Workshops

NEHF workshops are in four tracks:

Beginner
Classes designed for the complete beginner. No experience necessary.

Apprentice
Classes designed for the musician with about 1-3 years of experience playing the harp.

Journeyman
Classes for musicians with about 3-8 years of experience playing the harp.

Master
Classes for musicians with 8+ years of experience playing the harp.

Friday Workshops

Practice with Purpose: A Card-Based Approach to Learning Music
Rachel Clemente

In this workshop Rachel introduces her card-based practice system designed to support musicians through every stage of learning a piece - new, working, and polishing. Participants will explore how focused practice prompts can bring clarity, efficiency, and variety to daily practice sessions. Using real repertoire examples, the session demonstrates how the cards can be used for problem-solving, musical refinement, and performance preparation. The practice card deck will be available at the festival desk for those interested, though the workshop focuses on flexible practice strategies that can be used with or without the cards.
TBD
Rhiannon Skye

Ensembles
Mae Cooke
TBD
Rhiannon Skye
Ambient Harp Music
Abbie Palmer
Harp fits so well in meditation and ambient settings! Here we’ll talk about specifics around how to create live ambient music, using improvisational techniques linked with some facts around the psychology of music! Abbie will be putting on her music therapist hat for this workshop to highlight how to use the harp for restorative/therapeutic purposes.

TBD
Rhiannon Skye
Continuo and Baroque Improv
Phoebe Durand-McDonnell

Seventeenth-century improvisation and ornamentation workshop. We will talk about a few of the most common ground basses (ciaccona, passacaglia, and folia), continuo playing, and how to incorporate historically-informed performance practices and approaches to accompaniment and ornamentation into our modern-day concerts. This workshop will involve some simple music theory, harmony, and group improvisation.
Exercises for Every Occasion
Rachel Clemente

Incorporating exercises into your practice time is a great way to ground yourself when you first sit down at your harp. In this workshop we will look at a selection of exercises that cover a range of techniques. Each offers a way to increase and decrease the difficulty to suit your level and a way to adapt them to fit into your practice!

Repertoire Smorgasbord
Allison Miller

A mesmerizing combination of modern and traditional tunes from the North Shores of the world (from UK to the Americas) to string together and embellish! Layered arrangement ideas help harpers of all levels find a comfortable accompaniment to the melodies. Ornamentation, fingering, rhythm challenges and chord substitutions will be discussed to provide opportunity for variation and personalization with the tunes taught. Sheet music will be provided at the end of class and recording devices welcome!
Accompaniment Toolbox
Rachel Clemente

Want to spice up your left hand accompaniment? Unlock sounds and harmonic colors that will transform basic chords into effortless accompaniments. Rachel will guide you through different patterns and textures that any player can apply to their favorite tunes!

Improvisation 101
Abbie Palmer
In this workshop, we’ll focus on the basics of improvisation while playing harp! We’ll talk about chordal theory, accompaniment patterns/textures, and how to create a melody on the spot. We’ll have real-time opportunities to explore improvisation in the moment and also talk about how to improvise with other musicians in an ensemble setting!
Early European Harps
Phoebe Durand-McDonnell

An introduction to baroque harps with a hands-on, interactive focus on an Italian triple harp and a Spanish cross-strung harp. You’ll learn the basics of multi-rowed harps and try playing some, and we’ll talk about early notations and tablatures from Italy, Spain, Germany, and Wales. No previous experience of early music or historical harps necessary, all are welcome. Harps will be provided, but feel free to bring yours and try some tablature on a more familiar instrument!

DIY Tips and Tricks to “Cook Up” a Great Arrangement with Intros & Exits
Allison Miller

Recipe books are always more appealing to me when they have pictures and step-by-instructions! Here is a workshop to demystify setting up a tune with a delicious arrangement… and how to add musical “conjunctions” to bookend and connect tunes in an arrangement. Handouts will be provided.
Play in Any Genre
Abbie Palmer

We’ll dice into how to play the harp in any type of genre! Abbie has explored playing in many genres aside from Celtic, including Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, African, Brazilian, Persian, Metal, Electronic/techno, Classical, Indie, etc. and can shine some wisdom on what we need to be keeping in mind while exploring various genres! We will also briefly talk about stage presence and movement with the harp in a live show setting!