Today we’d like to introduce you to Susanna Campbell.
Susanna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all started when my parents bought a massive upright grand piano for their home. I wistfully watched my four older brothers go off to piano lessons one by one, log practice hours, play in recitals. Finally, when I was five, it was my turn. But I had a choice to make. Piano lessons or ballet lessons. I vividly remember sitting in front of our television – enamored – watching ballerinas pirouette and twirl across a stage in fluffy tutus. Although it was a tough decision, I eventually chose piano. I remember very little about my first lessons, but I loved playing piano. Then, I saw a harp and immediately knew I had to learn how to play this instrument. It was beautiful – the appearance and the sound. After several years of searching for an affordable starter harp and looking for a teacher in my Alabama hometown, I began lessons at age nine. I never looked back… although I did take a few ballet lessons as an adult which was a blast! After years of lessons, two college degrees, countless hours in the practice room, competitions, recitals, concerts, gigs, blood (literally), sweat and tears, there is still nothing I would rather be doing with my life than performing and teaching music.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
In some ways, it has been a smooth road. My parents were both supportive in my education – my mom in ferrying me to harp and piano lessons every week (sometimes between Beaumont and Kingwood or Houston), my dad in generously paying for my lessons and instruments when he could have (and probably should have) given me that responsibility.
There have been struggles, too. I have always battled performance anxiety, especially in situations in which I am performing as a soloist. Getting through recitals particularly in graduate school was difficult. Apparently, I’m very good at appearing calm and collected, even when nervous. I’ve given many performances that I’m quite proud of, but there have been others that were frustratingly full of mistakes and memory slips despite intense preparation. Another struggle is staying relaxed while playing. I carry a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders which is exacerbated by nerves. I’ve noticed this trait in many harpists – experienced and beginners alike – and I’ve worked very hard to practice relaxation in my own playing and build good habits and technique for my students.
An ongoing challenge has been juggling a half dozen part-time jobs. This scenario is typical for musicians (and other professions I would imagine) but it can be exhausting. It’s not so much the amount of work as the difficulty of bouncing back and forth between different types of work and keeping track of endless schedules, emails, trains of thought. And the driving, oh the driving. Let’s just say there’s a reason I drive a Toyota Prius… and listen to lots of podcasts.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
About 60% of my work is in music education. I teach private piano and harp lessons from my home and at Campbell Learning Center. I’m also music faculty at Lone Star College CyFair and harp professor at Stephen F. Austin State University. I earned my master’s degree from SFA in 2014, so returning as a teacher makes me very proud. My goal is to develop a relationship with every student so that when they are in my studio, they feel like the most important person in the world. This is done partly by teaching in a way that is tailored to each student’s learning style, personality, and goals. In a classroom setting, I try to make lessons fun and engaging. Even though some students dread participatory activities (singing, dancing, improvisation), it helps them engage with the lesson creatively and retain information. I’m very proud of the fact that I always learn everyone’s name two weeks into the semester.
The other 40% of my work is performance related. I’m the principal harpist with Round Rock Symphony in Austin. I’m also a founding member and harpist of two ensembles based in Houston: AURORA and Shoso Duo. AURORA is a harp/flute/cello trio performing classical and contemporary music. The rapport that I share with my colleagues Katie Beth Farrell and Allison Vitek translates into exciting performances showcasing great music AND our quirky, spunky personalities. Shoso Duo features harp and shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) played by my colleague Shawn Head. The unusual combination of this rare western instrument and even rarer eastern instrument creates a beautiful blend of complementary timbres and textures. Establishing these two successful chamber ensembles is an achievement I’m very proud of, but it did involve challenges. For example, building an audience and planning concerts – scouring the internet for music, finding venues, advertising, finding sponsors – is time-consuming and difficult. We do it because we believe music makes the world a more beautiful place. We do it because we love being musicians and can’t imagine ourselves doing anything else.
One quality that makes me stand out as a musician is versatility. I’m proficient in standard classical repertoire but also an experienced performer in a diverse array of styles and genres. This versatility led to greater flexibility in my approach to performance and taught me to improvise and think beyond the written notes. Improvisation has especially proved helpful in my other area of work, church music ministry. I’ve served as music director at King’s Cross Church in Cypress for a year and a half. Although the learning curve has been extreme, I am enjoying the work and continue to be blessed by my church family. Our church worship team meets on Tuesday evenings to rehearse. This is always the highlight of my week because these talented musicians are some of my favorite people.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Shoso Duo is planning to apply for a fellowship program with the Asian Cultural Council. If our application is approved, we will be able to tour in Japan, giving concerts in several major cities. This would be an amazing experience for us. Fingers crossed! In the meantime, I am focusing on building the harp department at SFA and attracting more students to this fantastic music school.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.harpandpiano.com/
- Email: harpistsusanna@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harpistsusanna/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harpistsusanna/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/harpistsusanna
Image Credit:
Noah Hardaway, Nick LaPalomento
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