January 2014 A2AGO Pipings

The Ann Arbor Chapter of the American Guild of Organists

ANN ARBOR PIPINGSJanuary 2014 annarborago.org

Greetings AGO Ann Arbor Members!

On this cold Saturday morning I am warmly anticipating tomorrow's brass choir and organ recital at First Presbyterian in Ypsilanti featuring our own James Kibbie and the University of Michigan Faculty Brass Quintet! A great way to usher in the New Year.

Humanity's great religious and philosophical systems all rely on symbols in a 'metaphor of opposites': yin/yang, light/dark, death/redemption, heaven/hell, music/silence etc. Along those lines, reflecting on our art and craft and the creative process, I present you with these rather opposite quotes. From artist Martin Shaw (he designed the album cover for Cream's 'Direaeli Gears' album and other pop art): "I think art is about tidying up, really; To tidy up, you've got to make a mess." And from actor Bobby Moreno: "A lot of what I learned is about the power that comes from stillness."

Looking ahead, I recommend the workshop with Dr Julie Nagel on

February 01. Students as well as teachers will benefit. Performance anxiety, as I know from experience as well as studies in massage and neuroanatomy can be debilitating and traumatic. In this workshop with pianist and psychologist Julie Jaffe Nagel you will learn tools and techniques to change performance anxiety into performance energy. Please visit her website: julienagel.net. Dr Nagel will also have available copies of her book: " Melodies of the Mind: Connections between psychoanalysis and music".

Please keep track of your AGO Newsletter as well as our website as a lot is happening in our musical lands of AGO Ann Arbor.

I wish you all a peaceful happy and prosperous New Year. As you play the organ may you sing with the psalmist "Awake my heart, awake lyre and harp! I will awake the dawn!"

- Timothy HuthDean, AGO Ann Arbor

A Note from the Dean

http://julienagel.net/

http://julienagel.net/

ANN ARBOR PIPINGS • JANUARY 2014! PAGE2

A very Happy New Year to you all! As a new calendar year begins we find ourselves in the middle of another very busy season for the Ann Arbor AGO.

Coming up in just a few short weeks on Feb. 1 is a performance anxiety workshop with Dr. Julie Nagel taking place in Studio 2110 at the School of Music at UM.

March has our annual Lenten Recitals at First Congregational Church which will take place on the Fridays in Lent at 5:15pm, a new time this year.

Our chapter is co-sponsoring a performance by Daniel Roth on March 23rd at 4pm as part of the Ypsilanti P i p e O rg a n F e s t i v a l a t F i r s t Presbyterian Church in Ypsilanti.

And discussion began at our most recent board meeting for a spring time recital featuring the faculty of our upcoming Advance Pipe Organ Encounter.

We have such a wealth of performers, instruments and events taking place in our area. And we volunteer our time and talents to make these events happen for you, our membership. Yet how many of us find ourselves attending even one new or different event each season? There are many

faithful A2AGO members who I am always pleased to see at so many of our events. But where is everyone else?

Almost all of our events are free of charge. They change venues, days and times from event to event. We are trying a new time for our Lenten Recital series this year in hopes that more members will be able to attend. You may be asking 'what about the general public who we work so hard to educate?'. That is also where you come in. A lot of time and effort is put in to publicize as much as we can with a limited budget and man hours. But we have all of you to help.

Invite your neighbors, co-workers, family and friends to our concerts. Tell your private music students about upcoming events, even if they do not play the organ. Help us to bring the beauty of the pipe organ to those who don't know how much they like it yet!

I look forward to the rest of this season and hope to meet many new people from within our membership.

- Sipkje PesnichakSub-Dean, AGO Ann Arbor

A Resolution to Join In


Saturday February 01, 2013, 9:30 - 11:30 AM, Studio 2110University of Michigan School of Music Moore Building

For the performing musician stage- fright, doubt and fear can hinder optimal performance, creating unwanted stress and tension. In this seminar, psychologist Dr Julie

Jaffee Nagel will explore the emotional, neurological and physical aspects of performance. Participants will learn effective techniques to change performance anxiety

into performance energy for more confident, musical and stress-free performance.

Dr Nagel is a concert pianist and Julliard graduate as well as trained psychotherapist and psychoanalyst with extensive experience working with performing musicians and their

teachers. Her recent book, 'Melodies of the Mind: connections between psychoanalysis and music' explores the power of music to move us, as well as the intersection of music

and the mind. Copies will be available at this seminar.

"Speaking from a musician's viewpoint...I can say it combines scholarship and readability to an extent not often found in a volume dealing with such erudite subject matter".

Joseph Polisi, President of the Julliard School

RSVP to [email protected]

Find more information about Dr Nagel at www.julienagel.net

mailto:[email protected]



I was very energetic in 2004. At age fifteen, having been learning to the play the organ, for the last two years on a large, 2-manual Van Daalen tracker, I was only too excited to get out there and see what other instruments were out there. Yes, I would become that kid who would occasionally hog the organ bench, to the mild annoyance but mostly enthusiasm of the staff.

