We were lucky to catch up with Laura Sherman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Laura, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

In 2019 I was in my 34th year as a freelance harpist in New York City with a full-time tenured job as the original harpist at “Wicked” on Broadway, as well as teaching, playing with a wonderful assortment of freelance orchestras, touring, and recording. It was a creative life that I had long dreamed of and was fully enjoying. That was also the year that I was invited to join the faculty at the University of Miami to teach harp, music theory and chamber music. This too was a dream of mine, to be a faculty member and to have a chance to teach others all that I had learned during my exciting career in New York City.

I had a big decision to make: Should I take the risk to leave my rewarding musical life in the Big Apple and move to a new city to become a full-time academic? Or should I stay in New York City and let my dream of teaching others, of giving back, go? Ordinarily, I am not a risk-taker. I tend to take small steps, trying to do my best every day and see what life brings. However, something beckoned me to Miami. I had spent many years getting four advanced degrees, including a doctorate, and I hadn’t put them fully to use yet. I had all of these incredible experiences and lots of lessons learned and no organized way to share them. Plus, moving to Miami would mean no more moving harps in the snow!

After much deliberation, I decided to leave my tenured job on Broadway, all of my friends and security, and moved to Miami in 2019. And while the teaching job didn’t quite turn out the way I had envisioned, I’m thrilled to report that I’m currently the principal harpist of four incredible orchestras in South Florida, work with so many amazing musicians here, and have started an online teaching studio that is thriving. Plus, I’ve taken up sailing and am a crew member for regattas on Biscayne Bay. Life is so very different, and so very good, here in beautiful Miami and I am incredibly grateful that I took that risk after all!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I knew I wanted to be a musician since I was 6 years old and heard live music for the first time. There is something incredibly soul-satisfying about creating music with your hands and sharing this beautiful art form with others. While I started on the piano, I began playing the harp in high school and after many hours of practice and study, I ended up in New York City at age 19. It was there, for the next 34 years, that I learned what it meant to be a complete musician, to be the best at every part of the music business that arose.

From playing different types of music on the harp (classical, jazz, pop, Broadway, avant-garde), to touring and recording (hello, Ms. Streisand!), to writing, editing, publishing, and teaching, no matter what opportunity arose, I always said yes. Not only did I have an amazing time, I also learned the business in a deep and unique way. And it is these lessons that I now teach my harp students in my online harp studio and bring to all of my performances as the principal harpist with four orchestras in south Florida (where I have lived since 2019), as well as at the numerous special events that I play here.

Music is one of life’s great gifts and I feel fortunate to be able to share my passion and experiences with my harp students, audience members, and special events clients.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Connecting with others, for me, is the most rewarding aspect of being a musician. We spend a lot of time alone practicing during our careers, so being able to perform for others or perform with other musicians is incredibly meaningful for me. It’s essentially why I work so hard to become the best harpist I can be!

I feel that music can connect us in ways that go beyond words. And live music in particular has a “magic” that allows us to communicate on other levels. I aim for my performances to move my listeners, to give them a space to experience whatever emotions arise, and to invite them to open up to the collective experience of enjoying music with others. For me, this type of connecting with ourselves and others is one of the great joys of live music and I am deeply grateful to be a part of it every single performance.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I would say that authenticity is what has driven my creative journey as a harpist from the start. There are so many musicians in the US and sometimes limited opportunities for us. Instead of taking a competitive view of the business, I decided early on that I would strive to be as authentic as I could and have faith that this approach, as well as all of my hard work, would bring opportunities that were for me. I also believe that authenticity resonates more deeply with others and allows me to connect in positive ways with other musicians, students and audience members. It’s not always an easy path, but after decades in New York City, and now five years in Miami, as a successful harpist, I am glad that I chose this approach.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.busytuning.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/busytuning/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/busytuning
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-sherman-5a164328/
• Twitter: https://x.com/busytuning
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@busytuning
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-413308457

Image Credits

Alex Markow (main promo shot)