Welcome: New Instructor!

Christine Collins

Violin, Viola, Piano, Voice, Children's Music Academy

Christine Collins began teaching at Harris in 2015.  She received her Bachelor degree from the University of North Texas where she studied Music Education with a focus in orchestra and elementary music education.  She has had opportunities to study abroad all over the world including the Orff Institute in Austria, the Kodaly Institute in Hungary, and Universidad Veritas in Costa Rica.

Christine began studying piano at the age of 5 and started violin lessons at the age of 6.  She was involved in band, orchestra, and choir throughout middle and high school and college.  In 2013, Christine began playing with the mariachi group Mariachi Aguilas and had the amazing opportunity of opening for the world-renowned group Mariachi Sol de Mexico when they performed in North Texas in 2014.

Christine taught at the Frisco School of Music in Frisco, Texas from 2012-2014 where her studio was named the “Best Improved Studio” in 2014.  Christine loves teaching and is thrilled to be a part of the Harris team!

In her free time, Christine enjoys fiddling, reading, discovering new health conscious and delicious recipes to cook, and swimming.

Instructor Spotlight

Heera Jang

Heera Jang has been teaching piano lessons at Harris Academy of the Arts for more than four years, but she has been teaching since 1989. She grew up in Seoul, South Korea with a family that loved music. At five years old, she began piano lessons and, as she says, “it came naturally to learn to play the piano.”

Heera, her husband, son, and daughter moved to the United States from South Korea in 2004 where she and her husband worked on degrees in St. Louis. They moved to Lincoln in 2011 when her husband became pastor of the Lincoln Korean Church. Now, with her daughter in high school (learning cello!) and her son finishing his freshman year at college, their family is a blend of preserved Korean tradition and absorbed American culture.

Heera teaches beginning to advanced students of every age, some as young as four years up to adults. Her teaching is just the right combination of “push” and nurture, modeling and praise, creating a discipline in her students that leads them to succeed. Above all, Heera helps her students find the love of music within the music itself.

On top of that, you should hear Heera play! She’s truly a master of the piano, both in performance and instruction. We’re lucky to have her at Harris—a modest, caring gem developing each student’s unique skills back in Studio 6.

More About Heera:
How long have you played your instrument?
For a long, long  time….. since I was 5 years old.

Do you play any other instruments?
No. I only play the piano but I have always wanted to learn to play cello as well.

What is your favorite kind of music?
I appreciate various kinds of music, but I find myself enjoying classical music the most.

What is one of your favorite recital or performance memories?
I believe some of you still remember that last year, we instructors played a piano sextet with 2 keyboards. It was a lot of fun.

What is your hometown?
I was born in Yusung, South Korea but grew up mostly in Seoul.

Do you have any good stories about where you grew up?
Seoul is the capital city of South Korea, so it is quite a big city, and has a lot of fun places to visit. It’s also a city where older palaces and newer, more contemporary buildings coexist because it has been the capital city for more than 500 years.

What other hobbies do you have besides music?
I love watching movies and spending time with my family.

What is your favorite food?
I like Korean food such as kimchi and bulgogi, but like spaghetti too.

What do you think is the best movie of all time? 
Gone With the Wind

January Pet of the Month

Meet Rosco (right), a rat terrier and Yama (left), a German short haired pointer. These relaxing canines belong to Shea, Brin and Luke Swanson, piano students at Harris.

January Students of the Month

The Van Cleave Family

In the early afternoon on Mondays, there’s an influx of piano students at Harris, all from the same family. One, two, three, four…in walks the Van Cleaves! These energetic kiddos take piano lessons with Cristina Vlad and Heera Jang. Help us congratulate Gable (14), Dane (12), Elise (9) and Petra (6) as our January Students of the Month!

Four students in piano lessons is a lot to handle but, as Cristina shares, “their parents do a great job in keeping them on track with practice and preparation.” Having their siblings in lessons also creates a challenge for each one to learn and improve. Cristina says she especially appreciates the Van Cleave’s drive to perfect their pieces close to recital time so that they are sure to perform well.

This month, we’ll step aside and let these students tell you a little about themselves.

More about the Van Cleaves:
How long have you taken lessons?
Gable: 5 ½ years
Dane: 5 years
Elise: 3 years
Petra: 5 months

What are your favorite pieces to play?
Gable: Allegro Grazioso
Dane: The Fly’s Adventure
Elise: Morning Has Broken
Petra: Dancing with Frankenstein; Hey, Hey Look at Me; My Invention

What is something new and exciting you have learned in lessons lately?
Gable: I learned about ostinatos (I think that’s what they are called)
Elise: A song gets more fun if you practice

What is one of your favorite recital or performance memories?
Gable: There was that time we had our apologetics tournament before the recital on the same day, and I was really tired. Then when I got up on stage to introduce myself, I ALMOST went into my illustrated oratory!
Elise: My first [recital]
Petra: I’ve only had one recital and I yelled into the microphone

What other hobbies do you have besides music?
Gable: Hunting, trapping, guitar building
Dane: Farming
Elise: Knitting, Crocheting, Playing Legos, Playing dolls
Petra: Puzzles, Games, Legos, Dolls

What is your favorite food?
Gable: Bread
Dane: Meat
Elise: Whatever mom makes me or oatmeal
Petra: Cheeseburger soup, potato soup, chicken and wild rice soup

What are your favorite classes in school?
Gable: Playing guitar
Dane: None
Elise: Piano
Petra: Math

What do you think is the best movie of all time?
Gable: The Hobbit
 Dane: The Avengers
Elise: Kit Kittredge
Petra: Curious George 2

What is a book everyone should read?
Gable: Cronk’s Scientific Coon Trapping
Dane: The Land Time Forgot
Elise: Fancy Nancy Super Sleuth
Petra: Curious George, Fancy Nancy, Encyclopedia Brown

What is a little known fact about you?
Dane: Like farming
Elise: I love horses
Petra: I’m the only one in my family that has curly hair. My mommy has never cut my hair!

