Main Community Forum

For those of you who have keyboard playing friends, or have an interest in them yourself, Roland has just launched a new microsite for its JUNO series of portable synthesizers. The new synths are very lightweight and learner-friendly. There's a series of short demo videos that show what you can do with them here.

Please place your April postings here unless you wish to add comments to an existing topic.  If you would like to create a new topic let me know and I will create it. 

Thanks for using the Rodgers Community Forum!

Best regards,

Roy Hanson

Quite the impromptu concert took place in the Rodgers demonstration room at the National AGO Convention in Minneapolis last week. On Wednesday at midnight, as we were about to close, Cameron Carpenter's manager came in and announced Cameron wanted to play and he would like to play on a Rodgers. (For those of you unfamiliar with this 27-year-old maverick genius, go to www.cameroncarpenter.com and click on Revolutionary Etude).

It's nice to see Rodgers has addressed the small church, chapel and studio/home organ market. The new Insignia and Allegiant organs are absolutely incredible!

Last night I was surfing around YouTube and came across several new videos by Randall Smith of West Point, Georgia. Randall is a wonderful organist with a terrific personality that comes through in his music. He plays a Rodgers custom 928 with 12 ranks of Hinners pipes. The arrangement of "To God Be The Glory" is from the Crystal Cathedral and begins with some of the organ's big reeds, while "Gabriel's Oboe" utilizes the resources of the MX-200 and the amazing Orchestral Oboe which is part of the organ's registration. This is a nice collection.

I heard Hector Olivera in concert last month in Jacksonville. He is not only masterful in his interpretation of classical literature but also in transforming the Rodgers organ into a complete symphony orchestra.

Last week I was fortunate to again hear Dan Miller play his arrangement of "Eternal Father Strong To Save" otherwise known as "The Navy Hymn". I had first heard this about 6 months ago at one of his concerts in Florida. He uses percussion and bagpipes in addition to other sounds from the MX-200 combined with thoughtful organ registrations to take this very slow and moving arrangement to the very center of your soul. He did the same with Cesar Franck's Chorale No.

It's just been announced that Rodgers has again been chosen as the instrument to greet the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI, this time on his visit to New York. The organist from the Brooklyn Cathedral will play a Trillium Masterpiece Series 928 at both the welcome ceremony at JFK International and the farewell event on Sunday, also at JFK. This is the third time in 12 months that Rodgers has helped celebrate papal events, including huge outdoor Masses in Brazil and Austria.

If you would like to create a new topic just post a reply here and I will create it.  Thanks for using the Rodgers Community Forum.

Best regards,

Roy Hanson

I recieved a request to post the MX-200 as a topic.  We hope to hear from you.

Enjoy! 

Roy Hanson