As a young organist myself, I feel the responsibility of connecting younger generations to this awe-inspiring instrument. My professor at Mississippi College, Robert Knupp, teaches all ages with an infectious joy and energy that I hope to bring to my community. With that in mind, on a recent Saturday I planned a full morning of games to engage kids aurally, visually and kinesthetically. Adult volunteers from the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists helped me welcome 10 kids to the event we called “Pedals, Pixels and Pizza.”
After participants arrived, we broke off into groups to answer musical icebreakers like, “Who is your favorite musician?” and “What instrument would you most like to learn?” After answering, kids posed the questions to one another and copied down the names of others who shared the same answers. While most of the group attends the church regularly, the kids spanned 2nd-9th grade. This activity allowed us to find some common ground, especially with our two participants from the broader community.
After getting to know each other’s musical tastes, we jumped on a giant keyboard floor mat in the children’s choir room. Similar to those you’ve seen in viral Facebook videos, the mat was purchased on Amazon for just $35. By walking on white keys and then on black keys, we got our feet moving as we talked about organ pedals. Alternate sounds such as the trumpet could even be selected with one’s foot, almost like pressing a toe stud. This might have been the favorite activity of the day — they could have played on the “pedals” all morning.
Still, we moved on for “musical beach volleyball,” an idea I borrowed from a piano educator’s blog. When any team let the beachball touch the ground, the responsible teammate led everyone in a musical prompt written on the ball in permanent marker. Prompts varied from stomping to clapping to whistling to siren noises that moved from low to high. It was a budget-friendly activity the kids enjoyed.
Our game of musical chairs in the narthex could have been routine, but not with the live music provided by one of our adult volunteers. He provided hymns, improvisation and well-known repertoire while kids listened to our sanctuary organ with the utmost intensity. My heart swelled when some of the kids hummed along to hymns.
Moving into the sanctuary, I sent the kids on a search for cards hidden in chairs and hymnals. Each card relayed a prompt for the child to complete at the organ. The kids were ready to play the organ at this point and reluctant to leave the console.
Next time, I’d let them get their hands on the instrument even sooner. On the upside, after welcoming their energy all morning, they were tired and ready to sit for the morning’s brief lecture. Plus, after all the activities in preparation to meet the instrument, they had a greater familiarity with the organ. When I mentioned the “top keyboard,” it filled me with joy to hear a second grader say, “Isn’t that the swell?” Nobody wanted to end their turn for free play on the organ, but it was a great problem.
By 11:15, pizza had arrived, and everyone (including me) was ready to e at. The kids helped clean off tables for our final activity, creating “drinking straw organs” out of cardboard and plastic straws. Our ninth grader cut his plastic straws with the perfect measurements to sound in a five-note scale. Another girl picked only yellow straws, her favorite color. Their unique choices presented a wonderful opportunity to talk about the many variations of church organs.
Next year, I hope to repeat the event with even more participants. The organ is way too versatile for anyone to associate it with the word “boring” or “outdated,” so I delighted in the chance to introduce it to kids in a way that harnessed their energy and engaged their whole bodies. Pipe organs represent some of the world’s most masterful craftsmanship, while digital organs like the one at my church utilize advanced sampling technology.
My hope is that other churches might find any or all of these activities useful. Even if a kid never studies formally, they can still enjoy the fascinating musical machine called the “king of instruments.”
AMY CERNIGLIA is the director of music and arts at Peace Presbyterian Church in Bradenton, Florida. Her first hymn text appeared in The Hymn Society’s new collection, “Songs for the Holy Other.”
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