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.
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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.
Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast 549!
Vidas: I'm so excited to be able to talk with John Higgins now from Australia, my old friend, and he's been on our show for maybe 3 times before so I'm really delighted we can connect because John has some news to share. Last time we talked it was a while ago and he's very busy with raising a family - he has 3 sons. And also he's been working in a church, playing church music and also doing all kinds of church music related things which we will talk about today. So thank you so much, John and welcome to the show! John: Thank you so much, Vidas and it's such an honor to be on this podcast and I'm so proud to be one of your students for over 8 years now. V: I remember you were in Vilnius and recently I was looking through all the photos from the past and found the one with you playing our church organ and you together with me and Ausra and we all spent some time together. Your flight was delayed, it was a big adventure. And after practicing for 7 years, you finally got to play a recital on the largest pipe organ in Lithuania. That was quite an adventure! J: Yes, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and such a wonderful opportunity. I can't thank you enough for this. I'll never forget it. I feel like the organ is part of me, and you and Ausra are such a huge part of my life as well. V: What happened afterwards, John, after you came back to Australia? I know you have very dangerous bushfires in your area and I hope firefighters will stop them and that you will get some rain soon. That's my hope for New Year. We're hoping for much milder climate. So could you share, John about your life after you came back to Australia? What have you been up to? Listen to the conversation Related link: Hidden Treasures, John Higgins' YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrikng_XqeuuLbV2mo3zfig
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.
Vidas: Hi, guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra V: Let’s start episode 543, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by several people. And maybe even answers to our community on Basecamp, members of Total Organist, where I asked them: ‘How do you like Total Organist so far?’ The first to reply, Jeremy. He wrote: Jeremy: I enjoy that there is a place that I can find encouragement. Being an organist and pianist, I spend a lot of time alone with little insight from other people. That occasional "Boost" makes the days sometimes more manageable, and I like that people post the same problems that I am having. We are not alone! Vidas: I wrote: I also enjoy seeing people supporting each other. It's one thing for me to connect with everybody through email but it's an entirely different level to give like-minded people an opportunity to connect to each other. Ruth jumped in, in the conversation: Ruth: I enjoy the diversity of persons who write in Total Organist. I am learning a great deal from their writing and experiences. I appreciate the energy and work that all of you are putting into your organ practice. Of course, you inspire me! Vidas: I wrote to her: This diversity is enormous! From amateurs to concert organists, from elderly to young, from underprivileged societies to developed countries. We all are different and have different needs but also share some of the commonalities also and are able to speak the same organ language. V: What can you add, Ausra, to this conversation? A: Well, it’s inspiring to read it. V: Mmm-hmm. Imagine if you are a Total Organist student, Ausra. What would you say? A: Well, probably something similar to all of those. V: Starting with, which side struck you the most, first? A: Well, while reading all of these responses, actually the thought that came into my mind, was, all these supporting groups, in general in life. Like you have Alcoholics Anonymous and other groups like that. I’m not wanting to compare organists with alcoholics but it just came into my mind. V: Mmm-hmm. A: So and groups like this, I think it’s nice to be in your own community that people share similar ideas and share the same and similar problems. Then you feel not alone and you can solve your problems much more easier. V: You know, but there is another side of this. Not all of the people want to get involved, right? Some are very, I don’t know, shy or maybe introvert or maybe they prefer to solve their problems on their own. Like when somebody signs up for Total Organist, I immediately add their email list to the group of Basecamp channel, right. So that they could sign in and jump in and take advantage of all those support that we give to each other. But a lot of people choose not to, right? You can see what kind of people respond, and there is a certain group which are very active right, which is very active. But another portion of our community is not active. So why do you think is that? A: I think that everybody probably enjoys in general social media, so all these Facebook and Twitter and all that kind of stuff…. V: Mmm-hmm. A: and Basecamp, actually reminds to some people of that, I think. And maybe somebody don’t want to join because of this. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Mentioned before this AA group, yes? V: Mmm-hmm. A: I think there are much more drinking people. And not everybody attends those group meeting. