Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 554 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Sjouke. And he writes, Hello Vidas, It has been a while since I wrote to you, maybe last spring. My memory is not that great anymore, as we get older it seems that is one of the things that seems to stand out more being forgetful that is. My question to you is this, quite a few years ago I was pretty good playing fantasy and choral by Jan Zwart, Translation. A mighty Fortress is our God, you may not know that piece for he was an outstanding organist and composer as well, but getting back to my problem and question, I just picked up that piece again and I found something quite shocking that I have forgotten how to play that piece of music totally. For about a week now or a little more, I am practising this piece but I do not seem to be getting anywhere. Just as I think I am getting it together again I come back the next day, it is as though it is back to the first day again. Now to be fair to you and your wife, I suspect I have had the suspicion of having had a few minor strokes, not noticeable on my speech, but more so I forget so many things as though I am really out of it and that usually lasts a short time a couple of hours, but it usually comes back but not in my organ playing I am afraid to say. I had it once that I got up one Sunday morning and had to play, practised all week and got up Sunday morning did not know what I had practised, till I looked at my notes and wonder if I really did practice all that I had written, I noticed in my playing, it was not all that bad, I do not think anyone else noticed it, but I did. But what I want to know is that before mentioned piece of music will I be able to get it back, I am starting to lose hope. ~Sjouke V: So Sjouke...probably this problem is related to his strokes, right? Because memory loss is one of the symptoms, right? A: Yes, yes. V: Could be long term or short term. I’m not a physician of course, but I suspect that might be the case. When a person practices a piece of music one day and completely forgets the next day. A: Well, yes, but when he talked about A Mighty Fortress is Our God, he shouldn’t so surprised, because he hadn’t practiced that piece for a few years. And even for a professional, and even for a good professional, if it’s a difficult piece and you come back to it after a few years, you might have to relearn it at all. V: The real test would be to learn a new piece, not an old one. And then come back to it, a month later, let’s say, and see if he can forget it or can remember it, right? Because Jan Zwart’s A Mighty Fortress, as you say, was learned a few years ago. To me also, it would be very difficult to come back to it, depending on the level of difficulty of course. But if it’s a difficult piece for my own level, then I have to spend let’s say, at least a month for it. Maybe he worries too early about it. Maybe he just needs to spend more time. A: More time. Yes. And what I could suggest for Sjouke, he might record what he’s practicing. And then if he will not remember what he did last time, he might listen to the recording. He needs, you know, he’s taking notes, but I think sometimes I think a recording might be better. Because sometimes you cannot describe on the paper what you have learned and what you have done. But if he would listen to what he can play, let’s say, yesterday - it might make things easier for him. V: You’re right. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so how many words is worth a recording? A: Yes, and he might record the next practice and then compare those two rehearsal sessions, and see how things sound. But of course, if each, we all sort of have to overcome some obstacles. It’s not an easy thing, especially after a stroke. And in general, sometimes people lose their confidence about things. For example, yesterday, my mom threw away the old socks of my father. But she didn’t tell him about it. And then she left, she had some business outside of the home, and my father was left alone, and he is usually not very good about finding his clothes. V: Who is? A: Well, I guess many men are not good at this kind of expertise. V: Including me. A: Yes. But my father started to look for his socks. He knew where he placed them, but could not find them in that spot. So he kept searching throughout the entire place, and finally he decided to look at the refrigerator, maybe he put them in there! V: Really? A: Can you imagine that? V: He looked in the fridge? A: I think it’s hilarious, but on the other hand, it’s very sad. Because he lost his confidence. V: And did your mom confess? A: Yes, she told him after she came back, but I asked her why she didn’t tell him that she just threw them away, and she told, I forgot about it, so. V: Funny. A: What can you do, you know? V: Yeah, it’s funny when you say that. A: But it’s not funny when I’m thinking about my poor father looking for his socks for over an hour, and looking at the fridge. V: Yeah. I was thinking about something to say while you were sharing that story, and I now remember what I was meaning to say. That the fact that Sjouke still practices is very good. That if he stopped practicing since he lost hope, and said, “I’m not making any progress and it’s not working,” then I think his memory might be even worse, right? Even though it seems like he’s forgetting things, it’s still better than not practicing, yes? A: Yes, I believe it, yes. I believe that sometimes not the result is the most important, but the process. And the process of practicing might be really beneficial for Sjouke. V: Mm hm. And when you get into a routine, this routine is something to look forward to every day. It gives sense of security for a person. Sense of meaning, purpose. And at this age in his life, this is very important. A: I think so. V: Ok. This was Vidas A: And Ausra. V: Let us know how your practice goes, guys. If you have similar problems and you keep forgetting things, maybe organ playing helps you or not, we are very interested to know. And keep sending us more of your questions, because we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
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Vidas: Hi, guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra V: Let’s start episode 550, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by John. And he writes: I believe you and Ausra would have had quite a bit of experience organizing the church music program in the US, including choirs? Would be great to learn some tips from you guys! I would enjoy getting some advice from you on keyboard technique and finger accuracy. V: How should we start, Ausra? A: Well, I guess, yes, we have some experience organizing church music in America. But concerning choirs, I would say we have more experience organizing church music in Lithuania. Because before leaving to the United States we worked with two choirs in St. Johns church in Vilnius. V: Yes, and in America we were organists, not… A: Yes. V: music directors. A: So… V: In Lithuania, if you want to lead the choir and direct the musical life within the parish, within your congregation, you needed to be in charge, not only of the choir, not only of choir rehearsals, but also think about what musical activities you want to do between Sundays. A: Yes. And if we are talking about our choir groups