Her greatest contribution is perhaps the fact that she took organ music to the countryside, as virtually no skilled organists gave concerts outside of towns.

Härma was born Miina Hermann in 1864 in Kõrveküla, Livonia, Russian Empire to a local teacher and his wife.

When she was 15, Härma began studying with K. A. Hermann, who gave her lessons in both musical composition and piano.

She graduated in 1890, but continued to live in Saint Petersburg because it was very hard to find work in the Baltic governorates.

In 1903, as financial problems overwhelmed her, Härma moved to Kronstadt, Governorate of Saint Petersburg.