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Much(?) to everybody it helps, not everybody, so maybe this is something similar. V: Right. I would probably go to such group if I had a problem with this. Would you? A: I don’t know. I just know about these all groups from the movies that I watch, because so often there are like especially in the comedies. V: You know, we, you and I, we’re, we have different personality types probably. I prefer speaking my mind out loud in public for example, right? And in to some degree you prefer to speak either to yourself or among ourselves, right? A: Um, yes, that’s right. V: So I think, I suspect people similar to you would find some of your advice also helpful by listening to our conversation right now, because you are different than me, right? People can relate to me who are extroverts let’s say, right? And people who are introverts can relate to you more. A: Yes, because extroverts they get energized while talking with other people and sharing their ideas and taking their ideas back. But introverts, we just get tired and exhausted after conversing with somebody. V: Of course, we have to keep in mind that in my days, there is not so much talking involved outside my online activities, right? A: True. V: For as for you, you spend a lot of hours talking in school. A: Yes, a few hours a day, at least. So after speaking for so many hours you just want to be quiet. And in general I think the organ is an instrument for introverts, not for extroverts. V: You think so? A: I think so. I strongly believe so. Even if you think most of the times in church, organ is not standing up in front. We standing back in the balcony, on the balcony. V: You this, hearing you makes me a little sad because what should I do? I have to options now: quit playing the organ or become introvert, right? A: I don’t think you can do either of these two things. V: What can you suggest? Please, O master, teach me! A: Stop making fun out of me. But in general, I think in general organist is alone. So and maybe because you are an extrovert as you imagine yourself, that’s why you need all the social media and to put you on the Facebook on a regular basis. V: Mmm-hmm. A: But that’s okay. V: I have the right to exist you mean. A: True. V: (Laughs). Even I have the right to exist. Good! Um, so, yeah, whatever your needs are, I think Total Organist can be of use to you. Whether you decide to join Basecamp channel and stay active in there, replying to daily questions about your activities, about what you’ve been working on, what things you find inspiring, or what things are you struggling with. Those questions you get frequently. But you can also be an introvert like Ausra says and enjoy observing other people, reading perhaps, but not getting involved. Ausra, we don’t know exactly who’s reading, right? A: Yeah. V: We only know who’s responding. A: True. V: Maybe, yes, let’s speculate that a portion, at least a significant portion of people not actively involved in conversation, are listeners, readers, right? A: That’s a possibility. V: That’s right. Look at our email subscribers, right? We have thousands of subscribers but we don’t get thousands of messages everyday, right? So majority of people are reading, and passively participating, not asking questions, for example, every day. They might send questions from time to time. So yes, I haven’t thought about that, that some people enjoy observing other people. A: That’s right. V: Mmm. Nice. Alright guys. Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, doesn’t matter. Our goal is to help you reach your dreams, not complain. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen!
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 535 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by James, and he writes: “Thank you for your podcast, it has been a great help. I have played the piano for 25 years and the organ at my church for 17, but was only able to take organ lessons for the first 2 years, the rest has been essentially self-taught. Your podcasts have been very informative. 1. my dream for organ playing: I know I will never be a concert organist, but I would like to be able to really make my church organ sound great, and select unique registrations throughout the Mass. 2. The 3 most important things holding me back: a. over the years, I have basically settled for just a handful of different basic registrations for hymns, etc. without much variety b. my church has a relatively small, 22-rank, 2-manual Zimmer pipe organ, installed in 1999, which is almost completely enclosed inside an alcove, and doesn't "sing" very well. The church is the size of a cathedral, but I'm afraid the organ is too small for the space. c. I have never had formal instruction in the theory of organ registration, other than what I have learned on my own. I know the basics of building a principal chorus, understanding overtones and harmonics, etc., but my registrations are still very "boring" in my opinion. Again, thank you for your podcast and teaching, and I look forward to any advice you can give me. -James” V: So, Ausra, James has a problem with registration. He wants to make his organ sound great, and his registrations to be unique, so to say. A: Well, don’t we all want to do something beautiful, and to register nicely. But the problem is that I think that when you are asking about registrations and about how to register a certain piece, or in general how to select the best registration, actually, you need to give us the specification list of your organ. Because otherwise, you know, we might be talking about different things, because it’s sort of hard to suggest something without seeing the actual stops. And even when having the list of stops, you still might need to adjust something, because you really need to listen to the organ in the real situation. But, I guess if his church is the size of a