We have 105 workshops and classes from 38 presenters and our goal is to help you Narrow Your Focus or Expand Your Horizon.

Workshop Times: Most of the workshops are 90 minutes. We have 3 main workshop periods on Friday and Saturday: 9:30-11am (AM1), 1:30-3pm (PM1) and 3:30-5pm (PM2). (On Sunday the morning workshop starts at 9am.) There are mini-workshops scheduled in the 11am-1pm lunch break when we do things like the Harp Tastings and Do It Yourself Harp Maintenance.

How you get into a workshop: You can drop into any of the other workshops. We estimate how much space we need for each presenter and workshop and most of the time it all works out and there are seats and enough room for everybody. In consideration of others, please try to get to your workshop a few minutes early to give yourself time to get a seat and get settled. We have a few 2- and 3-day classes that we ask for advance sign-up, but other than that, you're free to pick whatever you want.

HOW TO FIND WHAT YOU WANT: Peruse the navigation bar on the left to see how all this information is organized. Workshops are listed in alphabetical order by Title with their presenter and description. If you are looking for workshops by a particular presenter, choose Presenters on the top row navigation bar and look up the presenter. Their workshops will be listed under their bio (this website is constantly being updated and the listings don't really settle down until about March!).

Other tools: Under the Schedule Downloads (on the left) we have 2 downloadable file types tools to help you put your Somerset itinerary together. You can download an Excel file and then sort and filter this file any way you like: by day/time, by presenter, by workshop title. You choose. The PDF file is a static snapshot of our spreadsheet file that you can print, read, highlight offline. These files will be updated almost weekly as we hone in on the actual schedule and finetune the workshop selections.

HOW THE DOWNLOAD FILES ARE SORTED: By the column heads, first by day, then by time period (the key is AM1= 9:30-11am, AM2=lunch period, PM1=1:30-3pm and PM2=3:30-5pm), then by title.

Focus Areas: We aggregate some of the workshops into some topic-specific Focus Area pages. We make it easy for you find workshops focused on a particular topic if you wanted to Narrow Your Focus. You'll find the Focus Areas on the left navigation bar under this Workshops tab. If you have Excel, the spreadsheet version of the workshop schedule will have columns for these topics so you can sort and filter by topic.

If you find a mistake in any of these schedules pages please let me know!

Workshop Guidelines

Levels: these are suggestions, not edicts. The presenter may have a target audience in mind but that doesn't mean you can't get in over your head. Likewise, something may be targeted to a Beginner, but if it's new to you and you're interested, take it!

Hands-on: this means you should bring a harp! If you don't have a harp, you can still sit in on the workshop and learn something.

Lectures/Musical lectures/Demos: no harp is needed. All lectures are open to registered non-harping companions.

Accessories: these are optional and suggestions from the presenter. Recording devices are permitted as noted, but these recordings are for your own personal use (in other words, don't post on the internet).

Etiquette: Turn off your cell phone or put it in vibrate mode. Do not talk on cell phones at all during the workshop. Arrive on time and be in tune. If you arrive late, come in quietly and without fanfare. If it's a hands-on workshop in progress, please take your harp out of the case outside of the workshop room to be less of a distraction. If you arrive late, certainly never shoehorn yourself in to sit in front of someone who got there on time!

Getting Private Lessons

Many of our attendees would like to get in some private lesson time with their favorite presenters while they are at the festival. The cost is $65/hour and is paid directly to the artist at the time of the lesson. Lesson time/availability is strictly at the discretion of the artist. Put in a request by emailing Kathy with the name of the presenter and she will forward all requests.

Harp pool loaner program

If you are flying or coming by train to the festival and can't bring a harp, we will have a small pool of loaner harps available. Please indicate your need for a loaner harp on the Registration Form or email us so we know how many harps to secure. Deadline for applying for a loaner harp: May 25 (the early-bird deadline). No guarantees after that date. At the festival then all you do is sign out your harp for the day at the Registration Desk by 9am.

Want to make a harp available? If you would like to share your harp with a harp-less attendee, come to the Registration Desk and let us know what workshop period you won't need your harp and we'll arrange a hand-off time.

Harp Corral

What's this? You can temporarily park your harp in our Harp Corral, located next to the Registration Desk, while you have a meal or go shopping in the Vendor Mall. Space is limited so if you are a hotel guest and don't need your harp for an extended period of time, please park your harp in your hotel room. We do have harpers coming for the day who don't have that option. Harp Corral hours: 9am-9pm (no overnights!) You must pick up your harp at the end of the evening concert.

If you find a mistake in any of these schedules pages please let me know!

Do you have a harp or music product to sell?
Get a booth or table at the festival. Call Kathy 856-795-7637.
Here's our rate card.

Updated 2/22/13
Workshop descriptions and schedules are subject to change.

All About the Workshops