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Whether you would like to pursue a degree in performance or church music, there are several reasons why an organ degree will benefit your career as an organist:
Formal organ study. Taking consistent lessons, enrolling in music classes, and studying alongside other peer musicians is a phenomenal growing experience. (Studying music in college is awesome!)

Experience. A degree will provide you with valuable performing and teaching experience. This is your opportunity to hone your skills and learn from your mistakes! Take advantage of this time to be a student!

Efficient practice. As organists, we have to learn music rather quickly. Whether learning an anthem for Sunday morning or getting ready for a recital, organists need experience in learning effective ways to practice. A degree program with a terrific teacher will help one learn how to practice efficiently and adequately manage his/her time.

Collaboration. One of the perks of going to school with other musicians is the chance to collaborate with fellow students. Orchestras also require organists on occasion — how exciting!

Collegial connections and outreach. In school, we meet our future colleagues. You and your organist peers are the future of organ pedagogy, church music, and performance!

Internships. Although not all, many degree programs have connections with organ scholar positions at nearby churches to give one “real-life” experiences in addition to one’s studies at a university, conservatory, or college.

J-O-B. Organists are in demand in the job market. However, many organ positions can be competitive. Holding a degree in organ study gives one a “leg-up” when applying for a job.

For a list of organ degree-granting programs, please visit: https://wp.agohq.org/academic-degree-programs/

AGO certification tests exam one on a variety of practical and essential skills. The tests include playing literature, hymns, and accompaniments. Depending on the certification, one may also be tested on transposition, sight reading, harmonization, and improvisation. An AGO certification reflects a level or standard of playing that many other organists recognize. More importantly, ALL of these skills are essential for being a well-rounded organist and having a successful career.

Transposition. Whether transposing the last stanza of a hymn or taking a Psalm up or down a step, transposition is extremely useful. Plus, it helps your improvising. When preparing for this section of the test, I recommend spending a bit of time each day practicing your transposition skills on the four-part chorales from the 371 Chorales of J.S. Bach (edited by Albert Riemenschneider).
Sight-reading. Oftentimes, organists don’t have the luxury of time to prepare a piece. Upon the first play-through, sight-reading allows one to get a broader sense of a piece or work in rehearsal.

Improvisation. Be creative! Improvisation is a chance to let your musical ideas be heard. There are many times in church services or masses that improvisation is necessary to maintain the flow of the service with silence. Also, why not end a recital with an improvisation on a submitted theme?
Anthem accompanying. Being able to accompany a choir on the organ is a very valuable skill. Additionally, adapting piano scores for the organ is an art form.

Harmonizations. When playing hymns, remember that the written harmonizations in the hymnal are merely a sketch or starting point. Oftentimes, one may decide not to deviate from the harmonizations of a hymnal. However, with good taste and discretion, creating your own harmonizations may help to enhance the text and congregation singing of a hymn.

Repertoire. Many of the AGO exams have repertoire requirements. This is another opportunity to learn new pieces and explore new works.

AGO certification exams

This one is best read from the ​source

Greetings, friends! As part of the Southwest Region’s ongoing theme of professional development, I wanted to post today about an issue that many may consider an awkward topic: how to know when it’s time to leave.

This is a bit of a difficult topic for some of us and it’s one that we often don’t even consider until we’re starting to wonder why we haven’t left yet. My goal is to get you thinking *now* about these things so that, if/when the day comes, you’ll be ready.

A few weeks ago, I was looking through Facebook and noticed a post by an older gentleman asking for opinions on how one should know when it is time to “hang up your shoes.” There were several great responses in the comments that followed, but I was concerned at the lack (at least so far) of a certain question I believe is one of the most important – Is it still fulfilling? I believe that it is safe to say that very few (if any) of us have gone into the music industry to make money, nor have we any misconceptions about the often-accurate stereotype of the ‘struggling artist’ and how, at least for a substantial amount of time, we will likely fit into that stereotype all too neatly. Eliminate a desire for great wealth and the next most logical reason most of us could give to one who is questioning why we are musicians is something along the lines of, simply, “I enjoy it.”