in Lithuania that we had before going to the states, we had two choirs; one was a choir where mostly professionals sang, or at least people who had some professional musical education. And we sang, well, early music mostly. And I mean really early music, like Renaissance polyphony. V: We even early sang the earliest surviving polyphonic Requiem which is by Johannes Ockeghem. A: Yes and we also sang some masses of Jacob Obrecht and other nice Renaissance composers. And of course we did some Bach, Bach’s choral music as well. And it wasn’t very easy to keep this group because we were all, of them basically, almost professionals, or professional. And we asked them to come to church to sing each Sunday for free. But we, well, kept going it for a while, for quite a while. But of course when we left to the states, all this group disappeared. And another choir was the youth group. And they sang sort of easier music, like pop, pop, Christian pop music. V: Yes. A: With various instruments, with of course keyboards and guitars and I would play my recorder and we had little girl who would play some percussion. V: It was fun. A: Yes. And it we had some music that we brought with us from Austria. And actually I created the Lithuanian text for that music, so, we sang those. V: In general, if we are talking about directing choral life around your congregation, you need to satisfy three, sometimes conflicting sides—yourself, right, musically it has to be pleasing to yourself. If you are not doing the work you are proud of, I think you will not continue to do it after a while. A: Well, but you know, in this second choir we welcomed everybody who wanted to sing. And not everybody even had to know like good musical pitch. V: Mmm-hmm. A: So, and some would sing out of tune. But because in this second choir we had lots of members. V: Mmm-hmm. A: So we sang loud enough in order to diminish those who cannot sing well enough. V: But what I mean is we were able to do both choirs because we really loved early music at that time. We were able to reconcile two different styles, two different even skill set levels, advancement levels of those members because we really loved early music and we understood if we only sang early music with that, the first choir, we would never be able to satisfy what congregation needs and wants. A: Well, we did hymns too, of course, not... V: Yes, but for the second mass they wanted some light music, right? A: Yes, for youth. V: For youth. By the way, for the second mass right now, they have gospel music, another group, quite well know group in Vilnius. And we’re not in charge anymore of any choral activities in that church. We’re only in charge of organ activities within the university. So, so if John is thinking about leading a musical life, including choral life in his congregation, I think he needs to think about what he wants, what congregation wants, and what his choir members want, also. A: And what they can. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Because you might want to do it but you cannot have ability to do it. V: And you need to do sometimes, you sometimes have to meet them in the middle. If they want to do one thing and you want to do another thing, maybe you can agree to meet somewhere in the middle, like a compromise. That’s possible, if they’re open for compromises. Sometimes not. Sometimes they’re very direct and very specific about what they want. But I guess even in that situation, if you are forced to do something that you don’t want to do, maybe you have, you can have a corner of musical activity that you enjoy doing in that congregation. And because of the opportunity to rehearse with that ensemble for example, or, I don’t what John enjoys, maybe play organ music right? Maybe he can do something else as well, in addition to that, like a compromise, like a service for the congregation. But maybe I’m over exaggerating. Maybe he would enjoy doing all kinds of musical activities, and maybe that’s not a problem for him, right? A: Yeah, sure. V: So then, John was also asking about a couple of other things—advice about keyboard technique and finger accuracy. We could discuss this in another episode, right, because it’s kind of unrelated. A: Yes, unrelated to the first half of the question. V: Okay guys. So stay tuned for our next episode and we will discuss the rest of John’s questions. Thanks for listening. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen!
Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 547 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by J. Flemming. He writes, Although my teachers have stressed the importance of articulate legato in playing Baroque music, I was never taught early fingering, so it is very easy for me to lapse into familiar patterns (like crossing my thumb underneath my fingers). I am learning BWV 659 (ornamented chorale Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland) with Vidas’ fingering, and it is taking more repetitions to get used to the fingering. The results will be worth it, though. I expect to be able to play this in a service before Advent is over. It’s been a good exercise in developing the discipline to do it right instead of quickly. So, this question was sent before Advent was over, obviously. A: Sure. V: And now we’re talking after Christmas. Okay, it’s very nice that J. Flemming is using my practice score of Nun komm der Heiden Heiland. In this particular score, I really take advantage of early fingering in the left hand, where you have two voices, alto and tenor voices combined. And also, in the soprano part, where there is one ornamented, highly ornamented melodic line. And in the pedals as well, even though they move slowly, I don’t use heels, I don’t use substitutions, in the hands also, no substitutions, and no thumb glissandos, things like that. A: You don’t need glissandos, because you play everything in detached manner, articulate legato, so… V: At first, it sounds strange, right, Ausra? A: What? V: This type of articulation. Or not? When you first started, what was your experience with articulate legato? A: Actually, it was like discovering America for me. Because here nothing sounded swell while playing baroque music, and sort of half-articulate way or legato way. Because instrument itself wouldn’t speak if you would play legato. V: Mm hm. For me, I couldn’t discover this articulation for a long time. Even though my first teacher sort of taught me this. But, it was very complex explanation. I couldn’t get the basics right. And plus, of course I was very young, and you had to understand something differently. A: I don’t think your first teacher understood the manner of articulation very well, too. Even in the Academy of Music, there was none that taught articulation really well. We had some sort of understanding about it, but incomplete and insufficient. And incorrect in many ways. Because if you would look at the Academy of Music at all our professors, and you would look how we play the pedals, how we are pedaling Bach, it’s just horrible. Remember when we went to Eastern Michigan University, and our professor, Pamela Reuter-Feenstra, saw our score that we brought from Lithuania, and it was with the fingering and pedaling, by your professor, Leopoldas Digrys, she just thought to throw that score away right away and never come back to it. V: Or put it into a