While organ performance might seem like a niche degree choice, there are many opportunities available to those who pursue this path. Organists develop valuable skills that can be applied across many areas of music, and there is still a strong demand for their talents in churches, education, and sacred music settings.
What Skills Do I Learn in Organ Performance?
This major combines technical organ lessons with classes in music theory, score study, and other musical disciplines like piano and choir. This blend provides students with both musical and professional skills that can lend themselves to a variety of careers.
Musical and technical skills include:
- Organ repertoire
- Hymn playing
- Sight reading
- Improvisation
- Accompanying
- Conducting/collaboration
Professional skills include:
- Time management
- Confidence performing for an audience
- Teaching
- Adaptability
- Communication
Whether you want to branch into related fields like composing or piano, or continue performing on the organ, these abilities are a huge benefit to a future musical career.
What are My Career Options?
There are quite a few different career options for organists, both directly related to the organ and in other musical fields. Rather than just choosing one of these careers, organists will often have multiple jobs, with part-time and freelance work also being very common. This can look different for everyone, but a possible schedule could be teaching organ and piano lessons during the week, accompanying a choir or performing at an event on Saturday, and playing for a church meeting on Sunday.
Because organists develop both performance and leadership skills, they can pursue a variety of musical careers, here are some of the most common paths:
Church Organist and Sacred Music Director
The biggest employers of organists are churches. Organs have always been tied to religious worship, and today churches struggle to find qualified organists in many regions. Organists play for weekly worship services and special occasions, such as weddings, funerals, or holidays. Accompanying choirs is another common responsibility for organists.
Private Music Teacher
Inspire the next generation of organ players by cultivating an environment of knowledge and passion for music. Organ performance graduates can build private studios in their communities and share their talents with other aspiring and current organ players. It is common for organ teachers to also teach piano, widening their reach to both sets of students.
Performer and Recitalist
Continue to grow your love for performing by participating in concerts and recitals. This can include both solo and group performances, festival participation, and community concerts. You can either set up your own concerts or look for advertisements through churches and communities for audition opportunities.
Sports and Entertainment Organist
Play to hype up cheering stadiums. Many sports teams feature live organists during games, especially in baseball stadiums. The organ helps reflect the mood of the game and entertain the crowds with both classic and modern music. Another sport that uses organ music is hockey. Modern sports entertainment often blends live musicians with digital production.
Some theme parks, cruise ships, and other entertainment venues will have live music for guests to enjoy. Being skilled in both piano and organ would be beneficial when applying for jobs in this niche.
Music Director or Conductor
Organ performance majors are trained in much more than just solo performance. They also have training in ensembles and other choir experience, score reading, and sometimes conducting. Organists often plan worship music, arrange hymns, and coordinate rehearsals, which naturally prepare them for music director roles.
Higher Education and Graduate Study
Students can continue their education and study in master’s and doctoral programs. Graduate degrees can lead to advanced teaching, performance, research, and leadership opportunities, with many professionals combining several of these roles together.
The most well-known career path for graduate students is becoming a college professor, but there are also professional concert organists, researchers and historians, large-scale music directors, and composers.
Why Organists Are Still Needed
The organ is a classic instrument with a rich history, but fewer trained organists are entering the field. This degree prepares students for more than one musical career path, and success often comes from combining talents and opportunities. Although it is a specialized skill set, organists preserve sacred and classical traditions while serving their communities through music.
Citations
USA Today: Organists declining but remain in high demand for Easter
Science Direct - Church organists: Analysing their willingness to play
Getting gigs as an organist
ZipRecuiter: What Is an Organist and How to Become One
What does it take to be the organist for the Boston Red Sox?
The Mighty Organ: A History of Arena Organs in Hockey