Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 197, of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. This question was sent by Irineo. And he writes: Thank you very much maestro, it was a delight hearing that sweet/inspiring organ work. V: I think, Ausra, he wrote me back after listening to some of our pieces we played for Bach’s birthday recital. A: I see. V: It might have been Bach Passacaglia, or maybe your E Flat Major Fugue. A: If it’s maestro then it’s not E Flat Major. V: Exactly, he would write Maestra if it’s about you. Okay. So then he writes: Well about my organ playing, I regret to inform you it's been in the backburner for ages by now because of lack of interest down here and besides things have become real tough for almost everybody. But I still write a few bars every now and then (about the lyrics of my piece, which I intend to eventually upload). Keep up the splendid work and thank you again! Very truly yours, Irineo. V: So, I think he’s struggling with sitting down on the organ bench. A: Yes. V: Because he loves to listen to our conversations or to read about our discussions, um, or to listen to the pieces that we play, but, but then his practice, as he writes, is delayed, postponed. Because, because, lack of interest down here, down where he lives probably, right? A: Yes. V: Uh-huh. So maybe he has a situation where he would love to practice but since realistically he cannot apply his practice to real live situation, you know like public, playing in public those pieces that he played at home. Then he doesn’t feel so motivated to play at home at all. A: Could be. V: What would you recommend, Ausra? Stop playing or find some inner source of motivation? A: Well if it’s really important for you, if you really love organ then you must, you know, keep playing and doing what you are doing. I wouldn’t say that in Lithuania that we have such a wonderful situation for organists. That you know, we have big crowds during organ recitals, or you know, very high levels, general level of you know, church music. I would think quite an opposite but it doesn’t stop us from you know, doing what we’re doing. V: For example, our colleagues don’t come to our recitals at all. A: Never ever. V: Yeah. A: It would be a miracle. V: With a few exceptions, right? A: Yes, yes. V: Mmm, hmm. Our maybe closest friends, but,,, A: Even then you play something new and something really excited and something that is rarely played. And maybe this is the one time, live opportunity to hear such a piece performed live. You know, it seems like nobody cares. V: Exactly. A: And many graduates of organ studies in Lithuania, we stop playing at all. And that’s it. Some of them work at churches but not many of them. V: And those who do work at churches, only minority of them play what they learned at school. A: Yes. Not new repertoire. V: Yeah, make themselves better. A: And then you know, perform. V: They just get by, because yes, it is very un-motivating to work in those situations because the church leadership doesn’t care if you play something new or not, if you play just a hymn or not. A: Yes, if you are mediocre performer, performer or you now, or you perform well. So,,, V: But we are artists, right? And artists, you know, make out, regardless if anybody is paying attention or not, right Ausra? A: Yes, that’s true. V: So the process is important; result is out of our hands, maybe. Yes we could strive to put our art out there, out to the world, right. That’s how we live too. Not too many people in Lithuania share their process, share their art. Be we decided to, not to hide it, right, under the table. A: Yes. V: That’s how Irineo could behave too. It doesn’t mean that he has to you know, limit himself with his own Parrish or his own town when nobody is paying attention. But you never know. Maybe, maybe people around the world will become interested or find something useful. And he writes that he is interested in completing his song and uploading it on the internet. And that could be a great opportunity, right Ausra, to compose more pieces, more regularly. A: That’s true, yes. V: To keep up this practice. Because we learn and we grow and we learn again. A: That’s true. Do you think that it’s very important for people that you know, somebody would notice you, and would say to you, to encourage you to keep doing what you are doing? V: I think everyone needs attention. I haven’t met a person who doesn’t need attention. Even my dad who said ‘oh no, I don’t want to do any self-promotion’, and he painted for decades you know, without maybe anybody noticing him too much. But he would still very happy if, you know, people came to his exhibitions or people came visiting to his workshop. A: Yes, that’s true. V: That’s, I think natural, normal and nothing to be ashamed of. And those who say that, you know, no, I am so self-motivated and I don’t care if anyone is listening to me play, or something like that, then they just hiding something, right? They are acting. They have a mask maybe. And actually, they crave for attention but in another way. A: So do you think it would be a good idea for Irineo maybe you know, to start draw more attention to the organ, in the place where he lives? V: Oh, that would be very natural. He could become a center of attention in his town. Yeah, he would become, like, like number one place to go for people who are interested in something new and you know, unexplored. He would become his own category because nobody will be doing this and then he will not have any competition. A: And would you think that this attention, would, you know, motivate him to practice more, and to improve his organ skills? V: Absolutely! He will see that other people are depending on him to show up, to, to speak, to talk, to, to present, to, to play, to demonstrate. So I think the least he could do is to go to local church and to go to local school and meet music teachers if there are any. And say that he could invite those kids to the organ loft and arrange an organ tour, and play an organ demonstration for half an hour, and then answer kids questions, and let them play with, with a few fingers or even with their feet. That would be unforgettable experience for everybody. A: Yes. I think that’s an excellent idea. V: And if he would do that regularly, you know, like once a month, if for different kids, groups, then little by little he would become a ‘go to’ person in his town, in his area. And of course, Ausra, would you recommend him recording his own demonstrations and uploading to Youtube, or Musicoin or other places online, like, like DSound? A: Sure. That way he would get even more attention, and more listeners, and more interest in the organ. V: Mmm, hmm. And those places also pay you for your music, so he could earn some additional revenue while sharing his work. A: True. V: Wonderful! Thank you guys for listening. We hope you understand how important it is to self-motivate yourself. And if nobody really cares about you, your art, then you make them care by finding other avenues. Uh huh. Not forcing them, but inviting them gently to go to an adventure together with you. And kids and children are most, most eager to learn new things, most curious. A: Yes, because those, you know, childhood impressions, they are so important. And maybe some of those kids will become an organist too. And you will be the reason why he or she decides to become an organist. Wouldn’t that be great! V: Wonderful. Thank you guys for, for listening, for applying our tips in your practice, and for sending us those beautiful questions. They’re really thought provoking, and we hope they are useful to you. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen!
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Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast #130!
Today's guest is an American organist Randall Krum. He was born in Albany, New York and grew up in the nearby village of Ephratah where he studied piano and organ with local teachers. During high school he began focused organ studies with area organist, Dr. Elmer A. Tidmarsh, a onetime student of Charles-Marie Widor and a longtime friend of Marcel Dupré. Following graduation from high school and in preparation to audition for admission into college organ study, he studied with Willard Irving Nevins at the Guilmant Organ School in New York City. Subsequently he was accepted at the Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, MD, where he studied with Professors Clarence Snyder, Arthur Rhea and Arthur Howes completing both the Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in organ and liturgical music. Mr. Krum has been organist at a number of churches in the eastern United States, notably St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Baltimore, MD, Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, Bennington, VT, and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Bennington, VT. Currently, Mr. Krum is organist-choirmaster of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lake Mary, Florida. In 1987, Mr. Krum was an American delegate to the International Congress of Organists in Cambridge, England, where he participated in a variety of organ and choral workshops. In Summer, 1993, he studied in Paris with organist Jacques Taddei and participated in workshops with Henri Houbart, Philippe Lefebvre, and Mme. Marie-Louise Langlais. In Summer, 2005, he attended the Royal School of Church Music International Summer School at St. John University, York, England, where he took part in courses and workshops led by John Rutter, John Bell, Alistair Warwick and other RSCM faculty. Additionally, he participated with all International Summer School students in singing daily Mattins and Evensong at Yorkminster. Mr. Krum has presented recitals at the Episcopal Cathedral of All Saints, Albany, NY, the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul, Burlington, VT, and for the Centennial Celebration of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Bennington, VT in 2007. His organ-related activities include membership in the American Guild of Organists where he is webmaster for the Central Florida Chapter and a member of the Executive Committee. In this conversation Randall shares his insights about how to keep being alive and interested in music as one ages. Listen to the conversation And don't forget to help spread the word about the SOP Podcast by sharing it with your organist friends. If you like it, feel free to subscribe to our channel on Musicoin. By the way, you can upload your own recordings to YOUR channel to maximize revenue. If you have some audio recordings of your organ performances, you can do the same. Feel free to use my invitation link to join Musicoin: https://musicoin.org/accept/MUSICa45e5f26ede2be5dd4411747 Thanks for caring. Relevant link: https://www.facebook.com/randall.krum Happy New Year!
Ausra and I want to wish everyone in our Secrets of Organ Playing community to try to increase our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health just one percent every day. Suggestions: Physical health: Walk 10000 steps every day or do some other form of exercise to break sweat, give your dinner to others, turn off all screens after 8 pm, sleep 8 hours minimum at night, floss your teeth (maybe just one tooth for starters). Emotional health: surround yourself with people you love and who love you. Avoid toxic people. Mental health: create something every day, write down 10 ideas a day, read, practice organ playing. Spiritual health: find things to be grateful for, say "I Love You" more often, breathe. If we perfect ourselves in each area just one percent, every 72 days, our results will double. After a year it will be 3800 percent increase! We are so looking forward to helping you grow in 2018 as well. And remember, when you practice, miracles happen! Heavenly Host Sings "Glory to God in the Highest" PS Thanks to Kae for this Bear in the picture whom we received from the sunny California! My friend told me yesterday, "I don't know what I want to do with my life."