museum of incorrect fingering! A: Yes. So, basically, so I guess the right understanding of why this articulate legato and fingering and pedaling is needed, came to me when I tried, basically historical instruments, and especially the pedal clavichord. V: Yeah, instruments themselves can teach you a lot. Probably more than any teacher can. Although, I understood the basic articulate legato principle easier, I think when I started studying fromRitchie/Stauffer method book. Because he gives this exercise to play with one finger, as legato as possible. But since you are only playing just with one finger, it’s not really legato. And then repeating the same articulation with all the fingers. Sort of imitating. And then it clicked for me. All the voices have to play this way, even though you are using all the fingers. But if you are not sure, play with one finger only at first. A: But developing this technique, it takes time and patience, of course, too. I think every time when you practice organ, you need to have patience and you really need to listen to what you are doing very carefully. Because it’s basically an art to be able to play baroque, romantic, and modern music, especially if you have to do that all in one recital. V: And if you’re a beginner, those three styles can mix in your head, right? But it’s very, I think healthy to work simultaneously in three different styles: early music, romantic music, and modern music. Because the more you do it, the more easily you can switch between them. A: Sure. V: Right? A: That’s right. V: And the longer you play with one style, the more difficult it is for you to switch, right? Especially if you are a beginner. You get used to one particular style. Let’s say you’re playing Bach chorales all the time. Or let’s say short preludes and fugues, from the famous Eight Preludes and Fugues collection. And you don’t play anything else, and if you suddenly start playing a romantic piece or a modern piece, it doesn’t feel natural, right? A: Sure. V: You have to switch, like between having three different cars, or five different cars, or twenty cars...the more the better! A: I would say it’s probably not switching a car, but like switching from a shift stick to the automatic. V: But cars are also different between themselves, between mechanical and mechanical - different models, right? So how your foot feels on the pedal is different. The wheel also is different. And the gears shift differently a little bit in each car. But car mechanics don’t have any trouble because they have tried them all. A: Yeah. V: Ok guys, this was Vidas A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 546 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Diana, and she is our Unda Maris organ studio student. She is practicing only the second year, and she writes that she struggles the most in coordination. Is this, Ausra, a common struggle for new organists? A: It is, I think, very common. V: More than pedal playing? A: I think it’s all connected in between themselves. V: When you were a beginner, or first started playing the organ decades ago, do you remember what was the most difficult thing for you? A: Yes, I remember that it was playing the pedal together with the left hand. Especially if the direction was different for pedals and the left hand. Then I would want to play in the pedals the same as what was written in my left hand. V: It’s basically the same thing that Diana is talking about, probably. A: Yes, and I guess the only solution is to practice more in combinations, because you have to overcome this obstacle. Otherwise, you will just have to say goodbye to the organ. V: Not to practice all parts together, but separately. A: Yes. V: One voice at a time, then two voices at a time… A: Well, I don’t think that one voice at a time would help, you know, unless you really are a very very beginner. But if you need to work on your coordination, it means that you have to practice two voices at once, because otherwise it will not give you any benefit to your coordination. So, I guess it would be right and pedal, left and pedal mostly. V: And left and pedal is the most difficult to do. A: Sure. So maybe if you are practicing one piece like five times through with your right hand and pedals, you need to do at least ten of that with your left hand and pedals. V: If your main hand is your right hand; if you are right handed. A: Yes, that is right. V: If you are left handed, then maybe the left handed combination with the pedals is not so difficult. Ausra, when did you discover that you no longer struggle in coordination? A: Well, to tell the truth, I never did. Of course, it became easier with years, but still, I wouldn’t say I feel as comfortable with my left hand as I feel comfortable with my right hand. I guess that’s just a thing with the brain. Of course, after practicing for many years, you can play anything smoothly, but I still don’t feel that my left hand is the same as my right. Do you? V: No. My left hand is also weaker than the right hand, but it doesn’t stop me from practicing, or playing the organ, or improvising. Right? A: Yes! V: It just takes more practicing. A: Yes. Like we say at the end of each conversation, “When you practice, miracles happen.” It means it’s really to practice a lot in order for most miracles to happen, because all these things that we are talking about take time and they take patience. So you just have to stick with it. V: Yeah. I guess people often lack patience, right? Because they want to achieve things fast. But with practice, it’s nothing fast. Sure, you can maybe get some quick results here and there, but in general, I think you cannot cheat yourself. A: Sure. V: But still, I want to know the time frame, if Diana is struggling in her second year—in the middle of her second year now, do you think that in, let’s say, two more years, she would feel much more secure? A: Well, I think so, but you know when you’re saying she’s playing the second year, it doesn’t say anything, because it depends on how much do you practice each day, and how sufficient your practice is. Because you know, some people practice for ten years in a row and they don’t make any progress. V: You mean practice has to be efficient! A: Yes, that’s right. And it has to be regular practice. If you will practice once a week, you won’t make any progress, either. So it’s basically very important to practice every day, especially for beginners. V: Alright, I hope Diana can take advantage of our tips, and other people, if you struggle with coordination, as well. There is no workaround for this basic problem except playing in combinations of pedals and separate hands… A: And in a slow tempo at first, too, which is also very important. V: At least twice as slow as you would normally play. A: That’s right. V: At least! It could be even slower. Most likely slower than twice as slow. Maybe at 30% of tempo, let’s say. That would be kind of an achievable tempo for starters. Alright guys, this was Vidas, A: And Ausra, V: Please send us more of your questions, we love helping you grow. And remember; when you practice, A: Miracles happen!
Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 544 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Emmanuel. He writes, Hello Sir, I thank God and you for your kind support to me indeed it's helpful as I can now play well some pieces, music chords and compositions, my request to you is to let me know if I can get a free music notes software that will guide me in composing songs. Regards, Emmanuel V: Well, what do you think, Ausra? What is this question about, about software like Sibelius? A: Yes, I think so. V: But Emmanuel doesn’t want to pay money, right? A: Sure. V: Or isn’t able to pay money. Mm hm. So what we can do is to type into Google, “free music notation software,” and what we come up with, the first hit is MuseScore, free music composition and notation software. Musescore.org. And yes, it’s written, “Create, play, and print beautiful sheet music. World’s most popular notation software.” Which is free download. Works for professional music and for amateur music, easy to use, but powerful in its open source. We can input via MIDI keyboard, and transfer your music to and from other programs, via music XML, MIDI, and more. So if you want to write piano, guitar, orchestra, jazz choir, band, marching band, organ music, and much more, you can check it out. Do you think that’s a good place to start, Ausra? A: Sure, of course. V: I think this is more than a beginner composer needs, actually. A: Yes. V: It’s really comprehensive, it’s open source, many developers are contributing, there are many guidebooks, videos, handbooks, forums, tutorials, how-tos. It’s very, very comprehensive. Why we don’t - why we choose to use let’s say, Sibelius, Ausra? A: Well… V: Because Sibelius started first. A: Yes, and when we started to print out music, we didn’t have this kind of good, free software, so we just had to buy it. V: Mm hm. A: So there were two, at that time, it was Finale or Sibelius. And Sibelius had this much more beautiful graphic design, at least for my eyes. V: Right. Sibelius, yeah, for me too, it’s much easier, much more easy to understand than Finale. But I like another feature that Sibelius has, and to my knowledge, only one other software has, which is called Composer. I have that, too, but don’t use it that often. Sibelius has the opportunity to input music in real time. Play your music as you, let’s say, improvise and listen to a metronome beating, and your playing appears as a score right away. And you can just edit the score with plug ins, various, or by hand, and make it a beautiful composition. But this way it’s very practical for me, because my method of composition is based on improvisation primarily. A: So, this is a very handy feature for you then. V: Yes. A: Another thing what I thought while reading Emmanuel’s letter, his question, was, Why do people not try to Google things nowadays? How many words do you have to type to find this kind of problem? V: Let’s see, I think four - “free music notation software.” A: Well, that’s it. V: 1-2-3-4 exactly. Four. A: So, I think nowadays it’s really easy to find information. V: But, MuseScore was only the first hit on the top of the page. But for example, Sibelius First has also a free version. It’s called Sibelius First. Basically, free music notation software for composing music using the same tools professional composers use. Let’s see what it has to offer. It is much more simpler version, probably. Start composing music with free music notation software and get many of the same tools that pros use. Sibelius First is a new streamlined version of Sibelius that makes it easy for beginners and hobbyists to create simple, professional-looking scores. If you’re just starting out, it’s not necessary to invest a lot of money. A: Sure. V: Because you don’t know, perhaps, if your passion will… A: Continue, V: Exactly. Just like playing the organ. You don’t buy the most expensive model right away. You maybe start with a keyboard, even without pedals. Like a... A: That’s right. V: An electronic version. And then after several years, when you outgrow this version, then you search for something else. After Sibelius First, there is a hit for NoteFlight. NoteFlight is online music notation software. You basically don’t need to download anything. You just write your music in the browser, right? And you can sign up for free, but it has a premium version. So, they have a free version with limitations, again, but also a premium version. This free version, again, can be quite enough for starters, right? What else? Score Cloud. I’m not familiar with this one. A: So I think… V: You think… A: I got an idea that there are more than enough to… V: Yes. A: To go around. To look around. V: And I think Finale also has a free version. A: Yes, I think it also, yes. Like Sibelius. V: So guys, please look into those - basically, type those four words, “free music notation software” into Google, and you will find many options to choose from. I suspect people also cannot sometimes invest money into decent program, because they have limited resources, right? Living in underprivileged societies, and every penny counts that way. Right, Ausra? A: But if you have an access to the internet, you can definitely search for free things. V: Right, of course. A: You don’t need our permission for that. V: Yes. Maybe they only need a nudge, like push toward being more active, more proactive, let’s say. Ok guys, this was Vidas A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 540 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by May. She’s our Total Organist student. And she writes, Thanks Vidas. We just returned from a 2-week Europe trip yesterday. Now I almost fall asleep (because of the jetlag) practicing BWV 659 Nun komm der Heiden Heiland as the prelude for tomorrow. I should be very comfortable with this piece for I played it quite a few times at the Church in the past Advents. However, I am now very nervous about my ability of getting everything right tomorrow. I haven't practiced for 2 weeks and I am very tired. What is your advice on how I should proceed with my practice in the remaining hours of today? It is 4:05 pm here in Eastern Canada now. May And I wrote to her: Thanks May! It's 11:31 PM here in Vilnius and going to bed. So I'm keeping this message short: Go to sleep first. No use of practicing when you're exhausted. Then if you have time to practice BWV 659 do that. If not, play tomorrow several verses of the same hymn tune instead on different registration. 1. Principal 8' 2. Cornet in the soprano, alto and tenor on the flutes in the left hand. Pedal with 16' and 8'. 