Student Organist

Jon Benignus

New member
Hi,

I am a High School History and Geography teacher in Houston, TX, and a student organist. I managed to find an old WurliTzer Series 20 church organ (built in 1945) on ebay for $100.

Recently I have been working on restoring this organ and cleaning it up. It is a good practice instrument and now that I have it hooked up to my home stereo system it is starting to sound pretty good.

I am not a professional musician by any stretch of the imagination, but am enjoying learning to play. Fortunately, my wife is a good musician, it is like having a music tutor at home.

Well, thats my introduction.

Jon Benignus
Houston, TX
 
Krummhorn

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
:wave: Hello, Jon :wave:

Great to have you here on this Swell music forum.
What a unique restoration project on your newly acquired home practice instrument.
My folks had bought a Wurlitzer 4800 back in 1961 for me to use as a practice instrument at home. It was a full size (AGO Spec) organ. I don't remember what became of it in later years - maybe it was donated to a church.

How long have you been studying the organ? I feel that it's never too late to start learning an instrument ... I started at an early age and have been a church organist since 1960 and still playing every week and weekend.
 
intet_at_tabe

intet_at_tabe

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret.)
We welcome you Jon from Houston, Texas :tiphat:

The straight flight in to this global musical ship the MIMF, where you´ll soon become an addicted member of everything evolving and rockin´ here 24/7 among equaly highly talented musicians, pipe organ players and the ones of us down the 12 row at any concert hall or church.

Remember here we all winners. ;)
 
Corno Dolce

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Hello Jon,

Welcome aboard the Starship MIMF where everyone is a star. Please do make yourself feel right at home and stay for a spell.

Cheers :tiphat::tiphat::tiphat:

Corno Dolce :):):)
 

Jon Benignus

New member
Krummhorn said:
Great to have you here on this Swell music forum.
Click to expand...

Thank you Krummhorn and everyone else who welcomed me. I sure that this will be a Positive experience. :D

Krummhorn said:
What a unique restoration project on your newly acquired home practice instrument.

...

How long have you been studying the organ? I feel that it's never too late to start learning an instrument ... I started at an early age and have been a church organist since 1960 and still playing every week and weekend.
Click to expand...

Actually, I got my WurliTzer about 6 years ago from St. Andrew's Episcopal Church here in Houston, TX. For the last 5 or so years it has sat in my house more or less unplayed because its original amp was dead. But it was a old keyed reed instrument which means that it would play softly and would be a good practice instrument. Last October my father, who is very skilled in electronics from that era, hooked it up to my home amplifier and I plugged it into a cheap little Behringer mixer that gives it some digital reverb. Now it sounds really nice.

As far as my musical skills are concerned, I started learning how to play the piano at age 37 about a year before I got my WurliTzer. After a year's worth of intensive piano lessons, I got to an early intermediate level of ability. Over the years I have been taking lessons in the summer when I am not teaching high school. Last year I felt ready to start work on the organ, got myself an organ teacher and took 13 organ lessons before my organ teacher took a new position at another church and moved away from Houston to Atlanta, GA. This next summer I will get a new organ teacher and continue lessons.

Thank you everybody!


Jon Benignus
 
musicalis

musicalis

Member
Wellcome

Glad to meet you
Does your wife also play the organ ?
I love organ too and I enjoy composing for this magnifiscent instrument.
If I can help you with organ music, I'll be happy to do it.:)
 
jvhldb

jvhldb

New member
Hi there. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable, you're going to spend a lot of time with us.
 
marval

marval

New member
Hello Jon

Welcome, it is always good to have new people join us.

You sound to have an interesting project going on, hope you find time to chat with us.


Margaret
 
Contratrombone64

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Welcome to you, this is indeed a Swell place to meet, a Positiv environment for exchange of ideas and just a Great place to drop in and out of.
 

Jon Benignus

New member
musicalis said:
Glad to meet you
Does your wife also play the organ ?
I love organ too and I enjoy composing for this magnifiscent instrument.
If I can help you with organ music, I'll be happy to do it.:)
Click to expand...

My wife is a multi-talented musician. She plays piano, oboe, flute, and is learning the hammer dulcimer now, but not the organ. Sometimes, I put her on the bench to get her to play on the organ so I can listen to the speakers from different parts of the room, experiment with different stops etc. Her keyboarding, sightreading, and general musicianship are vastly superior to mine (she was a music minor in college), but she does not know proper pedal technique (not saying that I am all that great mind you, just better than she is).

My former piano teacher used to dump lots of music theory on me and write notes down in my notebooks, knowing that I didn't have a clue about half of what she was saying. She did know I would take the notebook home to my wife who would fill me in. It's great having a personal music tutor at home!

Have fun


Jon Benignus
 
Frederik Magle

Frederik Magle

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Regulator
Welcome to Magle International Music Forums, Jon! :tiphat:

Hope you will have a great time here and all the best with your continued organ playing (as well as the restoration of the old Wurlitzer).

Best regards,
Frederik
 
musicalis

musicalis

Member
Hello
Your wife can start playing the organ without using pedals. I have started the organ on an harmonium (There were 2 pedals, but not for the same purpose). There are many books of organ music without pedals : Boelmann, Franck , Bach ...
She can then use the pedals later, when your Wurlitzer will be in good running order, playing first easy organ works.
 
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