This is normal thought at the end of the year. To think about our goals, about the future, about the direction of our lives will take next year. And I'm NOT talking about New Year's resolutions which will fade away after a week or two. The thing is we can drift or we can swim. All is very well for people who have goals of what they want to achieve next year and plan with steps of how to do it. But what if you're not sure? What if you're kind of lost? The best advice I could give you which works for me is start documenting your life and share it with the world. I'm not arguing here you should start creating something. No, because most people don't know what to create. Because most people are stuck if they can't envision themselves creating the next Michelangelo masterpiece. Perfectionism is a true art killer. In this case the best action to take is to document what you are the most excited about in your life right now. And what you are struggling with in your life right now. And of course what you are currently working on. And you do it in the form of text, pictures, audio or video or any combination of these mediums. Incidentally, these 3 questions are exactly the kind of things I ask every guest of our Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. Notice that this is exactly what I'm doing in this post right now. I'm remembering what my friend just told me. This hurts and I'm sharing my thoughts about it with you. The idea of documenting and not creating is not mine, as far as I know Gary Vaynerchuk was the first to popularize this concept. I hope you'll give it a try in the New Year. Let me know if this helps.
Vidas: Let’s start Episode 95 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. And today’s question was sent by Rivadavia. And she has a struggle with patience, and she writes that she lacks patience and even perhaps lack of memory, when she practices. So Ausra, do you think that people often lack patience when they encounter difficult spots in organ playing?
Ausra: I think so. Not everybody, maybe; but yes, I think that might be a problem for some people. So are you patient, when you practice? Vidas: Usually I’m patient enough to overcome difficult spots; but sometimes, yeah, I get into the trap of feeling frustrated, and then switch to something else. Do you think that people have to stick to the practice no matter what, or is it ok to take a break--take a drink, walk, stretch--and then come back? Ausra: Yes, I think it’s good to take a break, but I think it’s bad to quit practicing a particular piece; because a lack of patience might mean that when you find out that this piece will be hard for you to learn, you discover some hard spots, sometimes you just quit, because you don’t have enough patience. Vidas: Have you ever quit a piece in your life? Ausra: Well, let me think about it. Yes, I think that I did, way back. I think I quit one choral fantasia by Max Reger. Vidas: Oh! Ausra: But I think it was probably the trouble or a bad decision of my former teacher, because I think I was still too young and not experienced enough to learn such a hard piece. Vidas: That’s right. And I think I quit some piano pieces back in high school, because they were simply too virtuosic for me. So...when people like Rivadavia, for example, encounter a difficult spot, right, and they want to quit--what should they do first? How should they motivate themselves? Ausra: Well, that’s a good question. Very hard one. Vidas: What about simplifying the problem? Instead of climbing a big mountain, right--like you say, mastering a Chorale Fantasia by Reger--maybe mastering a smaller episode first? Ausra: Yes, that could be; but you need patience for that, too. Vidas: Or not even an entire episode, but a solo line, of RH or pedal line, of that episode. Ausra: That might be a good idea. Vidas: You see guys, I think a step-by-step approach is slow, but it’s very firm, and a very positive way to reinforce yourself in your goals. If you’re taking this step, and the next step, and the next, you’re surely moving towards your goal. Would you agree, Ausra? Ausra: Yes. The slow process guarantees you a good result at the end of it. Vidas: So why do people quit, if the slow, step-by-step approach works? Ausra: Because you need patience to work slowly, and not everybody has it. But it’s not necessarily related to organ practicing. If you have patience in one site of your life, you will have patience throughout your life, too. Vidas: Do you think that people quit when they don’t see results? Ausra: Could be, too, yes. Vidas: Because if they feel results--some kind of results, even basic results--they feel compelled to take action even further. But if they just keep spinning their wheels, then they think inside their head that it’s not worth it. Right? Ausra: Might be, yes. Vidas: They’re not getting anywhere. Ausra: So I think it’s a good thing not to pick up too hard pieces at first, and not to expect too much from yourself in a very short time. Vidas: And celebrate small victories. Ausra: That’s true. Enjoy small things. Vidas: Give yourself a treat, whatever a treat might mean for you. Celebrate every small step, because each small step will lead you to success, whatever success means for you. Wonderful. So, another part of this question is of course, lack of memory. So Rivadavia is struggling not only with patience, but with memory. What do you think is happening, Ausra, for her? Is she trying to memorize some passages and struggling? Ausra: Sounds like that. Yes, then just play from the music. You don’t have to memorize it, necessarily, if you are practicing organ. Vidas: True, because memory is not everything, I think. You have to read music... Ausra: That’s true. Vidas: And memorize only the pieces that you want to keep for a long time. Ausra: Yes, that’s right. Vidas: Wonderful. We will discuss the problem of lack of memory in the next episode. And for now, just keep up your practice. And remember, when you practice… Ausra: Miracles happen. By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here)
