Urban Youth Harp Ensemble

The harp is an ancient, hauntingly beautiful and melodious instrument that, to learn, requires skill, patience and dedication. The harp can lend itself to all musical styles including jazz, folk songs, spiritual melodies, rhythm and blues and of course, classical music. The harp is soothing and relaxing. After all, the harp is the musical instrument choice of the angels.

The year 2000 was the Centennial year…

Just as memorable, it was also the start of the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble (UYHE). Elisabeth Remy Johnson harpist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Roselyn Lewis a long time Atlanta public school music teacher began the ambitious program at a middle school with two students. Turnaround and we have a robust program that has grown each year and currently has more that 80 students.

The two women founded the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble with the strong belief that students of African American heritage should  be exposed to the harp, not just for the beauty of the instrument, but also for the long-lasting potential professional benefits of playing such a unique and transformative instrument. In fact, one of the first students of the program began his journey with UYHE in middle school and has gone on to receive his Masters Degree playing professionally and teaching.

In just four short years, the program had grown to 28 students in middle and high school, quite a feat because the harp is not an instrument that students generally gravitate to, especially not young boys. It is an expensive instrument and one not easily transported. It is not usually seen outside the concert environment. At this point it was Roselyn Lewis who championed the benefits of the harp to students.

Given how expensive the harp is, harps were purchased with the generous donations from Billye and Hank Aaron’s Chasing the Dream Foundation. The Foundation is one of the largest supporters of the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble today. A grant from the Arthur Blank Family Foundation enabled the ensemble to purchase many harps and hire a full time teacher.

As the program grew, larger accommodations were needed and today’s students are taught at and in partnership with Drew Charter School located in Atlanta. Instruction takes place during school and after school. Instructors are of some of the highest calibre of harpists in the world, especially the teaching world.

Over the years UYHE has partnered with other organizations and other artists most notably the Full Radius Dance Company, a mixed group of dancers with and without physical challenges. Original choreography was created to a commissioned harp composition performed by the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble.

Twice a year, at December Holiday Concert and a Spring Concert, Urban Youth Harp Ensemble gives the community the opportunity to hear the wonderful progress of the harp students. It expands the confidence of the students as they display the poise and skills they have acquired during the year both in playing and acting as the announcers for the events.

What does the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble do? We provide expert, high level instruction to students by providing accomplished teachers with extensive performance and teaching experience. We provide unparalleled Masterclasses and exposure to renowned guest artists. Some of the Masterclass artist have included Brandee Younger, Dr. Patricia Terry Ross, Charles Overton, Dr. Mallory McHenry and the Berklee School of Music Jazz Ensemble. We help build and contribute to a community where students can connect with other students through summer programs and camps. The successful harp student will possess and develop a sense of reliability and dedication to tasks at hand. This is evident early as students audition for and are accepted into the Atlanta Symphony Talent Development Program. Students are also involved in summer study at Interlochen Music School in Michigan. Principal harpists have been available for the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Emory University Youth Orchestra.

In short, the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble provides the experiences and the program that helps the young harpist begin their potentially life-long journey in the captivating musical world of the harp. The program is free and grants and partnerships fundc this rare and unique and experience. The program focuses on rectifying the inequity that is still persisted in music education. The shared commitment of Drew Charter School and the Urban Youth Ensemble is to ensure that music education is an opportunity that is available to a diverse, mixed income population of students, but it especially reaches out to African American boys.