Monica Schley is Seattle’s most versatile harpist. Classically-trained, she freelances in many styles: new music, chamber, improvisational, avant garde, jazz and rock. She leads a modern chamber jazz trio, The Daphnes, and has worked with Secret Chiefs 3, Butch Morris, Evan Flory-Barnes, Jherek Bischoff, Eyvand Kang, Masada, Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis, Jim Knapp, Hey Marsailles, Ahamefule J. Oluo, Kanye West and many other artists.
Monica is available for virtual events, private & corporate engagements, weddings, recording, live performance, funerals, and harp instruction. As a Certified Clinical Musician, she plays for hospitals and hospice. As a teacher, she has a home studio in Seattle a with Dusty Strings Music.
Wedding Harpist
Wedding Song Examples:
Hildegard von Bingen for Harp
The upcoming book, Songs of Hildegard von Bingen for Harp will be released by Mel Bay Publications later in 2024. This collection of sheet music includes fifteen of Hildegard’s song arranged for the harp. Regarded as a mystic, herbalist and healer, Hildegard von Bingen lived from 1098-1179. She was proficient in many areas, including composition, and also wrote several books about religion, art, politics, philosophy, and science. Find Songs of Hildegard von Bingen for Harp on YouTube! Sign up for newsletter updates here.
In this course, you will learn what the Circle of 5ths is and how to apply it to playing your instrument. By the end of the course, you will be able to see how it applies to chord progressions and melodic structure. 1 hour class includes 9 handouts.
Harp Lessons
Private Lessons
Monica offers private harp lessons via Zoom and in-person (Seattle area only) by special request. Monica is comfortable with teaching youth as well of students of all backgrounds and ages. Her musical method draws from folk, classical, songwriting, theory, ensemble work, improvisation and pop music using a Salzedo-influenced method. She thinks that everyone’s learning process is a little bit unique, just like the harp. Learn more about taking harp lessons with Monica.
Music can be a tool to aid in healing and relaxation. Relaxing sounds encourage us to deepen our breathing, which in turn can encourage many positive side effects like deepened sleep, decreased anxiety, lower heart rate, and decreased stress. Playing harp music is something I do often as a healing modality for bedside therapy, funerals, Read more…
Recently I taught a an online workshop with Atrium Health Foundation called “Improvising with Hildegard von Bingen.” The music is in conjunction with my forthcoming book by Mel Bay Publications, “Songs of Hildegard von Bingen for Harp.” Atrium Health host Kathleen Blackwell-Plank has been curating a valuable workshop series for therapeutic musicians for the past Read more…
