We bought a Hammond B-3 organ!

Prairie Center Music & More has exciting news! Last week we bought a gorgeous 1958 Hammond B-3 organ, and it's ready for students to play!

What is a Hammond B-3, you may ask? It is the most iconic vintage organ still being played today! The Hammond is the potatoes and gravy in the mix of Rock & Roll, Jazz, Blues, and Country, AND it is the main dish for black gospel music! The secret sauce is the big Leslie speaker that spins two horns and a drum to acoustically chop the sound into the majestic "Wah-wah-wah" sound that you hear!

My Hammond journey started in 3rd grade when my childhood piano teacher, Helen Cantlin, started me on her organs. She was a Hammond player and collector, and I had no idea how cool she was back then! I had organ lessons from 3rd through 6th grade, then dropped organ because my piano playing took off. I still feel regret about that.

Then in my late 20's through early 30's I played a great C-3 at Belmont Assembly of God in Chicago at Belmont & Austin. But they had a Steinway B that I loved even more! The internet wasn't as developed then, and I needed the presets and drawbars explained to me. The Hammond was a side dish in my musical buffet.

In 2017 - 2021 I played for First Presbyterian in Battle Creek, MI, and I was Music Director. They have a GLORIOUS pipe organ that fills the building with sound from the basement to the rafters! It's the real deal. No Leslie required. Just pure air through pipes! I took lessons for four years with Lloyd Randy Turpin from Marshall, MI. It was like being a college kid! I worked my tail off and learned tons of Bach, Brahms, and some French composers!

So this Hammond is not the same as real pipes, but I can practice my Bach and Brahms at home now! And I can teach kids, youth, and adults to fake off a chord chart, read the hymn book with the hands and the feet, and play classical literature!

So this week all my students are getting a speed lesson on the Hammond, and any who want to can hop on and give it a try! I've got a couple of young ladies who are showing real interest!

I offer lessons for all ages on piano, voice, guitar, drums, and now ORGAN at my home north of Ottawa, IL.

Call or text 269-986-2127 to learn more and set up a spot in my schedule that works for you!