When a little girl sitting in the front pew at St. Luke's Presbyterian Church asked her mother a question just as harpist Meghan Caulkett was about to perform Carlos Salzedo's Song in the Night, the musician didn't do what some might have expected. She didn't ask for silence. Instead, she made eye contact with the young listener and smiled, indicating she was glad the child was there.

And when Caulkett took to the strings and strummed that amicable tune, everyone — including the little girl — was mesmerized by the harpist's musical abilities. The short piece included all sorts of extended techniques, such as harmonics, tapping on the sound board and two-hand glissandos, giving audiences an insider look at the sound-making possibilities of this popular instrument.

The intimate Friday afternoon show-and-tell concert was the seventh in a series of 47 that the Shepherd School of Music student is performing under her own initiative, the 47 Strings Project. She is raising funds to do so as a fiscally sponsored artist through Fractured Atlas.

A nod to the 47 strings taut in an orchestral harp, Caulkett has vowed to organize 47 educational and outreach concerts for schools, hospitals, homes for the elderly and shelters for abused women and children, in addition to public concerts at churches and suitable venues. Through flexible programs that cater to different audiences, she aims to cultivate appreciation for harp playing among those who may not have access to classical music.

In a school setting, Caulkett ties in her performance to learning objectives in social studies, language, science and math. For little ones, she breaks up the pieces in smaller bites; with adults, she engages in open dialogue.

Rather than programming pieces that would be "accessible" — think popular songs, recognizable melodies and easy-listening classical music — Caulkett opts for serious works that she otherwise would take on to more serious stages. This "Harp in the 21st Century" playbill included Alberto Ginastera's Harp Concerto, with pianist Neal Kurz; Vincent Persichetti's Serenade No. 10; and Charles Rochester Young's The Song of the Lark, with flutist Garrett Hudson.

Caulkett knows that long gone are the golden days of classical music, when simply mastering the art and craft of one's instrument was enough to secure a spot in a professional symphony orchestra, get tenure at a prestigious music school and live happily ever after performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Impressionism's greatest hits.

For emerging musicians currently navigating through college, part of the message received from better training institutions is that ingenuity, entrepreneurship and originality are what separate those who thrive from those who find their place on safer career paths.

For those like Caulkett who choose to take this seriously, it's a call to action to be a part of the community and advocate for her art.