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Presenters
Debbie Brewin-Wilson Nicolas Carter Chris Caswell Cynthia Cathcart Lois Colin Stephanie Curcio Jaque Davison Brenda Dor-Groot Candyce Dunham Edie Elkan Jessica Frost-Ballas Martha Gallagher Melinda Gardiner Maeve Gilchrist Tracy Gorman Bill Grant Dennis Gormley Denise Grupp-Verbon Michael Grupp-Verbon Gráinne Hambly Joy Yu Hoffman William Jackson Kathy Kasley Sabine Meijers Aideen O'Donnell Alfredo Rolando Ortiz Kim Robertson Gerry Serviente Margaret Sneddon Maureena Spadaro Sunita Staneslow Tomoko Sugawara Carol Thompson Angel Tolosa Clotilde Trouillaud April Vega Frank Voltz Sarajane Williams David Yunghans
Presenters
Debbie Brewin-Wilson
“My Muse, tho' hamely in attire, May touch the heart." Robert Burns
There is nothing ‘hamely’ about Debbie’s artistry as a musician and singer, and the combination of
these skills with her passion for Robert Burns results in music that echoes ‘the wood note wild’ as
Burns describes the natural and unpretentious singing he liked best.
An experienced performer and teacher, Debbie’s repertoire also includes many traditional Scots
ballads and Scottish jigs, reels, and strathspeys as well. To date, she has three solo CDs, Dream of Caledonia, Roots and Wings, and Love Came Down at Christmas, a mix of original and traditional songs.
Cofounder, with Kathy DeAngelo of the Harper’s Escape (and co-author of the Escape tunebook, Ten Years of Tunes). Debbie has also published two song and harp arrangement
collections: Burns for Bairns and Wood Notes Wild.
Presenter website: Debbie Brewin-Wilson
Basically Beginning I, II, III
Level: Beg Type: Hands-on When: Fri., Sat. 9:30am Sun. 9am More Info
Music of Robert Burns
Level: Any Type: Lecture When: Sat. 1:30pm More Info
Celtic Morning Prayer Service
Level: Any Type: Lecture When: Sun. 8am More Info
Nicolas Carter
At home in two cultures, Nicolas Carter was raised in Asuncion, Paraguay, where he learned to play the Paraguayan harp and in Minnesota (where he is currently settled). His principal teacher Isidro Caballero (Father to Paraguay's harp genius Nicolasito) taught him in the traditional folk style of learning by ear, an “ideal way for me to learn, every note I have to hear and feel it.” Playing professionally since 1988 in a variety of settings, as accompanist to singer Lizza Bogado, to playing in a various trios and groups from “Son del Sur” (Song from the South, Latin-American folk music), and “Los Amigos” (traditional Mexican music) to ” Nube” (New World Fusion). As a solo harpist, Nicolas has had concerts in Europe, the United States, and Latin America. Nicolas combines his passion for music with a deep interest in theatre, and indeed, holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Direction from the University of Minnesota. His CD’s, more than a dozen, reflect the several musical idioms from Latin to Fusion in which he is fluent.
Presenter website: Nicolas Carter
Paraguayan Music Class, I, II, III
Level: Int. Type: Hands-on When: Fri., Sat. 9:30am Sun. 9am More Info
Danza Paraguaya: Paraguayan Dance!
Level: Any Type: Best foot forward When: Fri. 3:30pm More Info
Chris Caswell
Musician, Harp-maker, raconteur, historian, Chris Caswell’s roots reach deep into the Celtic revival of the last several decades, but his musicianship doesn’t stop there as Caswell is well-versed in Middle Eastern and other World music as well. As a lad in Edinburgh he studied harp with Alison Kinnaird and pipes with Donald MacPherson and Donald Ramsay. Later he played with Danny Carnahan, Robin Williamson and his Merry Band, and others. Chris’s Caswell harps are regarded as some of the finest being built today. On his CD Holy Wood Chris plays a bronze-strung harp. He has several other CDs including Celtic Tidings and appears on numerous other CDs. Besdies presenting and performing at the festival, you can find Chris at his booth in the Exhibit Hall.
