 This composition is dedicated to Ukraine and restoring peace to its people. It will be suitable to perform for any occasion where meditative music is required - Communion, Vespers, Compline etc. Basic level. 3 pages. Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/prayer-for-peace-op-95-for-organ-solo-by-vidas-pinkevicius-2022-digital-sheet-music/22260504 Score: https://secrets-of-organ-playing.myshopify.com/products/prayer-for-peace-op-95-organ-solo-by-vidas-pinkevicius-2022 We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-RKg 
Vidas: Hello and welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast!
Ausra: This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better organist. V: We’re your hosts Vidas Pinkevicius... A: ...and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene. V: We have over 25 years of experience of playing the organ A: ...and we’ve been teaching thousands of organists online from 89 countries since 2011. V: So now let’s jump in and get started with the podcast for today. A: We hope you’ll enjoy it! V: Hi guys! This is Vidas. A: And Ausra. Vidas: Let’s start episode 677 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Miguel, and he is in our Total Organist community plus he takes private lessons with me, and one time he wrote this message: “My back was quite painful, but now I'm fully recovered and practicing again. Part of the problem was sitting for too long, apart from the 8 hours a day I sit for my computer work at the bank. I sit an hour or two on a bench with no back support. The physio also told me that the movements of the legs on the pedals have a toll on the spine. So, I've been reintroducing walking that I haven't done for quite a while and also using my height adjustable desk for standing as well as sitting, at least during working hours. Did you have problems with your back due to organ playing, or do you know other people that had the same problem?” Vidas: Ausra, do you know some people? Ausra: Yes, it’s myself, actually. Vidas: I see. Tell us about it? Ausra: Well, in general, I think, the organ is a very unfortunate instrument for our backs, because sitting without support in our feet since we have to play pedals, it’s not healthy for your back. But in general, I think that sitting work, as for example Miguel works at the bank and sits at the computer all day long is bad for your back. So what we can do, actually, is to exercise and strengthen our back. Vidas: Walking is, of course, one useful exercise. Ausra: Yes, but also you need to do some other extra… Vidas: Specific Exercises. Ausra: Specific exercises, yes. Well, actually, the easiest is to lie down on your stomach and you need to stretch both your arms and both your legs, and then simultaneously you need to lift up the right arm and left foot at the same time, and then to do just the opposite, and just repeat it slowly a few times. Vidas: Lift right arm, left foot, and then left arm, right foot. Ausra: Yes, this is sort of one of the classical Pilates exercises that really strengthens the back. Vidas: Is it difficult? Ausra: Well, at the beginning it might be a little bit difficult but later on, no, it’s not. Vidas: Can you hurt your back while doing so? Ausra: I don’t think so. Vidas: Unless you do it very quickly. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: It has to be done slowly. Ausra: Yes. The slower, the better, actually, because it’s not so easy to do it slowly. You have to work with the muscles more. Well, what else could help? Actually swimming is quite good, too, and other exercises with a big Pilates ball is also good. Vidas: Nice. We have that ball. Ausra: Yes, but we don’t exercise. Yes? Vidas: We need to do it. Ausra: Yes. Of course, if you have enough funds, the massages are very helpful for back to strengthen the back muscles. What else could help, too, for example, I have sort of like a rag, Vidas: A rug? Ausra: Yes, like a rug with needles. I know it sounds painful, and it is painful, but actually now I spend half an hour every day lying down on those needles. Vidas: And it helps blood circulation, probably? Ausra: Yes, and it helps my spine in general. It’s very painful for the first five to ten minutes, but then it gets easier and actually quite comfortable. And it really improves the condition of my back and my arms. Vidas: You get this warm feeling in your spine. Ausra: Yes, because it releases all the muscle tension, so it’s really good. Vidas: It’s like a natural massage. Ausra: True. Vidas: Without any extra help. Ausra: Yes, but you know, you have to endure some pain at the beginning. Maybe not everybody could do that, but you know, if your back really hurts, then it’s a good thing for you. Vidas: Yeah, I’m sure Miguel and others can find the product that you are using online, probably. Ausra: Probably, yes. Vidas: There are probably various versions of it. Ausra: Yes. Mine came from Ukraine, so… Vidas: Ukraine? Ausra: Yes. But it was maybe ten years back, so now I think they have more modern things to sell. Vidas: Excellent. So yeah, in today’s lifestyle when a lot of people sit at the desk, especially in front of the computer for eight hours a day, it’s getting very, very important to move extra