My Premier Recital was a total...

...SUCCESS! My first professional organ recital, held on Sunday, 25 April 2010, went better than I could ever have hoped. We were expecting somewhere between 25 and 40 people to attend. About 90 were in attendance. We had a goal to raise $350 to pay the tuition for me to attend a POE in Indiana this summer, I didn't think we would raise half that. We raised over $700 in free-will donations. I thought I would make mistakes in every other pieces I played. I only made one little noticable mistake in the entire program.

It was one thing that there were so many people there, but it was just as wonderful to note who they were. My family was there of course, and my Great Aunt and Grandmother visiting from Vermont and Boston, respectively. People from the church were there, friends from school were there, other organists were there, the dean of our AGO chapter was there, total strangers were there! It was wonderful! Not only that, but no less than 24 of the attendees, over one fourth of the audience, was under 18. It made me so happy to see such young people attending such a concert and enjoying it so thoroughly!

I've already began practicing new repertoire in preperation for my next concert at the First Presbyterian Church of Bloomsburg. I've been working on Messiaen's 'Apparition de l'Eglise Eternelle', BWV 556, BWV 557, BWV 559, the big, grand Prelude and Fugue in D Major BWV 532, and am going to start work on Franck's 'Piece Heroique'. In the upcoming years, I hope to have several organ concerts each year.

My hope for these concerts is that they:

1. Enhance the music program at the First Presbyterian Church of Bloomsburg

2. Enhance the musical culture of the town of Bloomsburg

3. Provide great music for the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church and for the Community.

4. Help to raise money for the replacement of our pipe organ

5. Improve myself as a musician

This premier recital was an incredible start to what I believe will be a fruitful career as a musician, performer, and teacher.