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1. Stephen Austin
   Member

   "Although it would be more difficult to replicate the past, with fewer ogan shops and schools are around, could this not be a starting point? Could societies not link in with music shops to advertise avents, local papers etc to gain interest.".......says Steve R

   Having joined the American Theatre Organ Society last year, we receive a bi-monthly magazine - A4 size, glossy, packed with photos, articles and ads - but what strikes us most is the activities going on in the theatre organ world. They have "theatre organ summer camps" for young people, and similar for not-so-young, where you can enjoy a few days of lectures, teach-ins, demonstrations, masterclasses.....with the theatre organ as a focal point.
   The ATOS have a touring Allen theatre organ which they take round to schools and demonstrate the instrument and the art of playing it to audiences of high school students. Various universities have organ departments within their music faculty which in turn have THEATRE organ departments where students can "officially" study the instrument as part or whole of their degree.

   The american (theatre) organ scene definitely has a "hands on" / "come and play" attitude which seems to be evident across every state, not just in small geographical pockets.
   I have a pupil who is DYING to get his hands on a (decent)theatre organ - he has been (but no longer) organist at a local church - but having approached some while ago two venues where (decent) instruments are installed, at the first mention of the word "lesson", the doors are shut and the portcullis is down. One venue even said they did not want anyone to BREAK the instrument......oh, please!!!!!!!!!

   Perhaps I am looking across the Atlantic with an envious eye but can we not learn from their bountiful activities which are spreading the word and enthusiasm for the theatre organ across ALL age ranges like measles!

   Posted 2 years ago #

2. melksham
   Member

   We (Melksham Electronic Organ Club ) have just had one of our best concert
   for quite a while. I have posted on organ fax that we were having our 25th anniversary and Robert Wolfe was playing for us. It was attended by 220 members and visitors.
   If you want to know if they enjoyed it & even being Nice was what they wanted I suggest you ask some who attended.
   Come on ! the people come out for a good night of music and pleasant chat
   what more do you expect of small clubs
   Betty Stone Chairman

   Posted 2 years ago #

3. 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 2 years ago #

4. esomma
   Member

   Stephen, don't look across the Atlantic with an envious eye. We are struggling just as badly as you at maintaining interest in the home organ. As for teachers, believe me they are now scarce as hen's teeth! Wish I lived a bit closer to your area!
   The last two piano/organ stores in a local large city (Worcester, Ma.) just recently closed their doors and there is now very little choice of somewhere else to go. Some of the organ clubs in Florida and California, where there is a greater percentage of (affluent) retirees, seem to be doing well but it seems in the rest of the country keyboards, guitars, and the economy are doing a job on us.........

   Posted 2 years ago #

5. phil
   Member

   Hi esomma and Steve.

   If you look back to the 1970's-1990's when the organ was in its peak not only at home but also in the club and pub scene. The organ was one of the only forms of entertainment around at that time especially in the 1970's that was developing technologically faster than any other kind of musical instrument around.
   I remember going into my local music shop in the late 70’s and seeing rows of organs with lots of buttons and lights on the console and thinking how marvellous they looked in comparison to a piano or a guitar, when one of the sales assistants demonstrated a Yamaha A55N to me, I was speechless. I was invited to a Yamaha organ demonstration shortly after where a young enthusiastic organist at the time named Glyn Madden was to play the full range of Yamaha organs. I went to the event and was so impressed I bought the Yamaha A55N for the grand fee £550.00; I was given 5 lessons free with the purchase which I took and ended up having lessons for just short of seven years. I went to all the demonstrations each year from then on.
   As the organ developed I wanted the latest technology and kept upgrading.
   Eventually in the 1990’s I felt that the organ manufacturers in general had hit there peak and was finding it difficult to impress their customers along with a price tag that was approaching £10,000 for their flag ship models hit everyone’s pockets.

   Then along came the electric piano with all the technology that had been developed for the organ and more besides at a fraction of the price with a sound just as good or if not better, plus you didn’t need to play the bass pedals.

   From the technology of the piano was developed the keyboard, again at a fraction of its price with more technology on board and this time you could play a tune with very little musical knowledge or expertise. All the trills, trumpet falls and left hand harmony’s that had taken me years to learn were there at the press of a button. When you had finished playing, it could be stored under the bed or in a wardrobe.
   I went to the launch for one of these keyboards last year, the sound and the demonstration was brilliant, however I didn’t know if it was the demonstrator that was playing or the instrument its self.

   "Where do we go from here" is the title of this thread. I guess we go where technology takes us, with this high tech world we live in, computers, satellite, digital and cable TV, portable MP3 players, Game Consoles, its hard to impress the younger generation, its all handed to them on a plate as you could say.