and do some extra exercises to take care of our bodies. Right? Ausra: Yes. Some people do Yoga, for example. Yoga doesn’t work for me, but it might work for Miguel. I don’t know. Vidas: You say Pilates would work. Right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: It’s different. Ausra: Yes, it’s different, because what Pilates does, it strengthens the inner muscles, and what Yoga does is actually more makes your body flexible. Vidas: But in those two exercise systems, breathing is also important. Right? Ausra: Sure! It’s important in any physical activities. And so the breathing is important in playing, as well. Vidas: Oh, what do you mean? You need to remind yourself to breath? Ausra: Sure! Vidas: While playing the organ? Ausra: Yes. Many people don’t breath enough while playing. Vidas: Meaning that they breath less often than they should, or their breathing is too shallow? Ausra: Both, actually. Vidas: Interesting. I find sometimes that having regular places to breath in a pieces is nice if you find, like, at the beginning of every four bar phrase, if that pulse and meter allows, it could be quite regular then. Ausra: Sure, but if the tempo is Grave, then you might get in trouble breathing only after each four measures. Vidas: No, no! You calculate for yourself, of course, what’s comfortable for you, and it has to be piece-specific. Right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: Alright guys, various things to think about. We hope this was useful to you. This was Vidas, Ausra: And Ausra! Vidas: Please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, Ausra: Miracles happen! V: This podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. A: It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online... V: Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more… A: Sign up and begin your training today at organduo.lt and click on Total Organist. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. V: If you like our organ music, you can also support us on Buy Me a Coffee platform and get early access: A: Find out more at https://buymeacoffee.com/organduo  This short fanfare is composed entirely of major and minor triads and their inversions, it features optional pedal part with only 2 pedals. Therefore, it could be played by organists with very modest skills, even on organs without pedals. It could work very well for all occasions that call for jubilant music. Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/easy-fanfare-op-94-organ-solo-by-vidas-pinkevicius-2022-digital-sheet-music/22259369 Score: https://secrets-of-organ-playing.myshopify.com/products/easy-fanfare-op-94-organ-solo-by-vidas-pinkevicius-2022 We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-RKg  I hope you will enjoy my new piece - Meditation on "Möge die Straße", Op. 92, "May the Road Rise to Meet You" (Irish Blessings). I dedicated it to Vanessa Gartshore from Germany on her birthday. Score: https://secrets-of-organ-playing.myshopify.com/products/meditation-on-moge-die-strasse-op-92-organ-solo-by-vidas-pinkevicius-2022 Sheet Music Plus: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/meditation-on-mge-die-strae-op-92-organ-solo-by-vidas-pinkevicius-2022-digital-sheet-music/22259365 We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-RKg  Today I'm very excited to present to you Hauptwerk organ demonstration of one of the most significant German Romantic organs - 1884/1995 Walcker/Eule organ from Annaberg-Buchholz in Saxony. This instrument has 65 stops over 3 manuals and pedals and is considered a smaller sister of Riga's Dom Walcker organ. I'd like to thank Organ Art Media who gave this sample set as a gift to me and Vidas for the purpose of making this demonstration. The music you will hear in this demonstration was specifically chosen for this instrument. I will be playing 15 organ preludes, variations on Lithuanian folk song "Oi giria, giria" and fugue on "Kyrie Eleison" by Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (1875-1911), the most famous Lithuanian composer/painter of all time. These pieces work wonderfully well for the purpose of this demonstration on this instrument. Hope you will enjoy it! More information about the sample set: https://www.organartmedia.com/de/1884-1995-e-f-walcker-orgel We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/ausramotuzaite My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2pXxZgiFPMKiqBRYi9rSLT?si=Xe1nTroTSmOGPtv8bP8MSw  I hope you will enjoy my rendition of Voluntary in F Major by Phil Lehenbauer! I'm playing it on Hauptwerk Alessandria sample set. Score: www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/voluntary-in-f-major-organ-work-by-phil-lehenbauer-digital-sheet-music/22256722?aff_id=454957 We support Ukraine: www.blue-yellow.lt/en If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo PayPal: PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius My Hauptwerk setup: www.organduo.lt/tools.html Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: www.organduo.lt/total-organist Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! organduo.lt Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-RKg  In this video I'm playing a very nice meditation for Lent - "Gethsemane", Op. 91 by Vidas Pinkevicius. Hope you will enjoy the sounds of Hauptwerk Utrecht Dom sample set! Score: https://secrets-of-organ-playing.myshopify.com/products/meditation-on-gethsemane-op-91-organ-solo-by-vidas-pinkevicius-2022 We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/ausramotuzaite My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2pXxZgiFPMKiqBRYi9rSLT?si=Xe1nTroTSmOGPtv8bP8MSw  The other day I went to Vilnius University St John's church and recorded May Angels Guard Thee by James Michael Stevens, a prolific American composer. This piece has a charming melody and gentle harmony and is suitable for any meditative occasion. Hope you will enjoy it too! Score: www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/may-angels-guard-thee-organ-solo-digital-sheet-music/22227546?aff_id=454957 We support Ukraine: www.blue-yellow.lt/en If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo PayPal: PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius My Hauptwerk setup: www.organduo.lt/tools.html Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: www.organduo.lt/total-organist Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! organduo.lt Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-RKg  In this video I'm playing a very nice meditation for Lent - "Aberystwyth" by an American composer Phil Lehenbauer. Hope you will enjoy the sounds of Hauptwerk Utrecht Dom sample set! Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/lent-to-easter-organ-works-vol-1-by-phil-lehenbauer-digital-sheet-music/22226220?aff_id=454957 We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/ausramotuzaite My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2pXxZgiFPMKiqBRYi9rSLT?si=Xe1nTroTSmOGPtv8bP8MSw 
Vidas: Hello and welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast!
Ausra: This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better organist. V: We’re your hosts Vidas Pinkevicius... A: ...and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene. V: We have over 25 years of experience of playing the organ A: ...and we’ve been teaching thousands of organists online from 89 countries since 2011. V: So now let’s jump in and get started with the podcast for today. A: We hope you’ll enjoy it! V: Hi guys! This is Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 678 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Hubertus, and he writes, Hello Ausra, Heard your demo of the Alessandria organ with interest. Thank you for hearing you play on that. However, I am 75 and do not yet have enough experience to distinguish what those sounds for registrations entail, because I only started playing about 13 years ago, the total overview is missing. I also bought that organ this year, but I don't know what registrations you played the music with. Is it possible to use the "Simple" screen for a next demonstration instead of the Console, so that it is possible to follow your choice of registrations, in order to be able to try them out by myself, because it sounded very nice, but my knowledge falls short. Hope you can/will comply with my request. Thanks for listening to me. Best regards. Hubertus
V: So, very nice that Hubertus enjoyed your presentation of Alessandria sample set, and as I understand, he wants to see the stops on the screen.
A: Yes, that’s what I understood too. V: After that I think we changed the layout of the stops, and now… A: Yes, and now all the demonstrations that I do have the simple view of organ stops, and definitely you can see them much better. V: Visually it’s not that pleasing to the eye, right? Because the console view was colorful and similar to the original organ. But now, simple view is just stop names, right? Very very simple layout so that your eyes would understand and see what happens on the screen. But maybe it’s for the better. A: Yes, sure. And now I have a question. Is it possible to go back to my old recording and to do a switch between the consoles, or not? V: Oh, let’s see. Let’s see. In your old recording, you used, what do they see? They see your hands, right? A: Yes, my hands. V: They see your hands from above. A: What else? V: Keyboard view from above. They hear the sound, right? But they don’t necessarily see on the screen what’s in front of them, so…. Right? A: We can check that recording and see how it works. V: But Hubertus means that he cannot see the stop names, yes? No? A: Well I understood that he would like to see the simple view of the stops. V: So that has to be a new recording, not the finished one. Because it’s done already and you cannot manipulate the old one. A: Okay. V: How can you go to YouTube video…? A: I don’t know. V: It’s…no, no. A: But definitely I cannot redo that old recording, and I don’t remember already what I have played. V: That’s exactly right. Maybe next time, for example, next round when you do a demonstration of Alessandria, will be different material, different music, right? You might remember to do Alessandria sample set or any other sample set. A: But actually I have recorded already more music on Alessandria. Maybe he can check those registrations. V: Yes, and sometimes we write in the description, too. A: Yes, what we use. V: Mm hm. And he