Celebrating 5 Years of Hauptwerk Membership

It was five years ago today that I became a member of this forum. (Oops! I just realized I joined on the 27th, not the 17th--no matter, read on) I had already been reading it on a daily basis since 2004 when I first read about Hauptwerk in the American Organist magazine.

First I want to reiterate what a wonderful forum it is. I feel I have a great group of friends with whom I rejoice at their triumphs, and feel empathy when they report sad news, such as Eric’s cancer diagnosis, and notdefined’s accident. [Happily, Eric seems to be doing well, thank God!; and apparently notdefined is on the mend because I read his posts from time to time]. Also thanks to Martin and Brett for making it all possible.

Now to update my own situation. For the many newcomers, for three years (2009-2012) I reported on the progress of my project in a post called “A New Organ for Good Shepherd”. The church where I was playing had an old Baldwin organ that was donated; but it also had an organ fund started by a couple who had lost their three-year-old son to cancer in 1960. The fund only had $6700 in it, but I saw the opportunity to use the fund to build a Hauptwerk organ, and I would absorb any cost overruns. I made a presentation to the Executive Committee of the church, complete with a brochure called “Two Dreams”, meaning the now-elderly couple’s dream of a memorial organ for their son, and my dream to have an organ worth playing. By the way, I was playing for nothing: I was 69 at the time, retired, and didn’t need the money; one condition: no preludes or postludes, only hymns and service music. So it was a no-sweat job.

The Executive Committee listened politely, but exhibited no enthusiasm. However, permission was granted. So I began to work. By Christmas time, I had a small working prototype: two speakers. I took it to the church coincidently on the night of the committee meeting. That was when I got my first blow: most members of the committee walked right past it, never acknowledging either me or the instrument. That was when I first realized there was actual opposition to the project, not just lack of interest. I couldn’t figure it out: how can they be opposed to a memorial? how can they be opposed to a gift? Despite this, I continued. I traced the opposition to one person, Grace, who, when I mentioned her name to another church member, she said, “O you mean ‘Little Hitler’, she’s opposed to everything.”

I could go on and on about the lack of enthusiasm, about the put-downs, the criticism, the condemnation I endured over the next three years. I’ll spare you that. But in June of 2012, I finally had had all I could take, and wrote a letter calling for Grace’s resignation (she was now Senior Warden). My argument was not just about the organ, but that she was critical of everybody who also gave unselfishly of their time and talents to the church, and I asked why anybody would want to do anything for Good Shepherd if their only thanks were to be criticized.

The letter really infuriated the committee, and they told me they were unanimously behind Grace. I decided to take a leave of absence (though I never went back). In September, they wrote me a letter asking me to take the organ out, which I did without question [by that time I was so digusted with the situation, and I felt the church didn’t deserve it anyway], but they kept the speaker enclosures I built, which were gorgeous.

Fast forward one year: September, 2013. The tide had turned on Grace. Apparently, seven members of the Executive Committee had approached the Junior Warden (separately, and at different times) and asked, “Can we get rid of her?” It came to a head when Grace went berserk at an Executive Committee meeting, shouting and swearing at other members and at the priest. Subsequently, she did resign, and left the church. What goes around comes around!

As for me, the organ is now in our garage. My wife Linda and I have gone back to the church where we were married, and where I was once music director. The elderly couple also left the church, and bought a used Rogers for the church they now attend.

That’s enough for today, but I will continue the saga at another time. After all, we don’t want any more Zzzzzzzz…….

That’s enough for today, but I will continue the saga at another time. After all, we don’t want any more Zzzzzzzz…….

Ha! I think someone is poking a little fun at me! No problem at all, the forum has been a bit more lively as of late for some reason.

