What's the first step?

Nowadays when the organ world faces threats for survival from diminishing interest in church and organ recital attendance, when culture is being forced into the back of the socioeconomic life and organ - into the margins of the cultural world, when musical literacy is gradually declining, organ and its art faces hard times.

Do we let this magnificent instrument gradually die a natural death? Or perhaps do we want this art to survive for future generations?

Urgent changes are needed. But is every organist ready for that?

It's never been a better time to be an organist because we live at the point of massive changes when anybody reading this can influence organists worldwide.

These times reward organists who have this unrelenting thirst of changing something for the better.

However, these times are particularly brutal for organists who are greedy and selfish, who are waiting for their turn, reluctant to take responsibility and obediently follow instructions of others.

Organists who are able to go beyond their personal ambitions for the sake of professionalism and the common good, can become indispensable to others.

Organists who understand that failure will not destroy them, become generators of new ideas and leaders for the people around them.

Organists who view fear not as the feeling which should be avoided, but as the compass which should be followed are able to achieve something meaningful.

Organists who themselves own the rules and comply with them, will always be superior to those who wait until someone else will figure out the rules for them.

Organists who view generosity as one of the most important values in today's world, can really move mountains.

Organists who do the hard emotional work rather than those who only talk about it, can become the best in someone's world.

Organists who have their laser-focused mission in front of them, can become their own category and will have no fear of any competition.

Organists who own and maintain their worldview are not distracted by comparing themselves to others and not swayed by shiny innovations in order to be themselves.

Organists ignoring the critics who have not taken any responsibility but respecting the advice of those who are on the same path, can be extremely productive and creative.

Organists who understand their mission as saying "follow me", becomes a source of inspiration to people around them.

Organists who are not waiting for an inspiration, but deserve it with their work over time get visited by inspiration at the right time.

Organists who are not waiting for someone to pick them to do something meaningful and extraordinary, with time are given real authority.

Organists who are not anxious of initial mistakes and persevere and relentlessly pursue their goal will eventually develop the will of steel.

Organists who adopt the initial rejection of others as a sign that they are on the right track, eventually become the most desired by the same people who resisted them at first.

Organists who are so brave that choose to be vulnerable eventually become unbreakable.

Are we ready to become such organists?

If so, then the first step is to share our work with the world.

Not what we ate for breakfast, sunsets or dancing cats but personal work carrying the risk of evoking comments from some people such as, "I don't like it. Therefore I don't like you. Therefore there must be something wrong with you."

Because it will also earn from others a deep admiration and trust.

That's how you make an impact. That's how you help the organ and its art survive for future generations.

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Ausra's Harmony Exercise:
Transposing Sequence in G Major: V6-I

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