The Organ Forum

The Internet is great in that it can bring together people with similar interests - its all that 'social networking' stuff that is in the news.

The down side is that it sometimes seems a shame we cannot actually talk to each other or share ideas, visit instruments in person.

Do you ever think about meeting fellow Forum members?

Another thought I've had - several of our members live in very interesting, even exotic places.  How I would love to visit some of those locales!

How many of you would be happy to spend a bit of time as a sort of 'tour guide' to an out-of-town organist?  Would you even be willing to open your homes to fellow Forum members, perhaps even put someone up for a few nights?  Hopefully it wouldn't happen too often, unless you really enjoy doing such things.

Yes, it is a somewhat scary thought ... but think of the possible benefits and friendships that might occur.

Oh... I don't have anything up my sleeve!    It is just an idle curiosity on my part, from which probably nothing will come to pass. 

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Soubasse32

That's a great idea.  I've actually met a few forum members in person and may be meeting some more soon.  I'd be up for hosting anyone who'd like to come see some of the interesting instruments here and/or sample our cereal.  Anyone is welcome to stay the night as long they don't mind sleeping in this room...

 

with or without playing at odd hours of the night?

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Once you can tie your arms into a pretzel and your legs into a knot, you've got it under control

I would love to meet some members. I've often wondered if I have already!

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Third Generation Organist

FrenchHorn8:

That's a great idea. I've actually met a few forum members in person and may be meeting some more soon. I'd be up for hosting anyone who'd like to come see some of the interesting instruments here and/or sample our cereal. Anyone is welcome to stay the night as long they don't mind sleeping in this room...

If I came and stayed in that room, you would never ever get me out of there.  That is some organ  

I would love to meet forum members in person. You are welcome to visit any time. Contact information is on our web site www.bluemoonwalkinghorses.com. I have a small pipe organ you are welcome to play, a description is on the web site. The organ is not a huge instrument but it is plenty loud with two 16' stops in the pedal.

 

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Style D Wurlitzer Pipe Organ
http://www.bluemoonwalkinghorses.com/Style_D_Description5_rev2.html

I have already met 2 members in the Dallas area and enjoyed the encounters a lot.  I don't have a lot to offer for visitors--my very modest Schober is not working right now, I don't play at any of the local churches, and my house is usually a mess.  However, with a little notice I can offer a fairly nice guest bedroom and could arrange to serve breakfast.  I do know several of the local organists and probably could set up opportunities to play the instruments they serve.  I would enjoy taking visitors out to dinner someplace, where we could eat at leisure and chat.

David

Working long hours and traveling long routes it would be hard for me to "entertain" a visiting forumite. Besides having wife and kids in the house who also work and go to school and might not appreciate Dad bringing home strangers!

That said, it would be a pleasure to meet some of you guys for lunch and a chat, should our paths cross.

I might say that this forum was directly responsible for my getting together with the guy who is now my very good friend and professional associate (and eventual replacement), the "Matt" I sometimes refer to.  We had both been reading this forum for some time when he realized that we lived not far apart and contacted me about a year ago. After visiting a couple of times we began to talk business, he was ready to change careers, and the rest is history, as they say. (I don't need another associate right now, though, so this is not a help-wanted ad.)

So, if any of you should be in central Arkansas for lunch sometime, let me know!

John

 

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Allen Renaissance R-281 at church (Yay!!)
Baldwin 626 at home -- I'm getting used to it....

I'd love to meet most of the members with whom I regularly interact, in person. That said, my house right now is my parents' and unless y'all play banjo or fiddle, the only thing I have to offer at the house is an old upright with lots of sticking black keys.

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Once you can tie your arms into a pretzel and your legs into a knot, you've got it under control

It would be great to meet other members (and their instruments).

Unfortunatly it seems like the majority of people on here reside in the US (though there are a handful that are in the UK).

