Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast 549!
Vidas: I'm so excited to be able to talk with John Higgins now from Australia, my old friend, and he's been on our show for maybe 3 times before so I'm really delighted we can connect because John has some news to share. Last time we talked it was a while ago and he's very busy with raising a family - he has 3 sons. And also he's been working in a church, playing church music and also doing all kinds of church music related things which we will talk about today. So thank you so much, John and welcome to the show! John: Thank you so much, Vidas and it's such an honor to be on this podcast and I'm so proud to be one of your students for over 8 years now. V: I remember you were in Vilnius and recently I was looking through all the photos from the past and found the one with you playing our church organ and you together with me and Ausra and we all spent some time together. Your flight was delayed, it was a big adventure. And after practicing for 7 years, you finally got to play a recital on the largest pipe organ in Lithuania. That was quite an adventure! J: Yes, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and such a wonderful opportunity. I can't thank you enough for this. I'll never forget it. I feel like the organ is part of me, and you and Ausra are such a huge part of my life as well. V: What happened afterwards, John, after you came back to Australia? I know you have very dangerous bushfires in your area and I hope firefighters will stop them and that you will get some rain soon. That's my hope for New Year. We're hoping for much milder climate. So could you share, John about your life after you came back to Australia? What have you been up to? Listen to the conversation Related link: Hidden Treasures, John Higgins' YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrikng_XqeuuLbV2mo3zfig
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Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 542 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Maureen, and she writes: “Hello Vidas, Please can you direct me to any suitable organ music useful for devotions and quiet hours in the Catholic Church? I would possibly enjoy playing something around intermediate level as this would need to be learned as good sight reading at this stage. I am enjoying your expertise and that of Ausra. Wonderful! Thank you, Maureen” V: So, Ausra, do you know anything about Catholic liturgy? A: Well, I know some things. V: Probably, Maureen wants to know about music suitable for offertories and communions, and maybe some moments of adoration? A: Yes, it could be, because where else would you play quiet music? I guess these two main spots. V: Well, if I were summoned to play a Mass tomorrow, for example (we’re recording this on Saturday morning), I would obviously improvise. A: Yes, that’s what I thought, that you never need any score, because you can improvise so well. V: But, for people who don’t choose to improvise in public, yet, I recommend music like, maybe, how about Pachelbel Chorale Preludes. A: Yes, those are nice! I’ve played most of them in the church. Not in a Catholic church, but in the Christian Scientist church as I was working back in Michigan. V: Registration can be quite varied. You can play most of them in various dynamic levels. Right? A: Yes! And I also had another collection of 80 Chorale Preludes by various, mostly I think, German composers. It was published by Edition Peters, and it was called “80 Choralvorspiele.” And these were also sort of almost sight-readable, not really too hard, and I played them on many occasions when I needed something easy but decent. V: Well, probably César Franck’s “L’Organiste” A: Yes, of course. That would definitely work. V: We have fingerings prepared for that, too, if anybody wants to take advantage, and depending on your level, a lot of those pieces, too can be sight-readable.. A: Also, I think if you like Bach, then there is this “Neumeister” collection. This is very often forgotten by many organists and ignored by many organists, because it was discovered much later than other Bach pieces, and this collection survives from Bach’s teenage years, and it means that by studying this collection, you can get a better understanding of what stages Bach went through in order to become what he became! So look at that collection, as well. I think it’s published by Neue Bach-Ausgabe, yes? V: Yes. A: Which is a Bärenreiter edition. Another thing that might work is Frescobaldi’s “Fiori Musicali.” Not all of those piece, of course, are easy, but some of them are really well suited for quiet moments of the Mass. V: Not all of them are suited for quiet music, right? A: Yes. Yes, definitely. V: “Toccata Per L’Elevazione” for example. Those type of slow and toccatas full of suspensions, and in Italian, it would be Durezze e Ligature style. A: Yes. And another collection to look at would be probably the Georg Muffat and his “Apparatus Musico-Organisticus.” It has many, many toccatas, and these toccatas are sectional, so actually in just one piece of music, you