Growing with the Harp
I don’t remember how old I was, when I first saw the harp in a video recording of an orchestra performance. It’s hard to miss such a majestic instrument in the orchestra, and I was mesmerized by how the harpist plucked the many strings to create such a heavenly sound.
I wrote off the possibility of taking harp lessons because it would be expensive and difficult since Manila, the closest place to my home that offered harp lessons, was at least two hours away. However, around the time of my 17th birthday, my mom opened the idea of me taking harp lessons in Manila with Ma’am Lourdes De Leon Gregorio, the pioneer professional harpist of the Philippines.
Though I was hesitant at first, I started my harp lessons, even if it meant long commutes to Manila for lessons and practice sessions. At the time, I did not have my own harp so I had to travel to Manila just to be able to use the harp in the UST Conservatory. I was so thankful for the opportunity to learn how to play the harp that I strived to pursue music for college. My parents were so supportive, and I did not want their investment in my harp lessons to go to waste.
Fast forward a few years later, I was set to graduate from high school in a few months and I already had plans for my auditions for UP CMu and the UST Conservatory of Music, with my target being UP CMu. However, the nation suddenly went into lockdown due to the pandemic, and my plans for after my high school graduation, auditions, and even university quickly became uncertain. My parents did not raise a quitter so I was determined to still push through with my plans. My homeschool routine was not as affected by the pandemic, but I had to adjust to online music lessons and the new remote auditions that were implemented at that time. After many practices, lessons, and recording takes, I was able to meet the music theory requirements and submit my talent audition recordings. I am proud of myself for not giving up then despite the setbacks, but the online setup made it so difficult. I began questioning if I would be able to handle taking a music course in a remote setup. Weeks later, the results of the UPCAT and the auditions were released. I failed to make the cut in UP CMu, but I was offered a slot in BS Human Ecology in the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB). My heart sank; I was so disappointed in myself because after years of preparing for this, I failed to qualify.
I made the decision to accept the offer in UPLB, and my family supported me. My dad decided to buy a second hand lever harp so that I can continue my harp training through online classes, with Ma’am Jo-ann Cerdenia.
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Though my online harp classes were not as consistent due to my college classes, I was able to improve little by little over the years. I got opportunities to perform on online platforms, and when the pandemic ended, my training allowed me to take on more opportunities such as ensemble performances with Harmonya: The String Ensemble of UPLB, intermission numbers for university events, and even concerts with fellow Filipino harpists. The first collaboration with Filipino harpists that I joined was the “Tutti Harpi” concert, which took place in Far Eastern University in October 2023 and “The HarpRoom Reunion” in September 2024.
After “The HarpRoom Reunion” September 2024, I had to take a break for harp playing due to the demands of my final semester in university, where I had to be deployed to another town for a couple months. The months I couldn’t play was difficult for me as playing the harp had been an outlet for me to destress myself from academic pressures. Even when I had completed all my requirements for graduation in January 2025, I found it difficult to go back to my regular lessons and practices because of other responsibilities at home and at work.
There were two instances after my graduation that I realized what I believe is my calling as a harpist.
First was in May 2025, when Kuya Darren Vega, a friend and mentor I had worked with before through Harmonya, reached out and asked if I could play with an ensemble from his church.
In June 2025, Ms. Karen Agabin, a fellow harpist from Laguna, took the initiative to stage a harp show outside of Metro Manila to extend the experience of harp music to a new set of audience. In August 2025, “HarpBeats” was staged in Adventist University of the Philippines, where a few harpists from southern Luzon came together to perform pieces from their repertoire.
I enjoyed the feeling of performing, not because I was competing to prove that I was the best, but rather to showcase something that I enjoy doing and something I have worked on honing over the years. I realized that my desire to pursue music when I was a teenager was driven by a desire to be the best or to prove something. However, my journey as a harpist has taught me that there is beauty in performing just to showcase to others something beautiful you are passionate about.
