I started playing the organ because I am Christian (Catholic) and I do feel like I'm more religious than when I started. When it comes to repertoire, I am trying to be well-rounded. I have a greater appreciation of chant based music because I've studied the organ and it does affect my choices a little bit.
I grew up a typical Catholic, meaning I was functionally agnostic, particularly after 12 years of Catholic schools. I started playing organ my senior year of high school, and it was after getting my first job as an organist that I finally realized "wow, the Mass actually MEANS something". I wound up leaving catholicism since then, but I'm still more or less Christian.
I think organ music makes me more religious, although the words coming out of my mouth while I practice have the opposite effect... Still, there's nothing like studying the Bible with Tournemire playing - wow!
Didn't start my organ studies because I was Christian, though I was. I started playing in churches toward the end of my undergraduate degree, eventually landed a position at a Roman Catholic church (my own faith), and have never looked back. Indeed, preparing music for the Catholic liturgy has drawn me in deeper to my faith through studies of sacred music and liturgical action, the importance of chant and the function of music at mass. Everything (music and mass) means so much more when put into context now.
I'm not an organist myself. I'm a singer (and page turner!). I was lucky enough to go to Trinity College, Hartford and sing for John Rose who taught me so much about organ music and I just fell in love with it
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I think organ music makes me more religious, although the words coming out of my mouth while I practice have the opposite effect... Still, there's nothing like studying the Bible with Tournemire playing - wow!
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