can find a few different sections, and you might use some quiet spots for Elevation or for Communion and for Postlude and Prelude, other places. So, these are very suitable pieces for a Catholic church. V: Good. I hope this was useful to you, but Ausra also has something else to add. A: Yes, and I remember that time when I was working regularly as a church organist in a Catholic church, I also sang a lot myself, especially during communion. That way, you wouldn’t have to play so much solo music. So that’s what Maureen can do, too, because I think most Catholics really appreciate singing, they don’t appreciate so much solo organ music. Especially during Advent and Lent. V: Do you think the singing tradition is more like a Lithuanian/Polish tradition, more or less, than let’s say in Western countries? A: Well, but think about all this Gregorian Chant, all of this heritage of Catholic music and Catholic church. V: Yes, perhaps you’re right. A: So, I think it just probably is forgotten because maybe not so many organists can sing in general nowadays, but I think that the cantor was equally as important as an organist in the Catholic church, so… V: Yes… and make sure you learn to improvise. That’s a very handy skill later on. A: True. V: Then you don’t have to search for new music. You can make up new music. And, when you learn new pieces, even softer pieces for Catholic liturgy, you can, of course, record yourself and submit them to our Secrets of Organ Playing Contest. Okay, this was Vidas A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen!
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 538 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Ray, and he writes: “Hello Vidas Pinkevicius, Thank you for asking for my answers to your questions. 1. I am 65 years old and have only returned to organ playing in 2014 after spending 35 years working as an architect and part-time singer “to earn money for our vacations.” My dream is to learn some of the major organ pieces on my list and be able to play them with my heart, with confidence and in recital. Having some substitute church assignments that require me to learn shorter pieces and play hymns is also fun for me. 2. The 3 most important things holding me back are: practice discipline, practice discipline and sight reading. My hope is that when I am fully retired at the end of 2020 I will have more time to practice and be more efficient with my practice time and learning ability. In the meantime, focusing on real learning during my practice time is my goal. I find it difficult to not read ahead or have patience to only learn a little bit each day, which I know is more efficient. Thank you. I enjoy reading your emails. I just need to focus on doing what you recommend. Ray” V: Did you notice, Ausra, that he mentioned practice discipline twice here? A: It means that he really lacks it. That’s my guess. Don’t you think so? V: Yes, but why not three times, then? Maybe he meant something else and then forgot. But, it could be that he wants to emphasize it. A: Well, because yes, but he writes like three most important things. V: Mhm, it’s strange. And also, sight reading. Practice discipline and sight-reading. Well, Ausra, how do you fight with your lack of willpower? A: Well, I don’t lack willpower. I lack time in general, so I don’t think this applies to me so much. And I’m a good sight-reader, too. V: Were you always like that, born with this skill? No! Probably you developed it. A: Which one, discipline or….? V: Discipline. A: Of course I developed it. Everybody does. V: How? What helped you to do this? A: Life! V: Be specific and more helpful. A: Well, when you have a coming recital ahead of you, and the time is pushing you, then what else can you do? Practice! And you don’t have much time left in the day, so... V: But sometimes, I am amazed at how people still have a deadline coming up of a performance or a recital, maybe not an entire hour length, maybe not even a 30 minute recital, but maybe one or two pieces, like in our organ studio, for example, but they don’t push themselves enough, they don’t plan ahead, and when the time comes, they are not prepared. Why is that? A: Well, I don’t know, but what I can say about myself is that when I was young, I could do that—to go to a recital half unprepared and somehow still manage through it and survive through it. Now, I’m older, and I don’t want to take a risk. My heart is not as strong anymore, so I really need to be well prepared. Plus, I am professional. I wouldn’t be professional if I would show up to a recital unprepared. So I guess that is a difference between an amateur and a professional. V: And if an amateur switched this attitude, he would become, or she would become professional. A: Yes! V: Easily. A: After some time, yes. V: You just have to be strict with yourself and do your best, and pretend a master is watching over you. A: True. V: And like Robert Schumann wrote, “A master is always watching.” A: That’s right, but I guess the hardest judge is inside of yourself. V: Are you your worst critic, Ausra? A: Yes, I am, I think, because very few