I was feeling so confident in using my new Flic buttons to turn the pages on my iPad that last Sunday at St. Mark’s, I put 95% of the service music on it, and created a Setlist, putting all the music in order. Things were going along swimmingly until we got to the communion hymn.… Read More Authentic human moment!
Mini-Choir Vacation Itʻs Thursday night as I write this … and surprise, surprise! Iʻm not at choir rehearsal tonight because the St. Markʻs Choir is having a break following a most busy Triduum and Easter. Weʻll be having only a cantor for the next two Sundays so tonight and next Thursday Iʻm at home! I… Read More Unexpected respite
Last weekend was Candlemas, and there was a special High Mass that I played at St. Mark’s which included offerings by the choir, a candlelight procession throughout the neighborhood, and a delicious potluck dinner afterwards. I made another batch of the fresh cranberry shortbread to bring to the potluck! But what instantly transported me to… Read More Transported …
Oh no. Not now! As I started playing the second hymn at Nuuanu Congregational Church this morning, I could see the telltale symptoms of an ocular migraine starting. A tiny medallion appeared in my vision, and it was pulsating, shimmering larger and smaller with every moment. It appeared in both eyes. In case you’ve never… Read More Terrifying
My schedule at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church has changed recently so instead of playing a Sunday High Mass and Sunday afternoon Vespers and Benediction, I now play a Saturday Vigil Mass with Benediction instead of Sunday Vespers. Before the schedule changed in July, Father Paul Lillie suggested that I play the same prelude and postlude… Read More Second chances
Honestly, I don’t know whether “The Week That Was” refers to last week, while I was on my birthday trip to California — or this week, where between October 29 and November 6, I will have played seven church services, and a Friday night choir rehearsal YOWSERS! I arrived home on Saturday night completely exhausted.… Read More The Week That Was
And in the “Adventures as a Church Organist, episode 813 …” I found an article recently, written by Ashley Danyew, on the skills needed to be a church musician. The skills included: The complete article may be found here: “8 Skills that set you apart as a church musician.”) Let me expound on number 2,… Read More Church organist adventures
There was a complaint, today, on the American Guild of Organists Facebook page, about the extra amount of work it requires for an organist to play for a Zoom service compared to an in-person gathering. After almost a year with zoom church services, I finally realized that I am doing three times the work of… Read More Zoom organists
Along with playing for services, organists are frequently called to accompany choirs. I myself started accompanying choirs when I was fifteen and got my first church job at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Burbank, CA. (I was paid $66.67 a month which included two weekly choir rehearsals plus a Sunday morning service and warmup!) When I entered… Read More Accompanying the choir
The following 44 requirements for being a church organist were posted by Alexandra Fol on her blog: A church organist has to: 1) Function properly at 8 am 2) Be prepared to play in case the choir conductor and the choir do not show up. 3) Know to take initiative if the choir conductor begins… Read More So you want to be a church organist?