On Jan. 8 from 10-12, the San Jose Chapter, AGO hosted the 4th annual PPP at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Los Gatos. Twenty-three piano students, ranging in age from 6 to 14, were thrilled to get the chance to play pieces ranging from Christmas carols to Bach preludes on the three-manual Schantz tracker. Attending were over 50 people, including lots of dads and siblings.

Lothar Bandermann played pieces from his Fun and Funny Organ Music collection as the students gathered, giving them some background on the pieces he performed. At the end, each family was given a FFOM CD that Lothar donated.

Cecelia Lung brought her entire class of piano students, and Valerie Sterk brought students. Others attended after seeing the information on our Chapter website. Darryl Parker took photos of the gathering which you may view below this article. Dick Coulter played the opening rouser, and explained his organ. Cecelia, Melanie Cervi , Joyce Rhodes, and Pat Milstead demonstrated the families of stops and other pertinent features of the organ. Joyce and Pat played an organ duet to show off a small fugue (Quodlibet). Melanie, Dick, and Lynda Alexander pulled stops for the students' performances. Roger Inkpen loaned us pipes so the students could see them close up, and Tom Ingalz gave us his moral support by attending with his two grandsons.

Packets were handed out to each family containing Soderlund's A Young Person's Guide to the Pipe Organ (thanks, National), a model organ to construct at home, and a copy of Lothar's comprehensive About the Pipe Organ. Students voted on their favorite organ from a group of TAO covers. The students filled in a worksheet on basic organ information that we had covered. Pizza was enjoyed by 40 people in the social hall of the church

The cost of this year's PPP was sponsored by Lothar through his generous contribution of proceeds from his FFOP CD. Our thanks also to Dick Coulter and St. Luke's for their hospitality. Plan to participate in next year's PPP to see the enthusiasm of these young people.

Pat Milstead
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