Washington Area Folk Harp Society


The Washington Area Folk Harp Society
Annual Harpers Getaway
November 4 - 6, 2022


Registrar's Letter
(DOCX format)
Weekend Schedule Workshops Registration Form
(DOCX format)


The 2022 WAFHS Harpers Getaway will be November 4 - 6. This year, the Getaway will return to the Shepherd's Spring retreat center in Sharpsburg, MD. The registration deadline is October 10. Registration forms must be submitted by October 10. Workshop fee and housing/meal packages may be found on the reg registration form.

Our guest this year is Haley Hewitt, with WAFHS members Donna Bennet and David Crookston each teaching a workshop.

Covid information - Shepherd's Spring's would prefer that attendees wear masks hile inside the conference building, except whilst eating or drinking. However, it is not required.



 
Haley Hewitt


  Haley Hewitt is a Boston-based performer, composer, arranger, educator, and harpist. Steeped in music from North America, Scotland and Ireland, her music has a distinctly traditional flavor. With a bachelor's degree from the Hartt School of Music in pedal harp performance and a master's degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Scottish Traditional Music, she has founded Celtic Harp departments at Quinnipiac University and the Neighborhood Music School. Passionate about new music, she has also worked closely with composers including Michael O'Sullivan, Ken Steen, Robert Carl, and Dan Lis, to produce new literature for the harp. Her harp playing has taken her to Carnegie Hall, Benaroya Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, and won her the New England Open Scottish Harp Competition in 2006 and the US National Scottish Harp Championship in 2013.

Comments from Sharon Knowles: The last time Haley was at the Getaway we illegally took care of a kitten in one of the rooms! That kitten is now a big cat and lives in Carlisle, PA. I have known Haley for many years and her harp playing is very special. She has a musical touch which I have not heard anywhere else. It will be a joy to have her back to teach us again! Workshop topics will be available soon.

More information on Haley is on her website: haleyhewitt.com.

 
  David Crookston is a resident of the Lake Ridge area of Virginia. He is president of Crookston Music Studio LLC which provides private piano and harp instruction as well as harp instrument rentals in the D.C. area. He is certified at level 6 of the Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music (ABRSM) with distinction and has completed an A.A.A. degree in Harp Performance from Northern Virginia Community College (Cum Laude). Mr. Crookston has performed as a soloist and with various orchestras and choirs in the northern Virginia area and is an active teacher with 30 years teaching experience.  
David Crookston


 
 
Donna Bennet


  Donna is a Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience in program development and implementation across Southern Maryland. She has successfully written innovative programming grants to bring a variety of services to youth and families. Donna is the owner of Coaching for the Voyage, which offers therapy, life coaching and ADHD coaching to clients in an innovative practice incorporating a strength-based model as well as creative strategies utilizing the Expressive Arts to facilitate clients meeting their personal goals. Donna has extensive training in the use of the Expressive Arts for self-growth, healing and promoting creativity and incorporates these strategies into individual and group work. Donna is co-owner of Creative Purpose, LLC. This business focuses on promoting creativity and therapeutic music to various audiences. Donna is a Certified Music Practitioner and plays prescriptive harp music for individuals who are ill and dying and has recently published a book of predominately therapeutic music for lever harp titled From Here to Where You Are. Donna is a Licensed Certified Social Worker- Clinical with a MSW from Delaware State University, a BS degree in Recreation and Parks from the School of Forestry at West Virginia University and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in the Application of the Expressive Arts from Salve Regina University. Donna is a multi-instrumentalist and is on the Board of Directors for the All-American Alumni Band.






WAFHS