Hi,

I’m currently a second-year college student (going into third) in California and have been playing lever harp for about a year. For a while now I’ve been wanting to become a harp therapist and thought about getting certified with the IHTP. It was inly recently that I found out about Music Therapy degrees in the universities.

I’ve been going through the different schools that offer B.As in Music Therapy (mostly California schools like University of the Pacific and California State University, Northridge)and have been comparing them to the IHTP. I’m kind of stuck now, because I don’t know what the difference in a university degree and an IHTP certification are. I know the IHTP focuses greatly on just harp and some psychological courses. At the universities, you focus on learning not only the instrument of your choice but also piano and guitar, and sometimes percussion.

Basically, what I want to ask is which would be better for an aspiring harp therapy? What are the ups and downs of getting a degree from a university? What are the ups and downs of getting a certification with the IHTP?

If anyone would be so kind as to help me out. I am really lost right now….

Thank you.
-Candy