Sixteen-year-old organist Layla Joshi is a junior at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, where she is a high honors student and a member of the varsity tennis team. Layla has studied the organ since 2020 with Joel Krott and has sung with the choirs of the First Presbyterian Church in Moorestown, NJ, since the age of five. As a pianist, she has participated in the chamber music program at Temple Music Prep's Center for Gifted Young Musicians in Philadelphia, PA.
Layla is a member of the Organ Historical Society and the American Guild of Organists, and she has performed on organs throughout the United States. Recently, she had the opportunity to perform in a keyboard recital in Reykjavik, Iceland, as part of the Temple Music Prep’s Center for Gifted Young Musicians Youth Chamber Orchestra Iceland Exchange. She made her subscription concert debut with the West Jersey Chamber Music Society in 2023 and has placed in numerous national student organ competitions.
She attended the Summer Organ Academy at the Eastman School of Music in 2023, and in 2024, participated in the Interlochen Summer Organ Camp, where she received the Provost’s Fine Arts Award.
Layla is passionate about sharing the gift of music with others. In her blog, The Sound Effect, she appreciates worldwide musical styles from history to the current day. Through her nonprofit, Transforming Youth Music Education (TYME), she collaborates with local arts organizations in the Philadelphia area to bring music education to young people in underserved communities.
10 Questions with Layla Joshi:
1. How did you start playing the organ, and what drew you to this particular instrument?
I first started playing the organ during COVID. My brother and I had asked our choir director (who was also the organist of the church) if we could play some of our piano music on the organ. He told us that we were welcome to, so one day we met in the loft and played all of our baroque music just to see what the organ was like. This experience was very important to me because I had grown up viewing the organ as an untouchable instrument that I thought I would never get to play. After our first time playing, my brother and I began to take lessons, but my brother later stopped. I loved the instrument, so I continued to take lessons and practice.
2. How do you prepare for a performance? What does your practice routine look like?
To prepare for a performance, I typically try to get a lot of rest and to relax the day of the recital before warming up for about an hour. Typically, I try to practice for an hour or more each day, but this sometimes doesn't happen because of school and other activities, so I have to make up the time on a different day.
3. What’s your favorite thing about Philadelphia?
My favorite thing about Philadelphia are the sports. Sports are something I can share with my friends and something I love watching and playing.
4. Have you faced any challenges as a student organist, and how have you overcome them?
My biggest challenge as a student organist is setting aside time to practice amidst my other commitments, such as school, tennis, and volunteer work. This is such a big struggle because I don't have an organ in my home, so practicing requires me to be driven to the local church. This becomes more difficult when there is nobody to drive me or I have a school event that ends late enough, where there is nobody available.
5. Can you describe a memorable performance experience you’ve had? What made it stand out?
One of my favorite performances was when I played Elgar's Enigma variations with the orchestra of the Interlochen Center for the Arts summer program. Though I was only part of one movement, I have always loved playing with others, and this was the first time that I was able to do this on the organ. Being a part of an orchestra was also a new experience for me, and the final result was amazing.
6. How do you balance your organ practice with your other academic and personal commitments?
I try to set clear priorities for the work I have to get done on any given day. This helps me prioritize if there is limited time and allows me to get the most important work done, which helps to prevent cramming. I also have a calendar, which helps to allot time so I don't run out of time and can keep organized.
Organist Layla Joshi, performing in a keyboard recital at Fella og Holakirkja in Reykjavik, Iceland as part of Temple Music Prep's Center for Gifted Young Musicians Youth Chamber Orchestra Iceland Exchange.
7. What was one thing about your instrument that surprised you when you started learning to play?
I was very surprised by the diversity of sounds that the organ could make. When I first started playing, I struggled with registration because I didn't know which sounds would fit with certain pieces, because there were so many options.
8. What advice would you give to other people interested in learning the organ?
The biggest piece of advice I would give to others hoping to begin playing the organ would be to contact the closest organ to you and simply ask if you can play. Organists are some of the most welcoming and encouraging people, and because many consider the instrument to be dying, they are all eager to see new faces picking up the instrument. Once you get some time on the instrument and can determine the scope of your interest, you can keep playing on your own time, or if you would like to study with a teacher, simply reach out to a local music school to see if their teachers would be open to giving you lessons.
9. How do you stay motivated when practicing, especially when tackling difficult pieces?
Staying motivated can be hard (especially when practicing any piece over and over), but I think the best way to do it is to use a metronome and try to enjoy the music that you are making (regardless of how slowly). Sometimes, practicing can get boring or tiring, and in those moments, you have to set a clear goal that is within reach and simply complete that goal. During those times, it's important to have a single-minded focus and to pay close attention to what you are actually doing. This is because the moments when practicing gets tedious are usually when beginning and learning a new piece.
10. What aspirations do you have for your future as an organist? Are there any specific goals you hope to achieve?
I hope that I can continue to play recitals throughout my schooling and that I am able to study the organ in college. While I am not planning to become a professional organist, I hope to retain organ-playing as an activity I enjoy for the rest of my life.
Layla is listening to:
