Background Information (personal and professional)

Where I Live

I now live in Salt Lake City, UT, USA. I lived in Birmingham, AL for 6 years; Augusta, GA for 6 years, and San Diego, CA, for the previous 10 years. Prior to San Diego, I lived in Egypt, where I was studying Arabic and economics at the American University in Cairo. I was born and raised in the Middle East, moving every couple of years from one Arab country to another. This background made me want to pursue a foreign service career like my father, to be part of the peace process. What I discovered much later on is that the best part I can play in the peace process is to facilitate people's serenity through my music. Peace starts in one's heart, then in the family, then in one's own neighborhood, then between nations. While the paths are quite different, my father's and my life goals are very similar!

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Educational Background

Raised in the Middle East, I retreated from my turbulent surroundings through music. After twenty years of classical training on violin, clarinet and renaissance recorders, I feel my most important musical lesson (from my grandfather) was learning to play "from the heart." The Celtic harp is my favorite instrument because of the rich harmonies it creates, the musical way it links the divine and the earthly realms, and the serenity and peace it brings to many of my listeners.

While I studied for a brief time at Oberlin Conservatory, music became a hobby for me while pursuing other interesting subjects in college. I completed my undergraduate studies at Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, with degrees in International Economics and Arabic Studies. Due to an unfortunate accident while at Oberlin College, I was forced to give up the clarinet, and took up the renaissance recorders during my later college years. While performing on recorders years later, I stumbled upon the Celtic harp and at last found my calling. While I am predominately self-taught, I considered Kim Robertson to be my mentor until I developed my own style.

I performed on clarinet with the Arlington Symphony Orchestra; the Oberlin Wind Ensemble and Oberlin Orchestra; and the Washington, D.C. Baroque Chamber Orchestra; I performed on renaissance recorders with the Smithsonian Institution Early Music Ensemble (Washington, D.C.) and Classic Winds, a recorder quartet based in San Diego, CA. I performed on Celtic harp, bodhran, and recorders with Silver Strings and Crystal, an Irish band in California. I currently perform both as a soloist and with other Celtic musicians from the Salt Lake City area. I direct and perform with Celtic Harpistry, a predominately Celtic harp ensemble in Salt Lake. I also perform with Paul Mitchell, who plays the hammered dulcimer and pennywhistles.

I have regularly visited cancer patients and others with my harp at the Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, CA; and played for terminally ill patients at the San Diego Hospice, San Diego, CA. I also played for the Midtown Nursing Home in Somerset, KY several times -- have given talks about the effects of harp music on the human physiology to the Chief of Staff and other staff members of Scripps Memorial Hospital and to the staff and patients' families of the War Veterans Memorial Nursing Home in Augusta, GA. I have played harp for patients and staff at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB), and at the ICU of Children's Hospital, Birmingham, AL.

I have recorded with World Disc Productions, Friday Harbor, WA, and with Celestial Sounds, my own record company. I have produced ten solo albums and three sampler albums available on tape and compact disc.

I teach privately in Salt Lake City, UT, and offer group workshops for beginning through professional harpers and harpists. I offer seven distinct workshop
titles: Passionate Playing, From Sight Reading to Memorization, Middle Eastern Music on the Harp, Bass Patterns for Improvising and Arranging, Selling Your Wares at Trade Shows, The 6/6 Cross Strung Harp, and Learning a Celtic Tune in a Session. These have been taught in: Big Sky, MT; Salt Lake City, UT Atlanta, GA; San Diego, CA; Mt. Laguna, CA; San Jose, CA; Oberlin, OH; Burlington, VT; Mobile, AL; Birmingham, AL; Charlotte, NC; and Monterey, CA. They have been very well received, and testimonials in this regard are available upon request.

I have extensive experience performing for a wide variety of events including solo concerts, weddings, receptions, elegant dinners, new store openings, business luncheons, and parties. In addition, I offer consulting on harps, healing with music, recording design, graphic design of album covers, and harp related matters. I also sell Celtic harps representative of several American harp manufacturers.

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Additional Training/Awards/ Teaching Experience

Taught harp workshops entitled "Sight Reading to Memorization" and "Middle Eastern Music on the Harp" at the Lyon & Healy Jazz and Pop Harp Festival, Salt Lake City, UT, August 1-4, 2007.

Taught harp workshops entitled "Middle Eastern Music on the Harp" and "Bass Patterns for Improvising and Arranging" at the Big Sky Harp Festival, Big Sky, MT, July 4-9, 2007.

Honored for dedication to teaching and promoting the Celtic arts in Alabama by the Alabama Celtic Association, August 13, 2006.