Do you know any good jokes? (Share one with us!)
Gable: Okay, there are a bunch of snakes all tangled up on the floor in a huge knot, and no matter how hard they try, they can’t untangle themselves. And then one of them says. “Okay, so whose idea was it to play twister?!”
Dane:
Q: Why did the raccoon cross the road?
A: To show the chicken it could be done
Elise: Want to hear a dirty joke? A pig fell into the mud.

What is your favorite quote?
Gable: Lazy is as good as dead
Dane: Give me liberty or give me death.
Elise: I love my mommy and my daddy.

December Pet of the Month

Meet Courageous, the “grand” pet of Barb Carlson, a violin student at Harris. who no longer has pets of her own.  Barb says he is not courageous at all—just spoiled.

Do you have a furry friend?
Now accepting submissions for the
January Pet of the Month! 
Send your entries to: info@harrisacademyofthearts.com

December Student of the Month

Avery Smith

If you have any goldfish crackers, share some with Avery Smith– it’s her favorite food. This bright and bubbly 13 year old takes piano lessons and flute lessons at Harris. Her flute instructor, Sherri Brouillette, says, “Avery is very fun to work with and I really enjoy having her in lessons.  She has a great sense of humor and is extremely smart with many musical interests, including music history, ukulele, and flute.”

Avery is learning an important lesson all musicians learn at some point – it’s okay to make mistakes! Avery’s piano instructor, Vicki Harris, says she and Avery share some similar qualities. “We want to always put our best forward…making mistakes doesn’t always fare so well internally.”

“Avery has come a thousand miles over the last two years,” Vicki continues, “in simply relaxing, enjoying the music and ‘going with the flow.’ As a result, she has grown so much in her playing. The confidence she has developed has made her become such a stronger player.  I am really proud of her and the progress she’s made!”  

When she’s not learning life lessons at Harris, Avery makes breakfast for her family every weekend morning (hey, we’ll hire her!). She also enjoys playing volleyball, traveling, shopping, reading, and skiing. Help us congratulate Avery on being named our December Student of the Month!

More about Avery:

What other instruments do you play? 
Ukulele and singing

How long have you taken lessons? 
Piano for 5 years and flute for 2 years

What are your favorite songs?
“Fools Gold” by Fitz and the Tantrums
“Paper Doll” by John Mayer

What is something new and exciting you have learned in lessons lately? 
That people are more accepting of you when you make mistakes

What are your goals with music lessons? 
To be okay with making mistakes

What is one of your favorite recital or performance memories? 
I sang and played guitar to the song “Mean” by Taylor Swift

What is your favorite quote?
“It’s not the mountains we conquer but ourselves.”

What do you think is the best movie of all time? 
Napoleon Dynamite

What is a book everyone should read? 
“Every Day” by David Levithan

Avery sharing her love of music with her dog, Jagger.

Welcome: Guitar Instructors

Garrett Hope

Garrett Hope teaches guitar, string bass, composition, and theory at Harris. Born into a family that valued and practiced music daily, he studied piano, clarinet, guitar, and bass as he was growing up. Though he tinkered with sequencing and song writing, it wasn’t until he began studying composition at university that he found his musical passions – composition and teaching.

Garrett has graduate degrees the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Garrett has taught composition, music theory, music technology, and ear training as adjunct faculty at several institutions, but after completing his DMA, Garrett taught as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Pennsylvania.

Returning to Lincoln after teaching in Pennsylvania has allowed Garrett to focus on composing new music, and also to teach at Harris Academy of the Arts.  When it comes to teaching, Garrett offers a wide repertoire variety – including rock, pop, alternative, blues, jazz, religious, and much more.

Lee Heerspink

Lee Heerspink teaches guitar and string bass at Harris. He is a rare multi-talented musician and educator. He earned his music education degree from Hope College in Holland, MI. Jazz became such a passion that Lee continued his education at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. After completing his master’s degree, he spent time teaching and performing in West Michigan. 

In 2010, Lee auditioned and accepted a position playing guitar in the US Air Force Heartland of America Band in Omaha, NE. For 4 years he served as musical director for multiple Air Force rock and top 40 bands providing high-energy, morale-boosting concerts to troops both stateside and overseas. 

After being honorably discharged in the fall of 2014, Lee and his wife Bethany moved to Lincoln, NE, where they now reside.  When not teaching or playing music, Lee and Bethany enjoy cooking, watching Detroit Tigers baseball, and hanging out with their English bulldog Edward.