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Leslie Anne Harrison

Associate Professor

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Leslie Anne Harrison is a flutist, author, and educator. She specializes in folk and traditional music, particularly Irish traditional music, and has performed at concerts and festivals in the United States, Europe, and South America. She performs with Ryefield Cove and is the author of Playing Outside the Lines, an Irish flute method book series for both Boehm and simple system flute players. Harrison has recorded on multiple albums as a guest artist and is the lead artist on Folk Ragoût: Musiques Folks du Monde. She has completed ethnographic field work in Ireland and America, and has also conducted and recorded ethnographic interviews for audio tours.

Harrison has taught Western classical and folk/traditional music in both Ireland and the United States. She works extensively with students from aural and visual backgrounds, has developed Irish music courses and workshops for Western classical and folk/traditional musicians, and maintains an online Irish flute studio. Harrison is also the creator of The Irish Flute Library, an educational website for flute players around the world. She is a supporter of equal opportunity in the arts and her research interests include gender equity in folk/traditional music and aural- and visual-based musicianship and pedagogy.

Career Highlights
  • Playing Outside the Lines Irish flute method book series
  • Creator of The Irish Flute Library
  • Concerts, festivals, and workshops in the United States, Europe, and South America
  • Lead artist on Folk Ragoût: Musiques Folk du Monde 
  • Musician in The Public Theater’s Twelfth Night
  • Guest artist on Hem’s Twelfth Night, 2010 Drama Desk Nominee for Outstanding Music in a Play
  • Panel presentation on gender equity in the arts at Women and Traditional/Folk Music Symposium in Galway, Ireland
Awards
  • Faculty Development Grant
  • Inclusive Teaching and Learning Grant
Education
  • University of Limerick
    Ireland
    Master of Arts (MA)
    Music
  • New York University
    New York
    Master of Music (MM)
    Music
  • Ithaca College
    New York
    Bachelor of Music (BM)
    Music
In Their Own Words

"As a musician who works in both aural- and visual-based music traditions, I believe there is a symbiosis between the skills of learning/playing by ear and reading/writing music, and the pursuit of both is synonymous with good musicianship. The development of these skills, and an understanding of their practical applications, are at the core of my ear training classes."

"One of my favorite things is guiding and encouraging students through their own unique musical journeys, and seeing them make connections between their aural and visual thought processes. Our classes tackle not only hearing and reading music, but also dive into how ear training may aid any number of musical projects and career paths."

"Practically speaking, ear training leads to improvisation, composition, arranging, performance, and producing. It is about hard work, building confidence, making connections, and dedication to a goal."

"On a more elemental level, ear training is also about the timeless art of listening and observing; it is about witnessing the stories, ideas, and concerns that are critical to each person’s character and personality. In this way, I believe ear training can touch on what I consider to be a fundamental question for our students: as artists, if we are better able to observe the world around us, what will we perceive, what will we interpret, and perhaps most importantly of all, what will we create?"