Meet Adrienne Knauer | Harpist & DJ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adrienne Knauer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrienne, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
For me, I’ve hit a point in my life and had experiences that have fostered tenacity, belief in myself, and discipline so for me currently there is no giving up. I’ve already made a decision about where I want to go and what my dream venue is and I decided I’m not quitting until I play there. If I ever approach the feeling of burnout (which I have recently), I simply allow myself to take a step back and rest, not quit.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets me apart is I’ve escaped out of “the box” and I actually seek doing things others are not doing rather than be scared by new horizons and opportunities. I’ve always known I wanted to release original music but I knew the traditional method of songwriting (think acoustic harp chords and a vocal melody similar to a guitarist) didn’t suit me. It took me years to figure out my “sound” and “style” within the electronic music world and I feel like I’m just beginning to scratch the surface. Regarding challenges, I’ve become more resilient overtime. I look at everything as a lesson. The challenges of being a classically-trained-harpist-turned-mostly-electronic-musician are never-ending but I try my best to not get discouraged and to push through. One big lesson I’ve learned along the way is – don’t tell them, show them. I also had no idea how rewarding it would feel to put an original creation out into the world. It’s something no one can take from you and I wish I had pursued this path from the first time I wrote in my journal in 2018 that I wanted to release original music. I want the world (and especially other harpists) to know it’s ok to be your authentic self and not the cookie cutter mold you think a harpist needs to be.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well I’m currently answering these questions from my favorite little coffee shop in Old Town – Sip. I’m also a sucker for drive-through Mexican like Aldalberto’s on Hayden (literally best shrimp tacos ever) or a step above I’d take them to a nice dinner at Los Sombreros. For lunch I’d take them to get the best poke bowl of all time + freshest oysters at Chula off Roosevelt. For happy hour we’d grab a craft cocktail at the vibey Hai Noon in Papago Motor Hotel. We’d be grabbing Bobette’s salsa + chips from LA Milk Depot (a random drive-through liquor store off McDowell with literally the best salsa ever). If it were a Wednesday night I’d take them to the best karaoke in town at Cham Pang Lanes (little plug it’s cuz I host it 😉 If they wanted a craft beer I’d take them to Greenwood Brewing or OHSO. And if it was hot and we wanted to crash a pool I’d take them to see a friend DJ at Eden’s rooftop pool.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been blessed with so many supportive people in my life. Obviously without my parents fostering a love of music, instilling discipline in me to practice, and driving me to music lessons, I would likely not be in the same position I’m in to pursue music as a career. In addition to them, the one person who comes to mind is Deborah Henson-Conant who essentially invented the electric harp. My electric harp model is called the DHC 32 – named after her and the 32 strings it has. Because of her vision to modernize the harp, I am able to create a wider array of colors and sounds on the harp that is not possible with a traditional acoustic harp.

Website: https://www.phoenixharpist.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreplaysharp/

Image Credits
Shelby Satnam of Let’s Knot Photography
Marina Fini
Jeff Moriarty of South West Photo