Giving Thanks for Piano

Posted by MaryO on November 26, 2025

This is from a series which is being posted at http://www.maryo.co/category/thankfulness/

Today, since it’s a “teaching day”, I’m thankful for my piano studio, my students, and my piano 🙂

When I was growing up, my dad was a minister, meaning we lived in whatever parsonage the church chose to let us live in. The one we had in Pawcatuck, CT had an upright piano that someone had put out in the sunroom. Not the best place for a piano, but I digress.

Since we had the piano already, someone – probably my mom – decided that I would take lessons. We had the organist from the Baptist church just across the river in Westerly, RI

Apparently, Clara Pashley was fondly remembered at the church (now Central Baptist Church) since she was mentioned in an article from 2010.

Miss Pashley walked to our house each week and taught me (and my mom who was always listening in) piano for the grand sum of 25 cents.

I started with Ada Richter’s classic Teaching Little Fingers to Play, which has now been morphed into the John Thompson library.

From there, it was the Michael Aaron series, and some sheet music.

There was no music store in our town, so I have no idea where any of this music came from – but I still have it all.

My parents did very well for their quarter a week investment, especially since my mom paid good attention and was able to beef up lessons she’d had as a child. Later on, she played well enough that she was church organist for a local Roman Catholic Church.

But I digress…

In those days, kids couldn’t do a whole lot of activities, so in 6th grade, I decided I wanted to be a Girl Scout. Bye, bye Clara.

Girl Scouts didn’t last long but I did play piano in a talent show. I remember, I carefully cut Burgmüller’s Ballade out of my Michael Aaron book and made a nice construction paper cover. (I still have this, too)

I doubt that I played this well but here’s what it was supposed to sound like:

A few years intervened and we moved to Springfield, MA. The parsonage piano there was in terrible shape and in the dark, never-used basement. But I decided to make it mine and cleared up the area around it and started “practicing”.

My Junior or Senior year of High School I decided I wanted to major in music in college. I decided to learn, on my own, a piano arrangement of Aragonnaise by Jules Massenet. I have no idea why or where that sheet music came from but I started working furiously on this piece.

Hopefully, at some point, it should have sounded like this:

I started pedaling (no pun intended!) my music to the Universities of Connecticut and Massachusetts and ended up at UMass Amherst since we were state residents.

Early morning gym classes (usually swimming), then wet hair traipsing across campus to music theory classes in a trailer aka”Parko” in winter 5 days a week. AARRGGH!

But I stuck it out.

My wonderful piano teacher, Howard Lebow, was killed in a car accident my sophomore year and I was devastated. There was more about him here: https://oconnormusicstudio.com/2025/01/26/in-memory-howard-lebow/

I took yet another break from piano lessons – but I kept playing.

After DH graduated, we moved to Milwaukee, WI for his graduate school. Besides working 2 jobs, I found time to commandeer the practice rooms at the University of Wisconsin. I also found a teacher at the Schaum School of Music. She was amazed that I had no piano at home to practice on.

When we later moved to Alexandria, VA my DH gave me a choice of new car or piano. So, I found a used piano. The owner had acquired it in a divorce and wanted it gone. Yesterday. She even paid to move it out of her apartment.

The new-to-me piano took up half our living room. When my parents came to visit, their feet were under my piano as they slept on cots.

I found yet another new piano teacher and she is still my best friend to this day.

That piano moved to several locations before I bought a brand new Yamaha grand piano. The movers accidentally brought in the wrong one and I made them return it. The people who lived in an apartment were probably unhappy when they had to return my piano and take their own new baby grand back.

I started teaching as a traveling piano teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland. I continued that in Wilmington, DE.

When we got to Fairfax, VA I decided no more traveling. Students would come to me. And so they have since 1973.

What is supposed to be our living room is filled with music books, electric keyboards, the grand piano, 2 organs, 2 violins, 2 clarinets, a hand-made (by me!) dulcimer, a balalaika, autoharp, electric violin, recorders, aerophone (digital saxophone/clarinet/trumpet/other instrument sounds) and other musical “stuff”.

Piano playing has gotten me through the worst times of my life. Teaching has been a lifeline for me, as well.

I am so thankful for the students who have stayed with me over the years.