Think of your own position. Why are you a musician? Not only does it not fit the tropes in other fields of studies being ‘encouraged’ by parents/mentors in order to land a steady job in the future, but it actually is often quite the opposite. How many of us chose academic paths centering on or revolving around music, *despite* the many extra challenges and obstacles that placed in front of us? At some point, (hopefully this is still very true for all of us now) we have enjoyed making music and being a musician has been fulfilling to us.

Now for the harder question: what happens when that is no longer the case? What happens when you discover that you no longer derive satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy out of being a musician? It can happen at any age – not just when it is close to time to retire. In a world like the one today, a world packed full of distractions and “greener grass” mirages, it is absolutely critical that you CONSTANTLY evaluate yourself and your job to determine if it is still bringing you joy and contentment.

That’s not to say that a job can’t have its difficulties. Most, if not all of us have experienced difficulties, hazards, and obstacles, whether that was relationships with fellow staff members, with congregants, with colleagues, or even just general stresses of a busy job. We have to be able to look *beyond* all of that to be able to answer that important question above.

There are obviously many other important factors when it comes to determining when it’s time to leave. Many of these fall under the headline of “important, but not something I really want to ask myself because I’m slightly afraid of what the answer will be.” These questions can include (though are not limited to) ones such as…

• Is this position appropriate for this point in my career?
• Does this position fit into my final career goals or can it at least contribute a reasonable amount of experience and character/musical development to fit?
• Is my work valued? (It is important here to be as objective as possible and include questions about your own work and ways you can improve to be absolutely sure that it deserves greater value)

One final question that many of us often forget to include is, “Have I gotten too comfortable?” While comfort, contentment, and peace are crucial in any position, there is a fine line past which comfort can begin to translate into laziness. Have you been doing the exact same thing for the past ___ years? Have things started to become stale (keep in mind that successful programs can still be stale and vice versa)? Especially as young organists, it is important that we consider that the position we currently hold likely will not be (nor should it be) the job we still have when we retire. Evaluating [critically and objectively] the stagnancy of a position we’ve held for a long time is vital in determining if it is time to move on or if something else can be done to reinvigorate things.

I am not an expert on this subject. With the exception of my newest job change, most of my changes have been due to moving away, and my latest was simply a large step up in my career and, in that way, became just as necessary as changes due to moving away. However, I believe that this is a not-oft-discussed topic that can easily become a source of pain and angst at any age and at any point in our musical careers. Please feel free to share your own suggestions in the comments. While I ask that you generalize names/places, feel free to share your own experiences. Remember that all of this is to help out your fellow young organists!

Solena Rizzato

 

 

Good evening, and greetings from far away in the West!

As many of us are aware, this year marks the 500th year since the traditional beginning of the Reformation. Although we may not all be celebrating it in our congregations, we must acknowledge the role that Martin Luther played in sacred music. Many great compositions come from the Lutheran tradition, from J.S. Bach to Paul Manz, and many more.

Are you celebrating Reformation Sunday this year? Are you going to sneak in some Bach? Go all out with choir and brass, or maybe your church is just going to pass? Tell us in the comments below. I’m certain some good ideas will surface.

Luther’s Impact

Greetings from the Mid-Atlantic Region! We will talk this year about moving from playing the piano to playing the organ. Many exciting topics await exploration, so make the 28th of each month your day to check back here!

It happens inevitably in the pianist’s career that he or she will, at some point in time, be asked to play the organ. The request comes most often from those who do not understand the niceties of technique, touch, and coordination associated with the various instruments in the keyboard family, and it is assumed that if one keyboard looks like another, than it will be an easy enough affair to transition from one to the other. Indeed, certain gifted artists within living memory have successfully attempted this feat. The majority, however, feel a lack of certainty upon hearing this request, and some have even reported feelings of terror and existential despair. We, the Officers of the Mid-Atlantic AGOYO, wish to address some of the concerns and issues associated with transitioning from piano to organ, therefore making seamless and smooth what once was perilous and uncertain, and to this end, we have designed a course of study for those who wish to embark upon this noble undertaking.

