Capture Their Attention

– Let them play a piano song on the organ
– Add a few pedal notes or pedalpoint to a song they know
– Pick out a song by ear or teach by rote on manuals (a favorite: Bach Toccata in D Minor)
– Pick out a song by ear on pedals
– Explore stops and sounds – how does it change their song? What do they hear?

Show Them What’s Possible

• Attend an organ recital or watch online
  – Look up your local chapter of the American Guild of Organists click here
• Visit churches with pipe organs (AGO or Organ Historical Society  click here)
• Visit a fun organ i.e. Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, AZ click here, or a silent movie theater showing (American
  Theater Organ Society) click here
• Experience well-supported hymn accompaniment (hymn festival or in church with well-supported accompaniment)
• Pedals, Pipes & Pizza – AGO sponsors, but you can design your own click here for an example of one
• Summer Organ Camp click here for an example of one
• Stake / Ward training click here for link to slides for Basic training
• BYU Organ Workshops
  o Online during BYU Organ Workshop in August: click here
  o Summer Festival: click here
  o Youth track of traveling workshops: click here
• Scholarship programs (i.e. example here; look for your local
  AGO chapter click here)
• Online resources (local chapter or national at click here
• Pipe Organ Encounter: click here
• Orgelkids organ building kit click here to find one
• Get involved yourself (workshops, events, master classes, activities)
• Start your own group
  o Offer camps, resources, training, field trips, etc. for youth!
• Need an expert? Contact your local AGO chapter

Engage in learning

• Teach individuals or groups
  • teach during piano lessons
  • teach weekly, monthly, or once
• Methods
  • The New Ward Organist click here
  • OrganTutor 101 by Don Cook click here
  • AGO Videos click here
  • First Organ Book click here
  • Suzuki Organ School click here
  • The New Oxford Organ Method click here
  • The Church Musician click here
  • Discover the Organ click here
  • Coming soon – new method especially for youth! (details on this website soon)

Get them performing

• Staged approach for church service
  • 1 piece for prelude
  • all of the prelude
  • prelude/postlude
  • prelude + 1 hymn
  • prelude, 1 hymn, postlude
  • whole service
• Build small successes first
  • play for 1 person or small group
  • play with someone conducting
  • practice with recording of hymn playing click here for LDS hymn player
  • adversity training
    • distractions
    • with metronome
    • on different instrument
    • record themselves
• Preparation is key!