Featured Harpist - Joanna Mell

Joanna Mell has been singing and playing Celtic music since the age of five years old, when her mother brought home a record of folksongs from the Celtic nations. In her college days, Joanna played guitar and sang in folk clubs on the East Coast; she then added mandolin and keyboard to her instrumental collection and performed with the Celtic band Cuckoo's Nest for several years. In 1985, Joanna saw the great Celtic harper Alain Stivell in concert at the University of Pennsylvania. This life-changing event resulted in a quest to find a Celtic harp and teacher, which culminated in her studies with Alison Simpson and the beginning of a long and fruitful career as a Celtic harper, singer and storyteller.

Joanna currently performs and teaches all over the United States. She is founder and director of the Heart of God Foundation which trains therapeutic harpists and also provides therapeutic harp music to patients in health care facilities.

If you have ever attended the Somerset Harp Festival or the Harp in Worship Conference you may have seen Joanna perform or attended one of her workshops. Her humor and member participation keep the classes upbeat and stimulating.

For your enjoyment, Joanna has submitted

Maggie’s Butterfly

It is a lilting tune in 9/8 time which fits on only 20 strings.

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