Presenter website: Chris Caswell
Middle Eastern Rhythms
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Sat. 9:30am More Info
Guerilla Music Theory
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Sat. 1:30pm More Info
Scottish Pipe Ornamentations & Phrasing On Harp
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Sun. 9:00am More Info
Your Left Hand Drummer & Bass Player
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Fri. 3:30pm More Info
Cynthia Cathcart
A visit to Cynthia’s superbly organized and informative web site will fill you with an instant desire to play the clarsach, the wire strung harp, of Scotland and Ireland. In lucid prose Cynthia presents herself with anecdotes and practical information as well as giving a taste of her teaching style in pieces on such topics as how harmonics work and how to handle accidentals on a lever-free harp. You can also listen to a selection of her playing which has been described as ‘Clear, pure and glistening… bell-like…’ and giving the ‘impression of very fine china.’ It is no surprise then to read of Cynthia’s multiple awards and accomplishments, among them being a two-time winner of U.S. National Scottish Harp Competition and recognition that she is one of the world’s foremost experts on the wire strung harp. Cynthia has recorded two CD’s, Alchemy of a Rose and Joy to the World and has four books, including Pathway: A Primer for the Wire-Strung Harp (with CD), From my Music Stand, and Traditional Beginnings for the Celtic Harp .
Presenter website: Cynthia Cathcart
Getting in the Mode
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Fri. 1:30pm More Info
Goal Setting at Your Harp
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Sat. 9:30am More Info
No Levers, No Problem
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Sat. 3:30pm More Info
Lois Colin
It’s a privilege to have Lois Colin, a musician with such depth of performance and teaching experience at Somerset. Lois has performed with world-renowned artists such as Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Woody Shaw, and Tom Harrell as well as the New York City Ballet Orchestra, the Institute for Advanced Musical Studies in Switzerland, and the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy to name a few. Having begun her study of the harp at the age of eight, Lois earned a Bachelor of Music from Manhattan College and an MA in Teaching from Lehman College and has been teaching students for over twenty-five years in the New York area and is the founder of the Westchester Harp Ensemble which gives her students opportunities to perform in public. Lois has published several music books, among them The Last Rose of Summer Classic Harp Music For Pedal and Lever Harp, Monica’s Wedding: A treasury of Celtic Harp Music for Weddings and Simple Gifts Classic Harp Music. In addition to her workshop, you'll be able to find Lois at the Colin Harp Music table in the Exhibit Hall.
Presenter website: Lois Colin
Adapting Arrangements
Level: Int/Adv Type: Hands-on When: Fri. 1:30pm More Info
Stephanie Curcio
Few can claim as widely distinguished a harp career as Stephanie Curcio of New Hampshire, trained in both classical and lever harp. For her constant and steady career as a solo and orchestral musician, a teacher, lecturer and organizer of events, as well as an arranger and composer, her musical and artistic contributions were officially recognized by the state of New Hampshire in 2008. At Somerset Stephanie will be offering her expertise at reading and understanding musical notations, especially for the harp. Her publications and arrangements are too numerous to mention here so a visit to her a booth in the Vendor Mall is going to be a must. Don't forget to put time in your schedule to spend time in the Exhibit Hall.
Presenter website: Stephanie Curcio Publications (SCP)
Being a Flexible Teacher
Level: Any Type: Lecture When: Sat. 3:30pm More Info
Develop Your Sight-Reading Skills
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Fri. 3:30pm More Info
Jaque Davison
Jaque Davison is the owner of Davison Associates which builds virtual-reality worlds using ActiveWorlds software. Mr. Davison has thirty years experience in 3D construction and virtual worlds. He completed award-winning projects for the U.S. Army, Florida Central University and private businesses. He also creates virtual worlds for training and education. He is heavily involved in developing information management techniques strongly integrating content on the Web with 3-D environments. This is his first time presenting at Somerset on a virtual harp world that he has created as a resource for harpists. He is a harp student and, for the last seven years, studies with Nanette Gibbs in Alexandria Virginia.
