Category Archives: Dean’s Message

Monthly dean’s message, shows up on front page under calendar

Dean’s Message October 2016

When I first moved to Boston twenty years ago, my organ teacher, Yuko Hayashi, took Nami Hamada and me to Maine and Vermont to see the fall colors and some American historical instruments. Nami was my talented classmate back then; now, many of you know her as an intelligent, smart (and lovely) voicer at the C.B. Fisk organ building company. Nami and I proudly wore our newly acquired New England Conservatory hoodies on the trip and played many interesting instruments.
Cheryl and Tim’s fine concert/presentation last month on the historical organ at Spanaway Lutheran Church reminded me of the many warm memories from that trip with Nami.  Fall is a time for warmth, a time to get sweaters out of storage, to strike a fire in the fireplace, and to sip hot cider. It’s also a time for fellowship. After the meeting, I talked to those in attendance as we gathered around the fine table of goodies prepared by Tom Clark, who is talented in music, in his work on the board, and with refreshments! (Thanks Tom for a fantastic reception!) In my conversations with many of you, we all agreed that we are so fortunate to live in an area with some of the finest instruments of all kinds in the country.
There are some great events coming up–AGO meetings and concerts alike. We missed some of you at our first gathering of the season, but I believe that we will see you at the next meeting! Dont miss a thing—we’ve got great things in store!

Dean’s Message September 2016

Greetings! Here we are again in this beautiful fall season! We still have some summer days left, but for sure we can smell that fall is near. There are more fresh apples and pears than berries at the market, more dragonflies in the sky than butterflies, and for many of us a return to more serious music than the lighter fare of summer. Fall is a time for “back to school,” and for those of us in the AGO, our “back to school” is a return to gathering for monthly programs where we learn more about and celebrate the organ and its ever wonderful repertoire. We have some very exciting programs planned for this year, and you won’t want to miss even one! Many thanks to the program committee led by Una Hwang for all of their hard work. Please plan to attend as many events as you can, and if you think of any non-member friends who might be interested to join our meetings, bring them along! Also, a big, big thank you to Tom Clark who redesigned and is maintaining our chapter website. This is a great communication tool for members and non-members alike. If you are like me (not tech savvy) you might want to have some help, let an officer know, and we’ll find some help to guide you in the right direction so that you will be able to enjoy and appreciate all our website has to offer. See you all at our first meeting!

Dean’s Message July 2016

Naomi Shiga, Dean
Naomi Shiga, Dean

It’s summer in the Northwest! While many of us will go to vacation somewhere, we all know that our summer here is wonderful too, and whether we are coming or going, it is wonderful to be in Tacoma.  Our weather, our fresh produce, berries of all kinds, stone fruits from Yakima — you can hardly beat the summer here. There are some organ related events and concerts in the summer also, and as you seek them out, I hope you will enjoy those, too! For most of us it is hopefully a less stressful time, so it is a great season to learn new repertoire! Don’t we all have some “to do” music on the back burner? I am ready to dive in since my baby is sleeping longer and longer. However you spend it, I wish all of you a great summer and will look forward to seeing you as we come back together for our September meeting. I am looking forward to our new season! (As the details come together, we’ll let you know–watch this space!) If you think of any friends who might be interested in joining us, please talk to them and hopefully you can bring them along to our meetings and events. Our organs here in Tacoma are amazing, as is our community. We are truly blessed in organs and organ culture in Tacoma, and as we move into a new season, I hope we can share with more and more friends. Until then, a wonderful summer to all of you!

Naomi Shiga

Dean’s Message, June 2016

I’m honored to be elected as the Dean of the Tacoma Chapter of the AGO. After having lived in several places in the States, I can say without reservation that the Tacoma AGO is my favorite chapter! We are fortunate to have such wonderful, fun and talented members and a tradition of quality events that are superb and always enjoyable. Your chapter’s new slate of officers is excellent, and I’m looking forward to working with them in the coming year as we continue our mission of promoting and celebrating the wonders of the pipe organ.

I would also like to express my gratitude to our outgoing officers. Their vision and leadership contributed greatly to our chapter’s continued reputation for high quality programs and outreach. Special thanks to Mark Brombaugh (who is continuing on the board as past dean) for his wonderful work as Dean the last two years.

Finally, a word of thanks to the student performers at our last meeting. What a lovely evening to hear our young organists of the future on the Fritts organ at PLU.

Naomi Shiga, Dean

Dean’s Message, May 2016

This will be my final Dean’s letter, as we install our newly-elected officers for 2016-18 at our May meeting. It has been a privilege to serve these past four years, first as Sub-Dean and program chair, and then as Dean. Our talented members have thought of interesting topics for our meetings and then have given generously of their time to bring these ideas to life for us. We’ve also had great times for fellowship at members’ homes, especially at holiday times.

Several officers and board members are leaving office after dedicated service: Joyce Hopkins, who as secretary the past four years has brought us informative monthly newsletters. Paul Tegels and Jonathan Wohlers leave the board after many years’ service. Many thanks to Joyce, Paul and Jon for inspired service to our chapter.

It will be a delight to install our new officers and board members at the beginning of our May 23 meeting:
Dean: Naomi Shiga (currently Sub Dean)
Sub Dean: Una Hwang (currently a board member)
Secretary: Tom Clark
Treasurer: Sandra Tietjen (incumbent)

Board members at large: Satya Jaech and Curt Sather
Continuing on the board: David Dahl and Mark Brombaugh (as immediate Past Dean)

I look forward to the leadership of these colleagues as the Tacoma Chapter continues to thrive and offer interesting and educational programs.

Mark Brombaugh, Dean