A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Westford resident Randy Steere. A former computer science professional who ran his own software company for 20 years, Randy has always had a passion for the organ. Now in retirement, he has taken his newfound free time to pursue that passion further and share it through teaching.
Randy began his music career with the piano. He explained that when he was young, his parents required him and his siblings to play an instrument for one year; if they chose to continue afterward, it was up to them. By the time he reached junior high, he had switched to the organ. “It’s typical that you get two or three years of piano lessons in before you take up the organ,” Randy explained. He has a bachelor’s degree in music, a master’s in music and performance from Yale, and an M.Div. (Master of Divinity).
After graduating from Yale, he played in churches and held a full-time job for nine years in Connecticut. Feeling burnt out, he decided to make a switch, becoming the IT director of a law firm and earning his master’s in computer science. Although his career path changed, Randy continued to play the organ.
From Connecticut, Randy made his way to Boston, where he started his own company and became the assistant organist at Old South Church. From there, he eventually moved to Westford, where he played the organ for a year at First Parish Church.
It only took a brief advertisement noting that Groton Hill (formerly Indian Hill School of Music) was hosting an orchestra concert to catch Randy’s and his husband’s attention—and from there, the rest is history.
Three years ago, Randy explained, Groton Hill underwent an extreme makeover. It now houses a 1,000-seat concert hall, a 300-seat secondary hall, and 35 studios for teachers, serving more than 2,000 students.
As a member of the council, Randy advocated strongly for Groton Hill to have an organ. “You can’t have an orchestra hall without an organ,” he told them—and many agreed. Thanks to his efforts, Groton Hill now has a virtual pipe organ. He also mentioned that Groton Hill is passionate about putting on top-notch performances, something he is proud to help plan. He shared that on January 11, Chelsea Vhen of Switzerland will be performing on the organ—an incredible honor.
In addition to playing the virtual pipe organ with the Groton Hill orchestra, Randy also performs solo. Recently, he performed at Mechanics Hall in Worcester and Old West Church in Boston.
Randy not only amazed me with his talent on the organ, but also with the many hats he wears within the organ world. He is the Dean of the Worcester American Guild of Organists (AGO) chapter, the treasurer of the Merrimack Valley AGO, and a trustee at Methuen Memorial Music Hall.
As part of the Worcester AGO, Randy has started free group sessions for pianists who play in churches. “Because there is a shortage of organists now, a lot of churches have to hire pianists because they can’t find an organist. But a lot of churches still want to hear the organ,” Randy said. Currently, 10 people meet with him twice a month for lessons, and three more are waiting to join the next group. If this is something you’d like to be part of, reach out to me—I’d be happy to help you connect!
As the interview came to a close and we chatted about everything from our shared love of music to our admiration for Westford and its community—including our favorite places to walk (yes, my loyal readers, I did tell Randy about my track endeavors!)—Randy played a few beautiful pieces for me on the virtual pipe organ he has in his home.
It is people like Randy, and talents like his, that make me so grateful for my town and my job—being able to sit down with someone so passionate, generous, and eager to share his gifts.
I encourage you all to visit the Groton Hill website to grab tickets to see the incredible talents of Randy Steere as he performs in this season’s Christmas concerts here.
