Monty Harper Press Kit
Hi-Res Photos
Monty Harper Biography
Monty Harper performs fun, life-affirming, original songs for kids and families at schools, libraries, and festivals throughout Oklahoma and the region. He loves inspiring kids to read, learn, and create. He performs solo and with his band, Prairie Vole Conspiracy. Harper also presents a new song every Monday morning on his YouTube series, Monday Melodies.
Harper likes to say he was born a children’s musician. He didn’t fall into the profession through music or through working with children, but simply started writing songs for kids at the age of 21, inspired by the likes of Disney, Sesame Street, The Beatles, and Barry Louis Polisar. That year he also entered the Master’s program in mathematics at Oklahoma State University. By the time he completed his degree in 1992, he was fielding a slew of requests for appearances at schools and libraries and decided to devote himself full-time to bringing joy to kids through his songs.
Every summer since then, Harper has encouraged kids toward books, penning, recording, and performing many dozens of songs tailored to the libraries' summer reading themes. His reading songs are available online at www.ReadingSongs.com and on his YouTube channel at youtube.com/montyharper.
Harper is also a strong advocate for STEAM education. From 2007 to 2015, he produced and hosted Born to Do Science at the Stillwater Public Library. Each event brought kids face-to-face with real scientists to learn about their current research. The program inspired his 2010 CD, Songs From the Science Frontier. A podcast based on the program is currently in the works.
As a teaching artist with the Oklahoma Arts Council, Harper encourages kids to develop their creativity through songwriting workshops and residencies. His 3rd - 5th grade students have made community connections through writing and performing songs to promote curbside recycling, songs for fifth grade graduation, school songs, and songs to help scientists present their research to the public. Harper's collaborations with kids can be heard online at studentsongs.bandcamp.com.
Harper lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In his spare time, he’s an aspiring author. He and his wife, Lisa, play together in two different bands. Their daughter, Evalyn, is a children’s librarian in Wichita, KS. Find out more about Harper and his many projects online at: www.montyharper.com.