My heart is full of joy after tonight’s concert which was the culmination of a fifteen year journey that the community of Honolulu has taken with Joey Fala, a kid whose passion for the pipe organ led his fifth grade homeroom teacher to speak to me about it that many years ago. “Kathy, you have… Read More Beautiful program, beautifully played
Last night I hosted (with the help of the Executive Board) the Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists on the eighth floor party facility of my building. It was a welcome home reception for our homeboy, Joey Fala, whose passion for the pipe organ began when he was in preschool at Holy Nativity in Aina Haina, and… Read More Our homeboy, Joey
From time to time, I have written posts about organists being a dying breed—we are few and far between, and going the way of the dodo bird. Fewer students learn how to play the organ, and it’s just not possible to pick up the instrument “in ten easy lessons”—it takes years of commitment and practice.… Read More The real unsung heroes
Shhhh! Don’t tell Joey! This was a title of an email I sent to Bob Alder and Rick Mazurowski, two members of the Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists who live on the Big Island and in charge of Joey Fala’s recital at the Higashi Hongwanji Mission, March 12th. You see, I really wasn’t… Read More Secret mission
Today the Hawaii Tribune-Herald newspaper on the Big Island published a story by Katie Young Yamanaka about our homeboy, Joey Fala, and his upcoming recital at the Higashi Hongwanji Mission, Sunday, March 12th at 3:00 pm. I was surprised that Joey came up with the same analogy as I have previously written about, particularly in regards… Read More Like going into someone else’s kitchen
This weekend, Joey Fala will play a concert at Higashi Hongwanji Mission in Hilo on the Big Island. According to Bob Alder, who does electronic organ service in Hawaii and is underwriting Joey’s transportation to Hilo through his firm, Church Organs Hawaii, said: “This organ has always been used by Higashi Hongwanji for their regular services.… Read More Organ music in a Buddhist temple!
This morning I went to the 8:00 am service at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu where two of my young students played the prelude and postlude. It was Faith and Arts Sunday, the day that members of the congregation showcase their writing, art work and musical talents. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the congregation… Read More The next generation of organists
My former student, Joey Fala, will be playing an organ recital at the Washington National Cathedral this Sunday, February 26 at 5:15 pm. I took a screen shot of the web page, but if you would like to see it for yourself, click here. This week we also received the postcards promoting Joey’s concerts in Hawaii, which… Read More If you’re in D.C. this weekend …
Drum roll, please … Here is the video for fantastic Joey Fala at the Woolsey Hall organ at Yale University for his graduate organ recital! Here’s the program, with notes found on the internet: Edward Elgar, Pomp and Circumstance, March No. 4 in G Major, op. 39 This is a transcription of one of Elgar’s… Read More Joey Fala at Woolsey Hall
This morning I’m watching the news about the big snowstorm in the Northeast—I guess I left just in the nick of time! It was the first time I took a nonstop flight directly to Honolulu from Newark—11-1/2 hours, in which I watched five movies! In case you’re wondering, no, I never sleep on flights, even… Read More In the news