3. Principals 8' and 4' etc. Off to bed now. Hope this helps, Vidas And she wrote to me her answer: May: Thanks Vidas for replying to my email late in the night. My biological clock was also like in your time zone when I composed this email yesterday :) I did practice until 10 pm last night. Good that I didn't feel as tired this morning. We didn't have that many people attending the morning service because of a winter storm in our area. I did play BWV 659 as a postlude in a very relaxed manner for I saw and I thought many people had left. Actually many did stay and listen to my playing. I was not aware of their presence until they applauded at the end. This turned out to be my best performance of BWV 659 and it was a pleasant surprise. Perhaps psychology plays a significant role in terms of the result of a performance. It is also the biggest obstacle to overcome. How could I perform in public without being nervous? That always the biggest issue. Thanks again Vidas for your advice. May V: So, Ausra, I already gave her advice. Now it’s your turn. About probably performing in public without being nervous. A: Well, when I was young, especially back in the high school, I would really get performance anxiety. At one point, I thought I need to give up at all performance in public, because made me feel too nervous. But as the time went by, I realized that it’s not good to think before recital, “Oh, I wish that less people would come, that this person wouldn’t show up, and oh, I wouldn’t survive if that would come to my recital.” That’s not the right way of thinking. V: Mm hm. A: And of what I’m thinking now, I’m thinking how many hours I spent preparing for this recital, and actually that I want people to come, and I want people to listen. Because we are not playing just for ourselves, we actually are playing for our public. And you need to learn to enjoy to play for public, because this is your final goal as a musician. V: As an artist. A: Yes, as an artist. V: Probably musicians can practice in their practice rooms and at home, but artists really need to show their art. A: True. And you will need to learn to enjoy it. V: And the way to enjoy it is to do it more often. A: That’s right. V: Because 20, for the first maybe 10 times it will be a very stressful experience, but after the 10th performance, you will get a breakthrough some sort. Maybe it will not become very easy, but you will start feeling a change in how you feel during performance after the 10th, after every 10th performance, I would say. A: Yes, because look. Even a piece like this was BWV 659, which I’m actually also working on now. Of course, it’s not a hard piece, but it’s not an easy piece. It’s not sight-readable piece, you know. V: Not really. A: Yes. So let’s say it’s sort of a middle, somewhere in the middle. You still need to put a lot of time in order to learn this piece well. V: At least a few weeks. A: That’s right. And if you are holding this attitude that, “Oh, I wish people would leave, nobody would listen,” then why would you learn it? V: But it’s nice that she sort of deceived herself, trying to talk to herself that nobody will stay, and therefore she doesn’t have to be nervous. And then when people did stay and applauded at the end, she was already done. And it turned out the best performance of this piece for her. A: So maybe she can apply this feeling that she had during this performance during another performance. V: Yes. A: To have this sense of calmness. That might help, too - and look, people applauded. They really liked it, they appreciated it. So it needs to give you some pleasure actually, to be admired and to be applauded and to be respected. V: Yes. And record yourself. I think that is another dimension of stress, right? Because if you record yourself, you know you cannot stop. The clock is ticking, and you cannot fix your mistakes while you’re playing. And at first, it’s really stressful, but again, after 10 recordings of your playing, it will become easier. And again, you will discover something new about yourself, about the piece, about the instrument that you’re playing. It’s worth doing that. And if you have recording, submit to our Secrets of Organ Playing Contest. A: Yes, Vidas always promotes it. V: Yes, because it quadruples your results. People who participate can testify this. Ah, wonderful. Hope this helps. The main takeaway is of course to do it more often. A: Yes, of course that’s a very good suggestion. I think this is the best advice. And be happy if people come to listen to your performance. That’s the best thing, the best way to share your talent. V: It’s a privilege actually, yes? Think about how many thousands of musicians, probably, would give up so many things in order to have this opportunity to play in public. And church organists have this built-in opportunity to play in public every Sunday. A: That’s right. V: When you do this, let’s say, every day, that is sometimes very difficult to bear over time. But if you do this every week once a week, then this routine is bearable and can be quite enjoyable, I think. You can have enough time to prepare, and plan ahead. Perhaps practice, not only for one Sunday in advance, but several Sundays in advance. Ok guys. Thanks for listening and applying our tips in your practice. They really work. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 537 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Harris, and he writes, As a little boy growing up, I started having great love, passion and zeal for church classical music. But there was nobody who could guide me, teach me and mentor me on what music was all about. I also had no access to any musical instruments at home. I had to join the church choir at age 14, and pleaded with the choir leaders to teach me music, but nobody had that time and patience to teach me music. All I was doing back then as a choir boy, was to internalize the kind of notes and sounds I hear from the organ/keyboard. I was learning how to sing tonic solfa as I hear the keyboard/organ sounds, each time we are having choir practice and during church services. I did this for several years and got myself into hearing music and playing what I hear. As time goes, I got a small phone and started reading small books about the rudiments of music, how to understand lines and spaces on a sheet music. I was able to understand a little about the STAFF and tried to sight read as I play, but I discovered I am too slow and it’s sort of confusing to me. As a result of playing by hearing, I became the organist of my local church and other churches I have served as an organist, I have performed with several chorale groups back home in Nigeria, played for several concerts, church services, bands and also indoors. I do play Hymns and classical songs to accompany the choir. I discovered I am not growing to the level I aspired to get to, so I have been seeking for means to travel out to abroad where they do music so well, so I can be able to learn as well, but it has not been easy. I have tried to register in some Organist forums, seeking for employment as an organist even its a small local church choir where I could start up from and learn. But I hardly get a positive response. Please sir, I really would appreciate if I can get great help from you in any way, to help me build my Christian music life, for I don't want the music fire in me to die off. V: Well, first of all, seeking employment in some organist forums like he did, I don’t know if this is fruitful or not, in general. A: Well, I think it’s a very hard way to get some position, don’t you think so? V: Well, if I wrote something to an organist forum, and nobody knew about me, what is the chance that they would even reply to me? A: I think very, very, low possibility. V: Unless they are desperate, and nobody wants that position. A: Sure, but if nobody wants it, that means that probably you also wouldn’t want it. V: Yes. There is a reason nobody wants it usually. So, that’s not how to go about seeking employment. Maybe learning to play the organ well is the first step. A: Yes, I think so. Because in order to get a job, you need to show your employer what you can do. And as I understood from Harris’ letter, that he is self-taught and that he still reads music very poorly. V: Mm hm. A: That it’s hard for him to read from the score.And I think that this is a crucial