AHJ, Vol. 7 No. 1, Summer 1979

College Harp Instruction
Questionnaire Results, Part I
By Roslyn Rensch Erbes
In January, as chairman of a newly designated AHS
committee, "Schools and Faculties for Harp Instruction",
I mailed more than 300 questionnaires to college
and university music directors and to harp teachers affiliated
with schools of higher education. The purpose
of the questionnaire was to survey the present status of
harp instruction at these schools, and to make this information
available to AHS members. Half of the questionnaires
have now been returned. Very special thanks
for their cooperation in this initial project goes to the
many institution officials and harp teachers who so
promptly completed and returned questionnaires.
Questionnaire answers indicate that almost every institution
having a harp teacher on its faculty offers
scholarship help of some type. Scholarships, especially
graduate assistantships, are also offered by several institutions
not listing a faculty harp teacher. Most institutions
offering harp instruction own one or more
harps, however, thirteen of the institutions reporting no
faculty harp teacher own a total of nineteen harps. (In
this era of greatly increased interest in the harp such instruments
are resources which should not be
overlooked.) Bachelor of Music (BM) and Bachelor of
Arts (BA) degrees dominate the degree offerings; many
institutions also offered Master's degrees in either area;
a few institutions are also qualified to confer some form
of doctorate (PhD, DMA, etc.). In addition to harp
lessons, some ensemble playing (harp, orchestra, etc.) is
possible, for credit, at most institutions. Many harp
recitals, by teachers, students, traveling professionals,
etc., will be given at various institutions this year. AHS
members interested in more specific information about
any of these institutions are advised to correspond
directly with the harp teacher or music chairman.
A copy of the questionnaire appears below. Selected
information from completed questionnaires follows
with institutions listed in alphabetical order by states.
For each entry the institution name and address are
given first, followed by the name of the harp teacher, or
"No", meaning that no harp teacher is listed on the institution's
faculty; a qualifying statement may also
follow the "No".For each institution entry, the number
of all "Yes" answers for questions 8 through 23 is then
listed, plus additional information supplied by the person
answering the questionnaire.
Completed questionnaires will be kept on file. A
xerox copy of any completed questionnaire will be sent
to an AHS member on request. However, due to the
SUMMER/ 1979
high cost of postage, and xerox cost, requests for questionnaire
copies should include 35¢ in stamps (or a
stamped self-addressed envelope and 20¢ in stamps) for
each questionnaire desired.
If you are currently teaching harp at a college or
university, your music department chairman, or you, at
your school or home address should have received a
questionnaire. Omissions were unintentional but it is
likely that some have occurred. If the institution where
you teach is not represented in this list please do help
save both time and additional postage by sending your
answers directly to me (701 Delaware Avenue, Terre
Haute, IN 47804). Questionnaire responses received
after February 12, 1979, will be included in the
Fall/Winter issue of the AHJ.
AMERICAN HARP SOCIETY QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Institution name and address _ _ _____ _
2. Your name and title _ __________ _
3. Does institution's faculty include a harp teacher?
Yes ___ No ___ (If No, return of the Questionnaire
is still important to this survey. Please
check everything that is applicable.)
4. Division including harp: a. Music Department
___ b. School of Music ___ c. College of
Music ___ d. Other _ _________ _
5. Harp teacher's name and address _____ _
a. Full time faculty ___ b. Part time faculty
___• c. Duties, if any, other than harp instruction
6. Harp teacher's rank: a. Professor ___ b.
Associate Professor ___ c. Assistant Professor
___ d. Instructor ___ e. Other ____ _
7. Is harp teacher a member of the American Harp
Society? Yes ___ Chapter _ _ _____ _
No __ _
8. Institution degrees offered (list both undergraduate
and graduate)
a. With harp as major _ _________ _
b. With harp as minor __________ _
9. Are harp scholarships available? Yes __ _
No __ _
10. Are other-designated scholarships available to harp
students? Yes ___ Please elaborate ____ _
No __ _
11. Is a student harp recital part of institution's degree
requirements? Yes ___ For which degree(s)? _
_ ______________ No __ _
12. Which of the following are offered to qualified
harp students for credit? a. Private harp lessons
___ b. Class harp lessons ___ c. Harp
Ensemble ___ d. Symphony Orchestra ___ e.
Opera Orchestra ___ f. Chamber Orchestra
___ g. Concert Band __ _
13. How many harps does institution own? ____ _
Maker name(s) and approximate age(s) of harp(s)
49