First off congrats on your anniversary here with the forum, good to see folks sticking around. Other than that all I can say is welcome to church politics! I don't get it but for some reason many churches seem to be magnets for the type of person you describe and I too went through a very similar situation at our church concerning a great deal of time I devoted to an overhaul of the choir area that involved a considerable amount of woodwork and remodeling, then a total re-arrangement of the sound system, moving the speakers, getting everything calibrated and so on. Although I was asked to perform all the work, throughout the entire process it was like nobody from inside the inner church circle trusted me, I'd get torpedoed here and there and every single time I walked in the door to continue with the work all I heard were reports of complaints and someone saying "I know someone better" for the job etc., etc., when they didn't have a clue as to what they were talking about. It seemed someone was constantly trying to either interfere or undo what I had done. I found out during the process that the original company that they purchased the sound system from was so upset with them due to their constant badgering and whining that they abandoned the project right after it was installed, washed their hands of it and the system never was calibrated in any way, it was just turned on and that's it and was that way for several years although it is a very good Mackie system. They also had a similar fight over the original pipe organ that got yanked in favor of an electric one that they really paid way too much for, is o.k. in sound, but what a shame, a real pipe organ that needed some work and they didn't even give a second thought to just tearing it out. Wow!

It really is a shame, they ask for volunteers but you then often subject yourself to much grief. From the parishioner side I got many great comments, especially on the sound where they would tell me it's the best they've ever heard, so there's most definitely a difference of opinions going on whether it's just a regular parishioner or someone from inside the circle. I found out over time this had happened to many other volunteers in the past and like all others I finally just told them I'm done and no more and actually stayed away for quite a length of time, others have not been back since. We now have a new priest who I like and get along with, but once again I'm getting asked to do projects but I'm very reluctant to jump back into that deal again. Hit me over the head with a 2x4 once, shame on you, me letting you do it again, shame on me.

I didn't mention it above, but I was also a cantor, they can't get anyone new for that now (gee, I wonder why?), and I also sang in the choir for about 5 years. I'm now just a simple "average Joe" participant in the pews on Sunday and no more, and plan to keep it that way.

Marc

Marc: I wasn't poking fun of your post at all. I, too, was getting frustrated by not having enough reading to go with my morning coffee. Your post seems to have generated quite a few responses, and it was one of the reasons I decided to write about my experience.

Your story is awful, too, and I really feel for you. I wonder how many others on this forum have had similar experiences. When I have told my story to others, their response has most often been: "This is a church?!" I say 'most often' because when I told the gory details to a very good friend who has spent her life in music ministry, her response was: "What do you expect, it's a church!" Sad, isn't it? I think a lot of it has to do with people who have never accomplished much of anything, who find church a place to exude some kind of power.

I'm trying not to be too discouraged, but I confess some of the Hauptwerk wind has gone out of my sails.I mentioned that the organ is now in my garage. To me, that's not where it belongs, but there's no other place in our house for it. In another couple of weeks the garage will be too cold, and I found last winter that the computer became sluggish. I want to offer it to my "new" church, but I'm afraid of it again being rejected or causing controversy.

Anyway, Marc, thanks for sharing your story. Misery loves company. Ken Zink

(deleted)

Hi Ken,

I heard much the same story concerning another church in our area, seems if you decide to involve yourself in the music in any way shape or form, you better get some very thick skin, don't let the comments and opinions bother you, and prepare yourself for some uphill battles as it seems to come with the territory. I figure, hey if they think they can do it better then why aren't they up there singing / playing instead of me? Most are too chicken to be a cantor in the first place. I even got blasted by the previous priest a few times after a couple of services because he thought they couldn't hear me singing when it was a known fact he had hearing issues big time. His exact words were he was "losing confidence in me." Oh, OK, alrighty then, thank you very much for your informative comments! But how do you counter nicely and tell the guy sorry, but actually the problem is YOU'RE DEAF!?

