Searching Organ Students- Traveling Organ- Part 1

The question: "How do we connect to a new generation?" produced the brain child of John Vanderlee and John Baratta, which was to take the Theatre organ directly into public schools. Rising to the challenge, NYTOS purchased an Allen ADC 4600 Organ. With its dual capability of classical as well as theatre voicing, it is eminently suited for teaching. By adding 8 extra speakers to accommodate any size venue, and a 6 x 12 ft enclosed trailer, NYTOS now owns a "Traveling Organ."

The organ travels to schools to present the "SOS" (Searching Organ Students) program, where all-day workshops are presented to the Music department student body. The program has garnered overwhelming praise from music teachers. Students display a genuine interest and a number have taken up, or are considering, the organ as their instrument.

In no small part, the success is due the talents of retired public school music teacher and organist John Baratta. From technical as well as performance details to the differences between theatre and classical organ, John totally de-mystifies the organ with a style that mesmerizes students and draws them completely into the presentation. Meanwhile, John Vanderlee attends to the transport, set up, and technical details to ready the organ for every presentation.

Each session starts the evening before by loading the trailer for a next-morning departure of 4 AM, or earlier, to have the organ unloaded and ready by first school bell. Load, return and unload can move deep into the evening, with 18 hour days not uncommon for these two gentlemen.

Other organizations, like local AGO chapters, the Garden State ATOS chapter, as well as private donors, have stepped forward to fund presentations of this successful program. NYTOS also continues to fund refinements, with a list of items to yet be completed.

Theatre organ enthusiasts hold the highest level of respect for these two people for their fine work in promoting the theatre organ to the younger generation. Keep up the great work!

Note: This video is part 1 of 3. This video was also posted with the permission of John Vanderlee of the New York Theatre Organ Society (NYTOS).

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Traveling
• Theatre
• Organ
• Allen
• NYTOS
• AGO
• ATOS
• Wurlitzer
• Students
• Music
• Instrument
• John
• Vanderlee
• Baratta

[KawhackitaRag]

@steamrocks it would be nice if a few of the recording studios around the country where "indie" bands like to record (those who don't record at home, that is!) could be equipped with small-to-medium-size pipe organs of some kind, whether classical or theatre. I believe this would help spur the creativity of these musicians... there are some pretty good bands out there and some of them have used organ (usually sampled, or electronic) on their recordings.

[paulj0557]

Yes, this is certainly great. Now something I suggest as well is encourage kids to go home and watch some videos on all sorts of organ playing. I compiled a youtube play list entitled:

'Organ Tunes even Organ Haters will love!'

In my play list these are lots of of videos demonstrating lots of different types of music and lots of different makes of organs.

I also encourage your students to go home and look at their craigslist ads for organs. They are SO SO cheap! Explain designs- aka ORGAN LIST.

[steamrocks]

Quite an effort hauling the organ and speaker systems around like you describe. Kinda like a modern day Reggie Foort.

Introducing organ to youngsters is a great educational experience. Most of the music they listen to has no keyboard parts at all, yet believe it or not, much of their music can be transcribed to the theater organ. That would be the next step in their introduction, the organ playing music on their terms.

[Theyoungorganist01]

This is great! is enything like this going to happen in Britain?

[m4dan]

I'm surprised this worked. My school is lucky enough to own the only publicly playing theatre pipe organ on Long Island yet half of the students are way too ignorant and hate the thing. I'm glad that this at least worked.

[Brandotuomikoski]

i am in high school, and i think this would be cool to have for a day there. can i like set up something for this to happen?

[earlph]

Events like these should be worldwide !! Lets keepp the KING OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

A L I V E ! The host name VANDERLEE is original from the netherlands .. same as where I come from though living in the Philippines. Her it is a SAD story ONLY two Theatre organs on 92 million people. An Allen 317 ( newer model then on this video )and my Rodgers Olympic 333 # 34418.

Keep on that GREAT WORK !!

[acoustics101]

I commend you for what you are doing. If we don't reach our young people now, we may lose the theatre pipe organ, as well as the pipe organ in general, to future generations.

I put on Powerpoints, along with actual pipe demonstrations for the Music professor at two of the music classes at our college. I've even done one of my presentations for KCTCS at the fist New Horizons Conference in Lexington. Hearing actual working pipes get a lot of attention!

[rmaccrea]

Great program! The organ is the KING of instruments, and what a shame most people associate it with only horror or church music. It is the most versatile instrument ever, and masters any style of music period.