The LA AGO Podcast is back - and our first event of 2023 is a Member Recital on Monday, January 16th featuring Dr. James Calhoun playing the largest church organ in the world at First Congregational Church, Los Angeles. Complete details about this Chapter event can be found at LAAGO.org. The recital begins at 8pm and is open to the public.

A Los Angeles native, growing up in the Watts area of the city, James currently does "God's Work" through music at Community United Methodist Church in Huntington Beach and University Seventh-Day Adventist Church. He is also director of the Don Lee White Community Chorale.

With his hearty, gregarious laugh, James talks about his journey from piano lessons at a young age to the youth choir at Macedonia Baptist Church and, eventually, onto the University of Southern California for multiple degrees in organ performance and sacred music.  James also shares with host Thompson Howell the person who really sparked the idea to study organ more seriously; the importance to him of figuring out "What am I gonna do?"; the influence of current LA Chapter Executive Committee member Dr. James Hurd; the mission of the Don Lee White Community Chorale and his thoughts on the overall state of music in primarily African-American churches today; a preview of his eclectic and fun program for January 16th; a few thoughts on life, loss...and brain surgery; and a whole lot more!

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

LINKS:

• The LA AGO Facebook Page
• The LA AGO YouTube Channel

The final event of the LA Chapter's 2021-2022 season is our annual Guild Service on Monday, May 16th at San Marino Community Church. Check the latest LA Pipeline e-Newsletter or LAAGO.org for details. New Officers and Executive Committee members will be formally installed as we all enjoy a collaborative program featuring Chorale Bel Canto & Friends under the direction of Music Director, Dr. Linda West Brown.

In this episode, host Thompson Howell and Linda engage in a lively conversation about her career as both an educator and performer including the moment she knew she wanted to be an organist with a little nudge from Richard Strauss; her favorite part about teaching in the California public school system for 38 years; the continuing influence of her undergraduate organ professor at Whittier College, Orpha Ochse; how California's Imperial Valley was far from the cultural wasteland she assumed it would be; why music and the effects of group choral singing are important and the steps Chorale Bel Canto took to stay connected during the pandemic; an explanation of the Orgelkids pipe organ educational project; the real value and advantages of the different levels of AGO Certification exams; an update on the recently completed and very successful composition competition of the Ruth & Clarence Mader Memorial Scholarship Fund; and a run down of the program planned for May 16th. Plus a lot more!

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

LINKS:

• Chorale Bel Canto
• The Ruth & Clarence Mader Memorial Scholarship Fund
• A flyer for Chorale Bel Canto's May 14th Ukranian Refugee Fundraiser
• The LA AGO Facebook page
• The LA AGO YouTube channel

St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in LA's Westwood neighborhood is the site of our next event on Monday, March 14th at 8pm - a Members' Recital featuring the church's Director of Music, Dr. Jeffrey Parola and Organist, Mr. James Casey. Complete details can be found at LAAGO.org.

This episode features James Casey in a conversation with host Thompson Howell as he shares his journey from tiny Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin to the heart of America's second largest city, Los Angeles. Jim talks about the ways he tries to find balance in his musical life as an organist, singer, and teacher; how the music program at school was his "home" as a kid; that one summer as the stadium organist for the Wisconsin Rapids Twins baseball team; the influence of prominent Lutheran musician Paul Manz on his own growth as a musician; how he found his real singing voice and busted out of the countertenor closet; and shares his secret to job longevity as a church organist.

Jim also provides a brief introduction to the Kodály method of music education and its importance to his teaching at St. Paul's School and gives thanks for the friendship and mentorship of two esteemed colleagues, James Buonemani and Christopher Walker. And a bunch more!

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

LINKS:

• The LA AGO Facebook page
• The LA AGO YouTube channel

Our Presidents' Day Organ Festival is back on Monday, February 21st after taking last year off. Our destination for the day is Pasadena. Make your lunch reservations, read artist bios, and get all the details about this year's Festival at the website here.

Our guest this time is Christopher Keady, Assistant Director of Music at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Chris will be our special out-of-Chapter guest on Presidents' Day and will play the final recital of the day at First Church of Christ, Scientist on its Murray Harris organ.

In this episode, Chris shares with host Thompson Howell his journey from his childhood in Eugene, Oregon to his graduate school work at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut; how the installation of a new pipe organ at his home church when he was younger helped make the organ a real thing to him; how his exposure to higher levels of church music accelerated his interest in a career as a church musician; the most satisfying parts of his work at Grace Cathedral and the associated Cathedral School for Boys; his volunteer work as the Sub-Dean for Programming for the San Francisco AGO Chapter and his efforts to engage young (future) organists.

Chris also explains what drew him to the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University for his Master's Degree studies and why he thinks it's a special program; talks about how he approaches a first encounter with an organ he hasn't played before; gives us a little preview of his Presidents' Day program at First Church of Christ, Scientist in Pasadena scheduled for a little after 2pm; and much more!

