By Jill Yesko, University Relations
The School of Music will offer training in the harp, one of the instruments considered by many to be the most difficult to play, thanks to a recent gift from Dr. Lewis J. Gaskin and his wife, Pat. The new harp studio welcomed its first student – Clarke Carriker of Asheboro last fall.
The generous gift from the Gaskins comes in three parts, providing for the creation of two new endowments, one for harp scholarships and one for harp program enrichment such as guest artists, master classes and the acquisition of printed and recorded music. The gift also includes funds to purchase the School of Music’s first harp – an instrument from renowned harp manufacturer Lyon & Healy of Chicago.
“For many years the School of Music has been unable to offer harp instruction because we had neither an instrument nor an instructor,” said Dr .John Deal, dean of the School of Music. “This generous gift by Lewis and Pat Gaskin makes us a truly comprehensive institution for performance study.”
The School of Music will dedicate the new harp and formally recognize the Gaskins for their gift on Sunday, Sept. 24, at a dedication concert featuring Jacquelyn Bartlett, an adjunct instructor of harp at the School of Music; other School of Music faculty members; and Carriker. The concert will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the recital hall of the School of Music. Tickets are $10, $6 for seniors, $3 for UNCG students and $4 for other students.
“What the Gaskins are doing is profoundly important,” said Bartlett. “Music leads kids to discover who they are and how they fit into the human race.”
The Gaskins became interested in the harp after their daughter Rebecca began taking lessons on the instrument while a teenager. When she went to college, her harp remained behind and Lewis Gaskin decided it was time to learn to play it himself. He began taking lessons from Bartlett, who has performed with orchestras around the world including the New York Philharmonic and the Rotterdam Philharmonic. Bartlett frequently appears at American Harp Society conferences and the World Harp Conference as a speaker and performer.
For further information contact the UNCG School of Music at (336) 334-5789.