skill for any musician, especially church musician, because we have to provide new music each week for Sunday services. So I think knowing the musical notation and being able to sight read things easily, I think it’s step number one. Because if you only play most of what you are doing from your pitch, that’s not the best way to do it. I know musicians who do that, but we always feel amateurs and not become professionals. V: You know, if we lived in Nigeria, for example, in a country where internet access is very expensive, and he wrote that he has a small phone from which he could get more information. Small phone meaning it’s not, maybe not a smart phone. It’s a regular, normal touch phone with a touch pad. And with that kind of device, it’s a nightmare, right, for people to get more information. I’m even surprised he’s writing to me. That he has enough motivation to go through those obstacles, you know? Other people just probably give up and wait for better times to come to their country, and better internet access, cheaper internet access, where information is more accessible, right? Think about how lucky we are living in a country where we can do all kinds of things online, and it’s not terribly expensive in terms of data, roaming. A: Yes, but you know, I’m thinking about being able to sightread music, I think you don’t need much of technology to do that. You know, after you learn what the concrete notes are, you just need to acquire some sheets of music and just do it. V: I would probably go to the local library. They usually have better internet access, even in Nigeria, probably. In a public library, I mean. And probably download some scores from IMSLP archives. Digital music library. A: They are all free of charge. V: Public domain. A: Out of copyright, so you can use them freely. V: Yeah, download some kind of collection that he likes, and then practice diligently, right? I’m not suggesting to Harris to sign up for any of our courses, because it’s obviously out of reach for him and not affordable, but he can really be self-taught organist, taking advantage of free material online, and without videos. Videos are expensive to download and watch, stream. And probably he would need just sheet music. How about those Dupre Chorales - no, Dupre is not online - maybe Orgelbüchlein by Bach. A: That’s probably too difficult, don’t you think? V: Too difficult, four parts is too difficult. But, if I had great motivation, I would practice just one single line for a month. And then after a month, I would add the second part, and after two months, I would add the third part, and so on. A: But since he is a church musician, maybe practicing hymns would be a great idea. V: Yes, maybe get hold of the hymnal from church, or maybe borrow a hymnal. A: If he has hymnals. I’m not sure. V: I’m not sure. Probably could be maybe just words, could be, or even if it’s a melody, maybe just soprano melody in many hymnals. I’m not sure what they are using in Nigeria. But there are many many sources of hymns online. He could simply download them and print it out from the library. A: I think it would be easier for starters than Orgelbüchlein. V: Like download 100 hymns, and start doing the same thing, like it was a small, but normal, musical composition. And learn each of those 100 hymns in separate parts. 100 hymns soprano part, then 100 hymns alto part, tenor part separately, bass part. And then do 2-part combinations after some months. 3-part combinations. All of them. And inevitably, he will start to sight read 4-part texture sooner or later. A: That’s right. V: That’s called, you bootstrap yourself, even if a poor country, even where everything is inaccessible but the publicly available materials. And then he could go into church and say, “Hey guys, I know how to play hymns. I can lead the service.” And he could play some examples, and people might be impressed and offer him a position. Maybe a smaller paying position at first, but that could be a start, right, which would lead to further opportunities. A: That’s right. V: In country where everything else is not accessible right now. Thanks guys, for listening. We hope you will take our tips and apply in your practice. And let us know how it works. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions - we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 534 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Richard, and he writes, Dear Vidas and Ausra, How lovely to see our conversation make one of your SOPPs this week. Thank you! I don’t know Franck’s L’Organiste. I will order it and enjoy a good read. Do you know Guilmant’s ‘Organiste Liturgical’? A wonderful collection of his music that would have been (and still could be) used during Mass in France. Another gorgeous work I am dipping in and out of is Vierne’s Messe Basse for organ, again for use in Mass. It contains some wonderful movements, particularly ‘Elevation’ and ‘Communion’. I am vice chairman of the local organists’ association. The association is 70 next year and I’m arranging the trip to Paris as our birthday event. The organists I’ve met, or emailed this year, have been really lovely and welcoming. I have played some superb instruments, large and small, and am looking forward to the trip in April (I’m going back for a weekend in November as I just adore the wonderful instruments!). We will be playing at St. Eustache, St Clotilde, St. Laurent (Cliquot pipework), St. Gervais (Couperin dynasty), Notre-Dame des Champs (where Cavaillé-Coll worshiped and had his workshop just round the corner. He was always tinkering with the organ in the church which is why it is such a large two manual! The sound………….WOW!!!) and others. You’re right when you say that the playing must be perfect. It’s why I’ve already started learning music from Couperin to Langlais. I hope the other 9 players are working hard too! It should be a good trip! With best wishes to you both, Richard PS I drink decaf coffee too! A: Nice. V: Remember, Richard sent us some donation for us to drink coffee. A: Yes, I remember. That was very nice of him. V: Mm hm. A: And it’s wonderful that he is planning this trip to Paris. I think everybody will be excited about it. V: Yes. He mentions Guilmant’s Liturgical Organist Collection. It’s very practical. It has amazing variety of pieces, as well as Vierne’s low mass, Messe Basse, for the organ. And yes, you can pick Elevation and Communion out of that, they are easy to play in your service any day. But for his trip, it will serve a purpose of demonstrating some of the quieter organ stops, like maybe celestes and gambas. A: Yes, I think any of these mentioned collections, including Vierne, Guilmant, and Franck would definitely work well on such a trip. V: I mentioned Franck because we have done fingering, complete fingering for them - it would be easy for people to pick up and start practicing the efficient way right away. A: And of course, if he will have a chance to, and his crew will have a chance to play at St. Clotilde, then you definitely have to do some Franck to honor him, because St. Clotilde was his church. V: Yes, yes. Maybe something with pedals would be nice by Franck, as well. A: True. V: Like one of the easier pieces like Prelude, Fugue, and Variation in B Minor? A: Or Cantabile maybe? V: Cantabile, yes. Pastorale, too. A: Yeah. V: Or C Major Fantasia. Those