About

A short about

Since 2013, I've performed on the Celtic harp at concerts and events throughout Scandinavia, the USA and England. I often shares the stage with my husband, David Harrisson.

In the Oslo Storytelling scene, I've worked with Fortellerhuset (Storytelling House) and am a founding member of the Norsk Harpeforening (Norwegian Harp Society).

While originally from the US, I reside near Oslo, Norway.

The long(er) version

Harp

The folk harp and I fell in love back in 1980, in a small music shop in Traverse City, Michigan. I plucked out basic tunes while my sister took lessons, but the harp never came home with me.

Soon after I started playing classical piano which I pursued with passion over 11 years until my early twenties. Disillusioned with the gap between what I wanted to play and what I could play, I stopped pursuing music.

In 2003, I saw a woman in Germany playing a harp. I remembered my first love and asked for lessons, I'm still happily playing today.

Stories

Sitting around the campfire, 40 young faces watched a ghost story come to life. Forgetting themselves they gasped, jumped and finally, laughed at the end. "That's not scary," they told each other as they turned on their flashlights to walk back to their cabins.

What started with my father telling bedtime stories and led me to becoming the storyteller at summer camp has turned into one of my life passions - finding and creating stories.

My stories come from several sources. Sometimes a piece of music unlocks a story as I learn it. Other times I find an old tale and flesh it out as the characters awaken and tell their tale.

My current project - Translating some of the old Norwegian Ballads and arranging the accompanying melodies for folk harp.

My Story

I grew up in a small town in the northern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula - about an hour's drive from Lake Michigan. Many moons ago, I attended Michigan State University for a B.S. in Forest Conservation and Communications.

Upon graduation I moved to Alaska and then Finland, chasing my dream of working professionally with sled dogs. Finally I settled in South Germany where I became and English Language teacher. Ten years ago I moved to the Oslo area of Norway and began freelance teaching, working in communication consulting and writing. Slowly I've moved into professional harp playing and storytelling as my 'night job'.