The Finnish American Folk Festival of Naselle is pleased to announce . . .

Valerie Blessley, harp & kantele

A lover of Celtic and Scandinavian and Finnish music (“Celtinavian Music”), Valerie specializes in folk music. A lifelong musician, Valerie began with a recorder, then flute, harp, Celtic harp, and the kantele. She studied harp with David Harper in New Mexico and Marion Fous in Portland; for kantele lessons she has studied with Wilho Saari, Cathy Cushing and Dr. Arja Kastinen.

Valerie plays harp, kantele, and woodwinds in The Celtic Muse with Jennifer Pratt-Walter. She plays with Livakat and in the Kantele Mass. She also plays with the trio Soittorasia (Music Box).

The harp makes Valerie weep, makes her happy and lulls her to sleep. Among Valerie’s CDs, is Northern Light, which invites us to drift through the mystical lands of the Irish bards and Finnish poets with dulcet harp, bright kantele and lyric woodwinds. From the music of ancient lands, listeners discover mysteries, songs, and dances. “Your heart will smile and your toes will tap as you bask in Northern Light,” Valerie says.

Valerie also works with her husband Mark, a chiropractor, in their family business, Blessley Instruments. Mark builds the harps and Valerie is his “key grip” — as well as designer, imbuing each harp with its own special wood sculpture/ carving. To read more of their fascinating story, go to their website.

More music at the festival: finnam.naselle.net/2008/music/.