A couple of days ago I was surprised to get more than 60 “Likes” when I posted this photo of the Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists after our Annual Dinner Meeting at the Mandalay Restaurant. I’m guessing that people were surprised to see so many people in the picture! Oh, not everyone pictured here… Read More Taking the organ to the people
Yesterday, I received the following post from Happiness Heroes and shared it on my Facebook wall. In 1969, Mr. Rogers gave the following emotional plea to a Senate Subcommittee. Nixon was trying to cut funding for PBS. Mr. Rogers was trying to save it. This speech is one of many fantastic memories that remind us just… Read More An organist in the Neighborhood
Thanks to the miracle of the Internet and Facebook, I was able to catch a glimpse of my former student, Joey Fala, at the Yale commencement ceremonies held last week as he was granted a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance. I had the same feelings as when my husband and I held our… Read More We did this!
One hundred fifty years ago on Ascension Day, 1867, Queen Emma Kaleleonālani, wife of King Kamehameha IV, founded St. Andrew’s Priory School for Girls. Today’s Ascension Day service combined orchestra, band, choir, organ and congregation to celebrate the school’s founding—and the decibel level in St. Andrew’s Cathedral was so loud that when I played full… Read More How loud is loud?
From time to time, I get calls from people wanting to sell their home organs and are looking to place them in good homes—I feel like I’m finding a home for a puppy! Or they are retiring and have a lot of organ music to give away. This week, I found both situations when I met… Read More A visit with Dr. Tabrah
Perhaps no church music program had a greater influence on the late Carl Crosier than that of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle, Washington. As a student at the University of Washington, he attended the weekly Compline service in the mid-60s —that was when only about 50-60 people attended, not like the hundreds of young people… Read More Living stones
Always practice in your recital outfit! I always tell my students to practice at least once in their recital outfit so they can find out whether it will impede them in any way. I wish I had taken my own advice! I learned this the hard way today when I played on the Rededication Concert… Read More I should take my own advice!
It was bound to happen on a day like today—I had six appointments scheduled in six different locations (!) and I thought I was prepared. My day was supposed to start with an early morning board meeting of Early Music Hawaii when my cell phone rang. When I saw the phone number on my caller… Read More Too many balls!
Four concerts in one weekend? Is that a little bit much or what? Two of the concerts I’m attending are by choral groups led by musical colleagues, another is one in which two of my students are performing, and the last is one in which I’ll be playing. Friday night, I’ll be attending the Spring concert of… Read More A four-concert weekend
My long-time friend, Edith Ho, formerly of the Church of the Advent in Boston, passed along this video of the recently-rebuilt organ at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the world of organs and organists. Although the video is narrated in French by… Read More The organ of Notre Dame Cathedral