Today on the podcast I have the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Mickey Thomas Terry. Dr. Terry is a lecturer at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Dr. Terry has also taught on the faculty of Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He is also Director of Music at Epiphany Catholic Church in Georgetown. He is the recipient of the 2020-2021 Artist Fellowship awarded by the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities. A current biographical sketch of Dr. Terry also appears in Who’s Who in America. Dr. Terry is the editor of a critically-acclaimed multi-volume (currently 8 vols) African-American Organ Music Anthology published by MorningStar Music Publishers (St. Louis, Missouri). I met Dr. Terry in 2011 in a masterclass as I played from the African-American Organ Music Anthology. He was kind enough to discuss the Organ Music Anthology, as well as the struggles of African-American Organ composers and African-American classical composers.

Today on the podcast we sit down with new NPM Executive Director Jennifer Kluge. Jennifer has been the Executive Director since early January of this year, coming to the job from her previous position as the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Dean of Research at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Today Jennifer was kind enough to sit down and discuss the vision she has for the association. She was also willing to participate in a Q&A session so we, as members, can get to know her a little more.

After I finish speaking with Jennifer, I have the privilege of announcing two upcoming events free for NPM members, including one NPM event free for all, regardless of your NPM membership status.

But first, my time with Jennifer. Jennifer joins us from her home in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Today on the podcast we explore episode #2 of the Public Domain. Our focus today is primarily on keyboard and organ music! This week focuses on how to best use the public domain as an organist, both in manuals-only pieces, full pedal works and even arrangements best used for weddings.

When I started to think about the public domain, I thought first of my dependency on the free online tool when I was a student in my undergraduate degree. Like many students, I had very little money, and my music performance degree required me to learn repertoire at a faster pace than my paycheck could allow. Let’s admit it: music can be expensive! So I used the Public Domain to my advantage as much as I could, printing out scores of Vierne and Franck’s music and compiling them into my own 3-ring binder.

I forgot how much of a treasure trove it was to unearth organ pieces, big and small, on the public domain! And so I called my colleague and friend, Chaz Bowers, to explore how he best uses things like IMSLP for both him and his students at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. He currently serves as Director of Music at Saint Michael the Archangel Parish (incorporating St. Bernard and Our Lady of Grace church) in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is also an adjunct professor in the organ and sacred music department at Seton Hill, along with being the Dean of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Guild of Organists until 2021.

Chaz and I talked about the history of IMSLP, and how it can be used for any keyboardist of any skill level. All you have to do is sit down and explore.