In 2004, my first POE was at Wheaton College in Illinois, a mere for ty-minute dr ive f rom my hometown of La Grange Park. Steven Egler gave me my lessons for the week on a variety of organs in close proximity to the College. His patience helped me to develop a sense of over-arching gesture in our music, as opposed to being "too notey." Our traveling took us to downtown Chicago where we saw the landmark organs of the city (Fourth Presbyterian and the Cathedrals of St. James and Holy Name). Given the proximity to my home, I would go on to serve as a substitute organist at several of the churches where lessons and recitals were given. It was here where I also met Dr. Lorraine Brugh, who would be my underg raduate o rgan p ro fessor a t Valparaiso University only three short years later.

In 2005, I went down to my second POE in Nashville, Tennessee. Admittedly, I was curious about what kind of organs could possibly be there. My incredulity was immediately dashed as we saw one four-manual Möller organ after another. Cherry Rhodes gave me my lessons on the five-manual Möller organ of West End United Methodist Church (the largest organ in the region!). In the face of such a massive instrument, she guided my ability to listen to the impact of individual stops away from the console.

Continued on Page 5

POE Reflections from the POEA Director by Kipp Cortez


Suburban St. Louis was the site of the third and final POE I attended in 2006. Lessons w i th Thomas Bara channe led my seemingly never-ending energy into productive building of technique. Our traveling included visiting Martin Ott's organ workshop, and the landmark Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (the so-called "New Cathedral") with its stunning mosaics, seven-second reverberation time, and ceiling consisting of five domes. A visit to Concordia Seminary for a carillon recital was one of my first exposures to another instrument that came to have great import in my life.

In each of these experiences, I was right in the middle, between people who were seeing organs for the second or third time in their lives, up to people who were presenting substantial movements of Widor symphonies, demonstrating years of study. Regardless of where we were musically, the attitude amongst the participants was always one of support, encouragement, and friendliness. We

learned from each other and helped each other by turning pages, pulling stops, and the like. Many of us have gone on for advanced degrees in organ and church music at places like The University of Michigan, Arizona State, Indiana University, Westminster Choir College, Peabody Conservatory, Juilliard, Oberlin, Princeton, and others. I still keep in touch with many people through Facebook and other media.

It is a unique position to be in, at the helm of an enterprise of which I was once a participant. My colleagues and I have come a long way. In my mind, it begs the questions: Who will be the next "bench hog"? Who will we inspire? How far can the next group go?

More importantly, for our immediate consideration, how can we make that happen for them? I invite your serious consideration to how you can give of time, talent, and treasure to support and prosper. By so doing, you will be ensuring a secure future for the king of instruments and it's presence in houses of worship, schools, and civic buildings for generations to come.

SDG.

Kipp Cortez is a doctoral student in organ, GSI, and carillonneur at The University of Michigan. He also serves as Minister of Music at Saint James Episcopal Church on Grosse Ile.


NEW YORK CITY — The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is spearheading three major initiatives that have been made possible by the largest bequest in Guild history. Totaling more than $2.5 million in cash and assets including a tracker pipe organ, the bequest from the estate of Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee was first announced at the 2010 AGO National Convention in Washington, D.C.

With the gradual distribution of the assets over the last three and a half years, the Guild has worked diligently and faithfully to honor the donors’ intentions by establishing (1) an endowment to provide college scholarships to dedicated organ students with financial needs, (2) an endowment to provide for the relocation and ongoing maintenance of the donors’ tracker organ, and (3) an endowment to support an annual organ composition competition for that instrument. Two of these endowments are now fully funded, with the third nearing completion.

“This extraordinary bequest helps us accomplish our mission—to enrich lives through organ and choral music—by providing the resources to implement two new programs and establish a lasting relationship with a new academic partner,” said AGO President Eileen Guenther. “The AGO continues to be much more than the world’s largest membership association for organists. At the national level and through our international network of more than 300 chapters, we conduct more educational and outreach programs supporting organ and choral music than any other professional organization.”

The Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee Memorial Scholarship will be available to six students (four undergraduate, and two graduate) beginning with the 2014–2015 a c a d e m i c y e a r. F o u r u n d e rg r a d u a t e scholarships in the amount $7,500 each will be

offered: one each to an incoming college freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. Each scholarship wi l l be renewable through completion of the student’s undergraduate years of study. Two graduate scholarships in the amount of $15,000 each will be offered and will be renewable for a total of two years of graduate study. Eligibility requirements and application details are available online at Agohq.org. The application deadline is March 1, 2014.

The Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee Pipe Organ Endowment was established to support the ongoing maintenance of the Pogorzelski and Yankee Memorial Organ. The 2-manual and pedal, 24-stop, 21-rank tracker organ, built by R.J. Brunner & Company in 1991 for Pogorzelski and Yankee’s private residence in Bucks County, Pa., was inspired by the early Pennsylvania German organs of David Tannenberg (1728–1804). The casework is gilded in 22-karat gold leaf. It will be moved and installed at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in May 2014 where it will be used for teaching and performance. The AGO’s lease of the organ to IUP will be renewable annually.

The Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee Annual Competition, a composition competition to encourage the creation of new music specifically for the R.J. Brunner organ, is being established by the AGO. Each year, the winning composition will be given its world premier performance in a gala recital at IUP by an internationally recognized organist. The AGO National Council has approved a preliminary statement of the competition rules as drafted by the AGO New Music Committee. The rules will be finalized and published later this year. The winning piece is expected to be performed at IUP in 2015. Complete details including the application process for composers will be posted online at Agohq.org.

$2.5 MILLION GIFT ENABLES THE AGO TO ENRICH LIVES THROUGH ORGAN MUSIC


The AGO National Council will sponsor a Silent Auction at the AGO National Convention in Boston in June 2014. The proceeds will benefit the Annual Fund, which covers the expenses of educational programs, Pipe Organ Encounters, professional certification programs, competitions, conventions, January Jubilees, and other costs of running the organization. The auction will be run online so that all AGO members and friends may participate, and not just those attending the national convention.

A number of members of the Council have already given items and services for the Silent Auction. These include two round-trip coach airfares to Europe, two expensive bottles of wine, workshops, and CD recordings. We would like to invite Chapters to promote the auction, including donation of items that might be interest to the AGO membership. This might include time share vacations, new scores and books, complimentary registration to a regional convention, a recital or workshop.

Donors will need to establish a reasonable value for each item and a recommended starting bid. For tangible items (books, CDs, artwork, rental equivalency of a time share week, concert tickets), the value should be tax deductible, but check with your tax professional. Unfortunately, services (lessons, a recital or workshop) are not tax deductible. The AGO will set a

minimum starting bid where none is advised by the donor.

What to do with the donated items? Wait until you hear who the winning bidder was, and then mail/ship the item to the winning bidder. Shipping expense is to be covered by the donor. Items for which there is no bid will be kept by the donors.

We would like to have a complete list of auction items, and a photograph of each item, by 1 May 2014 in order to prepare the auction. The online auction will begin 1 June 2014 and end on 30 June 2014.

Send your list of donation items, photos of them, and stated values with minimum bids for each item, to:

F. Anthony ThurmanDirector of Development and CommunicationsAmerican Guild of [email protected], ext. 4308

Thank you for your consideration,

Calvert JohnsonTreasurer/Councillor for Finance and DevelopmentAmerican Guild of [email protected]

SILENT AUCTION AT 2014 AGO NATIONAL CONVENTION IN BOSTON






Friday, February 7, 2014, 7:00 PMKing of Kings Lutheran Church, 2685 Packard Road, Ann ArborFree admission, donations to support the Boychoir of Ann Arbor.

Friday, March 14, 2014, 7:00 PMAlexander Music Building (Recital Hall)Eastern Michigan UniversityFree admission; part of the Steinway Campaign of the EMU School of Music

Award-winning pianist and organist Aaron Tan presents two concerts of solo piano music from Renaissance England to 20th century America. Highlights include the late F Major sonata by Mozart, which demonstrates his prowess as a master of polyphony through his joyous and effervescent style; Samuel Barber's "Excursions", in which various rhythmic and

melodic motifs are explored through four recognizable American popular music idioms; and Robert Schumann's Toccata in C, which has become notorious through the legend that attempting to master the piece caused permanent injury to the composer's hand.

The Ann Arbor concert (Feb. 7) will be streamed live in HD at www.AaronTan.org. For more information, visit www.AaronTan.org or email [email protected].

ProgramOrlando Gibbons - Fantasia in ARachmaninoff - 2 Preludes from Op. 23 & Op. 32Mozart - Sonata in F Major, K. 533/494Stravinsky - Etude in F-sharp Major, Op. 7, No. 4---Barber - Excursions, Op. 10Debussy - Selections from Épigraphes AntiquesSchumann - Toccata in C Major, Op. 7

http://www.aarontan.org/







First Baptist Church of Ann arbor

Coffee Break Concert Series2013-2014 ④ Please visit our church website at www.fbca2.org for upcoming concert information.

Organ Concert Music by Franck, Mendelssohn, Widor, Demessieux

Organ Major Students at the University of Michigan Joshua Boyd, Sherri Brown Ye Mee Kim, Jenna Moon

Dean Robinson

February 6, 2014 Thursday at 12:15 PM

Open to the Public / Refreshments

517 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

734) 663-9376 / www.fbca2.org


Concert: Martin Jean, organ Professor of Music, Yale UniversityWHEN: Sunday, February 9, 4:00 p.m.WHERE: Concordia University, Chapel of the Holy Trinity, 4090 Geddes Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103Free and open to the public

Concordia University (B.A.) and University of Michigan (D.M.A.) alumnus, Martin Jean has risen to the highest ranks of the world's concert organists and is recognized widely as a brilliant and warmly communicative performer. As the winner of two of the most prestigious organ competitions in the world, he has concertized extensively throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Dr. Jean is Professor of Organ at Yale University and Director of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. For more information: [email protected].



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January 2014 A2AGO Pipings