The following was posted December 24, 1999 to the Theatreorgans-L Internet Mailing List. It details some thoughts from one of the preeminent performance artists of our time about the future of the Theatre Organ.

Theatre Organ's Future: A Few Objective Points

Postings in the last few days have been questioning the viability of the theatre organ in today's turbulent musical waters. With this thread in progress, I'd like to address a few things.

Let's look at a few givens about the theater organ. It is an instrument of melody & harmony, not easily given to rhythmic playing unless the player has a solid technique. Contemporary music has very little melody or harmony (in the classic A-B-A, 32-bar sense), but many layers of rhythmic pulse that are the most important thing. The constant rhythmic activity is what draws the ear's attention and keeps it, while the melody & harmony are little more than a framework up which this rests.

Theater organ is an excellent instrumental idiom, but there are practically no instrumental groups on the contemporary musical scene comparable to the great orchestras of the 1950s and '60s. Most music today is lyric oriented, while the melodies used (often repetitive two-and three-note cells played over and over) are not sufficiently developed to maintain interest by themselves. These melodies are also only approximate as to pitch and note values, rather like the recitatives of opera, and cannot be executed with the same effect on a keyed instrument. The pitch-bending so typical of modern singers cannot be duplicated on a fixed keyboard.

Contemporary music cannot be harmonized in the same way that traditional theater organ repertoire can. Today's harmonies are quite spare & minimal and do not lend themselves to passing tones or chromatic harmony, as does the typical theater organ treatment. As melodic and harmonic development have waned, rhythmic properties are the primary consideration in popular music today.

The modern, non organ-oriented ear cannot easily pick out theater organ sounds that are anything like the electronic and synthesized tones that have been the mainstay of popular music for the last 30 years or so. Tibias, Voxes, Tuba Horns, and Diapasons have very little resemblance to guitars and the wide variety of MIDI sounds available today.

The sheer volume of material appearing daily makes it well nigh impossible to keep one's repertoire up to date. The shelf life of much contemporary music is something akin to Kleenex. By the time you have it learned, no one wants to hear it anymore. It is a good idea to wait and see what songs have of staying power."

With these observations made, let us draw a few conclusions:

MODERN POPULAR MUSIC SHOULD BE DUPLICATED AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO THE ORIGINAL RECORDED VERSION. Since today's music is usually recorded by only one artist, the arrangement is an integral part of the song. Duplication, not stylization, is the key to successful interpretation. Where duplication is not possible (sliding notes, pitch bending, etc.), a compromise of texture must be achieved.

A GOOD DRUM MACHINE IS THE ONLY WAY TO EFFECTIVELY PRESENT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Since the rhythmic activity overshadows the melodic and harmonic elements of today's music, the drum machine is really indispensable.

PIPE RANKS SHOULD BE AUGMENTED WITH MIDI VOICES. In order to complete the tonal palette of sounds recognizable to the modern ear.

The points mentioned here mean that the player of today and the future is going to have to put in a good deal more work than before. One must do a lot more analysis (melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic) of the piece in question before presenting it to the public. Programming a drum machine will take some extra attention. The proper choice of material will remain a crucial factor in presenting the instrument well.

Sound like a tall order? Perhaps, but if we really want the theater organ to survive and prosper, it's the only way to achieve it.

Lew's newest recording, "Give My Regards to Broadway," is available now on CD for $20 and Cassette for $14, postpaid in the US. It can be ordered online at:    http://www.organstoppizza.com/welcome.htm.