Mission Harp Ensemble
Since 2006, the Multi-Cultural Music Fellowship (MCMF) has offered a unique opportunity for Latino children who normally would not have the means, to study the harp in a positive and nurturing environment. Founded in 2006 by Diana Stork and Portia Diwa, the Mission Harp Ensemble (MHE) has helped to educate Latino children in the Mission district of San Francisco about harp music from Latin America. The children play on brightly-colored harps called Harpsicles which have been generously donated to MCMF.
MHE members have become devoted harpists; and parents and teachers have noticed higher self-esteem, better focus, and more harmony in their lives and the lives of their children, since joining the MHE.
Bahia Vista Harp Ensemble (BVHE) was envisioned by Juan Rodrigues, principal of the Bahia Vista Elementary School in San Rafael when he saw the children in Mission Harp ensemble perform a program of Latin music at the 2007 Festival of Harps. BVHE was formed shortly after this meeting by Portia Diwa with sponsorship from the Multi-Cultural Music Fellowship (MCMF). Based on her experience directing the Mission Harp Ensemble, Portia is helping to bring the beauty and magic of the harp, and to help to transform the lives of these Latino children who live under the poverty line in the Marin County area, some of whom have been severely traumatized by immigration raids.
BVHE director Portia Diwa
BVHE director, Portia Diwa, has been playing harp for 16 years. Since graduating from Santa Clara University in 2005, Portia has taken up teaching and performing with enthusiasm and enjoyment. She is the Clinical Faculty Healing Harp Supervisor at the Institute for Health and Healing in Marin, California, developing and teaching a year-long certification program for harp therapy and providing harp therapy at the bedside at Marin General Hospital, Marin Cancer Center, and Novato Community Hospital. She is featured on two CD’s: her solo CD “Early Light” and her Celtic harp trio Triskela’s CD “Voice of Tara.” An avid composer, Portia enjoys improvising harp music for the weekly movement and ballet classes at SF Movement for Health and Healing.