The Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America, with the American Institute of Organbuilders and the American Guild of Organists, sponsor a technical workshop every other year as part of AGO’s Pipe Organ Encounter (POETech) program. The purpose is to acquaint young people interested in learning about organ building with the trade.
This year’s event was held at the shop of Parkey Organ Builders, Berkeley Springs, Georgia, July 9–14, and under the aegis of the Atlanta Chapter of the AGO. Fourteen students, ranging in age from 13 to 22, including a participant from Guatemala, attended. During the week there was extensive study of windchest construction, organ wiring, and pipe voicing, along with lectures on shop safety and how to run a business. In-shop assistance was provided by various members of the Parkey team, and there were several off-site visits to hear and inspect various types of organ installations in the area. Bradley Jones, of Randall Dyer and Associates, and Chris Bowman, of Parkey Organ Builders, assisted the students in preparing and voicing flue and reed pipes, donated by Oyster Pipe Works, of Louisville, Ohio.
The group is pictured following an organ crawl and concert at Cumming First United Methodist Church, Cumming, Georgia. On the organ bench are concert artists James Mellichamp, Faythe Freese, and Mark Pacoe. Randall Dyer and Phillip Parkey, instructors, are at left.
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