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1. Rod2
   Member

   Hi Folks,
   just to say hello. I live in Harrogate, North Yorks. Been an organ enthusiast for years, but only recently had lessions. Organ tutors are like gold dust these days, but think I have found one of the best. He's from the old school, and been teaching for over 30 years, and played the circuit around Leeds before that!
   I have a Tachnics GA3 which I think is the best think since sliced bread, but as an ex organ engineer, I am biased!

   If you want to see one of the best young talent on organ I have ever seen, go on to U tube and type in Florian Spielt Gala TM900. I understand he cannot read nor had a music lession in his life. He is amazing, you will not be dissapointed.
   I would apprecaite your comments on this incredible young man.

   I like this re vamped new site, well done, excellent.

   Cheers

   Rod

   Posted 3 years ago #

2. J. Collar
   Member

   Hi Rod

   Followed your lead to Youtube and "Florian"! You certainly weren't wrong - he is absolutely mindblowing as a player. I have never seen such dexterity nor imaginative playing, even if he is mimicking Franz Lambert. If this young man isn't used by Wersi as a demonstrator, or doesn't take up a career as a professional organist he will be wasting his life as such a talent is so rare. He absolutely deserves to be heard more widely. His videos have even changed my views on the Wersi sound! I URGE more organ enthusiasts to take a look at the Youtube videos under "Gala TM900".

   Jeremy

   Posted 3 years ago #

3. Stephen Austin
   Member

   Rod2 - you say organ TEACHERS are like gold dust. Here's one poor organ teacher - also 30+ years experience with a Technics GA thinking that organ STUDENTS are rarer than gold dust.
   They all want to play "keyboards" (or piano) - not that keyboards don't have their place, or that I am short of pupils for these instruments by any means, but PLEASE !!!! ............aren't there any potential organ students out there ? - Fylde Coast (that's Blackpool area)
   Technics GA 1 and full 32-note pedal board classical organ (digital) available for lessons.....beginners upwards welcome.

   oops.....have I just advertised my services? sorry ;-)

   Posted 3 years ago #

4. phil
   Member

   Welcome aboard Rod.

   That’s great news about the organ lessons and finding a teacher that’s capable of teaching you how to play these great instruments correctly.
   You’ll have a great time with your Technics GA3, keep us updated with your progress.

   I used to be biased toward the Yamaha Electone’s at one time and I guess I still am to a degree as I own one, however these days I like any instrument that’s played well.
   I came across Florian Spielt a few months ago on YouTube; he has great talent and gets a fabulous sound from the Gala TM900. If he’d been around back in the 70’s he would have been snapped up straight away, even the top pro organists of today find it hard to make a decent living.

   Hi Steve it’s nice to hear from you again on this forum, a lot of the regulars seem to have disappeared.
   I don’t think anyone can pull you down for advertising lesson s especially on here. I guess the organ seen needs more advertising if anything.

   I was asked to play at relatives wedding anniversary over the winter, as it was only a half hour spot I took my Yamaha PSR9000pro and a set of Roland PK-5A midi bass pedals, the landlord of the venue was in his mid to late 30’s, when I was setting up my equipment he asked me what that thing was under the keyboard, I replied bass pedals, he told he’d never seen anything those before and walked off.

   This is really worrying, any landlord 10 or 15 years a go would have known exactly what bass pedals were.
   I hope this was a one off, or is that the way the organ seen has gone?
   This is frightening.

   Regards

   Phil.

   Posted 3 years ago #

5. Stephen Austin
   Member

   I often wonder (and worry) why the big switch from organ to keyboard happened. In the golden days of the electronic organ - the 60's to the 80's - I had a full teaching schedule of ORGAN students - beginners and advanced, children and adults. We found that many former organ players (as opposed to organISTS!) began to swop their two manual instruments for single keyboards, not needing any more lessons because the "keyboard" was easier to play. Most of them ended up under the bed, covered in fluff, and a lot of hard work on my part and theirs gone to waste.
   Why NOW is it that I have so many pupils of all ages learning the piano- classical music, popular music, whatever, happy to take exams, happy to come along to our local organ society (Blackpool Keyboard Club), go to the Tower Ballroom and listen to the organ and yet don't want to play the organ???????? The organ festival weekends are well attended, the organ festival weeks are well attended...........? Surely the inspiration that I would expect to be gained from theses events would move more to take up the instrument for study.
   I have a handful of organ students, some come from far away for a fortnightly or monthly lesson and yet I am (probably) the only organ teacher in this area that covers classical organ, popular/theatre organ and is able to cover the entire range of exam requirements, should they want them. I hear of one other teacher who uses ONLY Kenneth Baker books 1 thru 7 and that's it !!!!!!

   Am I in a "dead zone"?

   Opinions anyone? Lessons anyone?

   stephen

   ps...perhaps this should be transferred to the "where do we go from here" thread.

   Posted 3 years ago #

6. Rod2
   Member

   Hi again,

   I am pleased that some have had a look at Florian, I have no aspirations to ever be that good! LOL, but enjoy my humble playing. Someone mentioned Kenneth Baker series, well I have several of his library books as well as the complete series 1-7. My tutor however often makes changes (in pencil) to these as well as writing peices of his own, by hand. One recent song I asked him to help me with is the title music from the film "Somewhere in time" by John Barry. I think this is a lovely peice, and sounds wonderful on strings/flue piano etc.

