Musicians

dential camp at the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, a private college preparatory school located in the Appalachian Mountains. For an entire week, 35 students studied music theory and history, and took harp lessons. On the last day, they celebrated with a rousing noon concert.

Four years later in 2007, the economy went south and so did the camp. The $25,000 needed to fund the venture had dried up.

That same year, however, Lewis got a new infusion of cash from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fulton County Arts Council and Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs. She added an after-school program at Drew Charter and slowly transitioned the program there full time.

Drew offered Urban Harp a fine arts auditorium, a dedicated classroom and leadership support it hadn’t had before.

“We really liked being here,” Lewis said, “and they appreciated the partnership and the value we bring.”

By then, Johnson had long since left the program, but Lewis’ fears that Urban Harp might shut down hadn’t materialized and they wouldn’t.

“These children were so interested and doing so well, it had to continue,” Lewis said.

Case in point? Mason Morton, who when he graduated from high school, received 11 harp scholarships and went on to get degrees at Rice and Boston University, where he studied with Ann Hobson Pilot, then principal harpist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He now teaches harp at a Boston middle school and performs all over the country with Sons of Serendip, fourth-place winners from season nine of “America’s Got Talent.”

Lewis, 71, is convinced there are more Mason Mortons to come.

Peyton Rodgers, the senior from Atlanta. Jabari Freeman, the sophomore from Ellenwood. Or Sage Harrison, the Atlanta middle schooler.

All of them have in them the talent to become principal harpists, but it might not have happened had it not been for Johnson and Roselyn Lewis, who retired in 2007, and their teachers, Angelica Hairston and Molly O’Roark.

Before I saw Urban Harp for myself early this month, a reader told me the ensemble is one of Atlanta’s best-kept secrets.

She’s absolutely right. They are.

STEVE SCHAEFER / SPECIAL TO THE AJC Drew Charter School freshman Nailah Williams (center) concentrates on playing her part during harp practice early this month.