It was no easy feat to become the skilled harpist she is today. “I definitely put up a fight to quit,” she admits. “My mom had me stick with it.” The musician also credits her harp teacher’s persistence: “She really believed in my potential.” Calley highlights these key women in her life, who she says instilled in her a sense of devotion to her craft. Discipline, sacrifice, and grace are still essential elements of her process as a musician. In this way, Dolce&Gabbana Beauty’s new Devotion Eau de Parfum reflects Calley’s approach to artistry. The scent embodies the noblest aspects of life, from the spark that gives meaning to a long-held passion to cherishing important relationships. Including notes of orange flower and Madagascan vanilla, the fragrance evokes the essence of Italy while honoring the label’s own devotion to style and detail.
Intent on sharing her passion for the harp with others, Calley teaches all minority students, hoping to inspire them to be as devoted to the instrument as she is. “Some had never even heard about the harp or seen a harp before,” she explains. “I’ve experimented with learning and I found ways to make it more fun for my students to play songs that they enjoy listening to, rather than strict classical repertoire.” Her main objective is to expand the cultural understanding of what it takes to be a harpist; that others will see her in action and “feel like they’re capable of having these types of spotlights.”
The harp reflects her own personal feminine energy, and she credits this with the reason she was drawn to it in the first place. “It’s a very graceful, ethereal instrument,” she says. “It’s just very sophisticated in nature.”
Despite this innate feminine strength, the harp is traditionally a background instrument. For Calley, however, bringing the instrument, and her method of playing, to the foreground is key. “It’s usually tucked away in the orchestra,” she says. “I’m…
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