Illinois Teachers

Alison teaches private lessons for children and adults at her studio, as well as through Zoom and FaceTime. No previous musical training is required. Alison teaches all music styles. She has a D.M. degree from Northwestern University, and studied with Elizabeth Cifani and Elizabeth Borsodi-Wolksteain. She has been teaching since 1992.

"I strive to provide a safe, consistent, and structured learning environment that allows each student to develop their individual potential and fulfill their sense of personal enrichment at the harp."

Faye teaches private lessons for children and adults at her studio and at Wheaton College and Northern Illinois Univeristy. She also teaches through Zoom and Skype, and will travel to the homes of local students. No previous musical training is required. She has pedal harps for rent to her students. Faye teaches all musical styles, specializing in classical and orchestral music. She also teaches composition, arranging, improvisation, and music theory, and offers recitals and harp ensembles for her students. Faye has a BM in performance from Eastern Michigan University, an MM in Performance from Boston University, and is a certified Kindermusik instructor. She studied with Jill Bailiff Reyes and Lucile Lawrence, and has been teaching since 1975.

"What I enjoy most about teaching is the challenge of meeting a new student, exploring his/her learning style and helping that person find a new path in music through playing the harp. With many years of experience, I have learned to pinpoint issues and help students overcome problems. In addition, many of my students who have graduated from college are now able to revisit lessons through skype and zoom. From Wisconsin, to New York to Colorado, there are no boundaries keeping students from finding the right teacher."

Sharon teaches private lessons for children and adults at her studio, as well as through Skype. She will also travel to the homes of local students. No previous musical training is required. She has both lever harps and pedal harps for rent to her students. Sharon teaches all musical styles, specializing in classical and orchestral music and music theory. She offers recitals and harp ensembles. She has Bachelor's of Music Performance and Education, and is Suzuki Certified at all levels. She studied with Mary Jo Green, Marjorie Tyre, and Charles Kleinstuber, and has been teaching since 1976.

Annette teaches private and group lessons for children and adults at her studio, as well as through Skype. She teaches all levels of lever harp, and beginning and intermediate pedal harp. No previous musical training is required. She has lever harps for rent to her students. Besides teaching in English, she also teaches in German. Annette teaches all music styles, specializing in improvisation and klezmer music. She offers recitals, harp ensembles, harp circles, and theory classes. She occasionally overlaps students' lessons so they can play duets. She has a Diplom in Kluturpadagogik, which is similar to a Master's degree in cultural education. She studied with Liz Cifani, Rudiger Oppermann, Park Stickney, Kim Robertson, and Christoph Pampuch. She has been teaching since 1993.

"I am experienced and enjoy teaching harp for any level and age, beginners to advanced, young and adults. I teach many musical styles."

Janelle teaches private and group lessons for children and adults at her studio, as well as through Zoom. She specializes in teaching beginners of all ages. She also teaches at Loyola University. No previous musical training is required. She has lever harps and pedal harps for rent to her students. Janelle teaches all musical styles, specializing in classical and pop music. She also teaches composition, arranging, improvisation, and music theory, and offers recitals, harp ensembles, and harp circles for her students. Janelle studied with Liz Cifani and Gerry Elliott and has Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. She is a Registered Suzuki Harp Teacher for all books. She teaches in English or German and has been teaching since 2006.

"Both adult and youth students have the opportunity to participate in a monthly studio class (group class). Our studio celebrates diversity and has collectively performed on every continent."

Molly teaches private lessons for children and adults at her studio, and at The Music Shoppe in Normal, Illinois. She also teaches through Skype, and will travel to the homes of local students. No previous musical training is required. Molly teaches all music styles, specializing in classical and pop music. She teaches music theory and string-tying and harp care workshops. She offers recitals and harp ensembles for her students. Molly has a Bachelor's degree in Music Education, and Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Harp Performance. She studied with Joy Yu Hoffman and Dr. Ann Yeung, and has been teaching since 2011.

"My goal is to help students develop the skills and disciplines needed to better love, appreciate, and enjoy music, and be able to comfortably share their music with others."

Julia Kay teaches private lessons for children and adults at her studio and at the homes of students. She also teaches through Skype. No previous musical training is required. She has lever harps and pedal harps for rent to her students. Julia Kay teaches all music styles, specializing in classical and pop music. She also teaches composition, arranging, improvisation and music theory, and offers recitals for her students. She has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Harp Performance and received the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching from the University of Illinois. She studied with Jocelyn Chang, Susann McDonald, and Ann Yeung, and has been teaching since 1998.

"I have the exciting role as a facilitator and teacher of guiding students to meet their individual goals and realize their full potential as musicians. While encouraging students to develop strong, fluent technique, good tone quality, and a growing understanding of music, I value and recognize each student's creativity, expression, and individuality."

Anne teaches private lessons for children and adults at her studio and at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, and Carthage College. She also teaches through Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype. No previous musical training is required for adults, but she prefers at least 2 years of piano for students under 11. She has lever harps for rent to her students. Anne teaches composition, arranging, and improvisation, and classical, orchestral, modern, pop, jazz, blues, Celtic, folk, early, and therapy music. She offers harp ensembles, and has been teaching since 1983. She has a Bachelor's of Music in Harp Performance and Harp Pedagogy. She studied with Ruth Inglefield, Pierre Jamet, Lilian Phillips, and Nancy Morse.

"My teaching is tailored to each of my students. My goal is to help them achieve whatever they are searching for on their harp journey - be it simply for fun, or therapy, or professional aspiration. My two college programs are interested in non-harp majors as well as harp majors. Both institutions are ideal for students who wish to maintain their playing skills but not major in harp."