The Maestro Online
Advanced Pipe Organ Lessons & Organ Diploma Lessons
Advanced pipe organ lessons online or face-to-face, in-person
“Robin was a fantastic teacher in preparing me for my FRCO. In particular, he helped me improve my harmonic analysis skills. He really improved my exam technique by encouraging me to think about how to get to the answers by asking pertinent questions. Robin helped me pick out tasks I could work on each week leading up to the exam to strengthen my aural skills. He was very generous with his time, helping to fit in extra lessons as I needed and working with my time zone while I was in Australia.”
— Will Mason ARCO
I remember your class on transposition at the Summer course two years ago (in person!) and thought how brilliantly you had come up with a new idea of tackling the topic. Your improvisation classes were wonderful too – and great fun. It was really impressive the way you got so many of us to hop onto the organ bench in quick succession – no time for any student to monopolise the class or for onlookers to fidget!
— Royal College of Organists Summer School Student
Robin is a warm, encouraging and enthusiastic teacher who uses his wide knowledge to shape the student into a well-rounded, thoughtful musician. We have worked together to develop my aural perception skills with creative and original exercises which in turn has led to an improvement in my keyboard and organ-playing skills. Robin is able to focus on specific exam techniques while never losing sight of the bigger picture and the essential joy of making music. I would heartily recommend him to students of all levels and in particular those who feel daunted by music exams or the challenges of learning a new instrument. His flexibility and adeptness with technology has also made it possible for me to benefit from his instruction whilst in Hong Kong.
— Advanced Pipe Organ Lessons and Aural Lessons Online in Hong Kong
— Alana Brook FRCO, Assistant Organist, Lincoln Cathedral, an advanced organist who took FRCO advanced organ lessons online from Australia
Robin was tremendously helpful in preparing for the historical aspects of the ARCO. His lessons were highly enjoyable and always carefully prepared. He has an infectious enthusiasm for teaching and I would highly recommend him to anyone!
Not having studied music at university, and working full time, preparing for the FRCO paperwork was daunting!
Robin prepared me for Paper II. His wonderful blend of expertise and enthusiasm saw me through – crucially, by working through examples with me, he taught me how to use skills in harmonic analysis (from paper I) and historical awareness to analyse the set works for myself. His feedback on draft essays, tips for choosing quotes, and aural training were also invaluable.
I warmly commend him to you.
— Dr James Carpenter FRCO Advanced Pipe Organ Lessons
Robin Harrison was a pleasure to study with in preparation for my FRCO written papers. As well as providing invaluable academic insight into the set works, Dr Harrison helped me refine my exam technique and structure my essays to achieve top marks. Thank you Robin!
— Francois Cloete FRCO Advanced Pipe Organ Lessons
Advanced Pipe Organ Lessons online or in person from one of the Royal College of Organist Academy teachers who has studied with national and international names. The RCO Academy offers the highest possible advanced organ teaching and continually trains its organ teachers, monitoring the lesson standards provided. I have taught at the international RCO Summer School since 2014 and have been an RCO organ diploma paperwork examiner. Even online advanced organ courses have included improvisation, extemporisation, aural training, performance masterclasses, sight-reading, transposition and score-reading. Certification is available for advanced organ lessons and advanced organ courses. For some dynamic organ lesson advertising, check out my beginners organ lessons page too!
Advanced Pipe Organ Lessons & Course Features
- Rhythmic concepts that help you manage the likes of Messaien and other advanced organ composers.
- Pitch using Kodaly derived solfege (the relative do-re-mi system) to help you hear organ music in your head before playing.
- Organists’ articulation and different types of touch with finesse and detail, contrasting different types of detache for instance, making advanced organ playing musical.
- Transposition (playing in different keys and thus using the whole organ) via range of advanced organ teaching techniques.
- Organ Coordination activities between the hands and feet,
- Pipe Organ Pedal technique, Baroque and modern.
- Inner ear development to further enhance the musician.
- Making an organ voluntary ‘your own’ through interpretation.
Performance coaching lessons from beginner organ lessons to CRCO, ARCO, FRCO diploma pipe organ lessons.
- Transposition, Sight Reading and Score Reading.
- Keyboard harmony specifically adapted for advanced pipe organ lessons, in a range of styles.
- Organists Improvisation and extemporisation (including backing tracks to improvise over) to deepen understanding and consolidate concepts and skills learned.
- Organ Improvisation Techniques for different eras and styles.
- Strategic Pipe Organ Practice Techniques, specific to advanced organ lessons.
- Organ Examinations – preparation for all major boards and institutions, ABRSM, CRCO, ARCO, FRCO.
- Live pipe organ lessons (online or in-person on my 3 manual digital organ in Teesside, UK) include a bespoke video summary of the session.
Organ Practice for Advanced Pipe Organ Lessons Online or in-Person
A fascinating insight with internationally renowned organist, Kevin Bowyer, international virtuoso advanced organist. Here is a summary of the interview.
Pipe Organ Diploma Lessons Online or in-Person & Organ Courses
CRCO, ARCO FRCO and Other Pipe Organ Diplomas
Advanced organ lessons incorporate the inner-ear pedagogy derived from that of Kodaly as well as inspirational support for the paperwork element of organ diploma examinations (a particular speciality). These techniques are particularly beneficial to contrapuntal music (very common in advanced organ lesson repertoire).
Robin teaches a significant number of Royal College of Organists diploma students (CRCO, ARCO and FRCO) online and face-to-face weekly, not only pipe organ playing, music harmony paperwork, organ history paperwork and aural, but also improvisation, keyboard harmony, transposition, score reading, theory and analysis as these are very, very much a specialist part of his organ teaching, including all skills for church organ such as psalms, anthems, conducting, hymns and more besides.
Articles relating to advanced aural training for advanced organ lessons online or in-person:
Details about my article published by Routledge and how that connects to training the whole musician
What Advanced Pipe Organ Lesson Students Say:
“Robin is an intuitive and empathetic teacher who uses inherently musical approaches to develop the student as an all-round musician. I have studied advanced harmony with Robin for almost 4 years, and he has enabled me to develop my understanding and fluency and relate such skills to my wider playing and performance. Whereas other teachers tend to take a detached, academic approach to harmony that I have found daunting and confusing, Robin used my existing strengths at the keyboard to improve both my technical and psychological approach to harmony exercises. This person-centred, holistic approach is characteristic of Robin’s teaching style, as he takes into account all aspects of the student’s experience beyond the mechanics of getting a sound out of the instrument. This has resulted in improvements not only in my playing and ability to respond to harmony tests, but my confidence as a performer and emotional connection to my music-making. I cannot recommend Robin highly enough to students seeking support in any aspect of music performance, including those areas less readily taught such as harmony, keyboard skills and improvisation.“
— Anita Datta ARCO, former Organ Scholar Sidney Sussex Cambridge, former Assistant Organist at Beverley Minster