The straw that mostly broke the camel's back for me was once I had spent all this time getting the sound set up, it was then just a simple matter of taking a few minutes with the singers to go over some very simple instructions on the proper use of the mics for the best results. I got a ton of resistance to set up a time, I even offered to show up on my dime during a choir practice and was turned down. I had a couple of singers (self annointed experts because their parents had them in some extra singing stuff since they were kids) that refused to listen to me concerning mic use and pretty much continue to this day insisting on swallowing the mics every time they use them because they think nobody in the congregation can hear them even though I and many others have assured them we can hear them just fine, in fact because of the way they are using the mics we can hear them all too well and not in a good way! Every time afterwards I approached both the cantors and the current music director on the subject and to let them know their latest performance could have been better with just a very minor tweak, they didn't want to hear this and my simple recommendations / instructions to be about 6'' to a foot away from the mics when singing (and I would physically demonstrate this for them) have thus far gone unheeded. They would look at me with their eyes crossed like I was talking in another language they didn't understand, and have instead chosen to ignore me. Now, week after week those very same singers with the strong voices in particular continue to sound horrible and blow people out of the pews because of all the distortion they needlessly create. The last time (months ago now) I attempted to talk to them I heard later that the new 'know it all' director told them NOT to listen to me. At that point I gave up and have not talked to anyone about the sound since. If I should get a complaint in the future I will refer them to the music director.

The old saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."

Anyways, enough of my ranting, I thought this post was supposed to be about celebrating 5 years of HW forum membership! Interesting the twists and turns some of these posts can take.

Have a good weekend all!

Marc

Thank you mrkniz for commencing this thread and sharing your experience. Thanks also to Marc for your rejoinder.

My own Hauptwerk anniversary came in August this year - celebrating 8 years since first purchasing Hauptwerk (then at Version 2). In a few weeks the 5th anniversary of forum membership will be reached.

I am sure we all have a tale or two to tell about church politics. I have been known to say that if Hauptwerk had existed in the mid 1970's I'd have had no need to become involved with churches in order to further my organ playing aspirations and would thus have been spared much angst. However there is the other side of the coin. My own musicianship benefitted from the years spent in serving churches, not only in relation to organ playing but through refining skills in accompaniment and choral conducting. It can work both ways, but it's certainly better when one is being treated with respect instead of being used and abused.

I have heard it said that if you want to be on the receiving end of uncharitable and un-Christian behaviour then just go to church. Having said this, I must immediately say that I know that this sweeping statement clearly doesn't apply to everybody. However I have found that the chief bullies are usually those in power, often the clergy themselves.

I find that the "serenity prayer" works well for me.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference."

Andrew

Hello Andrew,

Instead of quoting it all, I will just say to the above: Amen, brother, amen. You're right and it's all good!

I can't honestly say with much accuracy how long I've owned HW, I think it's been about 5 years now but I started with HW 3. To be quite honest I discovered it by chance one day searching the net about home built organs and the site caught my attention. I remember at the time I started looking it was still Krumhorn labs and I eyeballed things for a few months first, but just before I made the purchase things had just switched to Milan, like by a month or so. Knowing when that took place will tell you roughly when I bought, but I didn't get involved in the forum for about a year after that. At the time I recall coming here, seeing the forum tab at the top and asking myself why I'd even want to get involved in some 'forum' like it was only for geeky organ / computer nerds, but I've honestly enjoyed every minute of it, have made a few friends along the way, and most important have learned much! I attribute much (o.k. pretty much all) of what I've learned concerning computers and the new generation of computer generated audio over the past few years to this forum. Without that I'd still be in the stone-age.

Marc

I'm now just a simple "average Joe" participant in the pews on Sunday and no more, and plan to keep it that way.

There is usually another position that's available and that's being assigned to scrap off the gum from under the pews. Esp "messy" when the gum has freshly been placed there.

Rgds,
Ed

I'm now just a simple "average Joe" participant in the pews on Sunday and no more, and plan to keep it that way.

There is usually another position that's available and that's being assigned to scrap off the gum from under the pews. Esp "messy" when the gum has freshly been placed there.

Rgds,
Ed

Ha! Even though I'm now in the pews I still sing and do get asked on occasion why I'm not up front singing anymore or am told I should join the choir. From now on I'm going to say when asked that I've been given a new position and have been assigned to "head gum scraper."

Marc

From now on I'm going to say when asked that I've been given a new position and have been assigned to "head gum scraper."

Best done lying on one's back on an auto mechanics's creeper.