people can say straight to your face, for example, what they did not like about your performance, let’s say. So, everybody is just so polite, or they just simply ignore you. So what else can you do? You just become a critic yourself to yourself. V: Will you be honest with myself and tell me what you didn’t like about my playing, too? A: You know that I do that sometimes. So… V: Do it more often. I like it. A: Really? V: Mhm! A: Okay, I will! V: And, for Ray, he is very straight forward at the end. He says, “I enjoy reading your emails. I just need to focus on doing what you recommend.” A: It seems that he knows his way, you know? So… why not just do it. V: Yes, Ausra, we all know the right way to do things, or the efficient way or the fun way to do things, but we don’t always focus on doing that. Why is that? A: Because we have other things going on, too, and I think it’s procrastination, as well. V: But for example, if a person sits down on the organ bench to practice and fools around a bit and wastes time instead of focusing and playing efficiently, why is that? A: I guess that’s just how human nature works, that if you, for example, have a piece that you like and you play it well, so maybe why not just play it, because it doesn’t take much effort to do it. But if you have another piece that requires more work and has more difficult, complicated spots, then you just sort of push it away for a later time. That’s not only with performance, not only with practicing. I think that applies to any situation. Any work situation. V: Right. So guys, please switch this act to being, at least in your mind, professional. Being strict with yourself, and doing your best. And if you have a deadline coming up, like a public performance, I think it would be good if you had a run-through of this performance two months in advance. A: Yeah. V: And then you will discover many mistakes, which is fine, but you will still have ample time to fix those mistakes. Not one month, but two months ahead of time. A: Don’t do what we did with our Christmas recital. V: What did we do with our Christmas recital? A: We only selected our pieces a month before the recital. V: Oh yes. You can do that, if you have 25+ years of experience. A: True. V: Like we have. I’m sorry to be so boasting about our experience, but it’s true! A: You can say that after our recital, if you will survive it. V: I survived the first rehearsal, which is nice. A: Yeah, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. Actually, it was quite good. V: Alright guys, please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi, guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra V: Let’s start episode 543, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by several people. And maybe even answers to our community on Basecamp, members of Total Organist, where I asked them: ‘How do you like Total Organist so far?’ The first to reply, Jeremy. He wrote: Jeremy: I enjoy that there is a place that I can find encouragement. Being an organist and pianist, I spend a lot of time alone with little insight from other people. That occasional "Boost" makes the days sometimes more manageable, and I like that people post the same problems that I am having. We are not alone! Vidas: I wrote: I also enjoy seeing people supporting each other. It's one thing for me to connect with everybody through email but it's an entirely different level to give like-minded people an opportunity to connect to each other. Ruth jumped in, in the conversation: Ruth: I enjoy the diversity of persons who write in Total Organist. I am learning a great deal from their writing and experiences. I appreciate the energy and work that all of you are putting into your organ practice. Of course, you inspire me! Vidas: I wrote to her: This diversity is enormous! From amateurs to concert organists, from elderly to young, from underprivileged societies to developed countries. We all are different and have different needs but also share some of the commonalities also and are able to speak the same organ language. V: What can you add, Ausra, to this conversation? A: Well, it’s inspiring to read it. V: Mmm-hmm. Imagine if you are a Total Organist student, Ausra. What would you say? A: Well, probably something similar to all of those. V: Starting with, which side struck you the most, first? A: Well, while reading all of these responses, actually the thought that came into my mind, was, all these supporting groups, in general in life. Like you have Alcoholics Anonymous and other groups like that. I’m not wanting to compare organists with alcoholics but it just came into my mind. V: Mmm-hmm. A: So and groups like this, I think it’s nice to be in your own community that people share similar ideas and share the same and similar problems. Then you feel not alone and you can solve your problems much more easier. V: You know, but there is another side of this. Not all of the people want to get involved, right? Some are very, I don’t know, shy or maybe introvert or maybe they prefer to solve their problems on their own. Like when somebody signs up for Total Organist, I immediately add their email list to the group of Basecamp channel, right. So that they could sign in and jump in and take advantage of all those support that we give to each other. But a lot of people choose not to, right? You can see what kind of people respond, and there is a certain group which are very active right, which is very active. But another portion of our community is not active. So why do you think is that? A: I think that everybody probably enjoys in general social media, so all these Facebook and Twitter and all that kind of stuff…. V: Mmm-hmm. A: and Basecamp, actually reminds to some people of that, I think. And maybe somebody don’t want to join because of this. