When I was in college, I had “socially distant” organ lessons with my teacher, although of course, that term was completely unknown in 1968. It was at the University of Southern California in the “prehistoric” days when my lessons took place in Bovard Auditorium and the organ console was down in front of the stage.… Read More Socially distant organ lessons
Last night I got notice that my former organ student, Christopher Lindsay, graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California (my alma mater)! Here’s the message from his mom, Holly: Thank you for your incredible support, wise advice, and faith that enabled Christopher to graduate today from USC. He graduated magna cum laude… Read More Where did the time go?
When I was taking organ lessons during high school, I was aware that my teacher, Dr. Norman Söreng Wright, commuted from his home in Montecito to Hollywood, CA where he was the organist and choirmaster of the Hollywood Methodist Church, a distance of 86 miles. He actually had an apartment in Hollywood, where he stayed… Read More Commuter organ teacher
Last night I was invited to a small “ungraduation dinner” for my organ student, Christopher Lindsay, who has studied with me since the first grade. You see, Christopher will be entering college early, having been selected to participate in the Resident Honors Program at the University of Southern California, skipping his senior year at Iolani… Read More The remarkable “ungraduate”
You meet all kinds of people at music conventions and you never know where your conversations will lead. In fact it was fifteen years ago that I met organist and Lutheran pastor, Karl Bachman, at a national conference of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians in Richmond, VA. That was in July 2000. Just a few… Read More A conversation on the bus
Last Sunday, the LCH choir sang “The Beatitudes” by Slovenian composer, Damijan Močnik (b. 1967), a new name to many of us at LCH. The piece loosely based on plainchant and somewhat reminiscent of the works of Estonian Arvo Pärt. Since it’s been a long time since I took geography, I found out that Slovenia… Read More New names, new faces