From diversiorgan@yahoo.com Thu Aug 14 06:37:10 2008
Subject:The furture of the Organ and it's Main streaming.

I think that all of you that have commented on the Future of the organ do understand only a small segment of the problem.

During the hay day of the organ, which started around 1959 and started to fall around about 1978, the organ was considered a legitimate instrument s about 1969 to 1970. This is when the advent of "Easy Play" features did two things. First, it did bring many people into the joy of making (playing) music. Second it made the organ become a "Home Entertainment" product. This is were it became de-legitimate.

Unfortunately on the manufacture level many of the companies pushed the two finger and you can play today as THE only way to play and sell organs. The only company that TRIED to really approach the organ as a legitimate musical instrument was Yamaha as they had the Electone Schools and the Electone Festival.

Today there are only a couple of music categories that the organ, (Hammond Tonewheel Sound) is accepted, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Gospel and Country. If you look at these, yes, rock is the high on the list but the largest group that accepts and embraces the organ is the Gospel music and that is the African American church. It is part of the Church's culture so it is accepted. Many of the Gospel Organ players frown on people that use transpose. So they push each other to LEARN to play for real. Now the down side is that the often give each other wrong information. But the fact is that the organ is "OK" to play because of the culture, with regards to Church.

Mainstream organ! Wow! Is there really a mainstream? No. The reason being is that the organ on a whole is still viewed as something that someones grandparents play corny music on, in Florida.

In the rock world the drawbar sound is improtant but it isn't always out front. Please don't take that as a slam to anyone as the average person that listens to the music doesn't even understand what they are hearing when it comes to the drawbar sound.

To make the drawbar organ sound more mainstream it comes down to changing the general precevied notion that the organ is a hoky poky or death related instrument.

A few months ago during our postings about the big box stores I mentioined my own shopping experiance asking to "SEE" a drawbar or organ product, only to be directed to syths with organ patches. It comes down to education. The members of all the lists have that ability to help in that change.

Just a view from someone who has been in the organ segement of the music industry for over 30 years.

With my respect,
Tom Tuson



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