Organ Lessons in Philadelphia, PA

If you’re an organist or an aspiring organist in the Greater Philadelphia area, I would love to work with you. As a professional organist, teacher, and church music director in the region, I’ve helped many pre-college and adult students broaden their horizons and increase their career potential by learning to play the organ. Send me an email if you’d like to schedule a trial lesson or learn more about my lessons.

About Me, John Cavicchio

As a pianist and organist with a private teaching practice, I’ve worked with many pianists, organists, and pianists looking to double on the organ. I’m also the music director at First Presbyterian Church of Freehold, and I direct a number of vocal ensembles and handbell choirs as well. I accompany congregational singing on the organ, and I perform preludes, offertories, and for other occasions. In addition to my playing responsibilities, I arrange and compose music.

Philadelphia Organ Lessons For All Skill Levels

Beginner Organ Lessons

I’ve worked with many beginners on the organ, and I would be happy to start with you right from the beginning. We will learn the topography of the keyboard, learn each key and pedal at a pace that you are comfortable with, work on reading notes on the staff (both treble and bass clefs), and learn key signatures, time signatures, and more. We will also start playing music as quickly as possible - we won’t merely rehearse scales and notecards week after week.

Intermediate Organ Lessons

The intermediate stage of organ playing is often the trickiest. That’s because you will hit a number of plateaus, like sight reading, learning to memorize and perform music, and choosing appropriate repertoire. We will also dig into some of the more advanced skills, like playing the pedals and keyboard simultaneously, utilizing multiple keyboards, and more. We will also strategize your practice sessions so you can learn how to break challenging pieces of music down into manageable chunks.

Lessons For Advanced Organists and Aspiring Professionals

Whether you want to play Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor or something by Jehan Alain or Cesar Franck, I’d be happy to coach you and help you perform at a professional level. We can also work on improvising, song arranging, and the finer aspects of a church music director career.

My Studio Location

I’m based in Freehold, NJ, so my studio is about an hour away via 95 North. You would take exit 8 off 95 and follow 33 to Freehold. I work with students in North Jersey, South Jersey, Philadelphia, Bucks County, and even New York, and you’ll be able to take lessons on a beautiful pipe organ. If you have any questions about my studio location or how we can work together, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

What’s It Like Being a Professional Organist and Music Director?

The organ can significantly increase your career options and fulfillment in a number of ways. If you want to play as a weekly church organist, you can expect up to $15,000 in annual compensation for the work. This would probably include some choir rehearsals and performances in addition to congregational singing. As you take on more responsibilities (like leading an adult or youth choir, or directing handbells), you will also earn more compensation.

In short, you could piece together an annual compensation of up to $80K working for a church if you take on a number of responsibilities. You will still have the freedom to teach a private studio or keyboardists and take on other gigs as well.

Start Taking Philadelphia Organ Lessons Today

If you have any questions about starting organ lessons, please get in touch! I’d be happy to chat with you on the phone or hold a free trial lesson with you.