This morning I took my daughter to see an organist during his practice session on the late-Spanish baroque style organ in the church of the town of La Massana here in Andorra.

After he showed us the organ -- which is already quite impressive -- he asked my daughter if she wanted to play. She played a couple of pieces from Anna Magdalena Bach and a little prélude that she has been working on, and two pieces from Schumann's album for the young. The organist was very generous with his time, and my daughter stayed on the instrument for nearly an hour while he changed the registrations and showed her ways to use the different tonal qualities and the two manuals. She is too little and couldn't play the pedals at the same time as the manuals but still she was able to try them out at bit.

Then he played some pieces that he is working on, a sonata by CPE Bach, some Bach cantatas as well as the chorales that they were based on, and a Mendlessohn piece.

Wow.

I hope to get her on a harpsichord sometime soon as well. Unfortunately, the only harpsichord in Andorra was recently shipped back to Scotland to avoid being damaged by the very dry climate.

What happened to the humidifiers in Andorra?

They dried up!

Wow, indeed! Your little girl will probably remember this experience and the kind organist for the rest of her life. Thank you for sharing it with us.

That sounds like a very unique and privileged visit with the organist and an exceptional time to explore and discover the world of the organ for one so young but already a learning musician.

It's things like this that stay in our memories for a very long time.

Any experience with a musician who is willing to visit with young musician is going to be special. I have many memories from my childhood, too, and from some of my children when they were young and seeing a performer of great talent, or holding an instrument for the first time.

I think it's great that you can approach someone and find that they connect with you and your daughter and that the "flow" of your time together is so productive and encouraging.

Absolutely priceless!

Betty Patnude