The Organ Forum

Jay,

In my professional position at a university, we control individual access to instrumentation costing many hundreds of thousands of dollars (over a million in some cases). NO ONE is allowed to use the equipment until they have been checked out and pass a safety test (e.g., safe operation: to protect both instrument and user). We are never surprised when supposed "professionals" (who claim to know how to use the instruments) cannot even accomplish the most basic of procedures (like turning it on). We demo the procedure and will not leave them alone until we feel assured of their competence. In addition, we have posted "prompt sheets" giving summaries of the most basic procedures. Even then......

Bottom line: if you want to protect your instrument from incompetence, you must verify that the user is indeed competent. This can be accomplished in a friendly manner.

You account of this incident makes me ill and I sincerely hope the instrument can be repaired to its former elegance.

 

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BOZ

Those nightmares mentioned in another thread . . .

I think I am about to have more of them and in a wider variety.

SIGH!

The church I attend is a United Church of Christ/American Baptist--dual affiliation.  I am the organist.  Im very protective of the organ [Wurlitzer 4300] and the piano. We have other churches rent our sanctuary on sunday.. 2 other congregations.. They are NOT allowed to use the instruments. But they have their own musical instruments and dont need ours. If somebody really wanted to use ours, we would consider/negotiate it.  It would not be about getting money but about making sure the instrument would be treated properly.  Its pretty hard to ruin a piano.  But an organ is easy to break and so expensive to repair. I wish I didn't have to be so protective of them, but people have little respect for instruments these days!  Dont you love it when someone puts a drink on top of the organ? YIKES! Or when people use the closed lid of a grand piano as a desk! ? OR how about people who dont know how to "start up" old tonewheel hammonds and hold the start and run switch together for 15 seconds! AHHHHHHHH!  How about when people use the organ pedals as a place to set books or other items? How about when people put real PLANTS with real WATER in them on top of the organ?  I would so like to let kids get some interest in the piano and organ by letting them play on it, but kids today wont listen , when you tell them not to bang on the keys or push so hard on the tabs/buttons/drawbars.  Then if you try to correct the child, OMG! The parents will scream at you. Parents today think their kids can do no wrong.  Ultimately, if someone is qualified to play organ/piano and can prove it they should be allowed to use the instrument. The church originally listed in the beginning of this post needs to examine itself big time.

from

Anthony , in Hayward, Ca

In my last comment, I used the word "POST" and what I meant to say is "THREAD"... The church at the beginning of this thread , on page 1 is who needs to examine itself .  Very odd behavior,  too over-protective..

~anthony

What I'm posting here is a console picture of a ca. 1935 Skinner Steere (or Steere-Skinner[I like the latter better, it sounds more ...rugged) This organ is in bad shape, I don't know if through neglect or just years of playing...This is what you hope your console(s) don't end up looking like.

Most churches (at least here in Cleveland) are pretty cool about letting me play their organs once I identify my self and tell them that I'm documenting pipe organs for the AGO, but some people are less cool about it.  When I called one organist/music director and told her that I had tried to open her locked console last summer (all I did was try to lift the lid only to find it locked) I was told off that it was rude...ugh...

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Once you can tie your arms into a pretzel and your legs into a knot, you've got it under control

Anthnoy,

I feel the same way about plants and food on instruments.  You wouldn't put a plant on your violin would you, so why should a piano or organ have to accept it.

This secretary is afraid we will scratch the instruments - I wonder if she knows how the youth choir treats the organ?  Using it as a projector stand, or place to put any amount of random stuff just because it is big and unoccupied.  I've seen them prop their guitars and bongos on it. 

 
 

BOZ:

In my professional position at a university, we control individual access to instrumentation costing many hundreds of thousands of dollars (over a million in some cases). NO ONE is allowed to use the equipment until they have been checked out and pass a safety test (e.g., safe operation: to protect both instrument and user). We are never surprised when supposed "professionals" (who claim to know how to use the instruments) cannot even accomplish the most basic of procedures (like turning it on).

I assume the equipment you speak of does not necessarily imply pipe organs?

I wouldn't judge a professional organist's competence by their ability to turn an organ off or on!  Some organs I've played are exceedingly cryptic to power on - you can't hold that against the organist - you can only teach them how to operate it.  One organ I've played has three switches for each blower, plus a wind-up timer for the rectifier.  All of the keys are contained in a box inside of a drawer inside of a table inside of a green room, down a staircase located a very far distance from the room where the organ console is located.    Getting into this facility is a whole other can of worms, but as it is not organ-related I won't go into all that...

To Austin, I can understand the organist's taking offense at your trying to open a locked organ console.  If the console is locked, one assumes that you need to ask permission first and will then be given a key.  Some console locks are easier to break than you might imagine; if that should happen, then there would be the expense of having to repair the lock. 

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Soubasse32

I am happy to say that our Youth Choir is very respectful of both the organ and the piano.  This is partly because they are respectful in general.

How would one know that the organ is locked unless one tried to open it?  Just because the lid is down does not necessarily imply that it is locked--it may just be down to keep dust out of the keyboards.  I did not infer that he had tried to jimmy the lock.

David

Soubasse32 commented:

1. I assume the equipment you speak of does not necessarily imply pipe organs?

2. I wouldn't judge a professional organist's competence by their ability to turn an organ off or on! Some organs I've played are exceedingly cryptic to power on - you can't hold that against the organist - you can only teach them how to operate it. 

My response:

1A. Electron microscopes, not organs. 

2A. That is exactly my point: you must show them how to operate it (if it is out of the ordinary) and then let them play the organ. Your only safe assumption is that they can make music........ well, you can hope, anyway.

Regards,

 

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BOZ

davidecasteel:

How would one know that the organ is locked unless one tried to open it?  Just because the lid is down does not necessarily imply that it is locked--it may just be down to keep dust out of the keyboards.  I did not infer that he had tried to jimmy the lock.

I wasn't inferring that he tried to jimmy the lock either. 

But - personally speaking - I would think twice before playing an organ without asking first, and would probably think three times if the cover was closed.

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Soubasse32

What kind of company put a plug on a console which can be plugged in incorrectly let alone have it wired so it blew up everything if you managed to do so? I'd be upset with the company more than the poor visiting organist.

Rob

As would I, Rob.
In regards to not being allowed to use the church's 120v outlets, is it just the 120v outlets you're not allowed to use, or is it all of the church's outlets? because, if it's just the 120v outlets, you might be able to get an inverter and go from 220v heavy duty outlets to 120v power, but I imagine the secretary would shoot that down too. Of course you could always play John Cage's 4'33" for the wedding

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Once you can tie your arms into a pretzel and your legs into a knot, you've got it under control

Austin766:

As would I, Rob.
Of course you could always play John Cage's 4'33" for the wedding

 I'd love to play that piece with full organ drawn. Ah, the non-difference it would make. Just what Cage was all about.

Austin,

At first glance I thought you'd posted a photo of the organ at Twin Creeks Baptist, where my cousin Yvonna plays. I see the little pink things on the drawknobs. You may remember that she has been known to mark her favorite stops with nail polish.

John

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!