could look at my recordings as well, although I don’t do demonstrations of these sample sets, but sometimes I show on the screen, switch camera angles basically, what stops I am using. And even if I’m not using the stop layout on the big screen, right, entire screen, having this sample set at home, you can actually look at the stops that I’m using from the distance and kind of guess what they are in terms of where they are positioned. A: Yes, that’s what I do sometimes, too. V: Yeah. If you see that camera layout where the organist is from the side, and our computer screen is visible, and we see the stops. They are bigger to us because we are closer to the screen, but camera also captures the screen as well. For regular people who don’t have this, so it’s probably difficult, right, to guess what stops we’re using. But if he has a sample set to compare… A: Sure. It shouldn’t be so hard. V: Visually it’s possible, definitely. And as Ausra said, of course in the future, we are using simple layout all the time for future demonstrations. A: That’s right. V: Can you tell us a little bit about, what did you enjoy the most in Alessandria? A: Tuba, of course! V: Tuba. A: Yes. V: Did you use tuba in demonstration? A: Well, you are asking now - I recorded this demonstration last year. But I’m sure I did. Or if I didn’t in the demonstration, I definitely recorded with the tuba. V: Someplace else. A: Some pieces. And I even have done of my improvisations, you know… V: Yes. A: …on tuba of Alessandria. So you can definitely find that in my playlist on my channel. V: Fun fact: people who join our little community on YouTube, become fans or friends of SOP, like channel members, can have a special emoji in their comments or live chat, whenever I do a live stream or a premiere. And for example, one of them is tuba. A special designed sticker called “tuba.” Whenever I use tuba, I see my members write or place that emoji, tuba. It’s very beautifully designed and makes a great impact - their comments stand out. A: Sure. And in general, it’s nice to have a sample set with a tuba. It’s a very rare case. V: Yeah, it’s an English stop, but the organ is not English, it’s Italian Mascioni Company, but the style is more French of course. So it’s nice to have English feature in it, too, but with beautiful French sounds. A: Yes. And beautiful tremulants that Vidas loves so much. V: Yes, and do you know why? A: I don’t know the older you get, the more you get the more tremulants you love. V: Maybe because my voice trembles, too. A: Could be. V: When I sing. A: It doesn’t tremble as much as my voice when I talk before my demonstrations. V: Maybe you are being too serious. A: Maybe. V: Okay guys. What else can we say about Alessandria organ? Definitely worth having if you’re into Hauptwerk stuff. Piotr Grabowski releases this, his sample sets with great care, and they are amazing sample sets. Most of them are very, very realistic, and especially the newest ones. Maybe he has improved his equipment over the years, or maybe recording strategy of every pipe, but they’re definitely sample sets that we enjoy. Besides Alessandria, what else? Nitra? A: Yes, and many many others. But when talking about making registrations on Alessandria, just don’t be afraid to experiment and listen to what works for you and what you like. Because of the wonderful acoustics of this sample set and beautiful stops, you can hardly make something really really wrong. So just trust yourself, trust your intuition. V: Right. Registration is actually one of the weaker points for organists, right? When we discover or get questions from people, they often ask what kind of stops we are using, or what are the principles of using registration, and this is such a broad topic. A: It is. It’s very broad. Well, my advice would be never use mixtures alone. V: Unless…you’re playing a specific piece designed for mixtures. A: Yes, but in general you are not using mixtures alone. V: Maybe, I think people could check out Piotr Grabowski’s site and get familiar with many many sample sets that they have, that he has on the website. The newest one, for example, is Nitra, but before that was Święta Lipka, and we recently received a present from Piotr Grabowski, and Ausra is going to do a demonstration on it very soon. A: Yes, I’m going to. V: I already tried it out during one of the “On the Bench with Vidas” live streams, and it sounds very very nice for German Romantic music, late 19th century music. A: Yes, it works well for that. V: 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. V: This podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. A: It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online... V: Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more… A: Sign up and begin your training today at organduo.lt and click on Total Organist. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. V: If you like our organ music, you can also support us on Buy Me a Coffee platform and get early access: A: Find out more at https://buymeacoffee.com/organduo |
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Authors
Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. 
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