Originally from the Midwest, Hope Cowan headed south to Texas for college about 10 years ago to study with Paula Page. She never left the Lone Star state, choosing to build her freelance career in Houston.

Tell us what you’ve been up to since graduating with your master’s degree in 2015.

My work can be generally divided into the following categories: teaching (private studio of around 30 students), orchestral playing (I am the principal harpist for three regional symphonies as well as a regular sub for several others), chamber music, arts education in area schools and hospitals (I work with Da Camera of Houston and Young Audiences of Houston as a teaching artist), gigging (weddings, events, funerals, etc.), and administrative (I am president of the Greater Houston Chapter of the American Harp Society and do administrative work for the Houston Summer Harp Festival).

What’s the best thing about being a professional musician?

I am a people person, so the variety of people I get to interact with on a regular basis is my favorite thing about being a professional musician. Music can create strong personal connections, and the harp is such a special instrument—it really draws people in. I enjoy getting to know all my students and helping them grow as musicians, and also getting to know their families. As a performer, I love seeing people light up when they hear the harp. I get to meet and perform for a really wide range of people that I otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to get to know. I also love connecting with the other musicians I perform with. Musicians are always really wonderful and interesting people!

What’s the hardest thing about being a professional musician?

It can be very hard to maintain a sense of identity outside of your professional life, and it’s easy to take everything personally. I also really struggle with saying no to opportunities, which makes my schedule overly packed at times. As a freelancer, there is a very strong incentive to say yes to everything, and it’s hard to step back and turn down work. I also don’t love the amount of driving I do, but that’s just part of playing the harp, unfortunately.

What has been the most unexpected thing about your professional life so far?

Not really unexpected, but a really nice thing about being a harpist is that other harpists are such great people. I don’t know where I would be without my harp friends and colleagues, and I am very grateful for the fantastic harp community here in Houston.

What skills are most valuable to have as a freelancer?

Organizational skills are key. Making sure you stay on top of your calendar and responding to emails quickly is vital. I also think it’s important to be willing to learn the skills that, in a bigger business, someone else would do. For example, some skills I have had to learn for myself include website building, social media marketing, taxes, retirement investing, and budgeting. I sometimes joke that the IT and HR departments at work are really bad (because they are just me), but I actually think it is really valuable to be fully accountable for all the parts of your business.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There are no typical days for a freelancer, which is both challenging and fun. Most days I do some teaching, some practicing, and some playing.

How do you prioritize practicing in your working life?

I consciously try to sign myself up for projects that will require serious practicing and learning new music. So if someone asks me to play a challenging chamber piece, I try to prioritize doing that, because I know it will help me grow as a player.

How do you use social media to help your business without it mucking up your life?

I am still figuring that out. I primarily use Instagram as a professional platform, and keep my personal Facebook page purely personal. I still post plenty of pictures of my cat (she’s really cute!) on Instagram though, so not sure how well that system is working. Basically, I aim to have enough of a presence on social media that prospective clients feel confident that I am a real person that they can trust to provide music for their event.

What’s the best thing you’ve done to get more gigs?

Make friends with other harpists. So many referrals come from other harpists. It is also a huge relief to have a network of harpists I know I could call to fill in for me in case of emergency.

What is your advice to a young harpist who thinks they want to do music for a living?

Find good teachers and mentors, build a strong musical skill set, and keep an open mind about where your music can take you. •