About
Peppermint Harps
& FAQ
Peppermint Harps is a fun, new, groundbreaking curriculum designed to engage and excite students! It strives to teach complete musicianship through technique, theory, rhythm, repertoire, classical music understanding, music history, and mindfulness, all while students learn to play the harp through fun and engaging songs.
Over the last 5 years, Peppermint Harps was written and developed by two harp teachers from the US. It was then distributed to over 20 teachers across the US and Canada for testing and feedback. With the feedback from so many teachers and studios, the curriculum has been optimized for practicality and ease of use for each harp teacher’s unique situation.
Optimized for Intuitive Learning
Over the years, the curriculum has been refined to make learning how to read sheet music instinctive, fun, and natural. The books ease students into reading sheet music while also learning fingering, placing, and basic harp technique. Color-coding has been used on Cs and Fs, while note names are used and then slowly removed as students progress through the books. Color coding is also removed starting in book 3. This method of learning has been extensively tested and used with hundreds of students to teach confident note reading whether or not they have previous music experience!
About the Creators
Justine Turcotte & Jill Weaver
With decades of teaching experience between them and a mission to make the harp more accessible, Justine Turcotte and Jill Weaver teamed up to write Peppermint Harps! Their vastly different experiences and approaches to teaching have enabled them to create a curriculum that fits into a wide variety of teaching styles and studio arrangements!
FAQ
What age or skill level is Peppermint Harps designed for?
Peppermint Harps is designed for beginning harp students of all ages. The curriculum introduces note reading, fingering, placing, rhythm, technique, theory, and music history making it suitable for students with or without previous musical experience.
What is included in each lesson book?
The lesson books includes some original harp pieces, music-reading activities, technique instruction, theory, rhythm, classical music understanding, mindfulness, and music history. The material is introduced gradually so students can develop complete musicianship while learning to play.
Why are some notes color-coded?
Color-coding is used on Cs and Fs to help students connect the notes on the page with the colored strings on the harp. Note names are also included at first and are gradually removed as students become more confident. Color-coding is phased out beginning in Book 3.
Can teachers use other materials alongside this curriculum?
Yes. Peppermint Harps is organized to act as a basic roadmap so skills don’t get missed, it is meant to be compatible with other teaching materials a teacher already uses in their studio. Most teachers have found that Peppermint Harps can act as an excellent base to build from, cutting down on prep time and allowing them to have more time to focus on the parts of teaching they like best.
What type of harp do students need?
The first three lesson books are written to work on almost any harp, including harps with as few as 26 strings and do not require levers. The curriculum also works well with larger lever harps and pedal harps.
What does Lesson Book 1 teach?
Lesson Book 1 contains 50 full-color pages and 40 original pieces. It introduces treble-clef note reading, placing and playing with up to four fingers, and other foundational skills.
What is the Teacher Edition?
The Teacher Edition includes all material from Lesson Books 1, 2, and 3 combined into 1 convenient, single, spiral-bound book.
What are the magnetic practice buddies?
The practice buddies are small, 3D-printed magnetic Peppermint characters based on the illustrations in the books. They are available to provide teachers with additional fun ways to engage and encourage students.
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Rexburg, Idaho
Rigby, Idaho