cathedral and he has only 22 stops, it might be too small for such a room. Another thing, you know, when you register, you also need to think about reverberation—if the room is reverberate or not. It also means a lot. But I thought about his asking how to increase sound of the organ, so basically what you could do, either to add the manual couplers, or in some cases, you would probably need to play things an octave lower. That also might help sometimes, because, for example, we have so many organs built in Orgelbewegung style, that have these screamy, ugly, sound mixtures… not all of them, of course, but most of them actually have them. So it sounds nice when you play things an octave lower when it has more of a sort of a round and nice sound. V: Yeah, I’m not sure if this applies to him, because we don’t know the specification. We don’t even know the composition of the mixture—if it’s a low mixture or if it’s a high mixture. But in general, what he can do is to thicken the texture a little bit. Play with… I don’t know how his organ technique is—well advanced or not—but he could play in more than four-part texture. More parts per chord. Right? Is that necessary? A: That’s a possibility, but it doesn’t always work. But, you know, he thinks that he sort of registers pieces the same all the time, like hymns. But I think it’s not a bad idea. You know? Because, I think when you are working as a church organist, you develop some sort of routine, and this is good. Maybe you don’t want to experiment every time, and you need to be ready in advance. But of course, what you could do, and we have talked about it, actually in our previous podcasts, that you could project, let’s say, the Cantus firmus, on one manual, and play other voices on another manual. And your Cantus firmus could be either in the Soprano, as most hymns are written, but you could also play it in the tenor voice, and even in the bass sometimes works, too. That would be also a possibility to do something different. V: Yes, not only his registration should change, but maybe the manner of playing! A: True. V: Spice things up. Make it more colorful and interesting. Maybe add some non-chordal notes, like passing tones and neighbor tones, suspensions, re-harmonize. A: Yes! V: I don’t know if he has some skill in that or not, but that could certainly be a possibility, and a 22 rank 2 manual organ might sound like eight stops per manual plus additional stops in the pedals. So, if you have something like 8 stops in the manual, this could be something like 8’ Principal, 8’ Flute, maybe a Gamba, maybe 4’ Principal like Octave, maybe a 4’ Flute, then maybe a 2’ Principal, probably (a Super Octave), Mixture, and a Trumpet, probably. What else… maybe instead of a string stop, he might have a fifth stop (2 2/3’) instead of that on the first manual. I’m just guessing, of course. A: Yes, this is just a hypothetical thought, because we don’t see the specification lists. What else could he do, because he wants to find new registrations? Sometimes you might use only 4’ Flute alone in some soft interludes, for example. It works nicely if you have some sort of canzona-like piece, which is a little bit polyphonic, and it has a joyful character—a joyful, sweet character. You might try the 4’ flute alone. V: Or 4’ Principal. A: Yes. Or sometimes 4’ and 2’ stops, if they are soft enough—if the 2’ is not too screamy. V: If it has a Trumpet, you could play the harmony with the Trumpet, as well, in a festive situation. A: Yes. V: Or, if you have a Cantus firmus in the soprano, you could solo it out, take it on another manual with a reed stop, or a Cornet stop would work on the second manual, for example, in general, taking it on two manuals, not on one, gives more colorful options. Then, of course, your solo stop could be played in the tenor range, with the left hand. A: That’s right. And we don’t know if he has a 16’ stop on the manual, but if he does, he might play some music also on two manuals, and he could accompany with his left hand, with the 16’ and 8’, and then add some higher pitched stops on the other manual for solo voice. V: Or even re-harmonize the four voices or three voices, soprano alto and bass, and play the pedal with the reed, if he has an 8’ Trumpet, and in the tenor range, not in the base range. A: And in general, if he has some assistance, it would be really nice if he could go to listen to his organ from the side. V: Record himself. A: Or yes, if he doesn’t have help, he might record himself, and to listen to those various combinations, and then he might decide what works, and what does not, and in general, if he has a big hall during Mass, for example, then of course, he needs to consider that he needs to use more stops than if playing in church alone, because people will just eat up the sound. V: Right. He doesn’t say that he wants to be a concert organist, but it doesn’t hurt to play pieces that could be supplemental to the liturgy in addition. That could be part of the concert repertoire, but that could be liturgical chorales, or chorale preludes. And with these, you could experiment with even more colorful registrations. A: That’s right. So, I think that a 22 rank instrument is fairly enough for experiments. V: Yes. Hopefully, he can take advantage of this, and share his music with the congregation, and hopefully get feedback—nice feedback. A: I know, but also, you don’t have to do experiments like play with mixture stops alone. That definitely wouldn’t work. V: No. People hearing it will scream. A: So, I guess the organ in general is quite a conservative instrument, so you need to apply certain rules, and not experiment too much. V: 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.
Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast 545!
Today's guest is Daniel Moult who is Head of Organ Studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and international concert artist, is “one of the finest organists of our time” (The Organ). Renowned for his virtuosic, intelligent and engaging performances, his musicianship has been praised as “exhilarating” (Gramophone), “dazzling” (The Organ), and “formidable” (Organists’ Review). Daniel’s innovative approach to the promotion of organ music has seen him presenting and performing in the DVDs Virtuoso! Music for Organ, a film featuring some of the most demanding organ repertoire of the twentieth-century, and The Elusive English Organ, a journey through English organ music from Byrd to Wesley. He is currently filming The English Organ, a major DVD and CD boxset covering music and organs from Handelian times to the present day. He has made several CDs, including the first solo recording of the newly-restored organ of Arundel Cathedral, and one of Handel's organ concerti and other pieces on the Signum Classics’ releases, Handel at Vauxhall. As a soloist, Daniel has performed in the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia. Upcoming appearances include major venues and festivals in the UK, as well as concerts celebrating Handel with the London Early Opera Orchestra, and concerti appearances in Germany. He has been Artist in Residence at Sydney Grammar School and is due to record in Australia and New Zealand in 2018/19. Based in London, Daniel was born in Manchester and studied at Oxford University and Amsterdam Conservatorium. At Birmingham, he heads the highly-acclaimed organ department in a new £57 million building. He teaches and leads masterclasses, workshops and courses around the world. Daniel has published several editions, including the Easy Bach Album and the Easy Handel Album for Bärenreiter. He broadcasts frequently on BBC television and radio and has recorded for various record labels including Fugue State, Signum and Sony BMG. Today with Daniel we are talking about what it takes to be an ambassador of an English organ. I was delighted to know that we have a common friend - James Flores from Australia. Listen to the conversation Relevant link: www.danielmoult.com SOPP532: In recent years I had to give up organ playing in public because of my physical health12/26/2019
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 532 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Maureen, and she writes: “Dear Vidas, I am a graduate from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London which was for piano playing.. I have never sat any organ exams nor played music for the organ at that level. My foot work was not at such a high standard. In recent years I had to give up playing in public because of my physical health. I have a condition called Fibromyalgia which is a painful and debilitating one. Playing the organ was my first love and made my debut in my hometown when I was only 13 years old. I played at a Sunday evening service in the Protestant Church of Scotland and later asked to deputise for my music teacher who was the church organist. Good organists were scarce as was money so choices had to be made as to the disciplines which would be most beneficial to me. I chose piano, singing and cello. Organ was almost an extension to the piano lessons. I loved playing in Church for all the various Sunday services and for Mass. Hymns were particularly important to me and practised diligently each day before I started my teaching. Voluntaries were also played daily in preparation for services. Funeral music was always being worked on and it was my delight in investing in a variety of suitable music. Weddings over the years have dwindled as many people do not favour the sacrament of holy matrimony as once they did in my teenage years. I can have access to a small organ in the nearby monastery of Pluscarden Abbey, Elgin Moray where there is a healthy community of Benedictine monks. They sing plainchant which I love doing when I attend Sunday Mass there each week. I have no transport to attend daily Mass when I could be staying on to play the organ. The nearest I get to practising an organ is on my own personal Klavinova which I can attempt to mimic a near enough pleasant enough sound for the organ. I would like to think that I was more than competent as a regular organist who accompanied Church services. To put a grade on it would be one for my hands and a different level for my feet I think... Thank you for reading this account.” V: And she continues writing later: “The most important fact which I failed to tell you about was the loss of use in my right hand and arm. My hand wouldn’t open out without pain and tightness in the palm