several pieces would be wonderful to try out in Paris. You know, I’ve done fingering and pedaling for Couperin’s Mass for the Convents, and he can find that in our Secrets of Organ Playing Store, and I think I have a course on learning this piece with Widor’s, where I demonstrate my own playing on St. John’s organ. That could be useful to him as well. Wonderful. Some of the modern pieces, and modern composers could be applied to such trip, too, don’t you think? A: True. And what do you mean when you say modern pieces and modern composers? Do you mean like Dupre, or is he too old as well, and you mean something even newer? V: Maybe… A: Like Bedard? Or what? V: Bedard is a living Canadian composer, and he created French-sounding pieces which are very easy to play, actually, quite successful. And audiences love it. It creates great effect, but requires not much of, not as much practice as real French music. So that could be an option. But I wonder if, for example, Messiaen would be practical to learn here, or some of the modern pieces of living composers, like Naji Hakim and maybe Thierry Escaich. Although they might be too difficult. A: True. V: They are concert pieces mostly, probably. I just wish more French organists would write down their improvisations. A: And would you learn them? V: Yes, some of them, sure. And Tournemire would work as well, in St. Clotilde. A: Yes, that’s right. Because he, I think, was an organist there as well. V: Yeah, successor of Franck. A: So I think it’s a wonderful city with a wonderful organ history. Although, I’m not so sure about Messiaen, if you would play it. In church, then yes, but in others, because, well, what Messiaen did to his organ actually wasn’t such a nice thing, when I think from the historical perspective of the instrument, himself, because he installed so many mutation stops because those were crucial for his compositions, but they are not so common in general French tradition. So he sort of ruined, a little bit, the French instrument. V: Let’s say “improved.” (laughs) A: Well, you know, time will decide for him. But I don’t consider it as an improvement of the instrument. V: In that time, of course, it wasn’t historically right thing to do. Because, as we know today, if you have an historical instrument, you should try to preserve the original condition, and not augment something else, not add things that change the nature of the instrument. A: That’s why sometimes the most exciting historical instruments are found in the villages. Because if you have an instrument in a large city, then it’s more possibility that during a war, it will be damaged, or the congregation will have too much money and will renovate it a lot and will rebuild it a lot, and the perspective of a few centuries. But in the village, there are less possibilities for a bomb to hit the church, or for people to have money to ruin it. V: Because it draws less attention. A: True. And that’s, for example, I think, one of the reasons why the good Baroque instruments in Paris almost… V: Non-existent. A: Non existent. Because of all the revolution and all those things. V: Yeah, when pipes, lead pipes were made into bullets. A: True. So I guess probably French really needs to feel grateful for Cavaille Coll, that he lived after the Revolution, not before it, and we have all these wonderful instruments built by him. V: That’s right. At any rate, let’s hope Richard will write back to us after his trip, and we’ll share his experiences so that we could also discuss them. A: Yes, let us know how your trip went, and we will be glad to hear from you. V: Ok guys. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions - we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 542 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Maureen, and she writes: “Hello Vidas, Please can you direct me to any suitable organ music useful for devotions and quiet hours in the Catholic Church? I would possibly enjoy playing something around intermediate level as this would need to be learned as good sight reading at this stage. I am enjoying your expertise and that of Ausra. Wonderful! Thank you, Maureen” V: So, Ausra, do you know anything about Catholic liturgy? A: Well, I know some things. V: Probably, Maureen wants to know about music suitable for offertories and communions, and maybe some moments of adoration? A: Yes, it could be, because where else would you play quiet music? I guess these two main spots. V: Well, if I were summoned to play a Mass tomorrow, for example (we’re recording this on Saturday morning), I would obviously improvise. A: Yes, that’s what I thought, that you never need any score, because you can improvise so well. V: But, for people who don’t choose to improvise in public, yet, I recommend music like, maybe, how about Pachelbel Chorale Preludes. A: Yes, those are nice! I’ve played most of them in the church. Not in a Catholic church, but in the Christian Scientist church as I was working back in Michigan. V: Registration can be quite varied. You can play most of them in various dynamic levels. Right? A: Yes! And I also had another collection of 80 Chorale Preludes by various, mostly I think, German composers. It was published by Edition Peters, and it was called “80 Choralvorspiele.” And these were also sort of almost sight-readable, not really too hard, and I played them on many occasions when I needed something easy but decent. V: Well, probably César Franck’s “L’Organiste” A: Yes, of course. That would definitely work. V: We have fingerings prepared for that, too, if anybody wants to take advantage, and depending on your level, a lot of those pieces, too can be sight-readable.. A: Also, I think if you like Bach, then there is this “Neumeister” collection. This is very often forgotten by many organists and ignored by many organists, because it was discovered much later than other Bach pieces, and this collection survives from Bach’s teenage years, and it means that by studying this collection, you can get a better understanding of what stages Bach went through in order to become what he became! So look at that collection, as well. I think it’s published by Neue Bach-Ausgabe, yes? V: Yes. A: Which is a Bärenreiter edition. Another thing that might work is Frescobaldi’s “Fiori Musicali.” Not all of those piece, of course, are easy, but some of them are really well suited for quiet moments of the Mass. V: Not all of them are suited for quiet music, right? A: Yes. Yes, definitely. V: “Toccata Per L’Elevazione” for example. Those type of slow and toccatas full of suspensions, and in Italian, it would be Durezze e Ligature style. A: Yes. And another collection to look at would be probably the Georg Muffat and his “Apparatus Musico-Organisticus.” It has many, many toccatas, and these toccatas are sectional, so actually in just one piece of music, you can find a few different sections, and you might use some quiet spots for Elevation or for Communion and for Postlude and Prelude, other places. So, these are very suitable pieces for a Catholic church. V: Good. I hope this was useful to you, but Ausra also has something else to add. A: Yes, and I remember that time when I was working regularly as a church organist in a Catholic church, I also sang a lot myself, especially during communion. That way, you wouldn’t have to play so much solo music. So that’s what Maureen can do, too, because I think most Catholics really appreciate singing, they don’t appreciate so much solo organ music. Especially during Advent and Lent. V: Do you think the singing tradition is more like a Lithuanian/Polish tradition, more or less, than let’s say in Western countries? A: Well, but think about all this Gregorian Chant, all of this heritage of Catholic music and Catholic church. V: Yes, perhaps you’re right. A: So, I think it just probably is forgotten because maybe not so many organists can sing in general nowadays, but I think that the cantor was equally as important as an organist in the Catholic church, so… V: Yes… and make sure you learn to improvise. That’s a very handy skill later on. A: True. V: Then you don’t have to search for new music. You can make up new music. And, when you learn new pieces, even softer pieces for Catholic liturgy, you can, of course, record yourself and submit them to our Secrets of Organ Playing Contest. Okay, this was Vidas A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen!
