Dear List Friends,
   
  This thread has been particularly timely, since I have been trying to arrange a place to practice for a new student of mine.  The student in question is a very gifted 14 year old girl, who auditioned for me on the piano by playing the B-Flat Prelude and Fugue from Book one of the WTC by Bach, the big a minor Sonata of Mozart, and the Chopin b-flat minor Scherzo.  She is home schooled, has lovely manners, and comes from a privileged background.  She lives in an extremely affluent and charming town about 45 minutes from Danbury.    Her own church has a rather old electronic that doesn't work that well, according to what I was told.  
   
  I called the Episcopal church in this young lady's town.  Neither the priest nor the incumbent musician ever returned my calls.  For a parish that considers itself to be rather hoity-toity, that doesn't seem to be very good manners, now does it?  I do think that Miss Manners or Emily Post might have something to say about that.  I then telephoned the Director of Music of the Congregational Church, which is a member of the UCC--a denomination that loves to pride itself of being liberal, championing the downtrodden, and being "open and affirming".   This lady told me that the church had a policy of not allowing any "outsiders" to play the organ, period. So much for being liberal, open, and affirming, eh?  Mind you: my student's family is quite well off, and they fully expected to pay a fee for the use of the organ; I told that to the people with whom I spoke.  I was really taken aback by the attitudes of the officials of these two churches.   I seem to recall that the One
 whom churches say they worship, and whose example they say that they follow,  had a word for such kinds of people, and it was a word that He used in a particularly disapproving way: HYPOCRITES!
   
  Now please understand that I am not singling out a particular denomination; we all know examples of this kind of behavior in practically every denomination.   It does seem to me, however, that churches that complain when they can't find an organist, or organists who complain that they can't find a substitute, ought to realize that it is their duty to encourage any and all young people who express an interest in church music and learning to play the organ.  Such young people are a precious few these days!  And that means providing a place to practice for student organists, and an opportunity for singers, prospective choral conductors, and other young musicians in their congregations to use their talents in the context of worship.  Actions speak far louder than words: what kind of lesson does this narrow minded attitude teach a young person who might be considering church music as a vocation?    Churches like the one that Steve Best serves, and the others mentioned that
 have an "open door policy" really ought to be commended, I think.  They are religious institutions who actually practice what they preach.
   
  Hardly a week goes by that I don't get a call from a church looking for an organist, or an organist looking for a substitute.  I know that it is probably very naughty of me, but I have a long memory for churches and musicians who behave as the aforementioned did, or who mistreat their musicians.   I look forward to the day when they call me about filling a position, or finding a substitute.  I then gently remind them of incidents like the ones above, and tell them that is perhaps one of the reasons why they are having so much trouble finding an organist.  It does get the point across, I can tell you.
   
  I have another call in to an Episcopal rector in the adjoining town to the one in which my student lives.  This rector is a musician by training, and is very sympathetic to music students. The church has been a charismatic congregation for a good many years, and they no longer use their 3 manual pipe organ regularly for their services.  On the other hand, they have for a long time encouraged student organists to practice there, and they never ask for a fee.  As I said, we organists ought to thank churches and clergy like that whenever we can.  I hope that they extend practice privileges to my student: a very talented young lady who is excited about learning to play the organ.  I just wish there were more like her these days.....
   
  Stephen Roberts
  Western CT State University, Danbury, CT

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