GreenSpring American Youth Harp Ensemble
Welcome to the American Youth Harp Ensemble’s hybrid season!
We are SO excited to share our plans for this season. A global pandemic can’t stop us from creating beautiful music as a harp family and growing as musicians. So, how do you do harp ensemble during COVID-19? By being creative, flexible, focusing on what is possible and by maximizing the incredible silver linings! We’ve imagined a whole new harp experience for you and we're looking forward to seeing you soon!
What Do We Have Planned?
We realize each harpist and their family has unique needs during this unprecedented time. This season we are planning to offer a hybrid program with modified in-person rehearsals and virtual instruction. Each harpist and family can choose the option that best fits their needs. Our 2020-2021 season will include:
A hybrid of in-person and online rehearsals beginning the week of September 21! This year rehearsals will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays for Lyra, Intermezzo, Concert and Touring and on Tuesdays for Troubadour Ensemble. Rehearsals will be both in-person (see “Keeping You Safe” below) and streamed online via password-protected Zoom so harpists can choose to attend virtually. We will cap the number of in-person attendees for each ensemble and add additional rehearsal times if needed. More info on that to come as our roster is finalized.
Currently the rehearsal schedule is:
Troubadour- 5:30-6:30pm, Tuesdays- Hanover Hall
Lyra- 4:00 - 5:00pm, Monday and Wednesday- Hanover Hall
Intermezzo- 4:00 - 5:00pm, Monday and Wednesday- Parlor
Concert/Touring- 5:00-6:00pm Mon and 5:00-6:30pm Wed- Harp Room
Weekly musicianship and aural skills classes taught by renowned artist teacher, former Royal Harpist, Claire Jones (UK)
Potential live and virtual performance opportunities (with click-track practice recordings)
Weekly social Zoom time just for fun! All students are invited to attend to connect and enjoy time with their harp ensemble friends.
BONUS: All American Youth Harp Ensemble students will receive, as part of their tuition, complimentary participation in our fall Artistry Summits which gather world-class artist teachers and students from around the globe for an incredible musical experience. The Artistry Summits include an inspiring and robust line up of classes, workshops and coachings designed to take your musicianship to the next level! Mark your calendar for the fall Summit dates: October 17 and November 21.
KEEPING YOU SAFE - OUR COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS
We are committed to the safety of our harpists, families, and staff and will adapt and respond in accordance with CDC and government guidelines. The American Youth Harp Ensemble faculty have done extensive research on ensemble safety protocols to minimize risks and are following current research.
We will be adhering to the following protocols:
Requiring masks, hand sanitation, wellness checks upon entrance, air-purifiers, and respecting social distancing (minimum 6 ft apart at all times).
For in-person rehearsals, we will assign each student a harp, bench and stand for exclusive use throughout the school year.
Parents and siblings will be unable to wait in common areas during rehearsal. To minimize traffic in the building, we request parents drop off and pick up only.
The library will be designated for student use with social distancing and cleaning measures in place.
ARTISTRY SUMMITS
Our brand new initiative, the Artistry Summit, provides an opportunity to work with distinguished faculty from around the globe. Guided by our renowned artist teachers, you will grow as a harpist and enjoy an inspiring musical journey on a digital platform. A virtual "boot-camp" for musicians, these once-a-month Summits (the fall Summits in October and November are FREE for AYHE harpists) give you an opportunity for concentrated artistic development. Registration is open to harp students of all ages and levels!
Upon registration for American Youth Harp Ensemble, all harpists are eligible to participate in the two fall Artistry Summits for no additional cost (close to two hundred dollars in savings!). However, if harpists opt to sign up for an additional private lesson opportunity during the Summit there will be an additional private lesson fee. More information on the Spring Summits will be coming.
What is an Artistry Summit?
It's a gathering of harp students and world-class faculty from around the globe who inspire you through engaging workshops and classes designed to take your musicianship to the next level!
Who should participate?
All harp students! No matter your age or experience level, you will benefit from the Artistry Summits.
How can I participate?
Artistry Summits are offered online. However, you will have ample opportunity to engage and connect with your teachers and other students.
Why should I participate?