From the Way-Back Machine

Posted by MaryO on October 8, 2025

Today, since it’s a “teaching day”, I’m thankful for my piano studio, my students, and my pianos 🙂

Since we had the piano already, someone – probably my mom – decided that I would take lessons. We had the organist from the Baptist church just across the river in Westerly, RI

Apparently, Clara Pashley was fondly remembered at the church (now Central Baptist Church) since she was mentioned in an article from 2010.

Miss Pashley walked to our house each week and taught me (and my mom who was always listening in) piano for the grand sum of 25 cents.

I started with Ada Richter’s classic Teaching Little Fingers to Play, which has now been morphed into the John Thompson library.

From there, it was the Michael Aaron series, and some sheet music.

There was no music store in our town, so I have no idea where any of this music came from – but I still have it all.

But I digress…

In those days, kids couldn’t do a whole lot of activities, so in 6th grade, I decided I wanted to be a Girl Scout. Bye, bye Clara.

I doubt that I played this well but here’s what it was supposed to sound like:

Hopefully, at some point, it should have sounded like this:

I started pedaling (no pun intended!) my music to the Universities of Connecticut and Massachusetts and ended up at UMass Amherst since we were state residents.

Early morning gym classes (usually swimming), then wet hair traipsing across campus to music theory in winter 5 days a week. AARRGGH!

But I stuck it out.

My wonderful piano teacher, Howard Lebow, was killed in a car accident my sophomore year and I was devastated. There was about him in a post on January 26, 2018 here: https://oconnormusicstudio.com/2024/01/26/in-memory-howard-lebow/

I took yet another break from piano lessons – but I kept playing.

The new-to-me piano took up half our living room. When my parents came to visit, their feet were under my piano as they slept on cots.

I found yet another new piano teacher and she is still my best friend to this day.

I started teaching as a traveling piano teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland. I continued that in Wilmington, DE.

When we got to Fairfax, VA I decided no more traveling. Students would come to me. And so they have since 1973.

What is supposed to be our living room is filled with music books, electric keyboards, the grand piano, 2 organs, 2 violins, 2 clarinets, balalaika, electric saxophone, a hand-made (by me!) dulcimer, tenor and soprano recorders, and other musical “stuff”.

Piano playing has gotten me through the worst times of my life. Teaching has been a lifeline for me, as well.

I am so thankful for the students who have stayed with me over the years.

In Memory of Ben Dobey, OrganMaster

Posted by MaryO on April 20, 2025

I’ve recently started playing the organ a bit at my church again. I started playing piano-organ duets with a friend and people were so glad to hear the organ again that the Director of Music asked me to play for final hymns and such.

So, I dusted off my old Organmaster shoes and started practicing again. I was thinking back to how I got my start with organ – we have 2 now in the O’Connor Music Studio. One was my aunt’s Yamaha organ that I had shipped here from Maine when she died and the other is a Hammond that my mom brought with her when she moved in with us. That organ traveled a bit, too from Springfield, MA to Barre, MA to Wilmington, DE, to an apartment in Fairfax, VA, then to our home.

My mom learned to play piano by sitting in on my lessons with Miss Pashley and actually practicing. When my dad became pastor of the Barre (MA) Congregational Church, my mom was off at the local Catholic Church playing organ for their masses. Interesting division of religion!

Years later, my DH and I moved to Alexandria, Virginia, about a block away from a branch of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). At that time, their music department featured organ classes and I jumped on the opportunity.

Ben Dobey actually taught on the organ at St. Albans Church in Annandale. The organ was in a small balcony, accessed by a narrow spiral staircase in what seemed to be a small closet. How they got the organ up there was a mystery to me unless they built the church around it.

Looking at their website, I got this picture of the organ and information about how it was updated in 2023. How workers accomplished the update I have no idea.

Our organ was manufactured by the John Leek Organ Company (Oberlin, Ohio) in 1982. It has two manuals, three divisions, 13 stops, 16 ranks, tracker action, mechanical couplers, no combination action, in the North German style.

