Organ Kit Program
Build and Play a Working Pipe Organ
The Southern Adventist University organ department organ kit program
A powerful tool for pipe organ education and outreach, "Orgelkids."
The purpose of the organ kit is to entice the public to engage with the King of Instruments by empowering them through hands-on encounters to build and play a working pipe organ.
We invite your group to come build and learn about pipe organs and experience the world-famous collection of instruments at SAU. The organ kit program is appropriate for groups of any age – elementary through high school and collegiate and adult groups from any organization.
Header STEAM
The Organ Kit Program pairs naturally with STEAM programs and ...
S - Science
- Sound is vibration
- How do organ pipes create vibration
- Sound waves
- Temperaments
- Overtone series
- Tuning
- Acoustics
T - Technology
- Historical evolution of organs
- Hydraulis – the first organ water powered
- Portative organs
- Mechanical action organs
- Mechanical aspects of organs – key actions, trackers, stops, wind supply, casting metals
- Electric action in modern times
E - Engineering
- Case/division layout
- Keyboards
- Pedalboards
- Tracker/mechanical action
- Key/pedal action
- Stop action
- Swell boxes/shades action
- Mechanical engineering/drawing
- Layout of mechanical functions in limited/restricted space
A - Arts
- Churches
- Concert halls
- Auditoriums/symphony halls
- Sporting venues beginning with Romans/Coliseum to modern stadiums
- Solo Performance
- Accompanying choirs, ensembles, brass,
- Public Entertainment
- From small to massive instruments to meet the purpose, composition, and venue requirements
- Collaboration between organ builders and architects/designers (Disney Hall, Kauffman Center)
- Carvings/Casework ornamentation
M - Mathematics
- Ctesibius – creator of the Hydraulis - 4th century BC
- Pythagoras – Greek philosopher, mathematician, and religious leader who laid the groundwork for geometry, trigonometry, number theory, and ratios that defined musical scale and led the way for temperaments
- Pipe scales
- Wind Pressure
- Wind volume requirements
- Decibel measurements
- Tuning
- Temperaments
John Brown
brownj@southern.edu
602-909-7603
The Southern Adventist University organ department organ kit program
A powerful tool for pipe organ education and outreach, "Orgelkids."
The purpose of the organ kit is to entice the public to engage with the King of Instruments
by empowering them through hands-on encounters to build and play a working pipe organ.
We invite your group to come build and learn about pipe organs and experience the
world-famous collection of instruments at SAU. The organ kit program is appropriate
for groups of any age – elementary through high school and collegiate and adult groups
from any organization.
For more information and to schedule a demonstration event please contact:
John Brown
brownj@southern.edu
602-909-7603