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Organ Curriculum Resources
Programming Ideas
- Orgelkids USA
- A Young Person’s Guide to the Pipe Organ by Sandra Soderlund
The AGO has put the contents online, along with sound files and a link at the bottom to a glossary of terms. - Orgelkids Netherlands (the original founding program) outlines an Orgelkids introduction in three lessons here. A link to a Teaching Guide PDF is at the bottom of the page.
- Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ (FOKO) have developed some unique programming with their Kotzschmar 4 Kids program.
Here are links to three PDFs of curriculum for children and the organ.
1) Sound Wave 2) Bach-Curriculum 3) Education Resource Messiaen Curriculum _ FOKO
In this curriculum, you will see one of our favorite tools: a wood pipe (preferably one with a cap) that has been cut in half, enabling us to visualize the path of wind through a pipe. - Pipe organ kits made of cardstock and paper: 2 different models. The first is a reed organ and hand pumped. The second paper kit is powered by a balloon serving as a reservoir.
- Paper Pipe Organ offered by Marcle Models in the UK, designed by Benjamin Hurdle in 1990. We’ve built this kit and loved it. You can see it in action here.
- Relatively new modular paper pipe organ with a balloon serving as the reservoir, here. We haven’t built this one, yet, though Orgelkids Taiwan has! They also offer a set of postcards that become pipes, here.
- An archaeology report on the c. 7,000 year old neolithic use of tusk tenon joints, source of the image in the frame assembly instruction manual, here. Tusk tenon joints are how the frame of the Orgelkids USA organ is assembled. Ancient engineering! Once the frame is assembled, we encourage the children to tug on it and ask if it’s sturdy. And then we ask, “Did you use nails?” (no), “Did you use screws?” (no), “Did you use glue?” (no). And yet it is very, very strong. Tusk tenon joints are how humans joined pieces of wood long ago, before metal.
Videos and CDs
- Minnesota Public Radio:
- Prayer from Sonatina, by Anders Börjesson
- Three-Part Video: The King of Instruments: History, Science and Music of the Pipe Organ. Informative film produced with Alan Morrison at Spivey Hall, Clayton State University
- Newly published in 2019, 2 CDs by Maestro Classics (also available to download as MP3s)
- Bach & the Pipe Organ: “This musical biography, narrated with musical examples throughout, features some of Bach’s greatest hits, many of which were composed for the organ. The CD also includes additional educational tracks on the history of the organ, Bach’s music after he died, an a capella version of Bach’s Little Fugue, BWV 578, and a sing along with words set to his Little Fugue.” Featuring David Enlow on the St. Ignatius Loyola Mander Organ.
- Music from Bach & the Pipe Organ. If the narrated CD leaves you wanting more music, less narration, you’re in luck! This CD is all music: David Enlow on the St. Ignatius Loyola Mander Organ. RECOMMENDATION: Have organ music playing in the background during your Orgelkids builds. This is a great CD for that purpose. Make sure you have a picture of the Mander organ on hand to show the builders one of the largest tracker organs in NYC while making the point that the 3-story behemoth operates the same way as the organ they’re building.
Compositions
- Bespoke repertoire for Orgelkids. Nine winning compositions for Orgelkids (PDF here). This book comes with the Orgelkids kit. 1st prize in each of the three categories was funded by Orgelkids Netherlands, while 2nd & 3rd prizes were funded through Orgelkids USA’s Roger L. Danielson’s Soli Deo Gloria Family Fund. Categories: solo for Orgelkids, Orgelkids with ensemble & rearranged classics for Orgelkids (Yes you CAN play Bach in 2 octaves!)
- Orgelkids Compositions by Vincent Ryan, who head Orgelkids PA. Vince has requested that you always send him a photo of your programs and to post and tag them on his Facebook page or his YouTube channel.Future compositions can also be linked! If you would like to submit music, please contact elizabeth.george@agohq.org