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St. Paul's is proud to be home to the "I Am Wonderful" Children's Harp
Choir, under the direction of Dr. Carrol McLaughlin and Kelly Cousineau.
"I Am Wonderful" is the only children's harp ensemble in the world.
They perform monthly in worship at St. Paul's. The St. Paul's
community could not be more proud of this group of children.
Here's an update of what the Arizona Daily Star had to say about
the Children's Harp Choir...
Heavenly is the harp, especially when plucked by the fingers
of 11 little girls. Known as the Children's Harp Choir, they
practice and perform at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, where
all are members.
Together just a few short months, their beginnings can be traced to
yet another little girl who fought her way back from a devastating
illness — by way of her harp.
When she was 6 years old, Courtney Clark was stricken with
meningitis and encephalitis. She had to relearn how to walk, talk
and eat. Taking up her tae kwon do lessons once more seemed to help.
So did the harp, which Courtney started playing when she was 4.
After her illness, "They sat me down at a stool and I played all my
songs perfectly," says Courtney, now 14, who moved with her family
last year from Tucson to the small town of Pearce, about 75 miles
southeast of Tucson. When Courtney was 9, her regular harp teacher
moved away, says Florence Clark, Courtney's mother. And so Florence
got in touch with University of Arizona harp professor Carrol
McLaughlin, who is also founder and director of the international
touring ensemble HarpFusion. "My heart went out to her," says
McLaughlin, who started giving lessons to Courtney. "The harp
lessons challenge Courtney very much," says Florence. Before long
she was noticing a marked improvement in her daughter, who still has
some hearing and short-term memory loss, along with trouble
concentrating.
Once a week, Courtney makes the two-hour trek to Tucson to study
with McLaughlin.
By the start of this year, Courtney had advanced so much that she
graduated from her beginner's-level Celtic harp to the pedal harp.
"It caused me to think, if the harp had this much impact on
Courtney, what could it do for others?" says McLaughlin.
For the past year, McLaughlin has composed monthly concerts at St.
Paul's, performed by her and a variety of other Tucson musicians, as
well as the church choir. Members of HarpFusion, who are all
University of Arizona students, have also performed at the church.
Inspired by Courtney's determination to overcome obstacles,
McLaughlin early this year composed yet another piece, "Courtney's
Voyage." "I was shocked and overly happy," says Courtney. Her
teacher also called up St. Paul's pastor, the Rev. Billy Still, with
a modest proposal. "I knew their mission was to youth," says
McLaughlin. "My idea was that we should start a children's harp
choir." She also wanted, she says, to put in practice her method for
"developing the whole human being. Stage presence, dressing up, even
for lessons. When they wake up in the morning, I want them to say,
'I'm special.' "
All of this sounded just fine to the minister — with one caveat: "I
told her, 'We don't have any harps,' " recalls Still, St. Paul's
pastor for the last eight years. "But then she quoted back to me
what I've always said: 'Money is never the final answer to any
important question.' " In February, says Still, "Courtney's Voyage"
was performed as part of the morning service. Courtney and some of
McLaughlin's younger students played the piece. Afterward, Courtney
donated her Celtic harp to the church. "They needed it more than I
do," she says. Then, says Still, "I simply announced that we needed
five harps to start a harp choir. We got five more harps that day."
The harps, made by a builder in California, run around $2,500 each,
he adds. Since then, the congregation has raised enough money for 13
Celtic harps total, meaning two more members will soon be joining
the 11 now in the choir. Not long after that first call for
donations, the Children's Harp Choir became reality, with weekly
lessons given at the church.
Their first concert was on Mother's Day. Others are scheduled about
every two months.
"In my years of teaching harp, I've never seen any students advance
as quickly as these students," says McLaughlin, who lists the harp,
along with the French horn, as the hardest instrument to master.
Kelly Cousineau, 19, McLaughlin's daughter and a member of
HarpFusion, teaches the Children's Harp Choir. McLaughlin consulted
with her daughter about teaching the choir before going ahead with
the idea. "I love it," says Cousineau. "I would not give up my
girls."
Neither, it appears, would the girls give up their lessons. "It's a
great opportunity, but it was real hard at first," says Raelyn Kanak,
11. "It's been wonderful," says Raelyn's mother, Karen Kanak. "She
is very shy, very small for her age. She has just come out of her
shell. She has so much more confidence. She is doing awesome." Never
more, perhaps, than when Raelyn recently played her harp for the
last time for her grandmother, who died a few days ago. Nikki
Sonnleitner is another parent who has seen a marked difference in
her daughter, Brianna, 8, since she took up the harp. "She is very
shy, very quiet. I wasn't sure how she would feel performing in
front of others, but she loves it. She's even performed solos." And
no, reports Brianna, it wasn't the least bit "scary." Makenzie
Koontz, 8, says, "I usually learn something new every week.
Sometimes it's hard." Meanwhile, Makenzie's dad, Doug Koontz, is
just happy with the side benefits. "She is learning class and
elegance," he says. Courtney Barger, 8, has a different take on
what's so special about playing the harp: "It just sounds pretty, no
matter what you do." But other lessons are also at play. "If some of
these kids become great harpists, good for them," says Still. "But
what we're really trying to do is expose them to excellence."
Adds McLaughlin: "I just want them to be happy women."
To contact McLaughlin, e-mail her at drcarrol@aol.com.
Would you like to become an "Angel" for
the new and expansive music program at St. Paul's UMC: Through your
contributions to "Friends of the Performing Arts" you could sponsor a
harpist, sponsor a staff person, provide the opportunity to ensure world
class support musicians from time to time and more. You can make gifts
to S. Paul's UMC "Friends of the Performing Arts" or if you want to
discuss greater possibilities feel free to call or email
Billy Still (296-6149) or
Dr. Carrol McLaughlin (591-4945)
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