Practice Challenge 2026

We challenge you to transform your practice!

Harp Column’s FREE 30 Day Practice Challenge begins January 1, 2026! This year we challenge you to transform your practice habits and build your practice toolkit. Each day we’ll give you a new tool that will help make your practice time more efficient, effective, and fun. As always we’re providing ideas and inspiration every step of the way!

Sign up now to join the challenge and win prizes! Watch this page and your inbox for more details about this year’s challenge coming soon.

Yes, I'm in!

(Have you already signed up? Lucky you! We’ll announce prize winners each week in our challenge emails!)

A few important reminders

Check your spam folder

Challenge emails may go to your spam folder. Be sure to check it for our email confirming that you’ve signed up for the challenge, along with our daily challenge emails.

access content

It’s FREE to participate in the challenge and be enrolled to win prizes, but you’ll need to be a member of Harp Column Academy and subscribe to Harp Column magazine to access some of the content we’ll be linking to throughout the challenge. We’ll also suggest some music downloads we think you might like, available for purchase at Harp Column Music.

Here’s how it works:

Each day of the challenge we’ll give you a new tool you can add to your daily practice routine. Weekly themes include foundation tools, technical tools, musical tools, and performance tools. Use our music suggestions to put your tools into practice, or work on any other pieces that you choose. Scroll down for the daily tips, or sign up for the challenge to get them delivered directly to your inbox.

Challenge rules

Master one tool a day

Master one new practice tool each day. Work from our daily suggestions, or choose a different tool that works for you. As always, it’s YOUR challenge!

Practice 20 minutes a day

Commit to practicing your music for a minimum of 20 minutes total each day throughout the challenge. You’re on the honor system!

Post on social media

Optional: Share your progress on social media by tagging Harp Column and #HCPracticeChallenge!

Download the practice log!

Download now

New Year’s Day Kickoff party!

Stay motivated by joining our FREE live sessions with special guests!

Thursday, Jan. 1, kickoff party • 2:00 p.m. E.T.

Grace Browning

Shamim Minoo

Joseph Rebman

join on zoom

(Live event seating is limited. Recordings will be available on YouTube one day following the event.)

weekly meetups

All events below take place at 12:00 p.m. E.T.

Monday, Jan. 5, with Kristan Toczko and Elizabeth Steiner
Monday Jan. 12 with Kirsten Agresta and Joel von Lerber
Mon. Jan. 19 with Elisabeth Plank and LiShan Tan
Mon. Jan. 26 with Katherine Siochi

Kirsten Agresta Copely

Elisabeth Plank

Elizabeth Steiner

Katherine Siochi

Lishan Tan

Kristan Toczko

Joel von Lerber

join on zoom

(Live event seating is limited. Recordings will be available on YouTube one day following the event.)

Win prizes!

We’re giving away great Harp Column prizes EVERY WEEK during the 30 Day Practice Challenge! Sign up for the challenge to be automatically enrolled in prize drawings throughout the challenge. Winners will be announced in challenge emails and at live events. Check out the great prizes we’re giving away:

A year of Harp Column magazine!

We’re giving away full one-year subscriptions to Harp Column magazine! Prize includes six issues of Harp Column delivered to your door (or download the PDF edition outside the U.S.).

Harp Column Music Gift Card!

Your choice of sheet music downloads at Harp Column Music with an HCM gift card! Choose from over 3,000 downloads from top arrangers!

A year of Harp Column Academy

We’re giving away full one-year memberships to Harp Column Academy! Your membership includes all access to over 400 lessons on harp technique, repertoire, and more!

Daily tips

We’ll be posting daily tips and inspiration right here every day of the challenge.
Sign up now to join the challenge and be enrolled to win prizes!

Day 30

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS WEEK’S PRIZEWINNERS!

KATHLEEN DAVID-BAJAR—a one-year subscription to Harp Column Magazine

URSULA OSSWALD—a one-year membership to Harp Column Academy

MEIKE SCHIRLING—a $20 gift certificate to Harp Column Music

Today’s tool

Creating your personal toolkit

Design a personal toolkit using your 10 most effective tools from the challenge.

Congratulations! You finished Harp Column’s 30 Day Practice Challenge! We hope this year’s challenge introduced you to some new, useful tools and helped you brush up on some old techniques. Today, review all 29 tools you’ve learned this month and evaluate them: Which 10 tools produced the biggest improvements for you? Which felt most natural? Which solved the most problems? Build your toolkit to include the tools that actually work for YOU!

Learn more:

Put Purpose Into Your Practice, with Rachel O’Brien

In this lesson on how to practice, Harp Column Academy expert Rachel O’Brien shows how to put purpose into your practice to achieve results. For the last day of the challenge, it’s a great reminder of why we do what we do!

WATCH NOW

Music ideas:

Les Amuse-Bouches (Appetizers), by François Pernel

This original collection of 60 short, charming pieces for lever harp or pedal harp includes “a taste of modal and modern,” says Pernel. It’s a great repertoire builder for students of any age!

BUY NOW

Keep learning with Harp Column!

Celebrate completing the 30 Day Practice Challenge with a special offer from Harp Column! Use the coupon code practicechallenge10 to receive 10% off at all Harp Column websites! Shop Harp Column Music, subscribe to Harp Column magazine, join Harp Column Academy—or do all three! Coupon can be used once at each site through February 15.

SHOP MUSIC

SHOP ACADEMY

SHOP MAGAZINE

Day 30

January 30, 2026