In this course, we will discuss such topics as the Mechanics of the instrument, the Sounds it is capable of making, the Pedal Board and it’s function, the common Repertoire of piano and organ, the Registration of organ repertoire, the practical performance of Hymns, Service Playing, and finally Repertoire and Career Growth. The Mechanics topic will endeavor to explore the construction and appearance of the organ, and the technical problems associated with the different types of instrument construction. In the Sounds topic, we will explore the tonal resources of the organ, as well as regional and builder specific sound classes. The Pedal Board topic will introduce the intrepid reader to the function of this essential part of the console, associated exercises, regional and period technique.

Our common Repertoire topic will explore what piano works transition well to the organ, and how to register such compositions. Registration follows, quite logically, and we will explore the practical application of the tonal resources of the average instrument to repertoire present and past. Additionally, we will discuss the application of those odd stops with no immediate practical use. Hymns and Service Playing go quite naturally hand-in-hand, but both topics are sufficiently unwieldy as to warrant separate lectures. Practical registrations for hymns, as well as conventions and certain tricks of the trade, will be discussed in the former, while in the latter we will explain the differences in liturgy between those denominations that employ an organ in worship, and which related skills the prudent church organist would be wise to develop. Finally, we will cover Repertoire and Career Growth, in which we will discuss the various exams available to the enterprising organist to prove mastery in related topics, how to find a teacher, how to join the American Guild of Organists, and how to search for jobs.

Various pitfalls and difficulties present themselves to the initiate in the art of organ playing. It is of vital importance that the process of learning not be rushed, and that a methodical approach to mastery be observed at all times in the course of studying the organ. Too often the neophyte, perhaps overzealous in his or her endeavor, or even rendered careless in light of recent mastery of another element, embarks on the next step in learning without first laying a solid foundation in the previous step. Such a heedless approach has undoubtedly resulted in many instances of sloppy and haphazard technique, or an incomplete grasp of the history, theory, and common practice in performance of certain repertoire. It is also easy to become disheartened at any lack of progress toward mastery, and these students we cannot encourage enough to remain steadfast in their pursuit. The organ is by far the most complex instrument to master, requiring as it does the independent movement of hands and feet, and an unparalleled understanding of music theory and history. Such lofty goals take a lifetime to master.

Finally, we also encourage prospective students to be careful in selecting a teacher and learning resources. The teacher should be both patient and knowledgeable, and the resources must be comprehensive and the information contained therein must not be dubiously sourced. For the latter, the AGO provides a comprehensive bibliography for their exam process and for the edification of organists. For the former, it is hard to go wrong with a good recommendation from a friend working in the field already.

We thank you for embarking on this journey with us, and should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact either with us or with your regional officers.

Good afternoon from the Great Lakes region, everybody! We wanted to talk about making yourself look good on your resume, CV or cover letter. Having a well-crafted resume is a real asset to getting into your dream school or landing your dream job.

So what’s the difference between a resume and a CV? CV stands for “curriculum vitae,” or course of life. As the name suggests, a CV thoroughly lists any and all academic or professional work you’ve done. Length is not an issue; if you’ve done a lot of stuff, list it all! Many academic institutions may ask for a CV because they want to see the full breadth of your musicality and your personal achievement to get to know you as a person. On my CV I have all of my music jobs I’ve held, schools I’ve attended, recordings I’ve appeared on, compositions of mine, etc.

A resume, on the other hand, is short (no more than a page) and should be very focused. You’ll want to only include professional or academic experiences that are extremely relevant to the position you’re applying for and leave off everything else. Many musicians applying for orchestral gigs need to submit this kind of document. When applying for grad schools I had to submit resumes for some schools as well.

If you want some more information, check out this website run by Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore about what resumes and CVs are. Tune in next month when we’ll set you up with some more resources for how to make your CV/Resume and get into the nitty gritty of what to put on it. Feel free to comment so we can get a discussion going.

Peabody Conservatory Resources

 

(Greg Santa Croce)