For the last week, my focus has been totally unmusical — I was in Burbank, California, attending the 50th anniversary of my high school graduation, the Class of 1968. As I was unwittingly a key member of the Reunion Committee, I was asked to give a short speech at the banquet—on two days’ notice! Fifty years ago, this would have thrown me into a tizzy. However, I am glad to report that the speech and the entire weekend was a complete and smashing success. (If you’d care to see a copy of my speech, click here.)

Ever since I got home on Monday night, though, I have been absolutely bombarded with emails of thanks, as well as people sending me dozens of photos from last weekend’s three-day celebration. You see, I have committed myself to producing a full-color memory book of the Reunion events, so my responsibilities are far from over. My brother, Rick, was the official photographer and will soon send me over 400 photographs he took the night of the banquet which I will layout in the memory book. I hope to be able to mail the booklets out by the middle of November.

Yikes! Tomorrow is Thursday, and there are now only three days until our “Organists 1-2-3” concert this Saturday, October 13 at 7:30 pm, to be held at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu! I must switch gears from all things Reunion back to organ playing. I have actually been anxious to play this concert of organ solos, duets and trios ever since I bought a small pipe organ for my apartment in 2015. I am so grateful to my friends, Jieun Kim Newland and Sachi P. Hirakouji, who have humored me and put in the rehearsal time to prepare for this concert. Playing the music for this concert has been so much fun!

Psst! There is a little surprise that we have planned for the next to the last piece. It involves two of my organ students, Sophia and Raphael Stark. The clue I’ll give you is “OSCAR MEYER.” (Huh?)

The one decision I am super happy about is that when I was asked about the tuning of my home pipe organ, I requested that the pitch match that of the LCH organs, with A=443 (slightly sharp). Otherwise this concert would not even be possible if the tuning did not match! In fact, it would have been a terrible disaster!

Happily, at our first rehearsal some weeks ago, we played the first piece together and the three organs: the large 33-rank Beckerath Organ, the 3-rank Beckerath continuo, and my baby organ were all “right on the money!” Just think of them as the Three Bears: Papa, Mama and Baby Bear organs!

I picked up the printed programs today, and if you would like a sneak peek, you can click here.

Hope to see you Saturday night!