Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 774! Today's question was sent by Julie who is a member of our Total Organist community and she writes: I was pleased that I was given Sunday’s hymns a couple of weeks in advance, which helps with planning preludes and postludes, but I got an email on Thursday notifying me that the processional and recessional hymns had been changed. (Sometimes t...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 773! Today's question was sent by our friend Rien Schalkwijk and wants to know what is our technical composing process. Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 772! Today's question was sent by Jerome and he writes: Hi Vidas, I’m an ardent listener of your podcast and a youtube channel. I have a quick question as it relates to pedal boards and practice. My church has the Rogers organ with the standard 32 pedalboard. However at home I have a smaller 25 note midi pedal board. I’m unable to practice at chu...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 771! Today's question was sent by Arthur and he writes: "How can I know when to use the total legato touch, or the non-legato, in the execution of hymns?" Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 770! Today's question was sent by Remy and he writes: "My dream for my organ playing is to be able to use the actual pedal. Our church organ is small and has only one octave pedal." Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957 Secrets of Organ Playin...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 769! This question was sent by Mark and he writes: Dear Vidas, Thank you for your podcast, which I have found very enlightening! My question has to do with improvisation. As a church organist, I have an opportunity to improvise at least once during every Sunday service. I've been working hard on improving my improvisation skills over the past two...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 768! This question was sent by our YouTube organist friend Rien Schalkwijk and he writes:Last year I offered a befriended church a Christmas organ concert — completely free. A festive gesture, I thought. It was politely declined, as the church committee felt it would be “too much work” for the volunteers. Quite what sort of work a solo organ recital...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 767! This question was sent by our YouTube organist/composer colleague Alejandro Consolacion II and he writes:This question is especially for organists with regular church responsibilities. How can we keep track of the pieces we have already played and continue discovering new repertoire—particularly newly composed works by international composers pu...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 766! This question was sent by Alejandro Consolacion II, our YouTube organist/composer colleague and he writes:There are times when, despite thorough preparation, things still fall apart during concerts or recitals. How can musicians effectively deal with nervousness and stage fright? What positive attitudes or mental approaches are essential in orde...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 765! This question was sent by Alejandro Consolacion II, our YouTube organist/composer colleague and he writes:Aušra and Vidas,I just want to drop by and say thank you for your wonderful weekly podcast addressing various issues in organ playing. It has been incredibly helpful, and I truly enjoy your discussions and reflections on the weekly questions...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 764! Today Ausra and I are going to discuss what we saw at Saint Sulpice while we were in Paris recently. Specifically, how the famous organist Sophie-Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin superbly played Mass. Hope you will enjoy it! Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=4...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 763! Today Ausra and I will discuss our organ recitals at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Hope you will enjoy it! Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of Organ Playing Mug: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/z/ywbhd071?rf=238366920809443329You can support this...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 761! This question was sent by Ann and she writes: "I have no confidence in selecting registration, past the very basics. How do you suggest learning to get better at this?" Hope you will enjoy it! Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of O...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 760! This question was sent by our good YouTube organist friend Philippe Le Gargean and he writes: "How easy it seems for you to improvise multiple processionals, and yet all different!" So today Ausra and I are going to talk about Vidas' improvised processionals which he plays for various ceremonies and how to do it. Hope you will enjo...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 762! Today it's going to be a special episode where we discuss our organ 2025 year in review. Hope you will enjoy it! Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of Organ Playing Mug: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/z/ywbhd071?rf=238366920809443329You can sup...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 759! Today we will discuss the topic of what do we do with toxic comments. Hope you will enjoy the conversation! Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of Organ Playing Mug: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/z/ywbhd071?rf=238366920809443329You can support this...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 758! This question was sent by Patrick and he writes:"Thank you for your podcast, recordings, and tips. They are a great encouragement to me to persevere in my studies. Presently I’m struggling getting to the keyboard, but this has been the best or most productive year I've had so far. I've been bad about sitting down and focusing on jus...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 757! Today we'd like to talk about organist burnout. Hope you will enjoy it! Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of Organ Playing Mug: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/z/ywbhd071?rf=238366920809443329You can support this channel by becoming a member he...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 756. This question was sent by Richard and he writes:1. I wish to learn new music - preferably music by masters such as Bach, Reger, Vierne, Buxtehude, etc. I wish to improve skills such as sight-reading, transposition. I wish to learn new skills such as open score reading, figured bass.2. Obstacles are the time required to learn challenging music, t...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 755. This question was sent by Tad and he writes:1- I would love to be able to sight read and improvise over hymns with ease2- I struggle with reading from 4 lines at once and how to add improvisations and re-harmonisations that fit the tone and key of the hymn properlyHere you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arran...

Welcome to episode 754 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Ann and she writes:"I have a question. I'm a long time pianist, played organ through my college years, didn't play for many years, and have been studying with a teacher again and practicing a lot for the last couple of years. Love it!! My teacher is always telling me to play with a low wrist and fing...

Welcome to Episode No. 753 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by our friend Rien Schalkwijk and he asks; "How do you learn to play toccatas? Is the learning process different for you if you’re refreshing an old toccata vs learning new toccata? How is Ausra learning them?"Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Sec...

Welcome to Episode No. 752 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. Today Ausra and I would like to discuss a question sent by our friend Rien Schalkwijk. He wants to know if there are any tips and tricks for transcribing improvisations. Hope you will enjoy it! Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of...

Welcome to Episode No. 751 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. Today Ausra and I would like to discuss a comment sent by Duncan who writes: "I’ve been playing the organ for a while and got used to playing in new balance 327 trainers". Hope you will enjoy it! Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=4549...

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast episode 749! Today let's discuss the question if it worth reading treatises about historical performance practice? Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of Organ Playing Mug: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/z/abykn9us?rf=238366920809443329You can support th...