Jennifer Craig

Principal Harp

At this moment …

We would find Jennifer taking advantage of a rare quiet moment to practice for upcoming Symphony and chamber concerts. As the mother of five children, three of whom still live at home, time is a precious commodity for Jennifer. "If you're not really firm about setting aside your practice time, it goes away."

On the CD player …

Jennifer confesses, "My favorite music at home is silence." When she's listening for relaxation, Jennifer tends toward jazz. "I'll listen to Oscar Peterson or Gil Evans, and my daughters and I like to listen to Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra."

In the kitchen …

Jennifer's KitchenAid mixer holds pride of place in her kitchen. "It's given us 34 years of happy family memories," she explains. "My girls like to make holiday treats; when I come home from concerts there's always something tasty to eat." When Jennifer cooks she likes to make one-pot dinners, while her sons prefer to barbecue.

On the music stand …

Jennifer is working on Parvis by Bernard Andres for her duo harp concert. "The opening has notes played with the metal end of the tuning key which produces an unusual hammered effect." She's also working on a "gorgeous" solo written for her by local composer Thomas Svoboda.

And on the nightstand …

"There just aren't enough hours in the day to sit down with a book," Jennifer comments ruefully. "For now, the time that's left at the end of the day only allows for reading articles from harp journals or gardening magazines."

Before you left …

Jennifer would show you her new 26-string lever harp. "It's a harp that changes string pitch by half step by lifting a lever, instead of using pedals. My son calls it my little munchkin because it's so small." Jennifer bought this more portable harp to use when she plays at Emanuel Hospital, which she has done for new babies and children waiting for surgery. "I'd also show you my family picture wall and tell you about each of my children, who are of course the best in the world."