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Organ Workshop

Frequently Asked Questions

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All Attendees
In-person
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  • Classes are designed for organists at a range of levels or on certain levels of training. Participants should place themselves into one of the levels listed at the beginning of the Class Descriptions. Beginning organists are encouraged to attend those classes marked with an asterisk (*) on the Daily Schedule. If you are unsure of your level, please read carefully the What to Bring instructions.

    For in-person attendees, Individual Consultations with an instructor are also available on Monday afternoon. Play a well-prepared hymn and/or a piece from the organ literature, and the instructor will recommend the organ instruction level that is appropriate for you.

    1. Bring an LDS hymnbook or your cell phone or tablet with the Sacred Music app for the Hymn Sing and for classes.
    2. Review the class descriptions carefully before arriving so you know what other items to bring.
    3. Bring a notebook to capture all of the good information and take notes shared by the teachers. Staff paper and Post-it notes may also be helpful.
    4. Consider purchasing organ shoes.
    5. Bring a portable lunch to eat between classes (the Music Building has some seating areas). It will let you to enjoy the lunchtime sessions or take a quick lunch break instead of braving the crowds in the cafeterias and missing a workshop class.
    6. Bring some extra money and plan your schedule so you can visit the display area. The BYU Store is also located in the Wilkinson Student Center close by.

  • One 45-minute private lesson ($60) with a workshop instructor is available during the workshop week. Payment is available on the workshop registration page.

    Those who pay for a private lesson will receive an email when scheduling is available.
  • The BYU Organ Workshop is is intended for those 18 years of age and older. Youth ages 14-18 are encouraged to attend the BYU Musicians’ SummerFestival, but may attend the BYU Organ Workshop.

    The BYU Musicians’ SummerFestival is a program for instrumentalists and vocalists ages 14–18. Participants are able to be with their own age group and enjoy top-notch musical instruction (including on the organ—small-group instruction), along with evening social events with their peers.
  • BYU Independent Study offers six levels of courses (MUSIC 399R, sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (credit); and Music 71-76 (noncredit) designed to provide motivation for organists to improve their skills by working toward specific goals. The courses emphasize the following skills: organ technique, organ literature, hymn playing, registration, music theory, sight-reading, transposition, and choir accompaniment.

    After choosing your level, you have up to one year from the time of enrollment to pass the assignments and exams. You will progress through the course requirements with the help of a qualified organ instructor (finding the instructor and paying the instructor’s fees are your responsibilities). Upon passing one level, you may enroll for the next level. The cost for the credit courses is $398-$995, and for the non-credit courses is $150. Music 71 and 72 are also offered as free courses.

    Assignments are graded either by the BYU instructor assigned to your course or by computer. The exams are of two types: (1) written exams on theory, registration, etc., and (2) played assignments with a member of the BYU organ faculty, or with an approved evaluator. Helpful feedback is provided for all assignments and exams.
  • E-mail organ@byu.edu to request a letter to be sent to you or directly to your school district.
  • We are always happy to receive input for improvement. We read every submission and will implement those ideas that would improve the workshop and are feasible. You can email organ@byu.edu with your comments. Also, an online evaluation will be emailed to you for your feedback following the workshop.
  • Please email your request to BYU Conferences and Workshops at cw161@byu.edu. Make sure you state your name and what options you were registered for. After the deadline, each situation will be considered individually, depending on the case and the reason for the refund request.
  • Because the BYU Organ Workshop is well attended and there are other conferences and workshops happening at the same time, the BYU Traffic Office will not be granting permits to park directly adjacent to the Music Building. Additionally, summer term at BYU is still in session, employees are still working, and parking in central campus is limited. On this campus map you may see the parking lots by clicking on Parking on the menu on the right. Parking for the program is in Lot 26V, (south of the Music Building) or Lot 2V (near the Museum of Art – MOA). Free parking is also available in Lot 20, west of the BYU Conference Center. It takes approximately 13 minutes to walk from the Conference Center parking lot to the Music Building. For the evening events you may also park in Lot 27A (north of the Music Building), Lot 26A (south of the Music Building), Lot 53A (across the street, east of the Music Building) or Lot 2A (east of the Museum of Art).
  • During Supervised Practice, you may practice on any of the 12 digital organs in the organ lab. This is an excellent time for hands-on training. You might also consider bringing a copy of the stoplist of your organ to Supervised Practice and Study to get a few registration tips from the instructor. Four of the organs are reserved for these ten-minute supervised practice sessions. The other eight organs are open for practice or online study without supervision on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no extra cost for this.

    Private Organ Instruction sessions are one-on-one organ lessons with your choice of both instructor and organ—an excellent opportunity to receive help in hymn playing, organ pieces, BYU Independent Study organ course requirements, or any area of organ performance. Play hymns and/or organ repertoire that you have prepared for the instructor, who will comment on your preparation and provide guidance for further study. You must preregister for this. There are 45-minute appointments ($60) available with the instructor on the instrument of your choice (space limited). Limited practice time at no charge and choice of instruments are available throughout the workshop.
  • Many classes are hands-on and require full attention. Infants and young children will not be admitted to any workshop sessions.
  • The BYU Creamery (grocery store, fast food, and ice cream) is north of the Music Building. The Wilkinson Center (food court) is west of the Music Building.

    A list of other eating areas will be included in the packet you receive at check-in (Monday, 2:00 until 6:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. on).
  • We plan on having a display room with items that can be purchased during the workshop. Many of the offerings are items that are commonly needed in the Independent Study Organ Courses and during the workshop. Day Murray Music stocks many of the titles needed during the BYU Organ Workshop. They are prepared to fill orders quickly, charging actual shipping and no handling charges. Those in the Utah area are welcome to visit their store to shop in person or select free in-store pick up from their website.
  • You will be notified when sign-ups for scheduled practice (no charge) becomes available.
  • To make the most of some classes, try to arrange to be near an organ. Having access to a church organ, a home organ, or even a keyboard or piano during those classes will help you internalize what is being taught.

    Recordings of the online classes will be available for in-person and online attendees to watch through September 1, 2024.
  • All classes and evening events on the schedule will be available online except the following:
    • Low -Stress Performance Opportunity
    • Pedal Technique "Feet On"
    • Supervised Practice
    • Field Trip

    Recordings of the online classes will be available for in-person and online attendees to watch through September 1, 2024.