of my hand. Pain went through the whole of my arm constantly for five years! Over time and with acupuncture my hand and arm became pain free. Nothing showed in x-rays and nerve tests. What I still find is a reduced dexterity in my hand. The muscles are strong there was no damage to be found only excruciating pain. I would appreciate your advice on which type of exercise I could do daily. Hanson for piano is my mainstay at present. Thank you, Maureen” V: First of all, I’m not familiar with Hanson, maybe she means Hanon. Could be. A: Could be… V: I don’t know. To summarize her situation, I think she had this Fibromyalgia, and the remaining result is that her muscles are not… the fingers are not fast enough on her right hand. Did you understand the same way? A: Yes, that’s what I understood, too. V: So, right exercises, probably, should be done with more care than left hand exercises. A: That’s right. I would suggest for her to take supplements of vitamin B. It’s crucial for muscles, too, and I think that in order to strengthen those muscles, maybe she needs to strengthen other muscles as well, because everything in our body is connected in between, so I guess the physical exercise in general is a good idea. V: If she has no pain in her knees and legs, maybe she can walk—start walking. A: Yes, and you know, when we actually play on the organ or any other keyboard instrument, we need to think about that not our hand is doing it alone, but actually that we have a long arm, which is connected to our back, and actually that our back is even more important than our hands, because the back supports the entire arm! V: In this case, you mean that the hands are an extension of the back. A: True. V: And we have to play with feeling even the back muscles. A: True, and sometimes if you have a muscle problem in your hand, it might mean that something is wrong in your back. So my suggestion would be probably to do some Pilates. V: Pilates. A: Yes. V: Yes, Pilates would be good. It’s moderate intensity exercise, not to be very dangerous, and see how she feels. A: Because you know, if you will do only manual exercises, playing, let’s say, scales or arpeggios or something, and you will play extremely a lot of them, you might hurt yourself. V: Yes. I think with organ playing at this time, she should be moderate. Take moderation into account and not to extend herself, and maybe take care of her general health issues more carefully, and just slowly build up her technique, not expecting results overnight, or over a week, or over a month. Just her goal has to be, I think, just keep practicing, and stopping, probably, before she gets tired, not to hurt herself—not to feel exhausted—and to rest for a while and then playing some more if she wants. A: Yes, and you know, this Fibromyalgia is sort of a very mysterious disease. I read about it, but I still could not understand it, and I don’t think that doctors can, either. V: Okay, guys, 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 539, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Kirk. And he writes: Vidas: I have been practicing 2 hours a day on my full console organ. A couple of questions for my organ only has 25 pedals, so what does one do when running in organ music that is above the range of that pedalboard which runs down to 2 octaves below middle C up to Middle C on the piano. Also, I have been working out of my hymnal breaking up my practicing on the hymns down from soprano, alto and tenor and the bass part separately. With the Marcel Dupré book, I am working on one piece at a time, and working consistently on one section at a time in piece until I get my coordination and phrasing right before I go to the next phrase to work on. Kirk V: Mmm-hmm! So, Ausra, do you understand what kind of pedalboard does Kirk have? He has from Bass C to the Middle C, like most of the early organs? A: Yes, yeah. V: Two octaves. Two octaves plus one note. Well, sometimes we would have 27 notes like up to D, right? Which would facilitate a little bit. But for example, in a church where we both worked, which is called Holy Cross church, it does have only… A: Holy Cross. V: Holy Cross. it does have only pedalboard going to treble C. A: Well, it was sufficient for church music. Because, anyway you wouldn’t play virtuoso pieces on that particular instrument since we had only one keyboard there. So it was good for him and for some liturgical pieces. So I guess, well having such an organ, you have to select your repertoire accordingly. V: More early music? A: Yes, more early music. That’s right. V: I doubt that Marel Dupré’s 79 Chorales go above C too often. A: Well because it’s also sort of liturgical music. V: Plus it’s a beginners book. A: That’s right so it’s not for like, very advanced organ music. V: