1. Both your companies, Bishop Organ Company and Organ Clearing House, and your family have an incredible commitment to the arts. Why are the arts so important to you? The arts are essential to all of us. Together, all of the artistic disciplines comprise our ability to understand and express our feelings, our emotions, our reactions to our world. A painting is a combination of symbols, shapes, and images that show the artist’s insight into everyday life. The painting is celebrated because the painter is so able to observe and report what he sees. A novel or a play is an expression of the author’s particular interpretation of life experiences and is celebrated because the author’s insight challenges and inspires us. Music is painting and writing in the abstract - the tones are produced and related to each other through the laws of physics and used as a palette of colors to invoke emotional response. I believe that the arts are fundamental to human relations. As such, I’ve never understood why the arts are considered to be electives (and therefore expendable) in our schools. 2. What drew you to the FOKO Board – what interests you most about our programs? I’ve been involved with the pipe organ personally and professionally since I was a young teenager and am still inspired by its endless range of timbres and effects. The Kotzschmar Organ is a unique institution unto itself. It graces the City of Portland with its architectural and tonal beauty, and stands as a unique symbol of Portland’s commitment to the arts. It is a privilege to participate in the care and feeding of this magnificent instrument. 3. What is your own background in music? I studied and practiced piano and organ as a teenager and had my first professional position playing regularly for a church at the age of thirteen. I was mentored by teachers and friends who were both musicians and instrument builders, and my interest in organ building developed while I was in high school. I received a degree in Organ Performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. While a student I also served an apprenticeship in a small shop in Ohio building organs and harpsichords. I founded the Bishop Organ Company in 1987, focusing on the renovation and restoration of distinguished pipe organs, and joined the Organ Clearing House as executive director in 2000. I have served five different churches as director of music and organist over about thirty-five years.