Lake Michigan College

BENTON TOWNSHIP, MI -- With origins dating back to 15,000 BC France, the harp is recognized as the oldest known stringed instrument. Fast forward from ancient France to Buchanan, Michigan, circa 2003 and that's where you find young, budding musician Megan Kerr.

While she was growing up, Megan's father, Keith, had a fondness for folk instruments and decided to build a harp. When Keith introduced his eldest daughter to the beauty of the harp, she was hooked, and determined to learn how to play it.

So, this home-schooled teenager began to teach herself the intricacies of playing folk harp. For those with a keen ear for music, it's not uncommon to pick up a guitar or sit down at a piano to try to play a favorite tune. But the harp? It was the beginning of Megan's musical odyssey.

With no formal music training, she enrolled at Lake Michigan College in the Fall of 2005 to complete her 12^th grade studies. "I had doodled around with the harp and piano," Megan explained. "I could play both, but before I started taking classes at LMC, I had no formal voice or instrument training. I just really liked music, thought it was one of my strengths and that I should pursue it to see if that's where my future was heading."

At about the time that Megan enrolled at LMC, the College was beginning to grow its stringed instrument offerings. In 2006, LMC hired classical harpist and instructor Dr. Suzann Davids and invested in several new instruments, including a Lyon & Healy harp and a string bass.

"Megan was able to transfer her self-taught folk harp skills to classical harp playing, which generally takes years of work," recalled Dr. Elfie Schults-Berndt, LMC's Director of Music. "But she is a very fast learner, she is a truly a sponge."

In her three years at LMC, Kerr has built an incredible resume. In the classroom, she accrued a 3.98 grade point average and is graduating on May 4 with High Honors. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international community college honor society, and was recently named the College's 2008 Musician of the Year, an award presented annually to the student who best exemplifies leadership and who has demonstrated significant musical and academic growth during his/her LMC career. She has performed as a member of the LMC Concert Choir, the LMC Chamber Players and in several musical theatre productions.

Megan also volunteered her musical talents, participating as a soloist in many events including the 2007 Music Department Gala Concert, the 2008 LMC President's Gala, Phi Theta Kappa banquets, the College's Honors Convocation, career day workshops and others.

Chosen to sing the National Anthem at Commencement, Megan will also perform a harp solo at the ceremony. She then leaves the day after graduation for New York City to participate in the College's Humanities travel course, where she will serve as a page-turner during a Steinway Hall concert performance by Schults-Berndt and fellow LMC music instructor Paul Flyger.

But New York City isn't the only major metropolitan city on this young musician's tour. Next stop, Chicago. Megan has been accepted into DePaul University's Music Performance program and will enroll there this fall as a voice major.

Schults-Berndt recalled the transformation of this star student. "As a musician, Megan has blossomed over the last three years into a confident, poised, and musically-gifted performer, both vocally and on the harp. She has benefited from the many performance opportunities the College offers."

The star student agreed. "I just feel like the sky's the limit for me right now," Megan concluded. "I never thought that in just three years that I would be where I am today."

From a homemade harp in Buchanan to New York City and Chicago - music definitely was and is Megan Kerr's future. "My parents are so proud," she beamed. "They'll be the ones with the 100-watt grins at Commencement."

And rightly so. They helped kick off this musical voyage with a homemade harp and a passion.