I have this fantasy that when you’re retired, you’re able to throw away your alarm clock! No such luck, I still get up at 5:30 a.m. every morning, even though I may have stayed up past midnight to watch Spanish language telenovelas! It’s a fact of life, like death and taxes, that a musician’s life… Read More Delusions of retirement
Even though I set my alarm for 3:45 am, when I woke up and looked at my phone, it said 3:22 am. Yikes! Who needs sleep anyway? I had requested a 4:30 am taxi to the airport, and this time I didn’t forget anything important, like my phone or credit cards which I did when… Read More Back to Amsterdam
https://youtu.be/0YW-uv3Ibm8 Since I grew up without television, I had never watched the show, “Queen for a Day,” which began as a radio show in 1945 then ran on NBC Television from 1956-1960 and on ABC from 1960-1964. Every show began with the question, “Would YOU like to be Queen for a day?” A number of… Read More Queen for a Day
I am happy to report that yesterday’s Young Organist recital was a grand success in every possible way, and the students did themselves and their parents proud. Even one girl who repeatedly told me. “I quit the piano because I can’t play recitals—I always play BAAAAD and am going to mess up!” gave a fantastic performance, probably… Read More The kids did it!
I’m preparing my young organ students for a recital just two weeks away now, and as part of the printed program, I’m including short bios. One question I’m asking all of them is: “Out of all the musical instruments, why did you pick the organ?” The answers may surprise you! [My comments are in brackets,… Read More Why the organ?
This Sunday I’ll be filling in for organist Gloria Faltstrom at Waiokeola Congregational Church (UCC), across the street from Kahala Mall. Waiokeola is a Hawaiian phrase meaning “Water of Life.” The name reflects both the Hawaiian tradition of name giving as well as the positive characteristics of the Christian faith. The name is a fitting acknowledgement of the past… Read More Another Sunday, another organ
Last night was the first meeting of this season’s Hawaii Chapter of the American Guild of Organists—it was the debut of our Orgelkids pipe organ kit. To refresh your memory on what Orgelkids is, I refer you to my previous post: Orgelkids coming to Hawaii! The members of the board decided that we should try to… Read More How many organists does it take to …?
When the late Carl Crosier programmed Bach’s monumental St. Matthew Passion in the year 2000, he wanted to present the work as it was originally conceived for the Thomaskirche in Leipzig: for two separate orchestras, two choirs, and two sets of soloists. It meant we also needed two pipe organs, which meant purchasing a continuo… Read More Organ duets
By far the question that people ask me most is, “Where are you going next?” Why, thank you for asking. Tomorrow I’ll be taking a quick trip to Sacramento, California, where I’ll be attending a niece’s wedding. Luckily I have no responsibilities except to show up and enjoy the festivities. But I’ll be home by… Read More Where to next?
Last Sunday, I was privileged to be a guest in the home of Mark Russell, owner and builder of what my late husband used to call “the finest harpsichord in Honolulu.” It was a chance to show off the instrument to Jieun and Ben Newland, newcomers to Hawaii. You may remember that she was the… Read More Insane harpsichord madness!