The Wide World of Harp on the Web
Level: Any Type: Lecture When: Fri. & Sat. 12:30-1:15pm More Info
Brenda Dor-Groot
Brenda studied at Codarts/Classical music academy in Rotterdam with Teresia Rieu and Godelieve Schrama and at the Cologne Conservatory in Germany. Though she occasionally still performs classical music, since 2005 Brenda has been actively involved in the world of jazz harp. She co-founded with Sabine Meijers the International Jazz Harp Foundation in 2007. She plays with Sabine in the duo 94 Strings and also with the violinist Sietse von Gorkom in the duo 51 Strings. She is now specializing in the Blues, which she performed at last summer's World Harp Congress. Her new band is Real Blues Harp Band. Not stopping there she is also developing a small solid body electric harp with metal strings and magnetic pickups specfically designed for playing the Blues. Brenda and Sabine brought the International Jazz Harp Foundation to Somerset for the first time in 2010 to promote its mission and this year they are appearing courtesy of their Foundation and are being sponsored by Camac Harps. You can find a table for the International Jazz Harp Foundation in the Festival Lobby.
Presenter website: International Jazz Harp Foundation
All-Day Jazz & Blues Harp Special with Sabine Meijers
Level: Int.-Adv. Type: Hands-on When: Thurs. 10am More Info
Gear Up Your Harp with Sabine Meijers
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Fri. 3:30pm More Info
A Taste of Jazz Harp
Level:Beg. Type: Hands-on When:Sat. 1:30pm More Info
Candyce Dunham
Interwoven with Candyce Dunham’s lifelong engagement with the harp is her commitment to the Suzuki method which was at the core of her own musical training as a child when she was taught by her mother (among others) herself a respected Suzuki teacher. An early award-winner, Candyce won a scholarship to the Eastman School of Music for Harp Performance. Her journey has led her to learning more than the harp, for teaching purposes she has studied bagpipe and tenor drumming, and is certified in Suzuki Harp and Piano. She judges for the Scottish Harp Society, teaches at a variety of celtic workshops around the country, and has created several harp programs, including The Dunham Harps Ensemble. Not stopping with those accomplishments, Candyce and her husband Benjamin rolled up their sleeves and have been building their own harps since 2001. When she's not presenting her workshops, she'll be at the Dunham Harps booth in the Vendor Mall.
Presenter website: Dunham Harps
How to Practice Effectively
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Sat. 3:30pm More Info
Suzuki Method for Harp
Level: Any Type: Lecture/Demo When: Fri. 3:30pm More Info
Competition Harp
Level: Any Type: Lecture/demo When: Fri. 9:30am More Info
Edie Elkan
Sometimes a particular experience will connect with existing skills in such a way that a person will embark in an entirely new but inspired path. Such is the case for Edie Elkan, who with a strong background in music, experience as a teacher of piano, and an an early grounding in playing the harp, found herself first, returning to the harp to assuage her own grief, and then discovering that the harp was being used in medical environments which in turn led her to found Bedside Harp in
2002, a New Jersey, hospital-based harp therapy program. In 2005
Elkan was recognized by the Society for the Arts in Health Care for her work at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s cancer center, where, in a research project, she discovered that patients who listened to live harp music while receiving chemotherapy were less anxious that
those patients who did not. Edie has published Everything You Ever
Wanted to Know (about Harp Therapy) and her master’s thesis: The Edie Elkan Method of Teaching Folk Harp as an Instrument of Healing. Also available is a 4-set CD Oodles of Noodles, a recording of a workshop on ‘noodling’ presented by Edie in 2006.
Edie is one of those featured in the book, Coming Home to Yourself: Eighteen Wise Women Reflect on their Journeys, written by Patricia Gottlieb Shapiro and just released in May.
Presenter website: Bedside Harp
Healing Sounds from Himalaya
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Sun. 9:00am More Info
Pachelbel Boot Camp
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Fri. 1:30pm More Info
Strike the Harp and Join the Chorus
Level: Any Type: Hands-on When: Sat. 9:30am More Info
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