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Harp Column

Rules for Relocating

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By on January-February 2019, Sounding Board

In the last five years, professional harpist Kela Walton has lived in Waco, Texas; Buffalo, N.Y., and her current home, Spartanburg, S.C. She took her own advice and wrote this article during her downtime shortly after relocating in the fall.

A harpist’s guide to setting up shop in a new city

Transitions in life, like transitions in music, can be tough. Whether you are just out of college and building your harp business, or a new job takes you away from your established harp life, relocating is not easy. I know! I’ve moved twice in the past five years, and have some ideas that may help your next transition go more smoothly.

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About Author

Kela Walton enjoys a varied career as a freelance harpist and teacher in Buffalo, New York. An innovative educator, Kela has maintained a private studio since 1998. In 2014 Kela joined the faculty at Buffalo Suzuki Strings, where she teaches individual and group harp lessons as well as Suzuki Early Childhood Music. Before relocating to Buffalo, Kela founded and directed the harp program for the Round Rock ISD schools in central Texas. Kela was privileged to serve as a harp faculty member previously at Temple College, the University of Houston Moores School of Music Preparatory and Continuing Studies Program, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. Her orchestral credits include engagements with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Corpus Christi Symphony, and Temple Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician she has premiered several new works by award winning composers and is the harpist with the Buffalo Chamber Players. She also held a four year position as harpist for tea and holiday brunches at Austin's historic Driskill Hotel. Currently Kela is honored to serve on the national board of directors for the American Harp Society, Inc. Kela Walton holds a Master of Music in Harp Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Houston Moores School of Music where she studied with Paula Page. Additionally she has a Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance from the University of Texas at Austin where she studied with Gayle Barrington. Kela is also an alumnus of the Salzedo School in Camden, Maine where she studied with Alice Chalifoux. Her Suzuki training includes coursework in early childhood education and harp with Sharon Jones, Delaine Fedson Leonard, and Dr. Laurie Scott. After realizing how much her yoga practice enhanced her harp performances and teaching, Kela became certified in Dharma Yoga at the 300 hour level. Kela lives in Buffalo with her husband, conductor Stefan Sanders.

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