Pipe Organ Encounters

One of the best programs of the Guild is the Pipe Organ Encounter (POE), a summer experience for young and young-at-heart organists and budding organ technicians. POEs are summer organ "camps," typically 4-5 days in length, in which participants enjoy playing country's most significant instruments, benefit from instruction from well-known faculty in workshops and lessons, go on field trips to organ companies and additional venues important in the organ world, and most of all -- have fun! Offered at locations across the country for over ten years, these week-long intensive experiences have proved to be fertile ground for the development of the art of organ playing and organ building.

Watch the YouTube video below about the San Francisco POE in 2005, and be motivated by these students' enthusiasm for the King of Instruments. (Video produced by Vic Ferrer Productions, San Francisco © 2008.) One of the comments about this video says, "Great great great video! I've been to 3 POEs now, and they are sooo much fun. it is what really got me into the pipe organ, because I found out what a cool instrument it is, and there are other kids out there who love it too! :)"

This year, two POEs will be hosted in Region VI: in Kansas City (sponsored by the Greater Kansas City chapter) and in Sioux Falls (sponsored by the South Dakota chapter). Anyone between 13 and 18 years of age is invited to attend these two events. Participants should have some keyboard proficiency, but previous organ experience is not required.

Don't miss this opportunity!

• If you are a young person, consider attending one of the POEs in Region VI - see the links to application forms below.
  
• If you are an adult, encourage students you know to attend a POE. Consider offering a personal or chapter scholarship to help local students attend. Consider attending a POE yourself -- the POE+ program is offered for adults.
• If you are interested in organ building, consider attending the first-ever POE-Tech.
  

To access application forms for Region VI POEs in 2009, click one of these links:
Kansas City
Sioux Falls

Information on all 2009 POEs, including POE+ for adults, and the first-ever POE-Tech, is available on the AGO Headquarters website - click here.