Northbridge teenager takes his crack at getting a chance to play the organ at WooSox game

WORCESTER — Will Cudmore had never played the organ until three months ago.

On Wednesday, the 15-year-old from Northbridge tickled the ivories at Polar Park as part of a revolving door of organists invited to play the instrument at the home of the Worcester Red Sox.

“It was absolutely amazing,” Cudmore said of the tryout. “A few months ago, I couldn’t have imagined I would be here, and who knows where I'll be in the next two months?”

‘It’s been history since’

Cudmore can’t remember where his love for the organ started. It either came from an event he attended or a movie he watched growing up.

So in third grade, he began taking piano lessons.

“That was as close as I could get to an organ,” Cudmore said.

Cudmore, however, stopped playing the piano for a while during elementary school until starting up again two years ago. Cudmore currently has a keyboard in the bedroom of his Northbridge home and plays the instrument at least once a day.

“I’m on it all the time,” said Cudmore, who just finished his freshman year at Norfolk County Agricultural School in Walpole.

Cudmore can’t read music. So he plays from feel and memory. Once he hears a song, he can play it back after two or three tries.

He likes to hop between Elvis Presley, swing jazz and church hymns — and even some ballpark classics.

“Right now, ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ is one of my favorites,” Cudmore said, “or it’s going to have to be one of my favorites.”

Cudmore, who does work with the Uxbridge Historical Society, took a tour of the First Congregational Church in Uxbridge earlier this year. Shortly after, he was invited to play the organ (for the first time after dabbling on a makeshift organ at his home) following every Sunday service starting in April.

“It’s been history since there,” Cudmore said.

“Once he sets his goals and crosshairs on something, he just goes ahead and does it,” said Cudmore’s father, Paul.

Cudmore hopes for a chance to play organ at WooSox game

After Polar Park opted to play pop music over its first two seasons, WooSox president Dr. Charles Steinberg wanted to add the classic sound of an organ at the ballpark this year.

Robert Malone, senior vice president/ballpark operations at Polar Park, found the solution for Steinberg’s request: a Lowrey electronic organ. A few months after the new organ arrived at Polar Park, Cudmore’s father texted Malone (without knowing) to ask if the ballpark featured an organ.

“He fired back a video of someone playing it,” Paul Cudmore said.

Fast forward to Wednesday afternoon, Will Cudmore donned a straw sun hat and floral shirt while playing "Can’t Help Falling in Love," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "Sweet Caroline" on the Polar Park organ.

“It was amazing,” Cudmore said. “The keys felt like butter.”

“A very proud moment,” his father said.

Moving forward, the teenager from Northbridge hopes to play the organ again on Madison Street. This time in front of a full crowd at Polar Park — as an esteemed musical guest.

“We’ll see what happens from here, but I’m staying hopeful,” Cudmore said.

— Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @tommycassell44. 

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Northbridge teen Will Cudmore tries out to play organ at Polar Park