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Mentioned before this AA group, yes? V: Mmm-hmm. A: I think there are much more drinking people. And not everybody attends those group meeting. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Much(?) to everybody it helps, not everybody, so maybe this is something similar. V: Right. I would probably go to such group if I had a problem with this. Would you? A: I don’t know. I just know about these all groups from the movies that I watch, because so often there are like especially in the comedies. V: You know, we, you and I, we’re, we have different personality types probably. I prefer speaking my mind out loud in public for example, right? And in to some degree you prefer to speak either to yourself or among ourselves, right? A: Um, yes, that’s right. V: So I think, I suspect people similar to you would find some of your advice also helpful by listening to our conversation right now, because you are different than me, right? People can relate to me who are extroverts let’s say, right? And people who are introverts can relate to you more. A: Yes, because extroverts they get energized while talking with other people and sharing their ideas and taking their ideas back. But introverts, we just get tired and exhausted after conversing with somebody. V: Of course, we have to keep in mind that in my days, there is not so much talking involved outside my online activities, right? A: True. V: For as for you, you spend a lot of hours talking in school. A: Yes, a few hours a day, at least. So after speaking for so many hours you just want to be quiet. And in general I think the organ is an instrument for introverts, not for extroverts. V: You think so? A: I think so. I strongly believe so. Even if you think most of the times in church, organ is not standing up in front. We standing back in the balcony, on the balcony. V: You this, hearing you makes me a little sad because what should I do? I have to options now: quit playing the organ or become introvert, right? A: I don’t think you can do either of these two things. V: What can you suggest? Please, O master, teach me! A: Stop making fun out of me. But in general, I think in general organist is alone. So and maybe because you are an extrovert as you imagine yourself, that’s why you need all the social media and to put you on the Facebook on a regular basis. V: Mmm-hmm. A: But that’s okay. V: I have the right to exist you mean. A: True. V: (Laughs). Even I have the right to exist. Good! Um, so, yeah, whatever your needs are, I think Total Organist can be of use to you. Whether you decide to join Basecamp channel and stay active in there, replying to daily questions about your activities, about what you’ve been working on, what things you find inspiring, or what things are you struggling with. Those questions you get frequently. But you can also be an introvert like Ausra says and enjoy observing other people, reading perhaps, but not getting involved. Ausra, we don’t know exactly who’s reading, right? A: Yeah. V: We only know who’s responding. A: True. V: Maybe, yes, let’s speculate that a portion, at least a significant portion of people not actively involved in conversation, are listeners, readers, right? A: That’s a possibility. V: That’s right. Look at our email subscribers, right? We have thousands of subscribers but we don’t get thousands of messages everyday, right? So majority of people are reading, and passively participating, not asking questions, for example, every day. They might send questions from time to time. So yes, I haven’t thought about that, that some people enjoy observing other people. A: That’s right. V: Mmm. Nice. Alright guys. Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, doesn’t matter. Our goal is to help you reach your dreams, not complain. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen!
Dear friends!
Happy New Year! Here are 100 things that made our year:
Overall, it wasn’t an easy year but we look forward to 2020 and our upcoming concert trips to Sweden and Germany, drawing our comics and to our other activities online. Hope everyone will have much health, happiness and creativity in the New Year! And remember, when you practice, miracles happen! Vidas and Ausra |
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Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. Our Hauptwerk Setup:
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