Lethal_Subjection

Playing the organ is not easy; just remember that both hands, both feet, your memory and your reflexes all have to be synchronised and able to simultaneously do their thing in perfect time, especially if you play for dancing or “strict-tempo”. It is not essential to learn to read music, although it helps if cannot remember tunes from memory or playing by ear is not your thing.

The organ world can be cliquey, the organ clubs in particular, and some professional, mainly pipe organists can be a bit stand-offish, but don’t let that put you off. There are as many that are true gentlemen (and women), and are eager to show off what the organ can do, and are just as eager to give helpful hints and advice, especially the older organists who know their way round the instruments. Some claim that learning Piano is essential, and a lot of organists do this, but then again, from personal experience, and knowing a good few professional organists, it is entirely your choice, and NOT essential; in fact some organists, especially classical organists scorn upon pianists who ‘claim’ to be organ converts.

I personally love the Theatre Organ, although Classical Organ is an art in itself, and I would grasp the opportunity to play the Wurlitzers, Christies and Compton cinema/theatre organs near where I live with hands, feet and teeth!

I learned to play by ear when I was six, on an electronic organ, and my inspiration was hearing the WurliTzer Theatre pipe organ at Thursford in England, played by Robert Wolfe, a superb predominantly self-taught organist, over a local radio station, and asking my mother “what’s that, and where can I get one?” She laughed and said “I Don’t think it will fit in our three-bed semi”, but my parents took me to Thursford the following week, and from there I was hooked… next stop; Blackpool! = )

Watching the Tower WurliTzer rise through the stage with Phil Kelsall playing “Beside the Seaside” was just the icing on the cake for me! I built up a huge collection of Theatre Organ records and CDs, and would spend every moment I could practising, listening and learning to play like my idols.
There are many different types of organ playing, which makes it such a superb diverse instrument, as it can come in many guises, and play practically any form of music, hence its nickname “The King of Instruments”.

My advice is getting a good teacher if you want lessons, definitely get yourself an instrument that you feel comfortable with, and can produce the kind of sounds you think is fitting to your repertoire, and get yourself down the local church if you want to try a pipe organ (well worth it!); you may not always get the “keys” to the organ for free, remember these things cost a lot of money to keep in tune and keep serviced, so a donation would be to your advantage, but it is a great way to really get to grips with the instrument, and relish in the sheer power it can produce, or marvel at the mellow, almost whispering sounds it can produce for your quieter moments. Learning the art of tonal-registration is considered by some to be as important as learning to play it!

Positive affirmations, meditation, more sleep, better diet, more “private” time, positive outlook, more hobbies, more exercise, more socialising, less work, more play, don’t be a perfectionist, understand that some things are beyond your control (especially living in Blair’s Britain!), have a loving disposition, don’t dwell on the past, don’t read the papers, don’t watch the news, don’t watch Eastenders, as they’re all depressing… live for tomorrow, live for the now, live live live, love life, love thy neighbour, love yourself, love this, that and everything and everyone else.

No wonder I’m bloody stressed! = )

Seriously though, I do have a terrible tendency to try to take the entire journey of life’s troubles with one stride, crashing through endless obstacles and avoiding problems, rather than taking it a step at a time, overcoming every obstacle as it nears, and confronting my fears and worries independently.

They say it takes a lot of practice to become spiritually rich, worry-free and lucidly blessed. But practice to me, the stressed person who wants the quick fix, the easy answer, as I have not the time in my mad schedule of worry and anxiety to fit in something that may require focus, is like moving house or country, large spiders and wedding planning; something even more worrying and better avoided for fear of failure or something much worse. Oh how I wish I could turn it off. But like any other problem, I suppose it is as difficult as you make it.

Am I beyond the help of those lucky few who have achieved the ultimate life-course and done so without newfound priggishness or a self-righteous attitude toward those seen as inferior mentally or spiritually, and in some cases; socially? Am I now just the perfect target for those sanctimonious finger-wavers and therefore beset for a life of unsatisfying vacuum at the differing hands of the smug and the voluntarily miserable?

But onward I go, in search of the answer to life’s quiz, and how to rid myself of bad stress and become cleansed of emotional sludge. Best wishes to everyone on my same path; to pull the plug of the toxic-bath of stress, emptiness and worry, and dive passionately into the crystal-clear blue sea of success, venture and opportunity.

Love computers? Love the Internet? Love being cool and geeky? Love being a gadget freak? Love electronics? Me too! Aren’t we great? You bet we are!

BUY A LAPTOP! Nothing says “I live for technology, I’m in contact with the whole world, and look, mine has cool stickers on it!” more than carting your very own portal to the weird, wired, wireless and wobbly world of the internet, games, word and MS paint around with you…

Joking aside, Laptops are extremely handy; and although probably not the best thing to flaunt in some areas (especially those with a burgeoning criminal fraternity), they can provide an essential service not only to business people but also to students, techies, geeks (geeks are cool, don’t argue =p), and everyone who needs a quick blast of IT on the move; and let’s face it, don’t we all?

Think of the possibilities of having your PC at your fingertips (or under your arm, dependant on how you wish to carry it about) for those moments of creativity (paint, word or other such things), or those moments of stress relief (not THOSE ones, filthy! = ) ) when it would be better to play a game or again, use your creative side to draw odd, brightly coloured stick people (Yep, we have all done it!), rather than telling your stressors where you’d like to stick your laptop, or resorting to using said laptop as a means to cause concussion or coma to those who sought to aggravate you… peace and love people; a dented laptop is no good to no one.

Go on, buy one, it might not bring you divinity or put you in touch with God (you’ll never get him on your buddy list, although Elvis has apparently appeared on quite a few, although he’s not online in working hours; he’s slaving away down the chip-shop), but they do reap certain benefits and Shakespeare would have loved one I’m certain.