Danielle Summerville
Piano and Harp
Danielle started her musical journey at age six with private classical piano lessons, trained in the Suzuki method. Music quickly became her passion and outlet and has been the center of her life every day since. Her mother is a self-taught guitarist/singer songwriter and with her guidance she learned to play guitar at age 12. She always had a fascination with the harp and dreamed of playing it someday. On her 20th birthday she was given a harp as a gift and began studying under Melissa Morgan, who specializes in folk harp and composition. She has also trained with Naomi Alter, Ramona Unwin, and Mindy Ball who is the principal harpist for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.
Danielle went on to study music in college attending Mesa College in San Diego, and Chapman University in Orange County. Music Therapy was her major and during this time she studied all three instruments. This journey through school allowed her to sharpen her skills and broaden her knowledge.
After college she started a private practice teaching music. She had 15-20 students per week and maintained this for several years. She taught harp and piano to beginning and intermediate children and teens ages 4-18. Her teaching goals were to provide an atmosphere of enjoyment and to inspire her students to become self-regulating with their practicing at home. The next phase in her music was focused on performance. She went on to play in a band for solo artist Mimi Zulu, (now Mimi Luv) and has opened for Macy Gray, Quantic, and Beats Antique to name a few. Danielle performed with Mimi for 5 years and had the honor of being the opening act and headliner at the famous Belly Up, Music Box, and Casbah.
Over the last 22 years she has performed with her harp at numerous weddings and events and gets much enjoyment bringing her unique sound to enhance these special occasions. Since moving to Bend she has performed at the Tower Theater, Silver Moon, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and the Hanai Center. Danielle enjoys being a part of our music community here in Bend and looks forward to inspiring her students to become more than musicians, but to develop into artists.