Not wishing to hijack the thread BUT
Re: Matthew's "organ society member" who is obviously very knowledgeable about what, when and how to play a tune, how about this. Not the same gentleman by any chance????
This week, a new pupil has started organ lessons with me, having just bought a large Roland Atelier, and is a member of "another" organ society in the area.He admits to having played for 20 years+ "by ear" (mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!) but feels he needs to justify the expense of the Roland by learning to read music and "play proper" - his words not mine.
Within the first lesson, he pointed out to me that it was a waste of time playing anything but bottom C pedal in time to the music, because none of the other pedals sounded any different. We "organists" only move our feet around to look clever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Having had the organ nearly 8 months, he knew "everything" about it, and was pleased to demonstrate these "new" combination pistons - every one of them was piano and strings!. He nearly threw a fit as I tried to show him how to set them for ANY combination he wanted. Piano and strings is what he wants and if he keeps them all set the same then it makes it easy is for him to change piston where ever his thumb/hand happens to be.
This chap happens to be a committee member of an organ society.
We're going to get along just fine, don't you think!
OrganFax Community » General Discussions
where do we go from here
(52 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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Hi Stephen,
No, this was a "sutherner" :-D but similar sort of attitude!
I sincerely hope you continue to enjoy the "teaching" :-D
Matt
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have learned much from my visits to New Zealand over the years. The old 'flea pit' of a cinema in Auckland is home to a now much improved and enlarged Wurlitzer. Let's forget that it's a pipe organ for second, it's the 'promotion' bit that I'm getting to.
They now attract typical audiences of well over 300 and do so because they put on a SHOW. The words; 'concert', 'recital' and 'organist' are omitted from all publicity. Superb lighting and video screen presentation is the order of the day and some jolly hard work to get the press etc on side has won the day over. I was featured there in a national TV magazine programme a few years ago along with Neil Jensen from Australia and you can't get better PR than that.
Why is it that we just don't seem to be able to do this over here? No one in Auckland gives a stuff as to whether it's old or new, Reginald Dixon, Elvis, Queen or classical - as long as it is high class in its presentation and FUN! We have got to get away from the old fashioned and outdated mentality of clubs/ societies with stuffy committees, strip lighting, crummy raffles and incessant talk of poor turnouts........Let's pull our finger out and try to put the organ scene back to what it should be.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"We have got to get away from the old fashioned and outdated mentality of clubs/ societies with stuffy committees, strip lighting, crummy raffles and incessant talk of poor turnouts"
Here here!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Here Here indeed!
Pipe Organ or Electronic Organ, the same criteria should apply to all organ societies, clubs, "shows". Again, I go back to the ATOS journal which reports each bi-month, state by state the activities that go on - meetings at members' residences, meetings at theatres and churches, suppers, barbecues, teach-ins, registration workshops, hands-on for the newcomer's, taking [Allen] organs into elementary and secondary schools and demonstrating "the organ" to the children. The number of US younger players that same to be featured appears to my UK eyes to be increasing. They have more theatre organ/electronic organ teachers - and I guess teachers of the very highest calibre - who are brimming with pupils......and if I read between the lines, a large percentage of these pupils are wanting to DO SOMETHING with their playing, not just bum around for something to fill a spare moment.
Organ societies, members and committee should get heads around a table for some serious discussions NATIONWIDE. Organ societies are too insular in my opinion. I will quote (whilst I'm on my soapbox as secretary of Blackpool Keyboard Club!!!!) our pleasure in announcing concerts put on by other societies - one not very far away - as a courtesy to the "organ society world". I am informed by "my spies" that NEVER once do THEY give us a mention in spite of me sending out to them our BKC newsletters by email, and apparently have occasionally been heard to "knock" us. We're not in it for rivalry and never have been, and never should be. Liason is not in their dictionary.
I'm TRYING to not "knock" them (to use an "oop North expression") but it does make me cross.
BKC is not perfect - we have "crummy raffles" - we have prizes (??!!) donated by members that would be better suited to a car boot sale bargain bucket, but to not put them out on the table would offend our valuable members. But we do have the "bottle of whiskey" (good stuff) and occasional "homemade cake" special prizes which always attract a few £££££'s
I could go on................but..................!There is so much hard work and good work out by talented, dedicated and enthusiastic people out there in the organ world but is it enough?
Some ideas, experiences etc., as to what works for YOU that could be shared by the strugglers and those striving to improve the situation.
Off soap box now
Stephen Austin - organ teacher, occasional performer, Secretary of Blackpool Keyboard ClubPosted 2 years ago # -
Good point, Stephen. There's still quite a chunk of rivalry, jealousy and bitterness in the organ world - I can tell you that from personal experience. You are quite right that the way forwards is surely going to made all the better by cooperation between parties. If we all stick together and try and pull together, then surely the end result will be all the better for it?
Posted 2 years ago # -
"Why is it that we just don't seem to be able to do this over here? No one in Auckland gives a stuff as to whether it's old or new, Reginald Dixon, Elvis, Queen or classical - as long as it is high class in its presentation and FUN!"
My point exactly - it should be about entertainment!
