This Lowrey organ can simulate every musical instrument, the human voice and the sound of rain.

 

 

For 24 years, members of the Apple Valley
Organ Club have pulled out all the stops

Story by STUART KELLOGG
Photos by WILLIAM VASTA
Daily Press

At Desi’s Music Center in Apple Valley, the manager, Alice Moen, sat down at an organ and played — the guitar.

“I tried guitar lessons once,” she said, “but just couldn’t get it.

Listen to this.” As Moen’s fingers raced across the keys, the sounds of a classical guitar filled the large classroom.

Next it was the turn of John Kereki, a teacher at the music center. Adjusting the stops, he produced a wide range of human voices: from adult male deep as a crypt, to the purity of a boys choir.

As music student Elva Ortiz explained, electronic organs can simulate not only every musical instrument and the human voice, but also rain, thunder, birds, whistling and laughing.

Ortiz is just one of many men and women who gather at Desi’s on the first Thursday of the month to join in Friends Playing for Friends (organ solos), followed by Ensemble (as many as 13 organs playing at once).

Hal Hallet directs both Friends and Ensemble.

“In Ensemble,” Hallet said, “we play maybe 20 songs from our repertoire of 85 — a lot of old-time, sing-along music, maybe five songs in a row.

“Ensemble playing improves everyone’s sense of timing.”

On the third Thursday of the month, students at many levels of ability gather for the Wannabees, an organ jam-session.

Dawn Waterman had sung but never played an instrument before trying the organ. Now she is hooked.

“There’s nothing you can’t play on an organ!” Waterman said.

Ursula Stauss played the accordion until it got to be too heavy.

Desi Nelson’s students also gather for potlucks and cruises, and celebrate graduations to a higher level of instruction.

Many belong to the Apple Valley Organ Club. Among its founders were Mack and Iona Collings, Al and Betty Crossman, Al and Carol Felix, and Hal and Maxine Hallet.

According to Betty Crossman, the club started at Hines House of Music in Victorville 24 years ago, “and we’ve been going continuously ever since. When Desi came up here 17 years ago, he became a close friend and an honorary member.

“We meet once a month at members’ homes to socialize, and on Halloween we have costume parties — old people acting silly!”

Al Crossman said that one club member, the late Chet Mulford, had been a professional organist who accompanied silent movies:

“Chet told me that Wurlitzers had Braille on the keys so the theater organist could ‘see in the dark.’ ”

Carol Felix explained that “silent-movie theaters couldn’t afford a full orchestra. An organ was much cheaper.”

When Moen remarked that the organ club and classes provide musicians “a way to get to know each other,” Al Crossman said, “It’s bonding, but there’s also competition. That makes us practice and helps us to improve.”

Mack Collings laughed: “Of course we practice every day!”

“Except that we call it playing, not practicing,” Hal Hallet said.

To help people practice, the music center rents out organs for a nominal monthly fee — organs that never need to be tuned.

Most members of the Apple Valley Organ Club had played some other instrument before taking up the organ: for example, Al Crossman, the son of a piano teacher, who admits that he hated piano lessons.

“I wanted to play football,” Crossman said. “Sometimes, formal musical training — if too early — can ruin the fun.”

Hal Hallet said that his wife, Maxine, “played piano and adapted to the organ. I learned on the organ but cannot play the piano.”

“We let the organ do all the work,” Kereki said.

Rose Marie Thomas agreed, saying, “You sound good, and so it’s fun!”