   Gordon my tutor as several instruments, including a Yahmaha clavinola, a Tyros 3, a large Yamha (I forget which model) but he really likes my GA3. While the Tyros produces some incredible sounds, I would not want to play without my bass pedals. Gordon (aged 79 and recently hurt his leg in the gym!) gives me some very good bass work, that you could never get on auto settings, hence I rarely use anything but manual bass pedals. I think the Tyros 3 technology in a full organ with pedals, would be excellent. I wonder if Yamaha as any such model, or any plans to produce one? I am sure there would be a demand.

   Steven. My wife and I are coming to Blackpool in July, maybe look you up?
   we always stay at the New President Hotel (as was used in the TV series "hotel on sea")
   We have here in Harrogate, a very active and well suported organ club, but I must confess to not been able to go much. I did however have the pleasure of seeing a guest organist Howard Beumont, last year. What a superb player!

   Incidentally, Gordon holds a very prestigious award from the Royal school of music, from what I understand one of only a handful awarded in the whole of the UK. I have seen it where it adorns his wall with some pride! I will have to ask him again, what it is as I forget. I have had weekly lessions for just over a year now. I am the sort who needs to be pushed, but he is a hard task master. I only once started "busking" during one of his lessions. I won't be making that mistake again!

   Nice to meet fellow enthusiasts on here, and hopefully make like minded new friends.

   Chat soon

   Kind regards

   Rod (Harrogate)

   Posted 3 years ago #

7. tony35
   Member

   Hello stephen..in response to your post .. i think its fair to say that that organists will never be as good as they were a few years back.. everything is done for you with most electronic organ and keyboards in todays age. i know ppl who have actually made CD`s on tyros playing chords and one finger with 3 minute intros !! ... ppl are mainly going for keyboard now a days ..i remember woods music shop in my area they dont even deal with organs now and when i last spoke some kid on the phone in keyboard dept said "organ ..is that one of those things with pedals ?" i really dont think its long before the theatre organ has died.. we dont have none or that many young organists to keep it alive much longer.. and also reckon once p.kelsall has packed it in (retired) that will go down too..its already cutting back the hours..they just cant get the talent in there no more.. i was there a few months back 8 ppl in there a few years back it was more like 280 same time of year.. i would like to hear anyones views on this.. thank Tony

   Posted 3 years ago #

8. phil
   Member

   Hi Tony,
   The organ scene is slowly dwindling down sadly. I don’t’ know if you read my earlier post regarding the landlord of a venue I played at but that’s the way it has gone.

   There are a few facts we have to take in to consideration.

   The first is technology.
   When I learned to play in the mid 70’s the only sound you got was what you were capable of playing, if you were lucky the organ had sustain on the bass pedals.
   Why should someone spend the best part of five years learning how to play it for them selves? Today you only have to press a button and sound like a full orchestra, the bass and counter melody is automatically played for you. Unfortunately this is what has happened, people being what they are have become lazy.

   The second is size.
   To have an organ in your home takes space. I’ve always had to dedicate a room for this and to be honest they are not the best looking piece of furniture to have in your living room.
   The modern keyboard can be put in a wardrobe or under the bed and is out of sight. It’s also portable in comparison to the large organ console.

   The third is price.
   I remember buying a Yamaha D65 in the early 80’s it cost just over £3,000, which was a lot of money then.
   You only need to look at the latest new organ prices in the U.K and your talking £3,000 plus for the basic models. You can buy a basic keyboard for just a few hundred pounds with all the latest technology on board, all though this out been weighed slightly today as the used organ market has never been so good, you can pick up some great deals.

   All of this taken in to consideration, I still think there is nothing better than to sit at the console of my Yamaha EL-90T and just play. I still enjoy watching and listening to the pro organists playing the circuit.

   Regards.

   Phil.

   Posted 3 years ago #

9. Stephen Austin
   Member

   Interesting and valid points made there Phil - sad but true. The "organ" is a victim of technology and "dumbing down" whereas other musical instruments are not subject to it in the same form. If you want to learn clarinet, trumpet, violin etc., even piano, there is (fortunately) no easy opt-out instrument to substitute. Technology may well improve the instruments performance, but the player STILL has to learn the techniques and skills that are associated with that instrument. I'm not wishing to offend anyone with my comments and I gladly acknowledge that "keyboards" have earned their place with some amazing performers on the scene but it is NOT a substitute for an organ, I'm sure you'll agree.

   Posted 3 years ago #

10. phil
    Member

    Hi Stephen,
    Your absolutely rite, you don’t offend me at least by your comments. The Organ is a victim of it’s own technology.
    If you think about it 30 years ago it was a workhorse. Almost every club or Public House had an organ and a resident organist. Most of the acts and singers couldn’t perform with out the organ backing them; I remember a lot of artists on the circuit saying such a club was great because they had a B3 and the organist could sight-read. Even The Michael Parkinson show with Harry Stoneham and the Sale Of The Century with staring Nicolas Parsons with Peter Fen were famous for their organists.
    Then along came technology with the Kari-Oki machine and backing tapes. Why pay for an organist when you can play a tape or CD for free. Can you imagine how much revenue the organ manufacturers must have lost when all those workhorses as I call them weren’t in demand any more. The only revenue they were left with was from the home player and odd pro organist.

    Phil.

    Ps, This topic is worthy of it’s own thread.

    Posted 3 years ago #

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