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Currently own:
ALLEN TC-3S (#42904 - 3rd Feb 1971) with Sequential Capture System

Speakers:
x1 Model 100 Gyro Cabinet
x1 Model 105 Cabinet
x3 Model 108 Cabinet

Hmmm, exotic? ... I don't live in America (as we call it here) or the UK - no I live in a small island called New Providence (about 40 minutes flight time from Miami). I currently live with my grands in an old Bahamian house, which has its ups and downs, but we get along

 There are a few organs of note on the island - mostly English, but I am sure a few American organs have made their way here over the years (and an inumerable amount of electronic organs). If any of you ever do visit the island, please just drop me a message and I would happily show you around. Hey, for a bedroom and 3 squares - Maybe someone can add midi to my Allen ADC 430 when it finally shows up (it is sitting in a crate at a freight forwarder in South Florida at the moment).

So Bahamas is pretty idyllic in most respects, beaches, sun, sea, sand and history. Definitely not as interesting not an organist's paradise as would be Saxony or Paris I am afraid, but it is close to Mainland US and life is pretty slow, oh and if any of you are fortunate enough to own a boat, there are 700+ islands to explore in this archipelago.

Wow... a tropical paradise - now we're talking! 

nullogik:

Unfortunatly it seems like the majority of people on here reside in the US (though there are a handful that are in the UK).

And now we are all coming over to your house.  

Don't worry - due to the economy, I'm afraid I'll only be visiting you all via Google Earth for the foreseeable future. 

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Soubasse32

I guess my location could be described as exotic (during the summer months, perhaps) if anyone is ever planning to visit.

Although I might not be able to offer accommodation I would be more than happy to act as a guide, and not strictly an "organic" one but to other attractions as well. Luckily, my working hours are fairly short so I'm usually able to get some free time.

While many churches use toasters, it is possible that I could arrange some visits to some of our restored pipe organs on the island, with the help of the local organ builder.

It's a crazy little island (well, three actually), but great fun to visit and although small, there's tons to see.

The wikipedia article is a good place to start for those who are new to the place.

For those strictly interested in the organs, you may want to visit:
www.robertbuhagiar.com (our only organ builder)
www.johnaquilina.org (one of our organists, lots of sound extracts)
www.mostdomeorgan.com (the newly restored instrument in one of our largest churches)

Tim

soubasse32:

Do you ever think about meeting fellow Forum members?

How many of you would be happy to spend a bit of time as a sort of 'tour guide' to an out-of-town organist?  Would you even be willing to open your homes to fellow Forum members, perhaps even put someone up for a few nights?  Hopefully it wouldn't happen too often, unless you really enjoy doing such things.

Yes, it is a somewhat scary thought ... but think of the possible benefits and friendships that might occur.

This is the kind of activity has provided us with a lot of enjoyment over the years. Having been a participant in a motorhome-oriented newsgroup for the past decade, we've come to know many of the participants on a personal basis. Since all of us tend to travel a lot, many of us have visited back and forth on numberous occasions across the Continent over the years.

 'Course, enjoying a visit from someone with an RV (Recreational Vehicle), since they are self-contained; and after a day on the town, they retreat, for late evening, to their recreational vehicle parked in the laneway. So . . this entire effort is pretty unobtrusive. Some of us within the group have visited with as many as 26 other participants (or combos thereof) of the group.

This is a group of recreational vehicle owners who have been interacting on a daily basis for the past ten + years.

At the very top of the list of those to avoid, would be anyone disguising their true identity with a pseudonym. Considering how many participants on this forum have chosen to disguise their true entity in favour of a pseudonym; there aren't all that many remaining alternatives.

soubasse32:

Wow... a tropical paradise - now we're talking! 

Paradise? Dream on!

Nassau is anything but a Tropical Paradise! Once you get off of the main tourist strip, you will observe that each and every residence is of necessity, a virtual fortress fortified with half-inch iron bars, surrounded by 7' concrete walls, topped with razor wire!

And they are protecting themselves against what?? Sharks?