This post was first published on March 15, 2013. Updated on May 31, 2021.

"That lesson was a waste of my teacher's time and my money!"

I've heard statements like that from other harpists and I understand the feeling. You practiced but you still played badly. You sensed that your teacher was trying to help but nothing she suggested seemed to make anything any better. You were disappointed,...

I’m going to make a bold assertion. You should never have a bad lesson.

Before you start feeling pressured to dash to the harp for some frantic last-minute practice, I need to explain. I didn’t fully understand this concept until I had been teaching for a while. As a student, I thought that a bad lesson was when I didn’t play well. When things didn’t go as well in my...

How do you “audition” a new harp teacher?

Maybe you’ve moved to a new city, or perhaps your teacher relocated. Maybe you’re new to the harp, or you’ve been playing a while but it’s time to get back to lessons. Whatever your reason for looking for a new teacher, you can feel a little confused about how to make the best choice.

While no one can offer you a...