Seeking suggestions for organ instructors in the Houston, TX region
  • Blaise
    Posts: 439
    Alrighty, this is going to be a huge hit and miss, given that I only know two of you posters in the Houston, TX area.

    If there is anyone who has any recommendations on organ teachers in Houston, TX, let me know. My keyboard background includes roughly four years of instruction on the piano between 1993-1997 (fourth grade to the end of seventh). I am still capable of banging out simple parts on right hand (last try, December 2017). I should have my home practice studio set up by the end of August, most likely manuals only with Hauptwerk; add pedal board when I can afford it.

    To put it simply, I love hymns. Good ones, that is, such as from the Hymnal 1940 - and yes, in case anyone hasn't read my last posts, I am an ordinariate parishioner, canonical member, and supporter. I want to be able to play them such as "Love Divines All Loves Excelling" - Hyfrodol, both for my own enjoyment as well as in case I move to an area with an pre-/ordinariate community without a proper organist (will squeeze in chant and choral workshops as money becomes available). I am devoted to promoting the Anglican or English patrimony in the Holy Catholic Faith. I also love Choral Evensong - Brewer's setting in D, particularly, among others, and hope to be able to advance to such a level that I can play it in my own living room. I have been giving some thought to playing the organ for at least a decade now after hearing the beautiful hymns at Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church, San Antonio, TX, my last parish and and my last ordinariate one, so this is not some rushed decision, though it is in the past year that I have firmly decided that given time constraints, I want to devote myself to the organ as opposed to the double bass or cello.

    (And yes, in case you are on "The Catholic Organist's Page" on Facebook and thinking that this ad looks familiar, therefore it must be a troll/spammer, my proper name is Paul, with my screename Blaise being the name of a saint I adopted as a patron, as he is one of the patrons of physicians, which is what I am aiming to be professionally.)

    If need be, you can PM me with your suggestions.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    I or Edmund Murray, choirmaster and organist of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham, could take you on. If I did it we would, of course, need Mr Murray's permission. Or, he could take you on if he had the time and inclination. He is quite busy with multiple choirs and other duties. And, of course, you would need to do well in an audition.

    Otherwise, there are numerous other fine organs and organists in Houston, plus three universities with outstanding organ professors - Rice (Ken Cowan), UofH (Daryl Robinson), and UST (Jeong-Suk Bae). If these could not teach you themselves, they would likely have some talented students who could.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,465
    You simply cannot improve on our venerable MJO in my opinion.
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn tomjaw Schönbergian
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