Kipper Ackerman, a native of Dalzell, South Carolina, holds a Master of Music Education degree from North Greenville University and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Presbyterian College, where she focused on vocal and piano performance. She started learning the piano at age five and began studying the harp at ten under the guidance of Nina Brooks in Columbia, South Carolina. Later, she continued her harp studies with Joyce Fankhouser in Greenville, South Carolina.

A professional musician for over 30 years, directing choirs in churches and private and public schools, Kipper currently is the Director of Choral Activities and Enrollment Liaison for the Visual and Performing Arts Department at Presbyterian College, in Clinton, South Carolina. She is also the director of The Sounds of Grace, a non-profit organization that uses music to promote peace and healing in healthcare facilities, hospice facilities, and special needs classrooms. Kipper has spent countless hours practicing in studios, performing on stage, and playing for people in assisted living facilities and hospitals with her harp. She cherishes the time when she plays her harp at the bedside of someone about to enter Heaven. Kipper is often asked why she chose to play the harp. Her answer is simple: her grandfather asked her to.

In addition to directing choirs, playing the harp, and leading The Sounds of Grace, Ackerman has loved performing on stage at the Sumter Little Theater and recently with the Laurens County Community Theater. Some of the roles she has played recently include Oklahoma (Ado Annie), The Music Man (Mrs. Paroo), Fiddler on the Roof (Golda), Mamma Mia (Donna) and Shrek (Dragon, Sugarplum Fairy). She was also the musical director for Forever Plaid and performed in a Rodgers and Hammerstein review titled Some Enchanted Evening.

Although she spends much time on stage playing her harp and sharing music and stories, her passion lies deep within choral music. She is currently working to build the choral program at Presbyterian College back to its rich history and culture of sharing choral music with the community of Clinton, the campus of PC, and with the surrounding southeast area. She is even working on putting the Presbyterian College Choir back on the global map with a tour to Austria in March of 2027.

Kipper has benefitted from the support of her community throughout her entire life, and she loves giving back. In addition to The Sounds of Grace, she has also enjoyed being active in the community of Sumter through membership in the Sumter Art Association, the Woman’s Afternoon Music Club, Rotary Club of Sumter (Gamecock City), Daughters of the American Revolution, Sumter Chapter, and proudly supports her alma mater by serving on the Alumni Board of Presbyterian College. Now a resident of Clinton, SC, Kipper continues to serve the community with membership in the Rotary Club of Clinton, serving as Artistic Director of the Laurens County Chorale, participation in the Laurens County Community Theater, and introducing The Sounds of Grace to Prisma Health Laurens and hospice patients within Laurens County.

Kipper and her husband Curt recently celebrated their 26th anniversary and have been blessed with three adult children: Eliza, Laura Ruth, and Sam. Curt and Kipper have been gifted with many opportunities to make music together, but their favorite event is a benefit for The Sounds of Grace, HOMEGROWN. HOMEGROWN is a concert in support of the ministry and puts local professionals from Sumter, SC on stage to showcase their musical talents in support of a great cause. Many concertgoers are surprised to see their pediatrician jamming out on the guitar or their church pastor tearing up a keyboard while simultaneously shaking a golden egg. You may even see the surgeon who just removed your appendix leading an awesome rendition of your favorite Hootie and the Blowfish cover. HOMEGROWN has become an event people look forward to each and every year. 

Kipper's journey as a musician, educator, and community leader has been marked by unwavering dedication and a profound love for music. From her early years of piano and harp lessons to her current roles as a harpist for all occasions, choir director, and founder of The Sounds of Grace, Kipper's passion for using music as a source of healing and connection shines through in everything she does.