In addition to learning from extraordinary faculty, you will meet students who love the harp just like you! We are especially excited that nearly two dozen harpists from the US and abroad have already registered making this a truly international gathering!
What is the schedule?
Between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm EST, your schedule will include:
30 Minutes to Transformation- musical essentials which will truly transform your playing!
Five Workshops each Summit selected from: Practice Like a Pro!, Arranging for the Harp, Auditions and Competitions, World Music and Rhythm, The Orchestral Harpist, Career Seminar, Introduction to Improvisation for Harpists, Composition,The Evolution of the Harp & Yoga and Stretching
Aural Skills and Theory with former Royal Harpist, Claire Jones (following the Royal Schools of Music Syllabus)
What if I can only do a portion of the day?
It's ideal to participate in the full day, however, if you can only attend a portion of the day, you are still welcome to join in when you can.
Click Here to Register Today! Select Fall 2020 Artistry Summit (dates) on select class tab.
MASTERCLASS, COACHING AND LESSON OPPORTUNITIES
Masterclass Series
Over the course of the next year, we will be offering a Masterclass Series featuring world-class harpists.
For the first series, we are proud to present the UK's #1 classical recording harpist, international soloist and former Royal harpist, Claire Jones!
Claire Jones
Masterclass dates: January 9, 23 and 30
Audition deadline: December 15, 2020
Through the beauty of technology, Claire is able to offer these masterclasses online to students from around the world. All applications welcome! Students will be selected based upon review of an audition video submitted by the deadline. Each class will accept three performing harpists and unlimited auditors.
Please contact us at academy@greenspringmusic.org for audition requirements and masterclass specifics.
Coaching Opportunities
Preparing for an audition or competition? Our harp faculty are here to help! We are happy to coordinate one or a series of in person or online coaching with our experienced faculty. Inquire at academy@greenspringmusic.org.
Lesson Offerings
With the addition of new faculty, we have expanded our private lesson offerings.Our expert harp faculty offer individual lessons to students of all ages, beginner to conservatory-bound! No matter where you live, with in-person and online options for study, you will have access to high quality lessons. Your introductory lesson is just $30. Email academy@greenspringmusic.org for more information.
Musicianship Classes
Online Aural Skills with Claire Jones: Claire is a former official examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (2011-2020). This course follows the ABRSM syllabus. Aural skills is about developing the student’s musical ear and their ability to identify pitches, tempo, intervals, melody, chords, rhythms and time signatures. As they progress through the ABRSM levels, they focus on identifying musical detail such as articulation, dynamics, and description of the style and character of pieces, rhythmic repetition and sight singing. The higher levels involve all the skills mentioned previously with the addition of repeating upper or lower 3 part melodies, identifying cadences, naming cadential chords, modulations, sight-singing 6-8 bar melodies and finally listening to a piece and providing a detailed verbal description with regards to musical detail, tempo, texture, structure, harmony, style and period. Saturdays: 11:00-11:30 EST
Online Music Theory with Claire Jones: As a musician’s skills progress, development in music theory becomes extremely important. It supports their understanding of the music they are playing enabling them to perform with confidence. This class will teach the analytical aspects of music. In this class the student will improve their musical reading skills, understanding of how to notate and express music on the page. Claire follows the step-by-step formula following the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music syllabus. Saturdays : 11:30- 12:00 pm EST
Hybrid- both online and in-person- Music History: This 45 minute class is based on the philosophy that in-depth study of masterworks will enable the student to develop an understanding of the musical, cultural, historical context of the piece, era and composer. Students will develop highly refined listening skills, an advanced musical vocabulary, sophisticated musical understanding and, through practical application, be able to apply knowledge of musical style in performance on their own instrument. Offered in the Spring of 2021 only
MORE ABOUT THE AMERICAN YOUTH HARP ENSEMBLE
