August 27, 2012

Tuesday, August 28th 2012

Greetings all.

 

News of new venues and not-so-new venues … had meetings recently in a location that holds promise, including the potential of an “original” Wurlitzer going back home.

 

Meanwhile, mid-September will find TOSDV… the Theatre Organ Society of Delaware Valley playing host to its formal Grand Opening Concert.  The specific date is September 15, and Mark Herman will do the honors.  You know the youngsters have arrived when they are asked to play the premiere!!  Mark will do a spectacular job.

 

The organ is Wurlitzer Opus 585, now a 3/24 in the Colonial Theatre….yes, Virginia, THAT Colonial Theatre that used to house the big four-manual Kimball.  Wayne Zimmerman and his compatriots have been patient, hard-working, and about to get their rewards with this big night in September.  We wish them well, a HUGE opening night crowd, nary the first cipher, and a spectacular night.

 

Heading “back home again in Indiana,” I will have the privilege of sharing the stage with a talented young performer I hope has the chance to “get heard” more often.

The concert is September 9th at the Warren Performing Arts Center.  The 3/18 former Indiana Theatre Barton is a favorite organ to play.  Justin Stahl is a fine young player and he gets a “cameo” appearance during the concert, and a chance to shine in front of what we hope will be a big crowd at Warren.

 

I have had the privilege of providing some console time for many young players.  Even Jelani Eddington did a cameo as a teenager during one of my shows at Long Center in Lafayette, and it’s great to give a young player, or perhaps a new player who is not-so-young, an opportunity to test the performance waters without the pressure of a full concert.

 

Meanwhile, a couple of items of note in terms of ATOS business.  Several members have been working with board member Don Phipps, collecting information on our chapters. This will give us a clear picture of not only how many chapters are actually in operation, but the level of operation.  Step Two will be good, direct communication to better get a handle on how to provide specific help in specific areas.  (Example…look for an article in the journal about insurance for chapters and for instruments.  This is an important area perhaps overlooked…OR…just a good reminder to double-check current insurance levels on instruments, etc.)

 

Also, all members will soon be receiving a letter and a ballot question to be voted on, the question concerning Voting Rights of Board Members.  It will be in the mail very soon.

 

As we get into the end of summer, past Labor Day, and into the fall season, a lot of our chapters are gearing up to resume concerts, and we wish them success and hope you will support them.

 

Finally – what is something simple you can do to help ATOS?  Give a gift membership.  I did just that for a “Birthday Girl” in Atlanta, and now Carolyn Wills is back in the fold, and I have another one to do.

 

Imagine if 10%...or better yet, 20% of us would simply give a friend a gift membership?  That – i.e. 20% of us doing this - would add more than 600 members to the national rolls with the prospect that many of them would maintain their memberships after the first year.  Now wouldn’t THAT turn around the membership trend?  Trust me, Donna Parker in her new role as Membership Secretary would welcome the work!!

 

Finally, due to odd scheduling quirks with Steve Worthington out of the country and Tim Stephens and I both involved in some odd travels, our two-hour show on Theatre Organ Radio which should begin Sept 2 will be delayed one week to Sept. 9th.  Won’t want to miss 2012 Organist of the Year, Mark Herman as our special guest.

 

Til next week!

 

~Ken