November Dean's Message

Fall is a time when pipe organs normally get a thorough tuning. Don't assume your church administrator will remember to schedule a service call. As church musicians, we need to advocate good upkeep of the instruments. At budget planning time, be sure to speak up and advocate adequate funding for piano and organ maintenance. Those of you with electronic organs should not assume that they never need attention. They do need occasional servicing, for example contacts may need cleaning and old speakers may need to be "re-coned".

I once worked at a church where the sanctuary piano and organ both needed expensive repairs.  Each time a bequest came to the church some other project got priority. The solution was to prepare in advance of the funding. I solicited bids for repairs and wrote a clear proposal including photo documentation of the problems. When the next large bequest came to the church, I was first in line with a complete and detailed proposal. It was approved and the repairs were done. If your instruments need upgrades or repair, don't passively wait for it to happen. Take the initiative.

Feel free to contact me for suggestions of how to move the process forward. It is not merely for our own sake that we want well-maintained instruments. It leaves a good legacy for the musicians that follow us.