All the Stops Podcast

Wesley Hall

Step into the majestic world of the pipe organ with All the Stops Podcast, hosted by Wesley Hall—better known as @Westpiper on TikTok. This show pulls out all the stops to celebrate the King of Instruments in all its grandeur, complexity, and cultural richness.

Each episode features intimate conversations with the most accomplished organists across the globe. Whether you're a seasoned organist, a curious listener, or a fan of musical craftsmanship, All the Stops Podcast offers a rare backstage pass into the artistry, engineering, and soul of the organ world.

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27 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes27

Newest first

Tuesday · 45 min
Episode 26 | The Three-Legged Stool of the Organ with Damin Spritzer
Damin Spritzer takes a break from performing, teaching, and sacred music, to explain how they reinforce one another. She's just as good at talking about the world of organ music as she is at interpreting it! Another week of sound quality issues... we'll have it sorted next week!
July 21 · 42 min
Episode 25 | France, Germany, and the UK with Katelyn Emerson
International concert organist, Katelyn Emerson, has lived in France, Germany, the UK and the US, and she talks about the subtle and not-so-subtle differences in the instruments and organ scenes. Plus, she shares some of the fascinating work she's doing as a PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge! We sadly experienced some audio streaming issues, so please forgive the fuzzy vocals. We hope to have it all sorted for next week's show!
July 14 · 43 min
Episode 24 | A Great Host of Women Composers with Susan Jane Matthews
There has been so much progress when it comes to representation of excellent women composers, but there's more work to be done! Susan Jane Matthews, founder of "A Great Host of Women Composers" and Vice President of the Association of Anglican Musicians talks with me about creating a database of women composers and helping to guide the field of sacred music toward a more inclusive destination.
July 6 · 39 min
Episode 23 | Composition and Synesthesia with Jessica French
Jessica French is an acclaimed composer, and she shares about her work as well as her colorful experiences of music as a synesthete. We have a lighthearted and enlightening discussion from color experience to compositional style and idiomatic writing, and everything in between!
June 29 · 46 min
Episode 22 | Cockpit or Console? A Journey of Excellence with James Kealey
James Kealey is a renowned English concert organist, but he first wanted to be an airline pilot! Many organists have pivoted careers from pipes to planes, so what's the connection? We get into this and so much more on this fabulous episode of All The Stops!
June 22 · 35 min
Episode 21 | Florida Man Builds Pipe Organ with Dexter Kennedy
What do you do when your pipe organ is decimated by a hurricane? You build a bigger better pipe organ. We get into the fascinating process with acclaimed organist, Dexter Kennedy, talking about picking a builder and designing an instrument while balancing the needs of choral accompaniment, congregational singing, and repertoire.
June 16 · 42 min
Episode 20 | The Organ in Nigeria with GenZ Organist
Seyi James Ayinde, aka "GenZ Organist" is a dynamic and creative young organist in Nigeria redefining perceptions of Pipe Organ in Africa. In this episode, I learn so much about music in Nigeria and hear from Seyi on his plans to innovate and develop perception of the instrument and sacred music for his generation!
June 8 · 53 min
Episode 19 | The Piano Episode with Tate Addis
It's time to talk about the piano to organ pipeline: identity, technique and so much more! Tate Addis is a fabulous musician who studied both instruments seriously alongside one another, but who underwent a shift in identity and pivoted to being a pipe organist. That doesn't mean the instruments don't continue relate to each other in his approach to music, though. We get into the details here alongside some very meaningful insights about making art and doing the hard thing.
June 2 · 40 min
Episode 18 | Influencing and the Organ with Laura Felicity Smith
In this episode, we get content creator, Laura Felicity's perspective on everything from contemporary influencing, to gender and the organ, and so much more! She's a graduate student at Rice University, and she's making sure new audiences learn about the King of Instruments through her informational and lifestyle content!
May 26 · 43 min
Episode 17 | Catholics, Cantors, and Chants, Oh My! with Patrick McGuire
Finally, we have a Roman Catholic voice on the show to talk all things chant, tradition, and the future of church music, and who better than Patrick McGuire! A great episode with a passionate and talented figure in the Catholic music realm!
May 20 · 43 min
Episode 16 | Life Across the Chancel with Rev. Brent Newberry
This week it's time for something a little different: a pastoral perspective! Rev. Brent Newberry is the Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Worcester, MA, and he's full of keen insights from across the chancel and behind the pulpit! Plus, we play Organ Trivia!!
May 12 · 45 min
Episode 15 | Washington and Organ with Wyatt Smith and Justin Murphy-Mancini
A tale of two institutions in the Pacific Northwest with two wonderful friends and colleagues. Innovative projects and the patchwork of pursuits in the organ world!
May 4 · 46 min
Episode 14 | The Rising Tide Raises All Pipe Organs with Jonathan Ortloff
It's our first episode about building and maintaining pipe organs, and there was only one place to turn! Jonathan Ortloff is a successful organ builder who started his own company and understands organs deeply from both the performance and maintenance side of things. We talk tuning, voicing, and building in a rich and full Episode number 14!
April 28 · 37 min
Episode 13 | The Future is Bright with Caroline Robinson
Who says 13 is unlucky? Dr. Caroline Robinson joins me to talk about her extraordinary career spanning church music, academia, and performance, plus some thoughts on positivity about our world!
April 21 · 28 min
Episode 12 | State of the Organ World Part II
We've gone video! And it's time for me to interview myself again, and give some updates on how things are looking in the field of the Pipe Organ. Write to us at info@allthestopsmedia.com with your thoughts and ideas!
April 13 · 41 min
Episode 11 | Sacred Music in the Big Apple with Janet Yieh
Janet Yieh shares her insights into the sacred music scene in NYC, and discusses the role that choral singing is playing in the lives of young people seeking connection. We also talk about a fascinating project highlighting the work of women composers and her experiences balancing the rigorous life at Julliard with the sacred music world.
April 6 · 44 min
Episode 10 | There Once Was a Man from Nantucket with Jeffrey Paul Cutts
Jeffrey approaches the organ from the fascinating perspective of a singer. The instrument breathes and sings, like a mechanical choir! We get into it in this episode, plus a look at life on Nantucket and the special instruments that bring New England's past to life!
March 30 · 49 min
Episode 9 | Bach, Lasers, and Beer with Christoph Bull
Christoph has a really unique and fun-loving approach to musicmaking, and we get into all of it in this episode. From his roots studying in Germany as a kid, to Boston, to LA, laughs are plentiful, and interesting concepts abound.
March 24 · 46 min
Episode 8 | A Tale of Two City's AGO Deans with Cathy Meyer and Randy Steere
The AGO is the largest musician's guild in the world, and every chapter is different. In this episode we sit down with the Dean of a big city chapter (Boston) and a midsize city chapter (Worcester) to talk about how they approach the growth and flourishing of the instrument.
March 16 · 44 min
Episode 7 | Inspector Organ!!
British content creator, Inspector Organ, joins us to talk about his exciting world exploring churches old and new looking for fascinating historical gems!

