TeachingEllen has taught harp to students of all ages from Philadelphia to Maine. She teaches beginners through very advanced in her Glenside Studio. Ellen teaches lever, pedal, and historical harp styles, and utilizes a holistic approach to teaching music. She teaches reading and ear training, tailoring lessons to the tastes and needs of the student. Ellen has a BM in Harp Performance from Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. She teaches both solo and ensemble playing, and has harps available for rental.  Ellen's teaching successfully reaches students through a skillful blend of sensitivity to their interests and abilities, and reasonable yet challenging goals. Her style is encouraging and helpful, with a healthy measure of humor to keep lessons enjoyable. She draws on her vast knowledge of repertoire to find just the right music to satisfy teaching goals while appealing to the students' tastes. She has them play what they like, which results in more practice.  Her personal connection with each student elicits their best and engages them in new and varied performance opportunities, including solo and ensemble pieces. After eight years with Ellen, my daughter still loves her lessons and playing her harp. She has accomplished many things that she did not believe that she could. When other harpists hear my daughter play, they are impressed with her technique, musicality, and choice of music. All of these have been shaped by her teacher, with careful attention to detail and quality. Ellen's instruction has added to my daughter's knowledge of musical history, Irish and Scottish music, and the classics. Her lessons have been peppered with interesting bits of information related to the music she was studying. She has learned and grown on many, many levels while studying under Ellen. She has learned far more than just playing the harp. |