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

LINKS:

• Grace Cathedral's Organ Recital Series on YouTube
• Services of Evensong at Grace Cathedral on YouTube 
• The LA AGO Facebook page
• The LA AGO YouTube channel

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to the severe outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in the Los Angeles area, the leadership of the LA AGO and our guest artist have mutually decided to postpone our January, 2022 events featuring Mr. Tyrone Whiting. This decision has been made to ensure the safety of our guest artist and attendees. Mr. Whiting has been rescheduled to present a masterclass on October 15th and a recital on October 17th of this year. A virtual event is being developed for January. Details will be emailed to all members as soon as they become available. You may also follow the LA AGO Facebook page for the latest information and event details.

We're back for 2022 as we continue with our season of LA AGO events!

Our next event comes up on Monday, January 17th at 8pm. Tyrone Whiting - London born organist, conductor, pianist, and educator - will be in recital at Herrick Chapel on the campus of Occidental College in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles. The recital will be preceded by a Masterclass taught by Mr. Whiting on Saturday, January 15th, also at Herrick Chapel. Details on both events can be found at LAAGO.org and in the Chapter's e-newsletter, The LA Pipeline.

In this episode, Tyrone shares with host Thompson Howell his goals as Director of Music & Organist at historic St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; discusses his non-traditional route into the world of organ and choral music; emphasizes the importance he places on teaching (and learning!); how the principles of Performance Science affect us all; and how obsessing over "perfection" in performance can actually result in more mistakes; and more!

Thompson also wonders if Bach would have written different music if he'd had access to orchestral organs like those built by renowned French builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, and Tyrone stresses the contextual need to recognize that composers were human beings with life experiences that helped shape their bodies of work.

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

LINKS:

• Tyrone's website
• Tyrone's YouTube channel
• The LA AGO Facebook page
• The LA AGO YouTube channel

Our next LA AGO event comes up on Sunday, November 14th at 6pm as we welcome organist Ken Cowan in a recital co-sponsored by St. James' In-the-City Episcopal Church at 3903 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Ken's performance will be preceded by a wonderful service of Evensong at 4:30pm.

Regarded as one of North America's finest concert organists and praised for his dazzling artistry, impeccable technique, and imaginative programming by audiences and critics alike, Ken Cowan maintains a rigorous performing schedule that takes him to major concert venues in America, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

In this episode, Ken talks with host Thompson Howell about his childhood in Thorold, Ontario, Canada and growing up with his father and two grandmothers who were also organists; how becoming a concert organist wasn't inevitable; the one thing he missed most while teaching remotely during the pandemic; why he likes the comparatively small size of the organ department at Rice University in Houston where he teaches; and the ins and outs of assessing the needs of new students and developing their "musical personalities."

Ken also reveals whether or not he's a relaxed performer; how he prepares to play in front of live audiences; the best practice strategy for successfully memorizing pieces; the ways in which he helps to attract younger people to the organ; the one part of the world where there are organs that he hasn't played in yet; and plenty more!

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

LINKS:

• Ken's website
• Ken's 2009 interview in The Diapason
• Information about the organ at St. James' In-the-City church
• The LA AGO Facebook page
• The LA AGO YouTube channel

The LA AGO Podcast is back as the Chapter begins its 2021-2022 season.

We kick things off on Monday, October 18th with a Members' Recital at Westwood United Methodist Church in the bustling Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles featuring organists Yoojung Chung, Organist at WUMC, Nicholas Galinaitis, Director of Music & Organist at Newport Harbor Lutheran Church in Newport Beach, CA, and LA AGO Podcast host Thompson Howell.

This event will be in-person and will also be live-streamed courtesy of the church. For specific details about this event including information on Covid-19 guidelines that will be in place and how to view the live-stream on the night of the recital if you choose not to attend in person,  please visit the Chapter's website at LAAGO.org.

Yoojung, Nicholas, and Thompson touch on many topics including: Yoojung's upbringing in South Korea in a family of musicians; the influence of her cousin who exposed her to the organ; how she tries to change some people's negative perception of the organ by playing a good mix of both traditional and contemporary organ repertoire; and how the pandemic allowed her to focus more on her organ practice and become more involved in the organ scene. Nicholas shares his love of Romantic piano literature and how that translates into his organ playing; talks about his memory of watching CBS's Mike Wallace interview pianist Vladimir Horowitz when he was very young; credits his grandparents for exposing him to the possibilities of the organ; and explains why he moved to Los Angeles from rural Maryland. Plus, the three have an engaging discussion about the importance of finding the right teacher for YOU; whether memorizing repertoire is beneficial; who has the worse commute to their job - Yoojung or Nicholas?; and lots more!

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

LINKS:

• Information about the organ at Westwood United Methodist Church
• Nicholas' website
• The LA AGO Facebook page
• The LA AGO YouTube channel

RIP: July 30, 1931 - November 13, 2022

July 30, 2021 is the 90th birthday of American organ icon Dr. Frederick Swann who joined the American Guild of Organists at age 15 and was its president from 2002-2008.

This year marks not only Fred's 90th birthday but his 80th year of being a church organist and his 20th year as Artist-in-Residence at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, California.

Not one to seek the limelight or draw attention to himself, Fred spent most of his career in several very high profile positions that he says he never even applied for. He was simply in the right place at the right time.