All the Stops Podcast

Episode 26 | The Three-Legged Stool of the Organ with Damin Spritzer

Episode 25 | France, Germany, and the UK with Katelyn Emerson

Episode 24 | A Great Host of Women Composers with Susan Jane Matthews

Episode 23 | Composition and Synesthesia with Jessica French

Episode 22 | Cockpit or Console? A Journey of Excellence with James Kealey

Episode 21 | Florida Man Builds Pipe Organ with Dexter Kennedy

Episode 20 | The Organ in Nigeria with GenZ Organist

Episode 19 | The Piano Episode with Tate Addis

Episode 18 | Influencing and the Organ with Laura Felicity Smith

Episode 17 | Catholics, Cantors, and Chants, Oh My! with Patrick McGuire

Episode 16 | Life Across the Chancel with Rev. Brent Newberry

Episode 15 | Washington and Organ with Wyatt Smith and Justin Murphy-Mancini

Episode 14 | The Rising Tide Raises All Pipe Organs with Jonathan Ortloff

Episode 13 | The Future is Bright with Caroline Robinson

Episode 12 | State of the Organ World Part II

Episode 11 | Sacred Music in the Big Apple with Janet Yieh

Episode 10 | There Once Was a Man from Nantucket with Jeffrey Paul Cutts

Episode 9 | Bach, Lasers, and Beer with Christoph Bull

Episode 8 | A Tale of Two City's AGO Deans with Cathy Meyer and Randy Steere

Episode 7 | Inspector Organ!!