Lisa
Coffey is a harp instructor who accepts students
of all ages and ability levels both at home in
Las Vegas, and at Dixie State College in St.
George, Utah, where she serves as adjunct
faculty harp instructor. Her beginning students
have ranged in age from 3 to 77 years old.
Lisa
began studying harp with Elizabeth Morse, solo
concertizing harpist, and principal harpist of
the Rhode Island and Berkshire Symphonies. On
Elizabeth’s recommendation, Lisa was
accepted on scholarship at Boston University as
a student of the now late Lucile Lawrence, wife
of Carlos Salzedo, and co-author with him of the
pedagogical classics, Pathfinder to the Harp,
and Method for the Harp.
"My
warmest congratulations to you for your
superior teaching...I hope there are
others in Nevada who have the good fortune
to study with you."
Lucile
Lawrence
After
studying with Lucile Lawrence, Lisa returned
home to Cleveland, Ohio where she studied on
scholarship with Alice Chalifoux, (principal
harpist of the Cleveland Orchestra for 43 years)
at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the
Salzedo Harp Colony in Camden, Maine. Most
recently, Lisa’s perspectives both as a
harpist and teacher have been influenced
significantly by her personal association with
Australian harpist Alice Giles.
Lisa
believes that “teaching methods
enable mediocre teachers to get mediocre
results. Each student is unique, with his
or her own set of abilities, experience,
weaknesses and strengths. It is the job of
the harp teacher to elicit excellence by
responding to each student in a unique
way.”