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 538 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Ray, and he writes: “Hello Vidas Pinkevicius, Thank you for asking for my answers to your questions. 1. I am 65 years old and have only returned to organ playing in 2014 after spending 35 years working as an architect and part-time singer “to earn money for our vacations.” My dream is to learn some of the major organ pieces on my list and be able to play them with my heart, with confidence and in recital. Having some substitute church assignments that require me to learn shorter pieces and play hymns is also fun for me. 2. The 3 most important things holding me back are: practice discipline, practice discipline and sight reading. My hope is that when I am fully retired at the end of 2020 I will have more time to practice and be more efficient with my practice time and learning ability. In the meantime, focusing on real learning during my practice time is my goal. I find it difficult to not read ahead or have patience to only learn a little bit each day, which I know is more efficient. Thank you. I enjoy reading your emails. I just need to focus on doing what you recommend. Ray” V: Did you notice, Ausra, that he mentioned practice discipline twice here? A: It means that he really lacks it. That’s my guess. Don’t you think so? V: Yes, but why not three times, then? Maybe he meant something else and then forgot. But, it could be that he wants to emphasize it. A: Well, because yes, but he writes like three most important things. V: Mhm, it’s strange. And also, sight reading. Practice discipline and sight-reading. Well, Ausra, how do you fight with your lack of willpower? A: Well, I don’t lack willpower. I lack time in general, so I don’t think this applies to me so much. And I’m a good sight-reader, too. V: Were you always like that, born with this skill? No! Probably you developed it. A: Which one, discipline or….? V: Discipline. A: Of course I developed it. Everybody does. V: How? What helped you to do this? A: Life! V: Be specific and more helpful. A: Well, when you have a coming recital ahead of you, and the time is pushing you, then what else can you do? Practice! And you don’t have much time left in the day, so... V: But sometimes, I am amazed at how people still have a deadline coming up of a performance or a recital, maybe not an entire hour length, maybe not even a 30 minute recital, but maybe one or two pieces, like in our organ studio, for example, but they don’t push themselves enough, they don’t plan ahead, and when the time comes, they are not prepared. Why is that? A: Well, I don’t know, but what I can say about myself is that when I was young, I could do that—to go to a recital half unprepared and somehow still manage through it and survive through it. Now, I’m older, and I don’t want to take a risk. My heart is not as strong anymore, so I really need to be well prepared. Plus, I am professional. I wouldn’t be professional if I would show up to a recital unprepared. So I guess that is a difference between an amateur and a professional. V: And if an amateur switched this attitude, he would become, or she would become professional. A: Yes! V: Easily. A: After some time, yes. V: You just have to be strict with yourself and do your best, and pretend a master is watching over you. A: True. V: And like Robert Schumann wrote, “A master is always watching.” A: That’s right, but I guess the hardest judge is inside of yourself. V: Are you your worst critic, Ausra? A: Yes, I am, I think, because very few people can say straight to your face, for example, what they did not like about your performance, let’s say. So, everybody is just so polite, or they just simply ignore you. So what else can you do? You just become a critic yourself to yourself. V: Will you be honest with myself and tell me what you didn’t like about my playing, too? A: You know that I do that sometimes. So… V: Do it more often. I like it. A: Really? V: Mhm! A: Okay, I will! V: And, for Ray, he is very straight forward at the end. He says, “I enjoy reading your emails. I just need to focus on doing what you recommend.” A: It seems that he knows his way, you know? So… why not just do it. V: Yes, Ausra, we all know the right way to do things, or the efficient way or the fun way to do things, but we don’t always focus on doing that. Why is that? A: Because we have other things going on, too, and I think it’s procrastination, as well. V: But for example, if a person sits down on the organ bench to practice and fools around a bit and wastes time instead of focusing and playing efficiently, why is that? A: I guess that’s just how human nature works, that if you, for example, have a piece that you like and you play it well, so maybe why not just play it, because it doesn’t take much effort to do it. But if you have another piece that requires more work and has more difficult, complicated spots, then you just sort of push it away for a later time. That’s not only with performance, not only with practicing. I think that applies to any situation. Any work situation. V: Right. So guys, please switch this act to being, at least in your mind, professional. Being strict with yourself, and doing your best. And if you have a deadline coming up, like a public performance, I think it would be good if you had a run-through of this performance two months in advance. A: Yeah. V: And then you will discover many mistakes, which is fine, but you will still have ample time to fix those mistakes. Not one month, but two months ahead of time. A: Don’t do what we did with our Christmas recital. V: What did we do with our Christmas recital? A: We only selected our pieces a month before the recital. V: Oh yes. You can do that, if you have 25+ years of experience. A: True. V: Like we have. I’m sorry to be so boasting about our experience, but it’s true! A: You can say that after our recital, if you will survive it. V: I survived the first rehearsal, which is nice. A: Yeah, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. Actually, it was quite good. V: Alright guys, please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen. |
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Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. Our Hauptwerk Setup:
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