The American Youth Harp Ensemble continues to captivate the audiences around the world as America’s premiere youth harp ensemble, well known for their musical sophistication, rich sound, emotional power, and imaginative programming of repertoire. The American Youth Harp Ensemble (AYHE) has brought world-class music to enthusiastic audiences in the U.S. and abroad through hundreds of performances, recordings, television and radio features on CNN, NBC, PBS and NPR affiliate stations. With 29 national and international tours to their credit since 1999, the AYHE made its international debut performing in the Maastricht Music Festival (Netherlands). In 2001, 2007, 2012 and 2016 the AYHE sold out Carnegie Hall and in 2013 the AYHE sold out Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, two of the most celebrated concert halls in the nation. It has had other notable performances at the Edinburgh Easter Festival (Scotland), the Paris Music Festival (France), Salla Puccini (Milan), Salle Gaveau (Paris), St. John’s Smith Square (London), St. George’s Chapel (London), the United Nations (NY), the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), the 34th and 38th American Harp Society National Conferences, and the Association for Music Personnel in Public Radio National Conference (the AYHE was showcased for music directors from National Public Radio affiliate stations across the US and have subsequently been broadcast nationally). The Ensemble has performed twice in the London Festival of Music (England), five times on the “State of the Arts” Concert Series at the U.S. Department of State, six times at the White House (DC), Advent Music Festival in Vienna and Salzburg (Austria), in feature concert in the Concert Hall of the Kennedy Center, the Washington National Cathedral (DC), as the opening concert for the American Harp Society National Summer Harp Institute, for the King and Queen of Belgium, for the 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors performing for such musical luminaries John Williams, Itzhak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma, and Jessye Norman, two tours to Austria and the Czech Republic and at the World Harp Congress in Sydney, Australia. In 2016, they toured and performed in Boston, Vermont and renowned Canadian venues including the Basilica de Notre Dame in Montreal and Quebec City. In 2017, the ensemble concertized on tour in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, in the Oslo City Hall (the location of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony) and in England and Wales. In 2018, they collaborated with former Royal Harpist Claire Jones, Composer/Percussionist Chris Marshall, and the Wales-based Claire Jones Harp School on an extensive East Coast Tour spanning from Virginia to Maine. Most recently, they were featured performers on a transatlantic crossing of the Queen Mary 2. Upcoming invitations include the Washington National Cathedral (DC), Hungary, Austria, Germany, and Wales.
Performances annually reach an estimated audience of more than one million viewers and listeners through media (television and radio) broadcasts and live performances. The AYHE has been featured in two television specials: The American Youth Harp Ensemble: Defying the Limits and The Community Idea Stations Present: Christmas with the American Youth Harp Ensemble both providing extraordinary exposure for the harp and for AYHE programs. The ensemble’s most recent CD entitled Caravan: 10 Harps, 10,000 Miles was considered for a 2016 Grammy award. The AYHE was honored with a 2016 Dominion ArtStars Award for the state of Virginia.
In addition to five performance ensembles, the American Youth Harp Ensemble serves as a national model for arts education. Through year round and summer outreach programs, the AYHE uses the harp as a catalyst for positive change, personal growth and community service for over 800 elementary and secondary students annually, regardless of financial means. The Sound Experiences program offers multi-day per week, tuition-free harp instruction to rural and inner-city underserved youth in Richmond and the surrounding area. The Harp Therapy Outreach Program, in partnership with the Resources for Independent Living Center (a transitioning facility for youth with disabilities) provides harp therapy to physically, emotionally, or behaviorally-challenged youth in a highly structured yet supportive environment. The AYHE Mentorship Program is an adjunct to the above outreach programs. More proficient young harpists in the American Youth Harp Ensemble commit to helping their peers as assistant teachers of the harp, serving as role models and sharing of themselves. Through Community Service programs harp ensemble members also volunteer performances through Young at Harp, a program in which AYHE harpists perform concerts at local retirement communities on a regular basis, and Harping in the Hospitals, a program in collaboration with health-care facilities and hospitals in Central Virginia. Utilizing evaluation tools developed in partnership with clinical staff, Harping in the Hospitals conducts clinical studies to measure the impact of harp music on patients which provides data for ongoing studies. The AYHE Ambassadors Program is a community service program through which students perform over 100 concerts annually to populations with the greatest need including the ill and their families and those with limited access such as the elderly and underserved communities. Service hours are recognized by Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. Young harpists from across the globe come to study during the summer at the Summer Harp Institutes.
Purchase American Youth Harp Ensemble recordings here.
