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July 19, 2005
Mountain State Organists to Address Cuts in College Music Programs
By HNN Staff
Charleston, WV (HNN) - The West Virginia Chapters of the American Guild of Organists invite the public to attend a state-wide conference on August 13, 2005. This is their first special conference to address the future academic needs of church organists.
The meeting will be held at Christ Church United Methodist, 1221 Quarrier St., Charleston, W.Va., from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. A $10 fee covers lunch, and materials which address the loss of college organ programs.
Special guests will be Wayne Earnest from Alexandria, Va., and Neal Campbell, AGO Regional Councillor. Earnest will present successful parish educational cooperatives and alternative group programs. Campbell will share numerous resources from the national AGO educational department to aid local AGO chapters with filling the gaps.
According to Paula Legge of the Kanawha Chapter, "I know the frustration of trying to find the assistance I need to provide a good music program in a small church." In the Morgantown area, thousands of church attendees benefit weekly from numerous church musicians trained at West Virginia University, yet its organ department is set to close.
"The organist profession existed long before it was absorbed into academic programs. Organists were at the forefront of the founding of our nation's first music schools. With no rationale provided us for such desertion, we have no choice but to continue moving forward by building on our own apprenticeship system, "said Marguerite Bostonia, Convener for the state AGO. Two other West Virginia colleges have announced similar cuts.
The conference hopes to enable the creation of accessible programs for small church organists, as well as improve programs for adults and youth at larger churches with more resources. To register of obtain more information, contact Paula Legge at 304.756.3469, Marguerite Bostonia at 304.296.8811, or e-mail margbos@adelphia.net
