Join Rachel Clemente at the Brattleboro Music Center to build your own small Waring harp & learn traditional melodies on the harp you built!
Through this entirely hands-on educational workshop series, participants will have the opportunity to:
Take part in the building and stringing of their own small Waring harp
Learn a traditional melodies in the historical aural tradition while establishing the basis of correct technique
Connect with like minded individuals who want to both create and add to the traditional arts community
Gain knowledge of the musical history of Scottish and Irish culture and the relationship with the musical history of New England
Dates: Every Saturday Starting on March 8th, 2025 from 10am-Noon through April 5th, 2025.
On March 8th there will be an extended first session where participants will build the harp and then in the afternoon from 1 to 2:30 start stringing it. The remaining sessions will be to learn songs on the harps you built!
Location: Brattleboro Music Center, 72 Blanche Moyse Way, Brattleboro, VT
Cost: $295. This registration fee pays for entire semester.
Ages: 8 and up. Multi-generational participation highly welcomed.
About the Instructor: A New England based pedal and traditional Scottish harpist, Rachel Clemente has had a passion for music from the early age of five. She began her harp training as a student of the Suzuki method. In addition, she discovered her love of Scottish music through events and competitions held by the Scottish Harp Society of America and the Ohio Scottish Arts School. Her musical education then continued at renowned arts boarding high school, Interlochen Arts Academy.
In July of 2018, Rachel graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow with a bachelors degree in traditional Scottish music. Her accolades include winner of U.S National Scottish Harp Champion in 2016 and the winner of Princess Margaret of the Isles Clàrsach Competition (USA) in 2021.
Currently, Rachel is focusing on establishing herself in the New England folk scene as a soloist as well performing in her duo with bagpiper, Dan Houghton and she continues to enjoy working as a private harp instructor alongside beginning a journey into compositional work.