In the fall of 2023 the organ was refurbished by Taylor and Boody Organbuilders of Staunton, VA, one of the finest firms specializing in mechanical action instruments. The organ was thoroughly cleaned, degraded leather was replaced, the action was reregulated and made even, and damaged pipes were repaired and fortified against future harm. The instrument was also tuned to a slightly unequal temperament, lending a special authenticity to the Baroque and Renaissance music so suited to this organ.

Ben was a stickler for Organmaster shoes. These days, I prefer to practice in socks – or barefoot – but I always wear the Organmasters to play. I even recently invested in a silver pair!

I always think of Ben when I’m wearing these shoes. I thought of him on Easter Sunday (4/20/2025) when my friend and I played a medley of Easter hymns for the postlude.

As it turned out, the 20th was the anniversary of his death. From this obituary, I assumed that he died on Easter of this year and shared on Facebook.

A couple friends posted:

Robert Benjamin Dobey, 72, died April 20. Born August 14, 1950, he was raised in Arlington, Virginia. He progressed from playing piano to organ by the age of 13. Dobey graduated from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio, in 1972, studying organ with Garth Peacock, before earning his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance and literature from Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, studying with David Craighead. Dobey studied music with Michael Schneider in Cologne, Germany, on a Fulbright scholarship and resided in England for two years as a member of the Wells Cathedral choir. His musical activities ranged from playing organ and harpsichord to singing, composing, and conducting. After years of building his career in Washington, D.C., as keyboard artist with the Washington Bach Consort, assistant director of the Cathedral Choral Society at the National Cathedral, as a singer in the Woodley Ensemble, and various parishes, Dobey moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where he served as organist and choir director at Grace Episcopal Church.

Dobey recorded several discs for the Pro Organo label, among which are Herbert Howells & the Organ: The 30s & 40s, recorded on the Roosevelt-Schantz organ in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Syracuse, New York; The Wanderer, recorded on the Ernest M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner organ at Girard College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Magnificat: Organ music and chant in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, recorded on the Schoenstein organ of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; The Intimate Reger and In Sweetest Joy: Christmas Carols for the Organ, both recorded on the Schoenstein organ at Grace Episcopal Church, Sheboygan.

Robert Benjamin Dobey is survived by his sister, Mary Carol Coleman, and brother-in-law, Cameron Coleman, as well as nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial May 6 at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, Sheboygan.

Memorials in Dobey’s name may be made to the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice (ssrhospicehome.org), the music fund at Grace Episcopal Church (gracesheboygan.com), or St. Luke’s Community Cafe (sheboygancountyfoodbank.com/community-cafe).

I later read another obituary that said Ben died April 20, 2023.

Dr. Robert Benjamin Dobey passed away on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at the age of 72, following a determined and hard-fought battle with cancer. Born on August 14, 1950, Dr. Dobey was raised in Arlington, Virginia. Ben, to his many friends and colleagues, and Benjy, to his family, Dr. Dobey lived a full life steeped in his love of music, gardening, and deep friendships. In a family otherwise bereft of musical ability, Dr. Dobey’s extraordinary talent can only be considered providential. He progressed from the piano to the organ by the age of 13 and continued to develop as a musician of great talent until his passing. Dr. Dobey attended the Oberlin Conservatory before earning his doctorate at the Eastman School of Music. Among his travels and pursuits, Dr. Dobey studied music in Cologne, Germany on a Fulbright Scholarship and resided in England as a member of the Wells Cathedral choir. The breadth of his musical talent extended from organ and harpsichord to singing, composing, and conducting. His mastery of the organ spanned virtually every school and composer and resulted in multiple recorded works. After many years of building his career in Washington, DC with the Washington Bach Consort, the Cathedral Choral Society at the National Cathedral, the Woodley Ensemble, and prominent parishes, Dr. Dobey opted to devote himself to community, family, and friends in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where he served as a beloved organist and choir director at Grace Episcopal. Dr. Dobey’s lifelong passion for gardening left a legacy of spectacular beauty in his wake. He cultivated floral gardens wherever he lived, attended church, and made friends. Responding to news that his niece had planted bulbs that he provided, Dr. Dobey’s proclamation that “you have so much to look forward to” was among his final words. That desire to cultivate and share beauty animated his life, work in the garden, and vocational devotion to music. Notwithstanding his accomplishments, Dr. Dobey’s compassion, generosity, and open acceptance of all were his defining traits. His penetrating sense of humor produced satire and wit that brought real joy to family, friends, and colleagues. True to these characteristics to the end, Dr. Dobey’s final performance was “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” sang to his two-year-old great nephew shortly before his passing. Dr. Dobey will be missed by many and is survived by his beloved sister, Mary Carol Coleman, and brother-in-law, Cameron Coleman, as well as the nieces and nephews on whom he doted. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at Holy Name of Jesus Church, 8th & Huron Avenue, Sheboygan. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Ben’s name made be made to the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice, the music fund at Grace Episcopal Church or the St. Luke’s Community Cafe. The family would like to thank the nurses and staff of the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice for all of their loving care and support. The Olson Funeral Home & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Dr. Dobey’s arrangements.

