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Heart Strings An Interview with Kat Mische Elle
Anna Maria, where did your connection to music begin? I was born and raised in San Francisco with many Hispanic influences. My grandfathers came from Spain; my grandmothers came from Mexico and Guatemala. Every time my family would get together for gatherings such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, we would roll up the floor, dance, and play music. I knew I wanted to play the harp since I was five years old and started harp lessons when I was seven. My parents were both musicians, and my siblings and I were raised listening to classical music in the house every day. My parents encouraged us to take music lessons, dance lessons, and art classes. My father used to take great pride in collecting instruments. We had everything in the house, everything except the harp. I wanted to be different. My choice was between the harp or the bagpipes. Imagine a five-year-old with bagpipes! My parents happily supported harp. My parents played a recording of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. In the middle of this incredibly beautiful piece with a full orchestra, there’s a sacred hush where the harp plays solo. I was mesmerized. I knew that was what I wanted to do. I had my parents play the recording over and over again. I would put my ear to the speaker just to hear the harp, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to play the harp. There wasn’t anything else for me. However, it took two years of begging my parents to let me play it. My parents started me on the piano first to keep me busy. Then, at age seven, they took me seriously. I started on a very small harp. I would daydream about playing the harp in concert, and with orchestras. How old were you when you started playing for an audience outside of your home? I was fourteen when I started playing the harp for community concerts, churches, and weddings. I remember playing for my first wedding. I was paid twenty dollars. After that, I kept pursuing paid performances, and the jobs came. I was performing every month through high school. I would participate in playing for musicals and orchestra concerts. I kept that going so much that when I started college, I was already playing professionally for hotels and restaurants, gigging everywhere and making money. I was so grateful. I was only a part-time student because I was performing so much. My father guided me
