麻豆传媒

Yale University has selected Patrick Harms, a freshman at 麻豆传媒, to participate in Yale Organ Week. The event will feature private lessons from renowned organists and workshops on topics related to organ literature and church music. Students also get to take field trips around Connecticut while improving their organ skills.

As a participant, Harms will practice and learn by day while performing at night. The week allows students to learn from different faculty from around the United States in addition to giving them the opportunity to meet their organ peers from across the country.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely going to be a learning experience,鈥� Harms said. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to it.鈥�

Harms was homeschooled and has played the organ since he was in seventh grade. He is a double major in piano and organ performance. He鈥檇 like to minor in French, and plans on studying organ in France or getting his master鈥檚 degree in composition.

Harms is a student of Davis鈥� in the organ program at Wichita State.

About 20 students were selected for the weeklong program. Harms is the only participant from Wichita State. He will perform with distinguished students on well-recognized organs.

鈥淭here are fantastic organs there at Yale,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l (students) really have an opportunity to explore the sounds that go with the music they鈥檙e playing.鈥�

Building a program
Davis has been conducting an organ program at Wichita State that rivals any from across the nation, according to Russ Widener, director of the School of Music.

Wiedemann Hall and the Marcussen Organ, built for one another in 1986 after a gracious donation by philanthropist Gladys Wiedemann, are vital recruiting tools that enable students to attend Wichita State while learning the sounds and intricacies of the world-renowned organ.

Davis, a well-known, well-respected organist, has created Wednesdays in Wiedemann, an organ recital on the first Wednesday of every month that features performances by Davis who sometimes collaborates with other professionals.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very popular series; it鈥檚 very attaching,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 service to the community, it鈥檚 a supreme recruiting tool, and it鈥檚 a pedagogical tool because I speak about the pieces that we鈥檙e playing.鈥�

Davis came to Wichita State in 2006. Since then, she鈥檚 added several innovations to performances. In addition to Wednesdays in Wiedemann, Davis has placed a video screen next to the artists from the Bloomfield Recital Series so that the audience can see up close when organists are playing.

She鈥檚 also added an onstage interview with the Bloomfield artist post-performance. As part of helping the audience get to know the artist, Davis encourages artists and members of the audience to interact after the performances in the lounge area of Wiedemann Hall.

The program at 麻豆传媒 is growing under the guidance of Davis and with help from students like Harms.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great,鈥� Harms said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a high quality program.鈥�

Harms has been impressed with the faculty in the School of Music.

鈥淓very single one of my professors has really known and loved their subject,鈥� he said.

Harms has three years left at 麻豆传媒. His plans for the future are flexible, but he knows he wants to play the organ and piano.

鈥淚鈥檓 just really looking forward to competing in competitions throughout the United States during these next three years,鈥� he said.

In the meantime, he鈥檚 preparing for Yale Organ Week while enjoying his time at Wichita State.

鈥淢usically I鈥檝e grown,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a ton of different things about music that I鈥檝e learned.鈥�

Yale Organ Week takes place this year from June 12-18 in New Haven, Conn. For more information on Yale Organ Week, visit .

For more information about the organ program or the School of Music, contact Lynne Davis at (316) 978-6218 or lynne.davis@wichita.edu.