Taught harp workshop entitled "Middle Eastern Music on the Harp," Somerset West Folk Harp Festival, San Jose, CA, August 5, 2006.

Taught harp workshop entitled "Bass Patterns for Improvising and Arranging," Somerset West Folk Harp Festival, San Jose, CA, August 5, 2006.

Directed and performed and competed with the Birmingham Harp Ensemble for the Loch Norman Highland Games, Charlotte, NC, April 23, 2006.

First place, ensemble category, Loch Norman Highland Games, April 23, 2006.

Second place, Master category, Loch Norman Highland Games, April 23, 2006.

Taught 4-hour harp workshop entitled “Middle Eastern Music on the Harp,” Mobile, AL, April 29, 2006.

Taught 4-hour harp workshop entitled “Learning Celtic music on the Harp,” Birmingham, AL February 11, 2006.

Took “Camper of the Week” award at the Jan Pennington Gray Harp Camp in Chatanooga, TN, July 2-9, 2005, for greatest contribution to the entire group.

Performed Middle East/jazz/dance fusion at “Ekta” (Unity), a dance concert to benefit victims of the South Asia Tsunami, Birmingham, AL, January 22, 2005.

Performed Middle East/jazz/dance fusion and taught "Passionate Playing" workshop at the Lyon & Healy Jazz & Pop Harpfest, Salt Lake City, UT, July 29, 2004.

First place, Journeyman category, Glasco Highland Games, May 31, 2003, Glasco, KY.

Presented 1 hour lecture and demonstration, “History of the Celtic Harp” for Judd College, October 2, 2002. Archibald, AL.

Taught 2-hour Passionate Playing workshop for the Charlotte chapter, AHS, Charlotte, NC, June 9, 2002.

Gave 3 demonstrations for junior high school children at Simmons Middle School as part of their “Fine Arts Day” annual event, February 11, 2001, and February 14, 2002, Hoover, AL.

Gave 3 demonstrations for elementary children at Crestline Elementary School, Mountain Brook, AL, February 2, 2001.

Taught 1-hour Selling Your Wares at Trade Shows workshop for ISFHC Conference, Monterey, CA, July 11-15, 2000.

Taught 1-hour Improvising and Arranging for Advanced Harpers workshop for ISFHC Conference, Monterey, CA, July 11-15, 2000.

Won first place at the Lyon & Healy Pop and Jazz Harp Festival (Harpfest), lever harp division, July 3, 1999.

Adjudicated the harp competition at the Atlanta Celtic Festival, Atlanta, GA, May 17, 1998.

Performed solo for the Atlanta Celtic Festival, May 17, 1998.

Have composed over 30 compositions for the harp.

Have taught harp technique, arranging, and composing privately since 1988.

Formed the Augusta Harp Ensemble, January 1996, and led the 10-person ensemble in 3 performances in the Augusta, Georgia area in December, 1996, and 2
performances in May 1997.

First place, professional category, Loch Normand Highland Games, 1994, Charlotte, NC.

Harper of the day, Loch Normand Highland Games, 1994.

First place, professional category, Ohio Scottish Games, 1994, Oberlin, OH.

Harper of the day, Ohio Scottish Games, 1994.

First place, professional category, Stone Mountain Highland Games, 1994, Atlanta, GA.

Harper of the day, Stone Mountain Highland Games, 1994.

Interviewed by the Augusta Chronicle January 2, 1994, Augusta, GA.

Interviewed by Channel 26 tv, Augusta, GA, February 14, 1994.

Taught 1-hour Passionate Playing workshop for Scottish Arts School, Oberlin, OH, June 30, 1994.

Taught 1-hour Passionate Playing workshop for ISFHC Conference, Burlington, VT, July 8, 1994.

Taught 2-hour Passionate Playing workshop for "The Gathering," Mt. Laguna, CA, August 20, 1994.

Second place, professional category, Charleston Scottish Games, 1993, Charleston, SC.

Reiki I training, May 14, 1993, San Diego, CA.

Interviewed by "Move Up" tv program (success strategies), June 15, 1993, Augusta, GA.

Interviewed by The Metropolitan Spirit November 15, 1993, Augusta, GA.

3-year contract with World Disc Productions record company, Friday Harbor, WA; 10/90-10/93.

Have produced music for two therapists to use with their guided relaxation recordings, 1992 &;1993.

Taught 4-hour Bass Pattern Techniques, Arranging and Composing workshop for Atlanta Folk Harpers, August 21, 1993.

Performed with World Disc Productions artists in Friday Harbor, WA for First Annual World Disc Music Festival, October 1992.

Have composed over 30 compositions for the harp.

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