Rest in peace, Ben!

Giving Thanks

Posted by MaryO on November 24, 2022

I’m thankful for my piano studio, my students, and my piano 🙂 During Covid, I was especially thankful for the Internet!

Since we had the piano already, someone – probably my mom – decided that I would take lessons. We had the organist from the Baptist church just across the river in Westerly, RI

Apparently, Clara Pashley was fondly remembered at the church (now Central Baptist Church) since she was mentioned in an article from 2010.

Miss Pashley walked to our house each week and taught me (and my mom who was always listening in) piano for the grand sum of 25 cents.

I started with Ada Richter’s classic Teaching Little Fingers to Play, which has now been morphed into the John Thompson library.

From there, it was the Michael Aaron series, and some sheet music.

There was no music store in our town, so I have no idea where any of this music came from – but I still have it all.

But I digress…

In those days, kids couldn’t do a whole lot of activities, so in 6th grade, I decided I wanted to be a Girl Scout. Bye, bye Clara.

I doubt that I played this well but here’s what it was supposed to sound like:

A few years intervened and moved to Springfield, MA. The parsonage piano there was in terrible shape and in the dark, never-used basement. But I decided to make it mine and cleared up the area around it and started “practicing”.

My Junior or Senior year of High School I decided I wanted to major in music in college. I decided to learn, on my own, a piano arrangement of Aragonaise by Jules Massenet. I have no idea why or where that sheet music came from but I started working furiously on this piece.

Hopefully, at some point, it should have sounded like this:

I started pedaling (no pun intended!) my music to the Universities of Connecticut and Massachusetts and ended up at UMass Amherst since we were state residents.

Early morning gym classes (usually swimming), then wet hair traipsing across campus to music theory in winter 5 days a week. AARRGGH!

But I stuck it out.

My wonderful piano teacher, Howard Lebow, was killed in a car accident during my sophomore year and I was devastated. There was more about him in a post on January 26, 2022 here on https://atomic-temporary-44596882.wpcomstaging.com

I took yet another break from piano lessons – but I kept playing.

The new-to-me piano took up half our living room. When my parents came to visit, their feet we under my piano as I slept.

I found yet another new piano teacher and she is still my best friend to this day.

That piano moved to several locations before I bought a brand new Yamaha grand piano. The movers accidently brought in the wrong one and I made them return it. The people who lived in an apartment were probably unhappy when they had to return my piano and take their own new baby grand back.

I started teaching as a traveling piano teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland. I continued that in Wilmington, DE.

When we got to Fairfax, VA I decided no more traveling. Students would come to me. And so they have since 1973.

What is supposed to be our living room is filled with music books, electric keyboards, the grand piano, 2 organs, 2 violins, 2 clarinets, recorders, a dulcimer and other musical “stuff”.

Piano playing has gotten me through the worst times of my life. Teaching has been a lifeline for me, as well.

I am so thankful for the students who have stayed with me over the years and the new ones I have found…on the internet.

Giving Thanks Again

Posted by MaryO on November 28, 2019

Adapted from a post at http://www.maryo.co/giving-thanks-day-2/

I’m thankful for my piano studio, my students, and my piano 🙂

Since we had the piano already, someone – probably my mom – decided that I would take lessons. We had the organist from the Baptist church just across the river in Westerly, RI

Apparently, Clara Pashley was fondly remembered at the church (now Central Baptist Church) since she was mentioned in an article from 2010.

