Composing Added Harp Parts for a Student Ensemble

Abstract

For many young musicians, ensemble playing is at the core of their musical experience. An orchestra can be a place of learning, connection, and fulfillment both on musical and personal levels. However, ensembles are not always able to include student harpists (Van Hoesen 2016). A common difficulty is finding appropriate level repertoire that includes harp parts (Shields 2003). This problem often arises with beginning level ensemble music, but sometimes higher-level ensembles may lack repertoire with harp parts. Frequently in these situations, student harpists are excluded or under-utilized. This loss of valuable ensemble experience can be difficult to recover at a later stage (Pence-Sokoloff 1986). As a harp teacher of students ages five through adult, I have composed many harp parts that correspond with existing ensemble repertoire to fill these repertoire gaps. I always seek to write a harp part that remains true to the composer’s musical work while giving harp students the opportunity to build their ensemble skills. The following guide is intended to assist teachers, especially those without a harp background, in composing added harp parts.