Church Funds 30 Places for Digital Organ Lessons for Children in West Germany

A digital music programme for primary school children, “Organ – child-friendly,” is being developed by Johanna Wimmer, and the New Apostolic Church West Germany is supporting it with 30 reserved places. The official start is expected at the beginning of 2027.

The concept relies on a digital learning platform that combines child-friendly learning content with short exercise sessions and personal support. The church says it promotes the concept to make organ playing more accessible to children.

The learning platform guides pupils step by step through short learning units, creative tasks and playful elements. Materials include videos, audio samples, songs and notes. Children also learn how an organ is built and how its music has developed. Wimmer gives individual feedback on the children’s training videos and answers their questions. Four to six short learning units per week are recommended, each with about five minutes of practice time. An accompanying app helps plan these units and supports motivation. In a video, Wimmer presents how the platform works, what it offers and how children are supported while practising.

The 30 places are reserved for children from congregations of the New Apostolic Church West Germany. The church pays 50 percent of the teaching costs for these places, a form of sharing that benefits young families in its own communities (Hebrews 13:16). The offer is open to children of primary school age, both those without prior musical knowledge and those who already take music or organ lessons. To take part at home, children need a keyboard or electric piano and a computer or tablet. An organ pedal is provided on loan.

Interested parents can register their children for a sponsored place by e-mail at musik@nak-west.de. Places are allocated within the available capacities. Further information on the funding procedure is available at musik.nak-west.de, and the Kirchenmusik staff office is named as the contact for questions. More details about the learning platform, the course and the digital organ lessons are available at www.orgel-kinderleicht.de.

Source: Read the original report (translated from German)