Fred graciously took the time to speak with host Thompson Howell about a range of topics including why his plans to retire at age 70 didn't exactly work out; his enthusiasm for the younger generation of organists and his optimism about the future of the organ; the positive impact that newer concert hall organs have had on building the increasing popularity of the organ among the general public; the great influence of the radio program Pipedreams and its host, Michael Barone, in further showcasing and promoting the organ; the necessity of any successful organist to be a good "faker"; an update on when the final work on the restoration of the Hazel Wright Organ at Christ Cathedral (formerly Crystal Cathedral) in Garden Grove, California will be able to be completed; the physical challenges he deals with as he gets older that place limitations on his playing abilities; the gratitude he feels for having been blessed with a wonderful career and supportive friends and colleagues; and much more.

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

LINKS:

• Fred's Wikipedia page
• Pipedreams episode "Swann Song" (2003)
• July 25, 2021 Weekend Service from St. Margaret's
• Fred's June 23, 2021 interview for the Oral History Program of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM)
• The LA AGO Facebook page
• The LA AGO YouTube channel

The AGO Masters Series, Volume 3 featuring Fred Swann:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5

Articles:

• August 5, 1998, The Los Angeles Times
• October 22, 2000, The New York Times
• November 3, 2014, "A Conversation with Frederick Swann" in The Diapason
• March 21, 2017, "Frederick Swann on the Value of the Pipe Organ to the Worshipping Church," Ponder Anew blog
• June 26, 2018, The Diapason
• May, 2020 feature on the Hazel Wright Organ at Christ Cathedral, The American Organist

The LA AGO Podcast celebrates its one year anniversary this month! Can you believe it? Enjoy the fun cold open to this episode to mark this milestone...and thank you for listening to and supporting the podcast!

Episode 12 also features another first: More than one guest! Andre Lombardi, Ethan Chow, and Hubert Tran are the current Organ Scholars at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. They join host Thompson Howell to mark the July 1st start of the American Guild of Organists' "Year of the Young Organist" during which many special events and initiatives geared toward young organists will be featured.

These three high school age organists share their stories of meeting as members of the Diocesan Children's Choir (Catholic Diocese of Orange) founded by Dr. John Romeri, former Director of Music at Christ Cathedral and how their interest in the organ grew from there; emphasize the positive impact of an AGO sponsored "Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza" event that further piqued their interest in the organ; talk about their experiences as Organ Scholars under the tutelage of David Ball, Christ Cathedral's Organist & Acting Director of Music; reflect on the benefits of memorizing repertoire for each of them; and reveal how the experiences they have been given are helping them clarify how they each want to move forward with the organ as part of their lives.

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

LINKS:

• Information on a free year of AGO membership
• The LA AGO Facebook page
• The LA AGO YouTube channel

The incomparable Cherry Rhodes is Thompson's guest on this episode of The LA AGO Podcast. A world renowned concert organist and teacher, Ms. Rhodes is Adjunct Professor of Organ at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music.

With her infectious laugh and sense of humor, Cherry reveals how the organ was not her first love; fondly remembers growing up in a house full of pianists and being exposed at an early age to music of all kinds; recounts the influence of "Pa," her piano technician stepfather and how he bought the first organ she learned on - a Hammond; tells how she felt like "a fish IN water" when she arrived at the Curtis Institute of Music at age 15; talks about how she came to study the music of Max Reger with Karl Richter in Germany but had to go through Bach's Orgelbüchlein first; recounts her time studying in Paris with both Jean Guillou and Marie-Claire Alain after both initially turned her down as a student; shares a funny story about filling in for Guillou at St. Eustache church while she was his assistant; recalls some memorable moments during her "Rhodes trips" concertizing abroad; tells us what she's looking forward to; explains the most common note she gives to new students; and a bunch more you'll only find out by listening!

Listen at LAAGO.org or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

LINKS:

• Cherry's bio
• Details about the 2021 Ruth & Clarence Mader Scholarship Fund Composition Competition
• “On the road with Cherry Rhodes” touring distant lands to the music of Jean Guillou’s Scènes d’enfant,
  Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (recorded live).
• 4 Piezas para la Misa (4 Pieces for the Mass: No. 4. Allegro ) by José Lidón,
  Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (recorded live).
• Orpheus by Franz Liszt (transcription by Jean Guillou), 
  Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles (recorded live).
• Montréal Organ Festival 2017,
  recital of works by Fleury, Bonnet, Vierne, Messiaen, and Walter.
• Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K546 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  (transcription by Jean Guillou),
  Queen of All Saints Basilica, Chicago, Illinois (recorded live).  
• “Toad Talk” featuring Afternoon of a Toad by Clarence Mader, 
  Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (recorded live).
• Revelations of Saint John the Divine for electronic tape and organ by Larry King,
  Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, California (recorded live).
• Prelude and Variations on Old Hundredth by Calvin Hampton, 
  University of Texas at Austin.
• "Six Hands, Six Feet, One Bench":  The Love for Three Oranges  
  (transcription for three organists by Weicheng Zhao) 
  performed by Ken Cowan, Alan Morrison, and Cherry Rhodes