Just started want to pursue a career

[HBrock25]

Hi, I am new to the harp and have only just completed my grade 4. I am 21 years old and so far I really love it!. I know that it would be a lot of work if I want to pursue a professional harp career but I am prepared to do what it takes I just need to know what to do in order to get there. I am really interested in pursuing careers in :

1) Harp Therapy
2) Orchestral Harp
3) Becoming a teacher later on
4) Playing at festivals/weddings etc

Please could someone help let me know what qualifications I need in order to do this and I will be very grateful 🙂 Thank you 🙂

[alice-freeman]

For harp therapy, you will get answers to some of your questions by exploring the following Web sites:

• An overview of Therapeutic Musician Training Programs certified by the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians: http://tinyurl.com/Therapeutic-Musician-Overview
• National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians: http://www.therapeuticmusician.com/
• Music for Healing and Transition Program: http://www.mhtp.org/
• International Harp Therapy Program: harprealm.com/
• Clinical Musician Home Study Course: http://www.harpforhealing.com

For music thanatology:

[alice-freeman]

The International Harp Therapy Program link should be: http://harprealm.com/

[patricia-jaeger]

Regarding Orchestral Harp, there are few openings, and when there are, many competitors for the Principal Harp position, in large cities. Community Orchestras would not pay a living wage. There are at least three publications to own, that have excerpts of just the more difficult harp parts in orchestra repertoire: Principal Harp (by Sarah Bullen, published by Vanderbilt Music Company; with a CD of those excerpts, and also generous text tips throughout the book); Orchester Probespiel: Harfe

[Sophia Paterson]

Thank you that’s very helpful, I have just got myself a new harp teacher and will talk to her about it this week. I was also wondering what qualifications I might need to be able to be a orchestral harpist? Do I need to get to grade 8 or do I need more other qualifications?

[Tacye]

Sophia,
I started being able to tackle harp parts in youth orchestras around grade 7 and became comfortable in amateur/semi pro orchestras over the several years after I took grade 8.

[Sophia Paterson]

Thank you Tacye, I see I am a long way off to being able to play in an orchestra! I am currently studying at university but not music. I am working on completing my grades but when I have finished this would it be possible to do a degree in the harp? I did not do music at school but I am thinking of working through the theory grades as well to catch up with that. If only I had known this whilst I was at school! I live in the UK do you know any places where I might be able to do a good degree in harp?

[Tacye]

Some orchestral music will be playable long before that – some parts you could manage now – but there is a big difference between being able to join an orchestra for one particular piece which has a sensible harp part and being able to sign up for all their concerts in the next year before knowing what pieces they will throw at you.

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