Let's hope societies start taking notice!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Just dropped by and read the latest messages on this topic. Chris and Matthew have delighted audiences at Rye Wurlitzer concerts for years as they are both Entertainers. Both playing a broad range of music to suit all tastes. They both have a pleasant personality which the audience warms to. More importantly they come prepared to enjoy themsleves and muck in with the activities that seem to go on at Rye. For instance Matthew didn't bat an eye and continued to play as a rather large Andy Pandy with Teddy came dancing around him during a selection of Childrens TV Themes at his March concert this year. Chris along with Jean Martyn had a marvellous ovation by close on 200 people at our May concert ably assisted by their own personal cheerleader with Pom Poms as they entered. Plus, a Sousa selection towards the end saw sight of a rather large baton twirling majorette. ( I was hoping for a whole troop to enter but they disbanded two months previous)
These two examples are all part of the afternoons entertainment at Rye and patrons seem disappointed if nothing daft happened.
Yes, we too have grotty prizes in our raffles but always take a hundred pounds and more on concert days, so whats the problem with grotty prizes if money is raised.Prizes have been delivered to the "lucky winners" seats by numerous characters in the past with the assistance of my son Elliot when aged between 10 - 15. Surely, clubs out there have got young people who would do the same, there are some brilliant masks around that can be hired. The only person who visited more than once was HM The Queen as despite wearing a gold dress, long white gloves and demonstarting a magnificent wave, he always kept his white training shoes on which made the whole scene even more bizarre. Others included Oliver Hardy, Nelson Mandella, John Innes ( yes of potting compost fame), Cupid, Queen Victoria, W.G. Grace, to name a few of around 40 charcters we dressed him up in. Did it damage him physcologically ? was he bullied at school over it ? - nothing in the slightest. If anything, it was a great character building excercise for him and has grown into a fine upstanding young man.
With so many clubs in our region as supporters travel from all over Kent, Sussex and Surrey to our concerts. Rye ( I hope ), has always been and will continue to be different than the normal monthly electronic meetings and other pipe installations in the South. Rye is Rye and we arrange entertaining afternoons.
How on earth can clubs moan about poor attendances in a concert situation to those that have made the effort to attend. The moaning and groaning and sheer effort and determination is done behind the scenes in striving to keep numbers up and members happy.
At Rye we are all amatuers - doing a professional job - to the best of our ability - but, at the same time having FUN.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Couldn't have said it better myself Richard! Here here!
Rye is a perfect example of what Chris is talking about... the afternoons are fun and entertaining and that's what keeps them coming back. On the other hand, it doesn't just happen by itself, I know just how much you and the team put into the organising and fund raising for the shows and at the end of the day, you get out of it what you put in!
Well done and keep up the good work, we look forward to coming back to meet the majorette, Oliver Hardy, Nelson Mandella, John Innes, Cupid, Queen Victoria, W.G. Grace or whoever else will be there on our next visit!
Posted 2 years ago # -
I hear of clubs closing, not because of a lack of members but because no one wants to run them. One club closed because it couldn’t fill the vice positions, every position had a vice position down to the MC, they had a bigger committee than most major corporations.
As chairman of Basildon Keyboard Club I am fortunate in having a great team behind me. We do have a committee, but only so we can open a bank account. Three people, myself, secretary and treasurer are that committee. The rest form part of the team, from making the tea, controlling the cameras and lights to getting out and putting away the chairs. No one has a JOB, everyone is focused on getting things done.
Basildon is also very fortunate that we have Keith to look after our lights, the club does have its own lighting but are grateful we have someone on the team who enjoys providing lighting for our shows.
Basildon has an increasing membership, I am not sure why but some of the following may be relevant.
1. The club has always had its own lighting
2. We are prepared to try something new, We have now held six Vienna nights, something other clubs are catching up with. We have people come to our Vienna nights that don’t come to any other concert.
3. For a number of years we have had ‘Welcome Players’ playing while the audience come in. This is very popular with both the audience and the Welcome team who get to play in public.
4. We regularly play at the local shopping centre, we are welcome because we behave in a professional way, we keep the centre advised of money raised for the charities we support and we ensure we don’t get in the way. In fact the centre management would like us to play more frequently than we have the resources for.
5. We have just invested in video equipment, three cameras, projector and all the cables for less than £700. Fortunately we didn’t have to buy the screen but that would only have cost another £100. Why do people think they need to go to the lottery asking for grants of thousands?
6. We fully support the activities of all clubs in the area, sadly not as many as there was partly due to no one wanting to run them. More clubs mean more players so yes I am sorry to see the competition close.
7. We do run a raffle, we try to ensure the prizes are worth winning as we value our audience and do not want them thinking we are just trying to get as much money out of them as possible with as little outlay as possible.
8. We run a recycled music table (bring and buy) it raise about £120 a year, not a lot but it helps.I chair the club meetings at the Cavalcade festival at Pakefield, I am trying to move away from the old system of complaining about what is and moving to what if, if you are at Pakefield come along and have your say, I don’t have all the answers but would like constructive debate face to face.
Posted 2 years ago #
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