Dr. Laurence Furr is a Certified Clinical Musician and Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioner and works as a therapeutic musician at John Peter Smith Health Network. Dr. Furr is also Cantor (Director of Music Ministries) at Trinity Lutheran Church, Ft. Worth, Texas. He received the Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Texas at Arlington where his organ and harpsichord study was with Linton Powell. He later received a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from Texas Christian University where his organ study was with Emmet G. Smith. At UTA Dr. Furr received numerous keyboard awards and was president of the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. In 1989 he was elected by the TCU music faculty to the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society.
Dr. Furr received the Doctor of Philosophy degree at The University of Texas at Arlington. His area of study for the Ph.D. was humanities and music history -- studying ways in which music affects humanity and culture. In 2014, after two years of study, Dr. Furr became a Certified Clinical Musician. Continuing his therapeutic music studies, he became a Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioner through the International Harp Therapy Program in 2016. He plays the Celtic harp and Native American flute at the bedside in hospitals and in hospice. He has taught therapeutic harp courses for several years at Somerset Folk Harp Festival, Harp Journeys, and Holden Village.
During the academic year 1992–93, Dr. Furr was a Fulbright Scholar at the Royal Superior Conservatory of Music of Madrid (Spain) studying harpsichord with Genoveva Gálvez. He has served as Dean for the Fort Worth Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. For three and one-half years, Dr. Furr was accompanist for the Texas Girls' Choir, ages 8 - 12, in Fort Worth, Texas. He accompanied the concert choir on four international tours including Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong & China; England, Scotland, & Wales; Australia, New Zealand, & Fiji; and Russia and Romania.
Dr. Furr is a member of several national and local music organizations. Because of his extensive studies and travels, Dr. Furr brings a broad spectrum of experience. He is comfortable working with people of all ages and backgrounds.
On a personal note: Laurence loves traveling all over the world, being in northern New Mexico, fine wines and single malt scotch, reading, and spending time with his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Frasier, and with the trees on his property. He is married to Matthew Naughton.