Monica Schley is a harpist, songwriter, singer, poet and Certified Clinical Musician. At age four she started out playing piano and has since studied voice, clarinet, harp, and pipe organ.

VIRTUAL HARP CLASS
Circle of 5ths 2.0 virtual class is available anytime on Udemy. In this course, we will learn what the Circle of 5ths is and how to apply it to playing the harp. By the end of the course, you will be able to see how it applies to chord progressions and melodic structure. Handout resources include a beautifully designed infographic of the Circle of 5ths created just for this course, a three-finger exercise, a four-finger exercise, an etude called Corinthian Bells, and a harp arrangement of jazz standard Fly Me to the Moon (in easy and intermediate levels).

PRIVATE HARP LESSONS
A lifelong musician, Monica Schley started out playing piano at age four and went on to study voice, clarinet, harp, and pipe organ. Before moving to the West Coast twenty years ago, she earned a BA from the the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she studied poetry and music, which included rigorous lessons with Frances Miller, principal harpist of the Minnesota Orchestra. She has had master classes with harpists: Ruttiger Opperman, Park Stickney, Laurie Riley, Lori Andrews, Maeve Gilchrist, Christina Tourin, and others.

Monica is current faculty at Dusty Strings Music School in Seattle where she teaches a hybrid of in-person and online. She has also maintained a private teaching studio for over a decade – contact Monica directly for lesson inquiries. Monica has also taught at Holy Names Academy; Vashon Island Harp Camp; and Music Works NW (Bellevue). Monica teaches beginners through intermediate harp students. As mother to young children, 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.

She says, “I see myself as a musician who happens to play the harp, not being a harpist exclusively. It is from that approach that I tap into the great mystery that is music. I believe teachers can learn from students just as much as students learn from the teacher.”

Quotes:

from students:
“My daughter learned harp from Monica till we moved away from Seattle. She is a gentle, patient, relaxed teacher and deeply appreciate how she instilled a love of music in my daughter. As a former teacher myself, I am picky about teachers. I recommend Monica to anyone who is looking for a harp teacher.”
– mother of a student 

a letter:
“Hi Monica, I just wanted to say thank you for all of your good work with J___ this year. She found our old Irish tin whistle the other day and looked up the hand positions for different notes and then composed a little tune, so I think the time with music is well spent.”
– mother of a student

from his album Magick, John Zorn writes:
“There is a deeper, more intuitive understanding. The understanding that Mysteries, to remain Mysteries, must remain Mysteries, and are not meant to be understood. The Mystery gives birth to the Search, and the Search is life. Music is one of the great Mysteries. It gives life. It is not a career, not a business, nor a craft. It is a gift… and a great responsibility. Because one can never know where the creative spark comes from or why it exists, it must be treasured as Mystery.” 

INSTRUCTORS I RECOMMEND
Peter Williams, Cello Lessons, Seattle