What Inspired Deborah Henson-Conant to Create Hip Harp Academy?

Welcome to a one-on-one interview with Grammy-nominated harpist Deborah Henson-Conant, the mastermind behind “Hip Harp Academy” – an online academy where harp enthusiasts come together to learn, inspire, and grow in their musical journey.

In this exclusive interview, Deborah opens up about her journey in creating the Hip Harp Academy, shedding light on its foundation, unique features, and her mission to support harpists of all levels.

Check out Deborah’s answer to the question: What Inspired You To Create the Hip Harp Academy?

Watch the video above or read the transcript of the interview below.

What Inspired You to Create the Hip Harp Academy?

What inspired me to create the academy was the opportunity to be able to pass on what I’ve learned, and at the same time to be learning more, because as I share with other people who are learning for the first time, and as I’m sharing the stuff that’s most important to me, which is how to break things down how to do them, simply, then I actually get deeper into what, what I’m learning as well.

And I’ve always loved group learning situations. I think it’s partly because when I was a kid, I was in tiny, tiny schools where there were more than one class together. And so I got to watch what other people were learning. And I often found that watching somebody else learn was much more powerful than having somebody you know, telling me how to learn. And then when, and then when I started working with my teacher, Tony, I had the same experience because we were always in a group experience.

And so I got to watch other people learning. And I often learned more from watching other people learning. And I often learned more from the feedback that he gave to others than the feedback he gave to me, in part because I would be so nervous when he was giving feedback to me. And so I actually started realizing that learning with others was my way to learn.

So even when I went for private lessons with Tony, I would take a buddy with me, and we would go back and forth and learn. I really so so, so deeply believe in learning in a community, and to be able to create that community myself and to be able to pass on what’s important to me. That is why I created Hip Harp Academy.

If you play the harp:

In the interview video, Deborah shared the heartfelt inspiration behind the creation of the Hip Harp Academy. To see, other interview videos of Deborah about the Hip Harp Academy, go to this YouTube video playlist.

By offering a community-driven and inclusive platform for harpists at every stage, the Hip Harp Academy continues to pave the way for musical growth, self-expression, and meaningful connections.

So, if you're looking for more confidence, creativity support and gaining freedom from the notes on the page click the button below and join the Hip Harp Academy.

I invite YOU to join this powerful, supportive, creative community.