Discover how simple air is tranformed into music as it travels through the pipes of the organ. Learn how the materials used to construct the pipes, as well as the size of the pipes, all contribute to the sound they make. These videos are intersting on their own, but are used to illustrate and demonstrate…
Tag: organ
Walk with Me
I am glad our paths have crossed. Let’s reminisce. How did we meet? School? Band? Church, youth group, handbells or choir? Did we meet at a conference? Were you a subscriber to a publication or did you come to one of my concerts? Maybe you have one of my books. Are you (were you) one…
8 Steps to Great Lessons
Whether you are just about to embark on the wonderful journey of learning music, or are continuing your studies, there are some things you can do to help make sure you will be getting the very most out of your lessons. 1. Find the right teacher. Sounds easy, right? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. …
How It Began
I’ve been blessed. Seriously. Not everybody gets to love what they do as much as I do. I’ve taught private music lessons (piano, organ, voice and theory) since 1972. There have been many years — and I do mean many years — I’ve also served as a church musician. I’ve been the organist, the pianist,…
Mini Course: The Story of the Pipe Organ
It’s the story of one of the oldest instruments and, until relatively recently, the mankind’s most complex machine. A great printable lesson is available. No previous music is needed for this unit study. A complete lesson plan is provided. Videos provide additional audio and visual support for the lesson and required to complete some of…
Mini-Course: How Do Organ Pipes Work?
“Why are there so many pipes?” “But how come you sit over here and the sound comes out over there?” “Why are those pipes so big?” “Why are those pipes so tiny?” “Why are some of the pipes made from metal and others are made from wood?” “How long do pipes last?” Right after the…
1912 M.P. Moller, Avon Federated Church, Avon, Illinois
The first settlers in Avon, Illinois, arrived in 1835. In just twenty years, the area grew enough to have a post office, changed its name twice, saw the building of a branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) and formed several churches. Among those fellowships were a Universalist Church and a Congregational Church….
The Notre-Dame Cathedral Paris Pipe Organ
The world watched in frozen horror as news broadcasts showed a fire blazing through the Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019. The fate of the historic building and its contents hung in the balance. The damage was extensive, yet somehow, miraculously even, some things survived. Among the remaining treasures in the cathedral is the…
Join the Ranks!
Combining my interest in history with performing on a magnificent organ seemed like a great idea, so when Mike Hobbs, from the Civil War Round Table, asked me to provide a program for them I quickly agreed. I had absolutely no idea, however, how this event would grow…and grow…and grow over the next days and…
“Trumpet Voluntary” Henry Heron
Imagine what the keyboard of a piano looks like. Whether an upright or grand, a piano has one set of keys. Now imagine what an organ looks like. Most people visualize multiple rows of keys (called manuals) which are played by the hands, and one big set of keys on the floor (called pedals) which are…
“Every Time I Feel the Spirit”
It is not always possible to find the story behind a song. Songs classified as African-American spirituals, like this one, were typically created by slaves living in the southern United States in the pre-Civil War era. The tunes and words were passed down for generations before even being written. If we try to guess what…
Bunte Blätter, Opus 99, by Robert Schumann
Between 1838 to 1841, German composer Robert Schumann wrote the fourteen piano pieces which later became collectively known as Opus 99, Bunte Blätter (Colorful Leaves). It is an unusual collection, consisting of Stücklein III (Three Small Pieces), five untitled Albumblätter (Album Leaves), and six individual piano pieces. Schumann was first a composer for solo piano. …