November 2019

T. L. Thatcher has built a lovely four-manual Virtual Pipe Organ (VPO) in his home and along the way has ‘collected’ a very nice Allen AGO pedal board that needs a home. It is free. Mr. Thatcher received it free, and so it is willing to part with it for free so that it can find a good home.

If any AGO members that are looking to put together their own home VPO, this would work well for them. Mr. Thatcher comments, “My experience was that finding a decent pedal board was the most difficult part of assembling a VPO.”     

The pedal board is available for pick-up in Orderville, Utah, about 4 hours south from SLC, located just outside Zion National Park on Hwy 89. For details, contact Max Walker at max@slcago.org.

Have you enjoyed your experience this year with SLCAGO? We hope that you have enjoyed recitals, concerts, Pedals, Pipes, & Pizza, and more!

The SLCAGO Board is asking for a couple of volunteers to help us with the chapter work and events. The time commitment is minimal! See below.

Chapter Historian

• Time Commitment: Only about 1 hour per month
• Role Description: The Historian helps us capture the history of the chapter. Examples include short write-ups about events to go into our archives, short write-ups of events to submit to The American Organist (TAO) magazine, event picture gathering, etc.
• Value of Contribution: Your contribution will have a great impact on the chapter in the future. Future Boards will reference your work to learn from past events. Future generations will look back with joy on learning what their forbears did.
• Reports to: Chapter Dean

Membership Committee Member

• Time Commitment: Only about 1 hour per month
• Role Description: Assist Membership Coordinator/Registrar, Holly Brinkle, in reaching out to new members, encouraging event attendees in joining the chapter, assist members in joining or renewing membership online or by mail, help to create member welcome kits, etc.
• Value of Contribution: Membership is the lifeblood of the chapter. With minimal time commitment, you can have a great impact on members of our chapter by helping them remain active in the chapter and encouraging new members.
• Reports to: Holly Brinkle, Membership Coordinator

We hope that you will consider joining other chapter volunteers to support quality events and membership participation.

I am extremely grateful for all those who sacrificed their time and energy to make our Pedals Pipes and Pizza event one of the best ever.   Thank you.  And thanks to all those who brought their piano students, organ students and other young people interested in an organ experience.

I brought three grandchildren.  They said “Thanks Grandpa – for the coolest day ever!”  How about that.  All of us worked hard to pull off a “Coolest Day Ever” event.   I agree with them.  It was the coolest day ever. 

It was cool because:

            My life was enriched by experiencing my grandchildren’s awe, amazement and glee in having a pipe organ encounter.  I watched the members of our chapter throughout the event and I know that all of our lives were enriched, as mine was, in experiencing the young people’s awe, amazement and glee.

It was cool because:

            We could see the ideas germinating in our young people’s minds to learn more about the organ, to play and to advance their skills. 

It was cool because:

            I saw a community of members within our Chapter who really work well together, who are fun to be around, and who are just exemplary human beings. 

It was cool because: 

            We advanced the mission our Chapter to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ.  I saw passion in those of you who helped pull off this event as well as passion in the teachers, students and all the young people who attended. 

This is what our Chapter is about.   Thanks to all of you and have a Very Thankful Thanksgiving.  (And may your turkey taste like something other than chicken.) 

In closing, here is a handy excuse for you organists out there:   “Who put the Contra Bombarde toe piston next to the Swell pedal anyway?  Geez!”