Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast

this question was sent by Linda, and she writes: “If I could I would practice organ 10 hours a day, but I can't because it would ruin my hands. I had hand surgery in 2015 from over-practicing. I passed Part I of the AGO colleague exam in May. I am set to take Part II in November. I'm sixty years old, and in the remaining years God gives me on this earth, I hope to also achieve the higher AGO exams...

This question was sent by Fintan. And he writes: Hi Vidas, I’m practising hard. I retired after 35 years as a Primary School Teacher and have gone back to study Organ Performance and Musicology in university. It’s hard work but I find it very useful to have fingering notated in advance when learning new repertoire. I’ve just purchased a copy of your Toccata in F, BWV 540 with fingering and look fo...

This question was sent by Dan. And he writes: Hi Vidas and Ausra, Hard to believe that you guys are almost up to 500 episodes already. Seems just like yesterday that you started the podcast. I’ve been a listener right from day one. To comment on this episode, another thing that an organist could do during service, if playing a hymn that’s less familiar, is to solo out the melody on a second manual...

Welcome to episode 508 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast! Today's guest is an American organist, carillonneur, improviser and composer Dr. Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra from Ann Arbor, MI. She was a guest on the podcast several times before and in episode 3 she talked about improvisation in the Bach style. In episode 15 she was back on the show and shared her perspectives about creativity and musing wi...

This question was sent by Brendan. And he donated us £10 and we were so surprised when we received his Paypal donation. And I wrote a thank you message to him, and then asked him about his organ playing, too. So he writes, Hi Vidas, Just thought I'd be able to buy you a coffee! You guys put in so much work! My playing is improving - which is good news - but slowly. While I was working regularly, i...

This question was sent by Diana. And she writes: I’ve been struggling with fingering the most this week. I didn't have piano lessons, so I don't know when I can cross fingers, how to change positions.

This question was sent by Andrés, and I asked him how his organ playing is going these days, and he writes: “Well... unfortunately the organ music is almost dead here in Costa Rica, learning organ playing here is almost impossible. Fortunately I have access to a pipe organ and I give the maintenance but I don't have a teacher who can guide me in organ playing."

This question was sent by Maureen. And she writes: Vidas and Ausra, My three dreams are these. I would love to be able to play Widor’s Toccata, Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D minor and to be a very good organ player for Mass including the Mass music and hymns. Thank you, Maureen

Vidas: So I'm here with Auke Jongbloed, an organist from the Netherlands, talking over the internet. I'm in my church and Auke is my friend from the Steem platform. We got to know each other from his participation in our weekly Secrets of Organ Playing Contest. And I was so surprised and delighted to hear North German and a little bit of Dutch oriented organ music on Steem, 17th century, even olde...

Vidas: So, I'm here at St John's church in Vilnius with Jonathan Embry, organist from the US who recently graduated from McGill University in Canada. He had an interesting adventure in the Baltics. I remember going to his recital at Vilnius Cathedral at the end of August but afterwards he went to other places to play in Lithuania and then he went to Russia, to Kaliningrad and then came back. So to...

A: Wow! We made it—500! Can you believe it? V: Yeah, we can stop now. A: No! Now we have to reach 1000. V: Do you believe we can reach it? A: I don’t know. When we just started it I thought, ‘oh, maybe we will do fifty of them or maybe one-hundred. But we reached 500 so… V: Our horizon is always moving further away. A: True. And because of all your wonderful questions. V: Yes. In this episode toda...

This question was sent by Ruth, who is our Total Organist student. She wrote: “I wonder what are the best ways for teaching new hymns. I am also the pastor. So, I have had some choice in the hymns. I wonder, though, how others teach new hymns. And, which ones have been loved by your congregations? Have some choices been a surprise?”

Vidas: I'm here with Andreas Spahn from Germany whom I met last Thursday at Vilnius Cathedral during the recital of Lithuanian organist Balys Vaitkus, but before that Andreas contacted be via email asking about the opportunity to hear me play because his son is going to start studying at Vilnius University Medicine Department. So I mentioned him that recital at Vilnius Cathedral and he came - it w...

This question was sent by Delphine. And she wrote an answer to my question when I asked her ‘what are some things you are struggling with’. She writes: My touch My fingering Pedals Motivation

This question was sent by Ariane. And she’s our Total Organist student. And on Basecamp communication channel, she writes a few thoughts about her situation. So I’m going just to read some of her thoughts to you: Dear Vidas, Thank you so much for your kind words. Maybe it’s just a sign to play on the level I have reached and not to aim for something that is beyond my ability. I am just playing aro...

This question was sent by Ariane, and she wrote on BaseCamp: “I was on a one week boat trip and could not practice at all. Instead I fell from the ship and almost broke my back!!! Thank God I just got badly bruised.”

This question was sent by Massimo, and he writes: “Hi Vidas! I have a question about prelude improvisation formula. 1. What level of harmony I need to follow the course? 2. How many hours a day I need to have a good results? Thanks Massimo”

Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas and we're starting episode 489 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. Today I'm going to talk with an excellent organist from Australia whose name is Pastor de Lasala. He is an organist at Sacred Heart church in Mosman and it's very exciting to share with you this story how I came to know him because of this platform Steem where Pastor is participating in our weekly Sec...

This question was sent by Sally. And she’s our Total Organist student. And she wrote: I made it to the piano after work today. Spent 1.5 hours working on choir music for the fall, both accompaniment and choir parts. Open score for choir parts is always a challenge. I hope to make it to the organ tomorrow for prelude and postlude work.

This question was sent by Sally. And she writes: Choir rehearsals for the fall start Thursday, September 5, so time to get serious and spend time going through the music. I have a meeting with our music director this week to review the music for the fall and go over expectations. I also need to continue working on pieces for preludes and postludes this year, as well as meditative music to use at t...

Vidas: So, Jeremy, I'm so delighted that we're finally meeting face to face and being able to talk with you and it's really a pleasure to get to know you better after all those long months that you've been on the team that transcribes fingering and pedaling for us. I'm so grateful to you and welcome to the show! Jeremy: Thank you for having me! V: Let's start our conversation, Jeremy about your ba...

This question was sent by Andrei. He wrote: I am working on the Sight Reading Master Course and I am struggling with the 32nd notes, how do I count them?

This question was sent by Jeremy. And he wrote on Basecamp, when he received a question, What was he working on today? He wrote: Went to an organ recital tonight. First time I had heard Tournemire played. Will be looking into his work.

This question was sent by MaryLu, and she writes: “I’ve been with you for only a few days, but what you say is right-on. I'm 78 years old, and hold a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, and advanced degrees in piano performance, organ performance and church music. At the moment I work full time at a large church where I direct 4 choirs and play all English and Latin Masses. I also play several o...

James Flores is our guest today and he is a man of many things now, not only an organist in Albury, New South Wales, Australia. But he is also an IT magician as I can testify myself and also very interested in all kinds of technological developments, new technologies which can revolutionize the world potentially and make many changes for musicians, for example, for organists. So since that last ti...