Orgelkids

The Do-organ of Orgelkids

Orgelkids (Dutch, "organkids") is an educational project meant to familiarize and educate children with the pipe organ musical instrument. The project was initiated in the Netherlands in 2009 by Lydia Vroegindeweij and is directed towards cultural legacy and music education. Initially the project consisted of a website with educational tips and lesson suggestions to organize, among other projects, an excursion to a large pipe organ. Since 2013, Orgelkids has at its disposal a speciallly developed educational organ assembly kit. A complete, craftsman-built organ, in unassembled component parts, is contained in a lesson box. The instrument can be assembled and subsequently played. This so-called Do-organ is rented out by Orgelkids to organists, organ builders or organ teachers who want to organize educational projects for children.

Justification / Background

The classical pipe organ is almost always built in a fixed location in a building and not very accessible for children. Due to increased secularization of society, fewer children attend churches, so they have fewer occasions to spontaneously experience a pipe organ. Many smaller churches in N. America have electronic organs.
In the Netherlands there is a wealth of historical organs. For the preservation and maintenance of this cultural legacy, it is important to encourage a continuing flow of new organists and organ builders. To prevent that knowledge and enthusiasm for organs continue to decline, Orgelkids has made a special instrument available to schools. An organist or organ builder visits the school with the Do-organ and supervises the students as they build/assemble the organ.

Orgelkids Do-organ

Children in primary school are assembling the Do-organ

An organ in a lesson box is a unique concept, first conceived and built by Dutch organ builder Wim Janssen specially for the goal of educating children with the technology and playing of the organ. It is not a demonstration organ with just a few keys, but a real instrument with which children can self-discover how it works. That is the reason it was given the name, “Do-organ.” The Orgelkids instrument is a mechanical, tracker organ with two octaves (24 keys) and two registers which can be used independently or in combination. Air (wind in organ parlance) is supplied by a hand-pumped bellows.

All the materials used are identical to those used in a large pipe organ (such as oak wood and sheep leather). Children experience the value and quality of craftsman-made instruments.

The lesson box is supplied with instruction manuals which include many photos, by which children can assemble the organ with a minimum of instructions, in about 45 minutes. In addition, there are other lesson materials available such as an instructional video by the builder, an e-book, and a presentation for a digital blackboard.

International developments

Orgelkids started in the Netherlands in 2013 with a single lesson box. The home for this organ is in the Amersfoort region, which is in the center of the country. In the first year, 1350 children were reached. In 2015 it was expanded with a second organ which is based in Belgium, operating out of Antwerp. In its first year there, 800 children were reached.

The project has attracted more international attention. In Oregon a sister project, Orgelkids USA, was started and the first instrument will be delivered and made available near the end of 2016, and a second is already on order with the same organbuilder who constructed the first one.

Training for organ builders

Since 2016, Orgelkids has been supporting the training of organ builders and the passing down of artisanal skills. Organ building shops can have apprentice builders work on an Orgelkids instrument during their practical training. In doing so they develop all manner of practical skills which are also needed in the building or restoration of large, monumental organs. After completion, the organ kit can be made available for educational projects. For those who wish to build an organ kit themselves, building instructions are available including 20 technical drawings that correspond to the original organ.

Foundation

The Orgelkids project has been brought into the Dutch “Stichting Kerk Muziek Netwerk” (Church Music Network Foundation) since 2013. This non-profit foundation engages to make relevant aspects of church music accessible to the greater public.

Orgelkids USA

US-based Orgelkids USA was incorporated on 29th August 2016 as a section-501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Orgelkids USA shares a similar educational and outreach agenda as the original Netherlands-based Orgelkids organization. As of October 2016 Orgelkids USA fundraising had reached to within $1000 USD of its original $15,000 USD goal for building and beginning educational outreach with two organ kits.

References

• an. (2016) - 'Beleving maakt jeugd enthousiast voor orgel of carillon.' (verslag oprichtingssymposium Stichting Klinkend Erfgoed Nederland (SKEN)) in: Reformatorisch Dagblad, 9 september 2016.online available (consulted 2016-10-24).
• van den Broucke, Daniel en Lydia Vroegindeweij (2016) - 'Orgelkids! Inspire children for pipe organs.' In: Proceedings, Interpret Europe Conference organised by Herita, Mechelen, p. 111- 116; pdf online available (consulted 2016-10-23).
• Karels, Jan-Kees (2013) - 'Maak kinderen enthousiast voor het orgel.' In: Reformatorisch Dagblad, 3 juli 2013. online available (consulted 2016-10-24).
• Duin, Maartje (2014) - ‘De gulle gever is vaak alleenstaand’. In: de Volkskrant 20 november 2014.online available (consulted 2016-10-23).
• van der Ros, Wim (2016) - 'Lydia Vroegindeweij, een vrouw die niet stil kan zitten', in: De Orgelvriend, jaargang 58, nummer 10, oktober 2016, pag. 6-10.
• Verhoeven, Anneke (2016) - 'Met de klas een pijporgel bouwen.' In: Leusder krant. 3 augustus 2016. online available (consulted 2016-10-23).

External links

• www.orgelkids.nl the Dutch website of Orgelkids
• Information about Orgelkids in Flanders (in Dutch) on the website of de “Vereniging Het orgel in Vlaanderen” (society The Pipe Organ in Flanders).