My organist sense of good taste was damaged a few months ago. I've heard an organist practice for an upcoming recital. The music was loud and louder, almost without any use of soft stops, too dissonant at times even for my ears. And I have a great tolerance for modern music. I have to because I create music myself. I'm not sure how it sounded during the concert but I got a headache from this music just from listening to the rehearsal. And by the way, I never went to the event (not surprisingly). Now I try to imagine what led the organist to choose this repertoire? Obviously the organist liked this music, right? But... is this a good enough factor of deciding to perform it in public? When you play organ in public, do you do it for yourself or for others? Both? Do you have to have compassion and empathy of how your playing might be perceived by the people in the audience? By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here)
I could not believe it. She was looking at me with the expression of helplessness in her eyes. It was around 10 am on Friday morning in our church. I was just finishing broadcasting my practice of BWV 548 (we did the same with Ausra's BWV 552 later in the afternoon). Before I even stopped playing, this live broadcast was viewed more than 150 times. That's not a lot, in pop music standards where any video can go viral to millions of people. But to me it was significant. And I wanted to share this experience so that others could apply in their work too. In front of me was this student with her professor ready to have a lesson on our organ. I showed them my laptop with the video replay on Facebook and told how fast the audience is growing from the live video. I explained them that they too could record their practice and/or performance and build their tribe this way. This girl only said, "But I don't have any fans." Of course she doesn't. I didn't have them too when I started this blog back in December of 2011. I started from scratch. The first ten subscribers came on December 5, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 15, 17, 18, and 19. At first one a day, then 2, then 3 and so on. With time, generosity, commitment, connection and persistence anyone can do it. But will they? A lot of people will choose to wait until somebody would pick them. Waiting for the phone to ring. If only I had 1000 true fans... I'm sorry but it doesn't work this way anymore. So this student who is just at the start of her organ experience has the same chance to succeed as 10000 other organists. Whom would you call, if you were in charge, if you had to offer recital opportunities? If two people had approximately the same level of skill, training and talent in organ playing, would you pick the one who is waiting and hiding behind her excuses? Or would you choose someone who is constantly putting herself on the line, failing, trying, succeeding and failing again all in front of the eyes of many people whom she's not even met physically? The one who says to herself, "I'm not talented/trained/rich/young/beautiful/insert your excuse/ enough?" Or the one who is showing up day after day, helping, leading and empowering people? Anyway, enough for today, we're off to the church for BACH-322 recital tonight to continue building our tribe. By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here)
Turn lead into gold. Write a dictation of Bach's chorale. Make others laugh. I forget which one. Maybe all. By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here)
So, yesterday you've started practicing organ playing the right way. How does it feel? Are you optimistic about it? Can you see yourself practicing like this a week, a month, a year from now? Or is it a huge internal struggle for you? My guess is that your initial enthusiasm has gone out and you're faced with the harsh reality of slow, persistent, and regular practice. And it doesn't feel so easy, does it? One part of you wants to stop, to drop everything, and continue doing what you were doing before. Don't think about the future. It hasn't happened yet. Moreover, your progress seems slow at first, but I can assure you, it's never always linear. Progress comes also in leaps. Your first leap might not be far away. Don't stop now. By Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene (get free updates of new posts here)
I will apply good organ playing habits to my practice starting from tomorrow morning. On Monday I will begin to study harmony. Next month I will try to improvise more regularly. In the summer I'll work on my sight-reading. From January 1 I will start playing hymns with my feet too. I'm not ready yet. This thinking never works. Unless you're taking action, your dreams will never become goals. You'll never be more ready than you're today. Take action before you hit the bed tonight. |
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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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