On March 3rd and 4th of this year, the San Jose South Stake hosted a BYU organ workshop. I wrote this free accompaniment for the workshop, which was sung at the concert held on March 3rd. Unfortunately, no recording of the concert was made, so you will need to listen to this one on your own.… Read More Let Us All Press On
For those of you living near San Jose, California, I’m pleased to announce the San Jose, California 2017 BYU Organ Workshop, which will be March 3rd and 4th, 2017. We will begin with a concert and hymn sing on March 3rd. Come and listen to BYU faculty and talented local organists perform! Also come prepared… Read More 2017 San Jose BYU Organ Workshop
I try to write my compositions for the beginning to intermediate LDS organist. There are many of these good people out there: people with love for the Savior in their hearts and a desire to use their talents for good. They may never be famous, but their influence is immense. Brother James’ Air is a simple… Read More Brother James’ Air
I have a question for you: Have you received his image in your playing? With this question, paraphrased from the prophet Alma, lies the greatest challenge that faces a Latter-day Saint organist. While we have to be good at what we do, the greater challenge is to do good. As church musicians and especially as… Read More Have We Received His Image In Our Playing?
About six years ago my bishop asked to meet with me. As part of the conversation, he delivered news I never wanted to hear: I had been called as a Scoutmaster. As a youth, I hated(!) Scouting. Words cannot express my extreme dislike of camping (especially in the snow), tying knots and eating what can… Read More The Church Calling I Never Wanted (or, what is a CAGO?)
I have a confession to make: I’m bad at practicing the organ. However, that’s an improvement. In the past, I’d say that I was horrible at it, or even worse. I have told my students that my first organ teacher will be receiving an extra wing on his mansion on high as a reward for… Read More Confessions of a Reforming Organ Student
Here’s an arrangement of the beautiful hymn How Gentle God’s Commands. It’s intended to be a prelude. I hope you enjoy it. How Gentle God’s Commands — pdf Download the audio here (right click and choose download).
2015 marks my 40th year as an organist. Being an organist has been quite an adventure, marked with the usual things of life – triumph and tragedy, happy and sad, good and not so good. Most of what has happened to me as an organist has been very positive, however, and I would do it… Read More The Power Button
My wife and I recently went on a wonderful tour to Israel. It was amazing to actually see the places we had only read and heard about in song, scripture and story. A few weeks before the tour the tour director asked me to play a musical number as part of our visit to the… Read More Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
I have to admit it. 2015 has been a difficult year for me. Plans I had long made for my personal improvement were painfully interrupted. I ran into several situations in my other church calling as high priest’s group leader (for my non-LDS readers, that’s the person responsible for older men and people who otherwise… Read More A Difficult Year
The Organ Is Praise 