TROUBADOUR ENSEMBLE
Our Troubadour Ensemble is for our youngest harpists who wish to enrich their musical learning with an ensemble experience and start gaining the skills early that are needed to participate in the more advanced ensembles. Troubadour Ensemble allows students (even those new to harp) to develop the musicianship skills, hone ensemble playing, and grow through performance opportunities.
Rehearsal Schedule:
Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 pm
Audition Details: The Troubadour Ensemble has no audition requirements and students new to the harp are welcome. It is, however, strongly recommended for students in the Troubadour Ensemble to be taking private lessons with a harp teacher for reinforcement of skills learned during rehearsal.
LYRA ENSEMBLE
The Lyra Ensemble is a developmental group of students who will progress as they and their musical and instrumental skills mature. It allows newer, less experienced students to begin learning from the experience of preparing for and performing concerts, while still allowing the Intermezzo, Concert and Touring Ensembles to perform more challenging music in more challenging settings. It is our hope that, in time, each Lyra Ensemble member will graduate to the Intermezzo, then Concert, and then on to the Touring Ensemble, providing a consistent progression of challenges and learning experiences for our students.
Rehearsal Schedule:
Mondays & Wednesdays 4:00-5:00 pm
Complimentary Artistry Summit Admittance (a $200 value):
Online - November 21 & December 12
Audition Details: The Lyra Ensemble has no audition requirements and students new to the harp are welcome. It is, however, required for students in the Lyra Ensemble to be taking private lessons with a harp teacher for reinforcement of skills learned during rehearsal.
INTERMEZZO ENSEMBLE
The Intermezzo Ensemble has enabled us to meet the growing demand from advancing students. The Intermezzo Ensemble, like Touring and Concert Ensemble, is a stand alone ensemble that has its own feature performances. Students in this ensemble will be given the opportunity to audition for participation in tours, focusing on a just a few music selections and perfecting those to the required standards for a feature concert.
Rehearsal Schedule:
Mondays & Wednesdays 4:00-5:00 pm
Complimentary Artistry Summit Admittance (a $200 value):
Online - November 21 & December 12
Audition Details: Membership in the Intermezzo Ensemble is by audition only. Attendance at rehearsal and at Theory Class on two days a week is required for participation. Private harp lessons to reinforce technical and musical development, are required. Lessons are offered for an additional fee. Students will also be expected to participate in several concerts per year.
CONCERT ENSEMBLE
The Concert Ensemble is one of only a handful of youth performing groups of its kind in the United States. No other instrumental program in the state is comparably recognized for the high quality of its instruction and performances.
The Concert Ensemble defies the limits of the harp. Younger students advance into this group by auditioning and, often, by having performed successfully with the Lyra and Intermezzo Ensembles. The Concert Ensemble has a full schedule of performances on the national level and throughout the Richmond Metro and Central Virginia region.
Rehearsal Schedule:
Mondays 5:00-6:00 pm & Wednesdays 5:00-6:30 pm
Complimentary Artistry Summit Admittance (a $200 value):
Online - November 21 & December 12
Audition Details: Membership in the Concert Ensemble is by audition only. Attendance at rehearsal on two days a week is required for participation. Private harp lessons to reinforce technical and musical development as well as preparation of advanced ensemble music, are required. Lessons are offered for an additional fee. Students will also be expected to participate in several concerts per year.
TOURING ENSEMBLE
The smaller 12-member Touring Ensemble is the elite traveling ensemble. With opportunities to tour regionally, nationally and internationally, these professional level students have astonished audiences around the world.
An auditioned group of our most advanced students who are willing to commit to a rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule form the Touring Ensemble. This professional-caliber chamber ensemble of twelve harpists enables the organization to fulfill the numerous requests for state-wide, national, and international performances in prestigious venues while providing a professional level experience for our most accomplished young musicians.
Rehearsal Schedule:
Mondays 5:00-6:00 pm & Wednesdays 5:00-6:30 pm
Complimentary Artistry Summit Admittance (a $200 value):
Online - November 21 & December 12
Audition Details: Membership in the Touring Ensemble is by audition only. Attendance at rehearsal two days a week is required for participation. Private harp lessons to reinforce technical and musical development as well as preparation of advanced ensemble music, are required. Lessons are offered for an additional fee. Touring Ensemble membership includes mandatory participation in several concerts per year.