Today the TCU Harp Ensemble celebrated our Past, Present, and Future with a recital featuring Music Preparatory harp students, harp studio alumni, and former harp faculty. Our special guests Dr. Laura Brandenburg, Sydney Howell, and Dr. Mallory McHenry returned to campus to perform as a frog faculty quartet with current harp instructor Kela Walton. The program included arrangements by TCU alumni Elizabeth Hames and Nancy Hurrell. This unique concert concluded with all of the Horned Frog harpists past, present, and future performing together as a large ensemble for the finale.
I'm so grateful to all our many guests for joining us, and so proud of my students for their hard work this semester!
​Click here to view the PDF program

I can hardly believe my first semester teaching at Texas Christian University is rapidly concluding. Tonight students from both the University harp studio and the Music Preparatory harp studio performed a program of pieces by Andrès, Debussy, Dussek, Tournier, Press, Salzedo, and Waddington that all share French connections. I'm so proud of everyone's hard work to make this beautiful recital happen!

Click here to view the PDF program

My brother Andrew and I performed for a very special Pentecost Sunday service at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church in Arlington. We celebrated the retirement of Pastor Debra Crumpton with cello and harp duet renditions of two of her favorite hymns: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing and Be Thou My Vision. You can watch the entire service livestream video above.

I'm very excited to announce that I will be teaching at the TCU Summer Harp Workshop this July 6-8, 2022!
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The TCU Summer Harp Workshop offers 3 days of harp ensemble, solo masterclasses, and interactive sessions about the harp uniquely customized for the participants enrolled. Each day will begin with a focus on physical wellness through stretching and yoga designed for harpists. Kela Walton will offer individual instruction in masterclasses, as well as ensemble coaching. Sessions away from the harp on customized topics such as: practice strategies, harp history, audition/competition prep, or how to take care of your harp will be offered pending interest by the participants. At the end of the workshop, each participant will have the opportunity to perform on the final recital. This year’s workshop will celebrate being able to create music together again, safely in the same space.

The workshop is open to young harpists 8th grade and above, intermediate to advanced level. Students are asked to bring their own instruments, as the availability of rental harps is quite limited.
Learn more and register online at https://finearts.tcu.edu/music/events-and-programs/summer-camps/tcu-harp-workshop/ 

I was honored to be a guest musician for Advent Lutheran Church's "Cantata" Sunday, which included the Festival Choir's performance of Oratorio de Noel by Camille Saint-Saëns, as well as musical offerings by the Advent Children & Youth Choir. 
Conducted by Hunter Birkhead, accompanied by the Juan Seguin High School Orchestra (directed by Melina Shaffer) with other guest musicians Beverly Howard, Maggie Armand, Maddie Breedlove, Robert Leland, Dorian McCall, and Emma Bruce Birkhead, it was a joy to participate in this cantata service. I look forward to more spiritual opportunities with the musicians at Advent Lutheran Church!
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Oratorio de Noel by Camille Saint-Saëns (starts around 31:00)

My brother Andrew and I performed for live in the parking lot for the Easter Sunday service at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church in Arlington. We also recorded a few of the pieces for the online service including the Easter Hymn in the video above. You can watch the entire online service on Facebook here. 

Here are my top 10 tips for taking great notes in your lessons. These tips will help any parent or student refine their note taking skills. Whether you are new to Suzuki lessons (on any instrument) or a veteran with tons of experience, I hope you will find at least one new idea to incorporate into your note taking style! 
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Originally published in the Suzuki Association of the Americas series "Parents as Partners Online" in 2020. 

I was honored to perform for the Fourth Sunday of Advent on December 13, 2020 at the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Spartanburg, SC. I hope you enjoy this online worship service!

Prelude Music
On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry from Three Pieces for Advent by Charles Peery - Kela Walton, harp; Brennan Szafron, organ (starts at 2:40)
Savior of the Nations Come from Three Pieces for Advent by Charles Peery - Kela Walton, harp; Brennan Szafron, organ (starts at 4:35)
Music for Communion
Ave Maria by Franz Schubert - Lindsey Brakhage, soprano, Kela Walton, harp (starts at 1:02:45)
Postlude Music
Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers from Three Pieces for Advent by Charles Peery - Kela Walton, harp; Brennan Szafron, organ (starts at 1:12:20)

For the past several years my brother Andrew and I have performed cello and harp duets for services on the 4th Sunday of Advent at St. Andrews United Methodist Church in Arlington, TX. It has become a family tradition, that we didn't want to miss even though we are unable to be together in person this year. Andrew and I decided to create a video of O Holy Night in our living rooms for St. Andrew's online services. 
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My brother and his beautiful family light the Advent candles (starts around 1:15)
O Holy Night - Andrew Walton, cello; Kela Walton, harp (starts around 11:35)