Spreadsheet for my CDs

My collection of theatre organ CDs is growing so I wanted a way to keep trace of them and "organize" them (sorry the pun.) I made an Excel spreadsheet with the following columns
CD/LP - Artist - Title of CD - Organ - Comments
Now (hopefully) I will not duplicate when I purchase new CDs.

Allen 324 - Lyn Larsen

I just made contact with someone locally who as a Lyn Larsen model 324 Allen Theatre organ and he has invited me to his home to try it out. It may be a little more organ than I will be able to purchase, but it will be fun to try it out.

Surprise find!

After reading the article about the re-opening of local movie theatre in our local paper (The New Jersey Herald) today, I was surprised to read that it had an organ. I knocked on the door of the theatre on the way home today and it is right! There is a cute little Estey 2/3 organ. Because it was a home instrument, it is amplified through a speaker... and get this -- the speaker is a Leslie so when you turn on the tremulant, the speaker starts spinning. Nelson Page, the manager of the theatre is involved in TOSI and was excited to meet me. Another person in the theatre was very proud of the instrument and showed me the console and the chamber. Currently the organ's wind line is disconnected for painting but the organ will be played every Friday night before the 7:30 show. Since the organ was a home organ, there is roll player that is still in concert. I can't wait to hear this organ and try it out!

Casio Keyboard problem

The Casio that I have been using with my Miditzer setup has been giving me problems. When I pressed the power button, the red power light did not always go on and when it did, it was dim. I was worried I was going to have to replace it. TaDa!!!! I checked yesterday and the power adapter was not plugged tightly into the keyboard. Now everything is fine .. phwew

Trems and no trems

The other night I was listening to Australian's, Ian McLean's web site
http://theatreorgans.com/ianmclean
and admired the way he played back and forth with trems and no trems. Sometimes our ears just get too tired of all the trems in theatre organ playing. British players tend to play with no trem more than American players. I broke out some of my Sidney Torch recordings to specifically listen how and when he did not use trem.

I started experimenting with a section of no trems using the diapason and horn diapason on my Miditzer in "Shangri-La." It was a refreshingly lush sound with ensemble playing (all on one keyboard) for a limited time. At the end of the piece with a fast run up the accompaniment manual to a jazz ninth (I think major ninth) chord at the end. The whole piece has a very different sound.

Sudden Surprise

I recently found out that I may be coming into a sizable chunk of money -- it could take a year or two. I already have spoken to Lee Stadele (he is still the local Allen dealer) and will be considering purchasing an Allen Q-311SP (after I get the money and also put down a laminate floor in my living room. I plan to get the headphone attachment so I can play it any time.

I recently went to the Allen factory to play one and was astonished that I had become used to my small pedalboard and my pedal skills are completely shot! It took my about two weeks to get used to the small pedalboard. Hopefully, I will get used to the full pedalboard soon enough.

The Miditizer

I initially downloaded the free software for a two manual virtual theatre organ and hooked up the two keyboards which I already owned. I eventually purchased two more midi keyboards and a midi pedalboard with 17 pedals. When the whole thing was set up I paid for the upgraded, three manual version of the Miditzer. Now with the whole thing connected to my computer, I play a ok-sounding theatre organ every night (with headphones.)

All these years since I sold my Allen organ, never touched a standard organ with full pedalboard. Now I have gotten used to my small pedalboard. Hopefully this will not create problems down the road.

Now that I was totally in the theatre organ scene again, I rejoined the Garden State Chapter of ATOS along with ATOS. I am also creating a large collection of theatre organ CDs. Hopefully I will be able to transfer to LPs to CDs this summer.

The low years

I played my piano a great deal but there were many times I missed my organ so much that it almost ached. Finally one day in the winter of 2008 while surfing the web I came across an interesting web site.. the virtual organ (Miditizer.) www.virtualorgan.com Suddenly now at 55 my theatre organ needs would possibly be met.

My move to Vernon, NJ

I eventually purchased a house in Vernon, NJ, up on a hill with a very steep driveway. It was an A-frame with a loft. I had my Allen organ dealer move the organ up there... a huge undertaking. When I realized that owning a house was too much for a single person, I decided to move into a condo and sold my beloved and much played Allen Organ. I moved my piano to my condo.

The beginning

I don't know how it all started, but when I was in H.S. I started playing popular organ on our church organ. When I went away to College in Tennessee in 1970, I found out about the American Theatre Organ Society and joined. This started my huge theatre organ LP collection. In the late 1970s I needed my own organ and nearly bought a Rogers but the one I wanted was no longer available. I ended up (to my pleasure) purchasing an Allen 425 theatre model, "Music Scene" with card reader for alterable sounds from the local dealer, Lee Stadele. I thoroughly enjoyed it and performed several concerts in my home.

I attended the national ATOS convention in 1978 at Atlanta. It was a wonderful experience I got to meet many people and even some professional organists. I traveled around on the buses with Ashley Miller (a former Radio City Music Hall organist) who I had met before. He related some fascinating stories.

At this time I got involved in the Garden State Chapter of the ATOS and was involved in the removal of the theatre organ from the Fabian Theatre in Paterson, NJ. We were in the process of installing it in the Casa Italiano an former Stanley theatre in Newark. As my career to expanded I no longer had time to travel to Newark.