Have you ever wanted to start to practice on the organ but found yourself sidetracked after a few days? Apparently your inner motivation wasn't enough.

I know how you feel. I also was stuck many times. What helped me was to find some external motivation as well.

In order for you to advance your organ playing skills and help you motivate to practice, my wife Ausra - @laputis and I invite you to join in a contest to submit your organ music and win some SBD.

Are you an experienced organist? You can participate easily. Are you a beginner? No problem. This contest is open to every organ music loving Steemian.

Categories

1. Organ Repertoire

For this category you will have to prepare and record Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, BWV 731 by Johann Sebastian Bach. You will find the sheet music here: http://imslp.org/wiki/Liebster_Jesu,_wir_sind_hier,BWV_731(Bach,_Johann_Sebastian)

Here's is my BWV 731 Home Study Course, if you want a deeper approach:
https://secrets-of-organ-playing.myshopify.com/products/bwv-731-home-study-course

2. Hymn Playing

For this category you will have to practice and record All Glory Be To God On High (4 verses, see bellow). Feel free to use creative registration and hymn playing techniques.

3. Organ Improvisation

For this category, you will have to use four pitches in your improvisation exclusively D-Eb-F#-G. You are free to jump between octaves, manuals, use these pitches in any order, any texture, rhythm, meter, registration, dynamic level and form to make it interesting. The use of pedals is encouraged but not required.

4. Organ Composition

For this category you will have to compose a short piece (2-5 pages long) using pencil/pen and paper or computer software. Theme:

You are free to switch octaves, manuals, use this theme in any order, shorten it, expand it, use any texture, rhythm, meter, registration, dynamic level and form to make it interesting. The use of pedals is encouraged but not required.

Rules

1. Upload your entry on DSound (audio) or DTube (video) with a description (how you felt, what you did, what was exciting, what went well, what could be improved etc.). Don't forget to add a picture as an illustration.

2. For composition category, make a separate post and upload your score as photos. If you write the music by hand, please make it legible.

3. You are free to enter in as many or as few categories as you like.

4. Your entry must follow contest theme.

5. Performance on pipe and electronic organs are valid.

6. Use #organduo as your first tag.

7. Upvote and Resteem this post.

8. Comment this post with link to your entry so people can see and listen to it.

9. The contest is open until Monday, June 4, 12:00 PM UTC.

Rewards

Every participating entry will receive our upvotes. Additionally, one winner of each category will receive 0.250 SBD. If no entries will be made in any particular category, no prizes will be rewarded for that category.

Judging

@laputis and I will serve as judges. We will pick winners based on what sounded the most interesting and best performed to us.

Our goal here is to support the community while motivating you to practice, inspiring to create some amazing music and adding more smiles to everyone's day.

Questions, comments, ideas? Please let us know your feedback about this contest.

Support our fellow contestants - upvote, resteem and comment their entry to let them know specifically what did you appreciate about their music.

And remember, when you practice, miracles happen!