I am a professional musician based in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, making my home in Berkeley Springs. I hold the MM in Pedagogy-Harp from the Shenandoah Conservatory and the DM in Harp Performance from Florida State University. Recently appointed the Adjunct Professor of Harp at Shepherd University, I also maintain private studios at home and through the Shepherd Community Music Program. In addition to performing with area orchestras and choral groups, I have many years’ experience performing for weddings throughout the four state region of West Virginia, Western Maryland, Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley, and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. On most Sundays you can find me providing service music at Calvary United Methodist Church in Great Cacapon, WV.
For more Information:
On Weddings
Tula performs for wedding ceremonies and receptions throughout the Shenandoah and Cumberland Valley regions and would love to be a part of your special event. For more information, please see the Weddings page.
On Harp Instruction
Study of the harp can take students down life paths that they never imagined! Both pre-professional students and dedicated amateurs benefit from the discipline, mental and physical development, performance experience, cultural education, and community relationships that grow with membership in the harp studio. Instruction is available at the Shepherd Community Music Program in Shepherdstown, WV, online for distance students using Zoom, and for pre-professional students in the music department at Shepherd University's School of Music. For more information, please see my Instruction page.
Keep reading to learn more about me and my music
My background:
I love to study! I hold a Doctorate in Harp Performance from Florida State University, where I also earned a graduate certificate in Music of the Americas. In addition to my doctorate, I earned the MM in Pedagogy- Harp from the Shenandoah Conservatory where I studied with Elizabeth Blakeslee, former harpist with the National Symphony Orchestra, a BM in Harp Performance from Montclair State University with André Tarantiles, and a BA magna cum laude from Rutgers University in American Studies. I also trained at Carnegie Mellon University in the full scholarship Performer Resident Program with teacher, Gretchen Van Hoesen of the Pittsburgh Symphony. I also studied classical piano for 20 years, including several years of college level study through the music department at Mason Gross, Rutgers University.
Orchestral Performances:
Frequently the opportunity arises for me to play with area orchestras, including the Shepherd Community Orchestra, the Shepherd Masterworks Chorale Orchestra, and the Shippensburg Orchestra. While in Florida, I performed with Sinfonia Gulf Coast, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and was the principal harpist for the Florida State University Orchestra. I can be heard on the Naxos recording, Dohnanyi Symphony No.2/ Two Songs with the FSU Orchestra. I also enjoy playing in pit orchestras for musicals, and have had the luck to play five unique productions of The Fantasticks!
Church Musician:
I am the staff musician for Calvary United Methodist, Great Cacapon, WV, providing service music weekly for Sunday services and holidays. Prior to that, I served at Berkeley Springs Presbyterian Church as a pianist, iinstrumentalist, and choir director.
For more Information:
On Weddings
Tula performs for wedding ceremonies and receptions throughout the Shenandoah and Cumberland Valley regions and would love to be a part of your special event. For more information, please see the Weddings page.
On Harp Instruction
Study of the harp can take students down life paths that they never imagined! Both pre-professional students and dedicated amateurs benefit from the discipline, mental and physical development, performance experience, cultural education, and community relationships that grow with membership in the harp studio. Instruction is available at the Shepherd Community Music Program in Shepherdstown, WV, online for distance students using Zoom, and for pre-professional students in the music department at Shepherd University's School of Music. For more information, please see my Instruction page.
Keep reading to learn more about me and my music
My background:
I love to study! I hold a Doctorate in Harp Performance from Florida State University, where I also earned a graduate certificate in Music of the Americas. In addition to my doctorate, I earned the MM in Pedagogy- Harp from the Shenandoah Conservatory where I studied with Elizabeth Blakeslee, former harpist with the National Symphony Orchestra, a BM in Harp Performance from Montclair State University with André Tarantiles, and a BA magna cum laude from Rutgers University in American Studies. I also trained at Carnegie Mellon University in the full scholarship Performer Resident Program with teacher, Gretchen Van Hoesen of the Pittsburgh Symphony. I also studied classical piano for 20 years, including several years of college level study through the music department at Mason Gross, Rutgers University.
Orchestral Performances:
Frequently the opportunity arises for me to play with area orchestras, including the Shepherd Community Orchestra, the Shepherd Masterworks Chorale Orchestra, and the Shippensburg Orchestra. While in Florida, I performed with Sinfonia Gulf Coast, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and was the principal harpist for the Florida State University Orchestra. I can be heard on the Naxos recording, Dohnanyi Symphony No.2/ Two Songs with the FSU Orchestra. I also enjoy playing in pit orchestras for musicals, and have had the luck to play five unique productions of The Fantasticks!
Church Musician:
I am the staff musician for Calvary United Methodist, Great Cacapon, WV, providing service music weekly for Sunday services and holidays. Prior to that, I served at Berkeley Springs Presbyterian Church as a pianist, iinstrumentalist, and choir director.