 $--> |
"The bearing, demeanor, and deportment exhibited by Dr. Sheldon when she entered the room exhibited a standard of class which immediately captured the spirit of the occasion and the nature of the music to come. The audience was truly captured by the music and the performance. Additionally it was just as obvious the style, grace, and mannerisms of Dr. Sheldon in her performance captured the grace of the music, and further educated the audience in the background of each piece with an individual notion for the music that personalized the piece as part of the performance. During the short break I overheard many attendees commenting on the beauty of the performance and the depth and moving method by which the music was played. It is people like her that inspire others to reach out for their dreams, goals, aspirations; it is an effect that she has taken upon myself and I thank her for this." Ana T., audience member and community college student. "Vanessa Sheldon is one of America’s most creative and dynamic young harpists. Her performances feature a generous portion of her specialty, Liszt transcriptions, as well as standard classical fare and a sprinkling of surprises, such as her jazz rendition of Harlem Nocturne, pop standards and even the occasional blues selection. Her innovative use of harmonics, pedal work and the percussive elements of her instrument make Vanessa Sheldon unique among contemporary harpists. Dr. Sheldon’s musical performances are interspersed with informative, yet accessible explanations of the composers, her approach to performance and the musical genres represented in her work. For a combination of musical virtuosity, stylistic variety and explicative narrative, Dr. Vanessa Sheldon is your performer." Gaither Drake, independent recording artist and producer. "Dr. Vanessa Sheldon herself composes and performs this piece; (Journey of a Falling Leaf) this piece is very inspirational. When she performs this piece to the crowd present, who nearly erupted out of their seats, my body and mind tingle sensationally. I feel that Dr. Sheldon is an exquisite harpist and her performances are amazing beyond expression. The feeling I have after listening to her performance is phenomenal and words rip straight from my mouth. Dr. Sheldon’s performance of the next two pieces was just as moving to me and the crowd as the one (Journey) before. I believe it was both the construction of the piece and the techniques of Dr. Sheldon’s nimble but firm fingertips that were unbelievable. The pace, beat, harmonious sounds, rhythm… everything in this piece just was perfection and I think that it was a nice performance to put a so called cherry on top of this whipped cream ice cream sundae. I really enjoyed Dr. Vanessa Sheldon’s musical performance series and would without a doubt love to attend another performance of Dr. Sheldon’s." Refugio P., college football player and concert attendee |
 |
 |