Miss Pashley walked to our house each week and taught me (and my mom who was always listening in) piano for the grand sum of 25 cents.

I started with Ada Richter’s classic Teaching Little Fingers to Play, which has now been morphed into the John Thompson library.

From there, it was the Michael Aaron series, and some sheet music.

There was no music store in our town, so I have no idea where any of this music came from – but I still have it all.

But I digress…

In those days, kids couldn’t do a whole lot of activities, so in 6th grade, I decided I wanted to be a Girl Scout. Bye, bye Clara.

I doubt that I played this well but here’s what it was supposed to sound like:

Hopefully, at some point, it should have sounded like this:

I started pedaling (no pun intended!) my music to the Universities of Connecticut and Massachusetts and ended up at UMass Amherst since we were state residents.

Early morning gym classes (usually swimming), then wet hair traipsing across campus to music theory in winter 5 days a week. AARRGGH!

But I stuck it out.

My wonderful piano teacher, Howard Lebow, was killed in a car accident during my sophomore year and I was devastated. There will be more about him in a post on January 26, 2019 here on https://atomic-temporary-44596882.wpcomstaging.com

I took yet another break from piano lessons – but I kept playing.

The new-to-me piano took up half our living room. When my parents came to visit, their feet we under my piano as I slept.

I found yet another new piano teacher and she is still my best friend to this day.

I started teaching as a traveling piano teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland. I continued that in Wilmington, DE.

When we got to Fairfax, VA I decided no more traveling. Students would come to me. And so they have since 1973.

What is supposed to be our living room is filled with music books, electric keyboards, the grand piano, 2 organs, 2 violins, 2 clarinets and other musical “stuff”.

Piano playing has gotten me through the worst times of my life. Teaching has been a lifeline for me, as well.

I am so thankful for the students who have stayed with me over the years.

How it All Began

Posted by MaryO on October 15, 2019

Today, since it’s a “teaching day”, I’m thankful for my piano studio, my students, and my piano 🙂

Since we had the piano already, someone – probably my mom – decided that I would take lessons. We had the organist from the Baptist church just across the river in Westerly, RI

Apparently, Clara Pashley was fondly remembered at the church (now Central Baptist Church) since she was mentioned in an article from 2010.

Miss Pashley walked to our house each week and taught me (and my mom who was always listening in) piano for the grand sum of 25 cents.

I started with Ada Richter’s classic Teaching Little Fingers to Play, which has now been morphed into the John Thompson library.

From there, it was the Michael Aaron series, and some sheet music.

There was no music store in our town, so I have no idea where any of this music came from – but I still have it all.

But I digress…

In those days, kids couldn’t do a whole lot of activities, so in 6th grade, I decided I wanted to be a Girl Scout. Bye, bye Clara.

I doubt that I played this well but here’s what it was supposed to sound like:

Hopefully, at some point, it should have sounded like this:

I started pedaling (no pun intended!) my music to the Universities of Connecticut and Massachusetts and ended up at UMass Amherst since we were state residents.

Early morning gym classes (usually swimming), then wet hair traipsing across campus to music theory in winter 5 days a week. AARRGGH!

But I stuck it out.

My wonderful piano teacher, Howard Lebow, was killed in a car accident my sophomore year and I was devastated. There was about him in a post on January 26, 2018 here: https://atomic-temporary-44596882.wpcomstaging.com

I took yet another break from piano lessons – but I kept playing.

The new-to-me piano took up half our living room. When my parents came to visit, their feet were under my piano as they slept on cots.

I found yet another new piano teacher and she is still my best friend to this day.

I started teaching as a traveling piano teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland. I continued that in Wilmington, DE.

When we got to Fairfax, VA I decided no more traveling. Students would come to me. And so they have since 1973.

What is supposed to be our living room is filled with music books, electric keyboards, the grand piano, 2 organs, 2 violins, 2 clarinets, a hand-made (by me!) dulcimer and other musical “stuff”.

Piano playing has gotten me through the worst times of my life. Teaching has been a lifeline for me, as well.

I am so thankful for the students who have stayed with me over the years.

Giving Thanks

Posted by MaryO on November 22, 2018