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Life & Work with Stephanie Claussen of St. Paul

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Claussen.

Hi Stephanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was seven, my dad built a harp for my sister and me. He had been doing some design work for a harp company called Musicmakers in Stillwater, and he asked for a harp kit as partial payment. At the time, we “happened” to also have a professional harpist living next door. I started taking lessons and loved it.

For a long time, as I was growing up and taking lessons, I said that I didn’t want to become a professional harpist because I didn’t want something I enjoyed to become a job. But as I was considering what I would study at university, I realized I loved doing harp more than anything else. I prayed about it and felt God gave me the “go ahead” to major in music. After I graduated with my bachelors in Harp Performance, I spent two years interning in Montpellier, France, with a Christian organization called Cru. I had opportunities to exchange thoughts on God and spirituality with many French students. I learned French, made a life in a foreign country, and had a chance to practice harp at the local conservatory. After two years, I was deciding between staying long-term in France to work with Cru or returning to the States to start a career as a freelance harpist. Again I prayed and felt like I got the “go ahead” to pursue harp. Growing up with two self-employed parents, I knew what it would look like to make a living as a harpist. I moved home, got a part-time job at JoAnn Fabrics, and started slowly building a living.

Ten years later, I’m still at it! I split my time between practicing, bookkeeping, teaching private lessons, arranging music, composing (sometimes), making YouTube videos, playing with local ensembles and orchestras, planning upcoming projects such as new albums, grant proposals, or solo concerts, taking part in the local harp community activities, answering endless emails, and performing at private events.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When preparing to give my senior recital at the university, I developed tendinitis and had to take several weeks off from practicing. When I could start again, my doctor recommended I limit myself to practicing ten minutes at a time. It was impossible to prepare for my recital in the time given this. I delayed my recital by 3 months and could give it with the help of physical therapists, an occupational therapist, many hand exercises, and a brace. Ever since then, from time to time, I have tendinitis flare-ups, where I have to take breaks from practicing. I’m learning (slowly!) to pace myself and take care of my body better than I did when I was 22. Several years after graduating from college, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Thanks to modern medicines, I can continue as a professional harpist despite this disease, but learning how to make allowances for what my body needs has been a process. Some days I have trouble turning a door knob, and other days I have no pain. Astonishingly, I can still play harp even on days when other day-to-day activities confound me. I’m constantly amazed. When I started this career, I threw myself all in, physically and mentally. I feel that I’ve learned (through necessity) to pace myself better over the past ten years.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a professional harpist. Many harpists specialize in either pedal harp (the kind you’d see in an orchestra) or lever harp (the kind you’d picture in an ancient Celtic castle). I have a foot planted firmly in both harp worlds. I enjoy that I can create my arrangements of traditional tunes in this kind of music. On the Celtic side of things, I tend towards Scottish music. I’m very proud that in 2018 I became the US National Scottish Harp Competition, and in 2021, I was one of four finalists in the Princess Margaret of the Isles Harp Competition. On the pedal harp side of things, I love the precision and attention to detail required to learn the Classical harp repertoire. I perform with orchestras or ensembles from time to time and savor the challenge of getting everything to fit together correctly. I like to include as much whimsy as possible when I’m giving solo concerts. For me, it’s always fun to have a story, image, or mood attached to a particular piece, and I share these with my audiences. Sometimes I get as many compliments on my “talking” as on my harp playing! Since the pandemic, I’ve been doing more YouTube videos, and these videos have given me a chance to dive further into the mood or concept of a piece. I’ve enjoyed making costumes and finding perfect backgrounds for these music videos.

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1 Comment

  1. Janet Myrick

    September 23, 2022 at 7:13 pm

    Love this article on Stephanie Claussen! I have CDs by Stephanie and I’m a huge fan of her work. The photos were beautiful also. It was great to learn more about her.

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