Three Generations Of Tulsa Women Tied Together By Passion For Music

These violin strings are holding together three generations of women.

"Either you become a musician, or you become a musician," said Violinist and Composer Karen Naifeh-Harmon.

Music is holding together three generations of women.

"It has definitely just always been there," said 14-year-old Alexandra Harmon.  

These sounds, this feeling, holds this grandmother, mother and granddaughter together in life, and when the oldest of the tight knit group, Jody Naifeh passed away in December of 2019, music held them together again.

"Music was just a vehicle for her to really connect and bring joy to the world to make sure that everybody has something that they felt beautiful about and confident in," said Karen, Jody’s daughter.

Jody had this belief that everyone deserves to be a part of an orchestra- she wanted to make music accessible to every kid she could, so she created the Tulsa Honors Orchestra.

"You sit in a room with other people and you play, and you feel their love and you feel the spirit. Oh, my goodness, there is nothing like it," said Karen.

Karen leads the program now with a team of people she loves.

"We have had it for 42 years and it is just pure fun. It is a string orchestra, it has now grown into three orchestras," said Karen.

Karen's 14-year-old daughter Alexandra plays violin and helps teach. She said the relationship she has with her mother and grandmother is something she can feel when she plays.

"I wanted to be just like them," said Alexandra.

If a student is struggling financially but wants to be a part of this, Karen works with them on scholarships. She said it’s something the Tulsa Honors Orchestra has always done because of Jody.

"She was always laughing. Her motto was, if it is not fun, don't do it,” said Karen.

As News On 6’s Sawyer Buccy listened to Karen and her daughter talk about Jody, she could almost see the invisible string that ties these women together, a common passion, a love for this musical community that seeps, three generations deep and a community wide.