More music to come!

My ability as an organist is ever-improving. I see myself, and hear myself, improving more and more, faster and faster.

However, when I return to Bloomsburg from my two month stay in Indianapolis, I'm going to start focusing on some other kinds of musicianship as well. It's one thing to be proficient at playing great organ literature... but what is more important is to be proficient playing hymns, accompanying choirs, and working with the whole music program of a church. I'm not interested in being a concert organist; I want to be a church organist, a minister first, and a performer second.

With this in mind, in the coming months I am going to begin to participate in the bell choir at my church, play services more and more often, accompany the choir, and sing in the choir. My teacher and I agree that the best way to learn how best to accompany a choir is to sing in a choir!
I've been told to "look out!" because our Director, Mrs. Lapinski, is wanting to give me some "Serious choral training!". I'm very excited, I've always had an adoration and love for choral music of all periods and styles, and I've always marveled at how some of the greatest choirs in the world can be equally magnificent and polished in sound, but yet sound so remarkably different from one another!
I have a little over $400 left from my concert donations and I'm going to join the RSCMA as an independent member and I've already spoken with Mark Laubach, organist and director of choirs at Saint Stephen's Pro-Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre, about attending the RSCMA training course there in the Summer of 2011 (King's College Training Course).

I'm so excited thinking about all the ways I'll be growing as a musician in the next two years before I go to college! I am so blessed to belong to a wonderful congregation where the music staff isn't afraid to say "This'll do you good! You're in the choir now, no questions asked!", if only all churches could be such!
I will now be doing the following on a regular basis:

- Leading hymns for services on the organ
- Accompanying the choir on the organ and our Blüthner concert grand piano
- Singing in the choir
- Ringing in the bell choir
- Playing Introits, Offertories, and Postludes from time to time

I also hope to have at least one 90 minute solo organ concert this concert season, but my big goal is to have two. In addition to my own solo concert(s), I've spoken with a friend of mine, Robert Fertitta, about a 90 minute concert here in late Spring of 2011. Robert is a very esteemed organist who studied with the legendary Nadia Boulanger in France in 1972. Robert taught at the Purchase Conservatory for several decades.

It is my hope that as I learn and grow in the music program at the First Presbyterian Church of Bloomsburg, I will help the music program to grow as well. I believe that both I and the music program itself will benefit from one another. I can't wait to see what we'll be doing my senior year of High School!