit down and play a piece of music with confidence. Your confidence coming from the fact that you are a well-rounded musician. You have thoroughly thought through your piece from a musical perspective. Even if you are the only one listening, you can derive a great deal of satisfaction from a job well done. For me, there is no better feeling than practicing something and finally getting it exactly the way I want it.
The harp is a treasure trove of possibilities.
As your teacher I will encourage you to schedule performance opportunities. You will never be required to perform, but I hope that you do. For you, the harpist, the performance is the culmination of your work. That may be a live concert, that may be a recording you make for your grandmother, that may be a Tik Tok video.
It is very healthy and useful to every once in a while step back from your work and take a look. Just like a painter and their canvas. You have to stand right next to the canvas to paint, but in order to get a sense of what you have done you need to take a step back. Get out of the tiny details and see the big picture. And I’m sure your friends and family, and hey, maybe even strangers would love to hear you play
Live performance is a teacher like no other.
Performance opportunities are a huge piece of the puzzle in the learning process. There are things you will learn while performing that are impossible to learn any other way. You will find out what you know really well, and what you thought you knew…but it turns out you aren’t too sure of.
Lucile Lawrence used to equate performing a piece of music with touching paint to see if it is dry. Sometimes it looks dry but it isn’t. Sometimes a piece can feel ready, but suddenly a passage that you had not been struggling with at all during practice can seem very perplexing in performance. Things that have never happened before during practice will happen in live performance. That’s a fact. But I’m choosing to present that as a good thing.
Teachers & Study
Susann McDonaldwikipedia article
Artist Diploma, Indiana University 2007
Master’s of Music in Harp Performance, Indiana University 2005
Bachelor’s of Music in Harp Performance, Indiana University 2003
During year long Susann McDonald sabbatical: Isabel Perrin, Naoko Yoshino, Jana Buskova, Sebastian Lipman
Aspen Summer Music festival: Nancy Allen, Gretchen Van Hoesen
Lucile Lawrence wikipedia article
Boston University 1996
1994-2000 Boston University Tanglewood Institute
Prizes & Awards
- Anne Adams Award Winner, National Harp Competition Salt Lake City 2003
- 3rd Prize Young Professional Division American Harp Society National Harp Competition Los Angeles 2005
- Participant in International Harp Competition in Israel 1998
- Participant in The USA International Harp 2001 Competition
- 1st chair Texas all-state 1992, 1993, 1995
Harp Lesson Request
Teaching Method
I teach the French Method of harp playing. Specifically Henriette Renie’s Method for the Harp. If you already play the Salzedo Method I will not change your technique. I studied with Lucile Lawrence for many years. In fact I may be one of the very few students of Lucile Lawrence that she did not require to play the Salzedo technique. Her thought was “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
Why spend lots of time and energy fixing something that is working great. There were other, more important things for us to work on. I have the same philosophy as Lucile on that topic…if something is working I’m not going to mess with it.
Besides that, my fingers are long. My hands are very large for my height. What is an easy stretch for me in the left hand is literally impossible for some of my harp playing friends. I once compared my hands to a colleague and my fingers were 1 inch longer than hers. She is a really, really excellent player. My point is that we play the harp very differently because we have to. Our hands and joints are completely different.
Some things will work for 95% of harpists, but I am flexible on the other 5%. Sometimes you need to be creative to get to the right solution. My main focus, technique-wise, is on a nice hand position and a relaxed hand/ arm/ shoulder/ back.
Technique is absolutely the foundation of any musician’s playing. But it is only one small piece of the pie. To give a truly moving musical performance you will have to go quite a bit deeper.
Harp Lessons
I have a few openings each week for virtual lessons which are meant for people who do not live in Houston, but would like some help or feedback. These appointments are available to book and pay online. For the more traditional students on the ground in the Houston area harp lessons are taught in my home (in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston. )
Lessons will be paid for on a monthly basis. Students are expected to attend pretty much every week, with the exception being school breaks, and summer. When you sign up for a lesson slot you are officially reserving that hour of my time for each week, so the lesson attendance must be taken very seriously.
As a student the first harp lesson I ever rescheduled was during my Master’s Degree. Yes, I went 14 years without ever missing 1 single harp lesson. I have had students previously that have tried to reschedule 2 out of 4 harp lessons every month. If you are over scheduled, or things are that hectic in your life I am probably not a good fit for you. That is my view on attendance. Back to kittens and rainbows!!!
I would love to hear from you. Please fill out the form below and tell me a little about yourself and what you are hoping to learn from me.
Thanks so much for your time,
Sara
FAQs about harp lessons.
1. Is the harp easy to learn?
You will be able to play Mary Had a Little Lamb at the end of your very first lesson. Just like everything else it takes lots of hard work to master, but you will be able to play/ perform several pieces pretty quickly. It is standard for harpists that start in the fall to be performing Christmas carols at the beginning of December.
2. Do I need to be able to read music in order to start?
No- I can help you with that! It is similar to learning the alphabet. Once you know it you just need to work towards fluidity.
3. Do I need to have my own harp?
You will need an instrument for practicing. Lever harp rental runs at about $75 a month plus a one time delivery fee. Pedal harps are also available for rent at a higher price point. For true beginners I recommend starting on a lever harp. Get comfortable with that and then progress to a pedal harp when ready.
This is the route I would advise new students that do not currently have access to an instrument to take. Here is a link to Vanderbilt, the company that I recommend for harp rentals in the United States.
*Try to avoid purchasing a harp on ebay. Unless you are very familiar with harps, things can get sketchy fast. I’m happy to discuss harp procurement.
4. What ages do you teach?
5 years to 101 years. Unfortunately if you are over 101 I will need to refer you to another teacher. Otherwise, let’s go. If you are up for harp lessons I’m up for teaching you.
5. What genres/ different styles of music do you teach?
Pretty much all of it. That includes pop music, classical music, folk music, and irish music/ music for the celtic harp. My main focus is on pop/rock music and classical harp repertoire. If your primary interest is celtic music I would recommend that you seek out a celtic music specialist!
If you are interested in learning to arrange music for the harp we can get into that too!
6. How much time will I need to practice each week?
That is up to you. Ideally you will be playing at least 30 minutes a day. This really depends on what you want your progress to look like! I do not have any practice time requirements, just that you respect your time and my time.
7. Are private lessons right for me if I am just starting out?
The benefit of individual harp lessons is that you get to spend time working on the things that YOU need to work at your own pace.
You get instant feedback. I personally loved having harp lessons well into adulthood. In fact, if i could have a job consisting only of taking harp lessons and masterclasses I might choose that.
8. What will we cover during the first lesson?
For the absolute beginner we will cover the basics like how to sit behind a harp, your hand position, how to tune, and we will get you started on a piece of music. We will also discuss how you would like the harp to fit into your life. I don’t really like to use the word ‘goals’ when talking about the harp because it is an art form. But for this one lesson we can talk about your goals.
9. Are online harp lessons effective?
Zoom lessons can be a great way to start and offer anyone, no matter where in the world you are located, a chance to study.