   I think the organ scene will be always here and there will be always pockets of enthusiasts; I’m one for sure.

   If anyone is interested I’ve got some videos on YouTube of my self playing my beloved Yamaha EL-90T and Yamaha PSR9000pro with a set of Roland PK5A Dynamic midi Bass Pedals.

   Here are the links.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCF_zNHQezQ&feature=channel

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ifkJf6mJmM&feature=channel

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UiEaOQs22U&feature=channel

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sydph_TgWrc&feature=channel

   Happy viewing.

   Regards

   Phil.

   Posted 2 years ago #

6. Dave Smith
   Member

   Hi,

   I have never complained about any organ society before now and concerns me listening to some of the posts in this forum, but it's with regret that the Solent Home Organ Society is closing its doors. However, during my return to this wonderful circuit I had the experience of the gentleman from this club being very rude to me. I just hope that his rudeness has not been one of the causes of this very unfortunate situation.

   Dave

   Posted 2 years ago #

7. Chris
   Moderator

   Very sad news about Solent..... Marie took a call from Barbara Baker yesterday advising that my own gig in August was to be pulled as the society would shut with effect from now.... It was suggested that I/the other cancelled artistes would probably receive a nominal part of the fee. The remaining money in the pot (member's money) would probably be earmarked for charity. This of course begs the question of what should be done in this unusual situation? I indeed had to turn one offer of a booking for that particular night away, so I have now in effect lost 1 1/2 jobs in the long run. It was put to them that I would happily come down and run the show myself - I would be happy to do this, but once again old father apathy has crept in.

   Personally, I for one am sick and tired of the unfortunate negative and sometimes down right depressing aura that has descended on so many avenues within the popular keyboard world. Negativity, rudeness, apathy and bone idleness seem to be four hobbies that are becoming increasingly popular within this industry.

   Come on folks, let's start to turn the tide now - there is new blood out there, it's not all a dead loss or waste of time, but we all need to pull together and make an impact.

   Posted 2 years ago #

8. Dave Smith
   Member

   Well said Chris......I'm in favour of trying to get this industry back to what it was when I left the retail trade many years ago to sit behind a desk and help to design the great Roland Atelier products that most people/artists are wanting to play these days. I'm not going to mention club's names but some clubs need to follow the work put in by the most successful clubs and that is work at it, spend some time setting the venue up, lights, video presentations, etc., etc. Make it an experience they would want to come back to. Same goes for artists though, less of the 100% theatre organ sounds, 90% of marches !

   Dave Smith

   Posted 2 years ago #

9. Chris
   Moderator

   Good for you, Dave. As I say, I think that we must all do everything within our reach to keep the flag flying and to help pave the way for a passage through the ice flow, before we all run aground. I am full of 100% enthusiasm - and many others are too, just a shame about those who do not share my keenness and desire.

   To be fair, we need varied and balanced programmes - it might be all too easy to cut out everything traditional and then loose all of the current fan base for ever.... There are exciting things ahead - watch this space.

   Chris

   Posted 2 years ago #

10. mattbason
    Member

    I have been reading these posts with great interest - and the one or two raised eyebrows with some of the comments made, particularly about choice of music.

    I agree with Chris, completely cutting out certain items would not serve any purpose....for instance the other night I played a concert at an organ society and, as my shows go, I take requests in the second half. Remembering that only 1 hour had passed and there was another to go, I had one gentleman come up to me and say...not "can you play a march"....but "you haven't played any marches yet. Why not?" - to which I replied that I just hadn't and pointed out that there was another hour to go and I would fit in a march or two and had he got any particular piece in mind? He then continued to rattle on about how it.....wait for it.....wasn't "the done thing" to leave marches until the second half.

    His was the only complaint that night, and although the committee in question said "ignore him" and made another booking for next year, it did leave me thinking "you just can't win". I also played a medley of pieces switching between orchestral and "theatre" organ sounds. This same gentleman told me that "you're not supposed to do that".......eh??? OK, this is my style - I play a mixture of sounds and styles, including theatre and hammond organ, orchestral, quartet style, big band, pop, rock etc but I put together pieces that are generally lively, fun and ENTERTAINING......

    Which brings me to this point.........have we forgotten that this is supposed to be about entertainment as well as musicianship? Have we gone too far down the route that this is something to be taken seriously to the point that some take it so seriously as to put people off?

    The big "E" word I feel is missing from certain quarters of the circuit - why not try promoting them as "light entertainment shows" as opposed to the more formal sound of "concert"?

    Posted 2 years ago #

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