~HARP LESSONS~
Misty enjoys teaching and is available to take new students of all ages and skill levels.
If you have any questions, please email her directly at
[email protected]Currently, she teaches at...
Classic Harp Northwest in Portland
or in student’s homes
~ABOUT MISTY~
Misty Williams began playing harp at the age of four, studying with Janell Lemire, and has been performing publicly since 1989. After just a few years, Misty studied Celtic instruments as well. She took lessons on hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, and penny whistle. The influence of folk music on her classical playing helped develop musicality and a singing melodic structure, no matter what the genre she may be performing. In middle school and high school, she worked to learn other string instruments to play with the school orchestra more frequently. Primarily she studied the string bass, which she played for seven years with various orchestras.
In 1996, she had the honor of performing at the World Harp Congress in Seattle with a group of 30 Suzuki harpists from all around the country. From 1998 to 2001, she performed with many orchestras, bands, and choirs, including The Duluth/Superior Youth Symphony and those from the University of Wisconsin in her hometown of Superior.
Later, she attended the University of Arizona, where she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees. During this time, she studied with the distinguished professor of harp, Dr. Carrol McLaughlin, and performed with the University’s world-famous touring harp ensemble, HarpFusion. As a member of HarpFusion, Misty performed both nationally and internationally, including overseas performances in Geneva, Switzerland (2001), the Shanghai Conservatory in China (2004), Seoul, Korea (2004), and Escorial, Spain (2005). The national tours took her to California, New Mexico, Illinois, North Carolina, and throughout Arizona.
She has arranged several jazz, classical, and traditional compositions, some of which can be heard on HarpFusion’s recordings. Misty was active in the recording process and assisted in producing Starring HarpFusion: 25th Anniversary Spectacular and Harp on Tour. She really enjoyed working on Starring HarpFusion, as it was a CD/DVD combo project. Not only did she participate in the recording, editing, mixing, and arranging of the pieces, but she was also involved in the music videos. She helped scout locations, make up story boards, and edit the footage, working with Terrazas Video in Tucson.
As for Misty’s arrangements, On Harp on Tour, you can hear Wana Baraka, a Kenyan Christian chant, and 12th Street Rag. Starring HarpFusion features McKim’s Reel with Celtic harps, a piccolo, and Misty, herself, on the hammered dulcimer. Most recently, Misty arranged Jupiter, from Holst’s The Planets Suite. It was performed with U of A’s Flutefinity and it can be heard on HarpFusion Live: The Cosmos Concert.
Also, Misty has been involved in the youth summer harp camp, Arizona Harp Experience with Dr. Carrol McLaughlin as both a teacher and coordinator from its start in 2003 until summer 2007. After completing her Master’s Degree from the University of Arizona in 2006, she relocated to the Portland vicinity and enjoys teaching and performing in the area. She is classically trained, starting with the Suzuki method at a young age, however also enjoys playing jazz, popular, traditional, and folk music.
