Rocky Mountain Springs Harp Program

[John R Bernard]

Dear friends,

The summer harp program in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has a new name, “Rocky Mountain Springs Harp Program.” This newly independent entity was for seven years a division of Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory, a unique chamber music school which unites outstanding student musicians with professional mentors in an intensive, enjoyable program to develop young musicians as whole people.

Our alumni will be happy to know that RMS Harp Program will still cooperate with RMS Conservatory, joining them in meals, interdisciplinary classes (Remember eurhythmics, photography, tae kwon do?), outdoor activities, free public recitals, and other elements of RMSC’s outstanding program.

An independent RMSHP has several advantages:

A more convenient facility. RMSHP will be housed at Colorado Mountain College-Alpine Campus (which hosted RMSC for several years before the Conservatory moved to Lowell Whiteman School). CMC is handicap-equipped, with wide halls, ramps, and elevators. It is often useful to think of harpists as handicapped by their unwieldy instruments.

More flexible housing. If a late-applying harpist deserves admission, we can accept him or her without stealing a bed from a string student.

Simpler, more flexible administration. Removing one layer of necessary approval allows quicker response times, later deadlines, slightly lower costs (fees for application and registration are no longer necessary), and generally more adaptive decision-making.

None of these advantages would be worth losing contact with the remarkable collegial atmosphere of RMSC. Fortunately, RMSC Director Ernest Richardson and his staff allow continued collaboration.

Students working this summer with harp instructors Christa Grix of Michigan and Olive Bernard from Texas will include Lily, a nineteen-year-old from Stanford University; Danielle, also nineteen, of Bowling Green State University; Irys, seventeen, of La Jolla, California; and Sara, fourteen, of Dillon, Colorado. Danielle is the recipient of a partial scholarship honoring Lucile Lawrence. The new Dewey Owens Scholarship for younger students has not been awarded. Late applications are being processed; it is likely that five, six or seven fine student harpists will be studying and performing in Steamboat Springs this summer. Dates of the three-week session are July 15 through August 5, 2007.

Rocky Mountain Springs Harp Program is a nonprofit educational institution which admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, or other school administered programs.

For further information, e-mail rms.harp@mac.com, telephone 806-355-8052, or write to Olive Bernard, 6202 Raintree Ct., Amarillo, TX 79119.

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