In that regard, another friend asked if he could borrow my organ console moving dollie. Sure. Found out from his wife that he first used his creeper and pretty well "carved" up their hard wood floor.

This is an Oops smilie -

Rgds,
Ed

That or I could make the position sound a bit more sophisticated and say something like I'm now in charge of underpew maintenance and technolog!

Yeah, $29.95 auto mechanic creepers and 600+ lb. organ consoles don't usually roll too easy and get along all that great with wood floors. Bad combo. No way! Really? Your friend should have rethought the situation just a bit first. Ouch!

Marc

I've got a set of the real organ dollies that make moving heavy consoles at least manageable. I have pictures of my wife several years ago before she became ill moving an 800+ lb console secured to the dollie up a ramp on to a trailer. But then she was using a come-along while I was "behind" steering. (Someone else took the picture.)

The dollie we have, after you manage to get the flat part under an end of the console, has a pedal that when stepped on actually raises the console up probably 2 or 3 inches off the ground. From there, the console can be moved using the dollie's heavy duty casters. Works for heavy upright pianos also. Not for grand pianos tho.

Rgds,
Ed

Congratulations on 5 yrs of Hauptwerk. It reminded me that this month, six years ago, I got my first Hauptwerk, back when it was called Crumhorn Labs. Its been an interesting journey, because I stumbled across Hauptwerk purely by accident when I was researching "virtual organs" on the internet. Being extremely skeptical, often being disappointed by wild and exaggerated claims, I contacted Brett who contacted a Hauptwerk owner living within a hundred miles of me. Fortunately that individual graciously allowed me to visit, hear and play their Hauptwerk system. It took me less than 30 seconds to decide that is what I wanted.

After assembling my system, I was excited about the realism of the sound and the extraordinary ambiance and feeling I had as if I were actually sitting down at a pipe organ ( it's hard to describe in words but I never got this feeling with any other digital organ). One thing that has baffled me over the years is why my local AGO chapter was so unwilling to visit my set up and hear for themselves. The fact that I lived close to a huge digital organ manufacturer may have had something to do with it, but for what illogical reason I do not know. Hey, should I really care ? It's their loss. The only thing that I think may have been the reason for such unwillingness was the unorthodox "look" of the organ ( i.e. touch sensitive screens instead of stops, an off- the- shelf computer, etc).

Being intrigued by how apparently simple it was to covert a pipe organ, or previously used digital organ, to Hauptwerk, I converted a few organs. One, a 1970 vintage Rodgers 990, was a real gem. It had 66 speaking stops and about 20 couplers, all with double action magnets so the stops moved when you pressed a combination action piston. I really enjoyed playing an organ that had stops you could move physically, but I eventually came to the conclusion that those touch screen monitors were better because you didn't have to rename the stops, unless you were satisfied with just one organ ( I don't know anyone that would be satisfied with just one organ with so many fabulous samples that are available !!!!).

Of course, as I am sure most Hauptwerk owners can agree with, the low cost, huge selection of organ samples, and realism, are a factor that has placed Hauptwerk far ahead of any competition. Also, the Forum members are the best due to their combined knowledge and willingness to share with others. Lastly, I have noticed that since the contrebombarde web site was introduced, I haven't purchased one organ audio CD. There must be hundreds ( perhaps over a thousand) performances posted on the site which has provided endless pleasure to listen to.

Antoni
Also,

I remember in the early days only having a laptop with 512 MB of memory and I had purchased the Schantz set which at the time required about 1 GB or memory to work correctly. My laptop would load the set, but due to the lack of available memory I would get a warning I was out of memory and a portion of the set would page onto the hard drive. Enough memory or not, I was so happy I was making sounds that sounded like a real organ that I didn't care that I was dealing with major latency and the audio would break up about every 30 seconds. I was also using the onboard laptop audio which I'm sure was another contributor to the all audio glitches, but I was happy.

Talk about a recipe for disaster!

Marc

Talk about a recipe for disaster!

and sometimes intense frustration when things don't go "right"?

Rgds,
Ed