Yeah. He might get into higher notes from time to time but not very often. A: But then he can play them an octave lower. V: An octave lower. And the way we do this is not dropping just one note, for example. If there is a note, treble C in your score, right, and then right next to it is D. You have to think strategically. Dropping D one octave below sometimes would sound unconvincing. A: True. Maybe then you have to play lower, both notes, C and D. V: Or maybe entire phrase. A: Yes. V: Or see how can you rearrange the parts and the intervals. For example; if there is an interval when you drop downwards, if there is an interval of fourth and fifth, it’s okay, right? Second, third is also okay. But about a sixth? Sixth is also okay downwards. A: Yes, sixth is okay I think. Seventh is not okay. V: I think seventh is okay if you go downward but seventh upward is not okay, right? A: Anyway I think if we are talking about functional harmony you need to avoid the interval of the major seventh. V: Major seventh. Not a good... A: Major seventh yes. It’s really bad and you need to avoid augmented intervals. V: Uh-huh. Augmented meaning like Bb to C#. A: Yes. V: Augmented second. A: Going up. I mean, yes, doing augmented interval. If you would go below from that, you would have like diminished seventh, which would be worse. V: From Bb to C#. A: That’s right. V: Diminished seventh. Or augmented fourth is not good. Make it diminished fifth. A diminished fourth is better than augmented fifth. A: In general, that’s a rule you know. V: Mmm-hmm. A: In functional harmony that you avoid the leaps of augmented intervals. V: The second part of this question, he writes about those chorals from Marcel Dupré’s book. He writes that he’s working on one piece at a time and working consistently on one section at a time in the piece until he gets his coordination and phrasing right before he goes to the next phrase to work on. Can we suggest to memorize, like Marcel Dupré says? A: If he has time then yes. Why not? V: I think he has to find time because he uses Marcel Dupré’s book. And Marcel Dupré specifically states that after you can play the piece very slowly, both hands and the pedals, then you practice each phrase separately, and do it from memory—basically memorize it. But his method of memorization is very curious—you take a phrase of four measures long, and then you practice repeatedly the first measure, always starting and ending on the downbeat of the next measure, right? And you do like maybe five times while looking at the score and the five time without looking at the score. And then you do the same for the second measure, and then for the third measure, and then for the fourth measure—separately. Sounds boring! A: Yes, it does. V: But that’s what master recommends. A: Well, yeah. V: And then guess what comes next? Next comes two measure fragments. Measures one and two, two and three, three and four. And then you memorize one, two, three, and two, three, four together. And only then you memorize one, two, three, four together. A: I’m glad I wasn’t Marcel Dupré’s student. I would might have just died because his method is so boring. V: So let’s see if Kirk can survive that. A: I guess Marcel Dupré was famous for his discipline and for strictness to his students. V: Yes. And some people don’t like that. And that’s okay with me, because I’m not Marcel Dupré, and he’s dead. A: I know. Remember once we did those tests for fun, to tell us which of French… V: Uh-huh. A: organists we are. V: On Facebook. A: Yes. It was just really funny. V: I was Marcel Dupré? A: No. I was Marcel Dupré. And you were Cochereau. V: Pierre Cochereau. A: Pierre Cochereau, yes. V: I wonder why. A: Yes. V: There was one answer about Charles Tournimere. Who was Charles Tournimere? Our friend Polish maybe. A: No. He was also Marcel Dupré. V: He was also Marcel Dupré. Mmm. Interesting. Yeah. I guess you can only admire old masters or modern masters, up to certain point. Never try to become a master like Marcel Dupré. Be yourself, better. If you see your own character trait which is different from Marcel Dupré’s, develop it further. It will become your unique point of personality. And nobody can imitate you this way, which is more, I think, valuable than imitating masters in today's world. Because there was already Marcel Dupré, there was Pierre Cochererau already. But there is only one Ausra and one Vidas. And we’re still alive and still kicking. A: That’s right. V: And there is still one Kirk, and he needs to become also the best version of himself. Thank you 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! |
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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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