Meet our organist, Louis Mayer. Louis has been our organist since 2018. Louis previously was the organist and choir director for 15 years at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Slidell, Louisiana and a member of that church. He became the organist at Good Shepherd in 2003 when the church held its first services. He also concurrently served as organist and choir director for First English Lutheran Church in New Orleans and was performing each Sunday morning for their two services at that church on Franklin Avenue. Thus, for a brief period, he performed three services each Sunday. He began studying piano when he was 8 years of age by taking music lessons at Werlein’s Music on Canal Street in New Orleans. He has received musical instruction in piano and/or organ from Werlein’s, Grunewald, NORD, and private lessons and has attended several musical conferences over the years. When he was 8 years old, he participated in a citywide musical contest at Tulane University and received a semi-finalist designation. His professional career as a Lutheran Church organist began in 1970. Louis has been the Sunday service organist for the following churches: St. Timothy Lutheran Church – New Orleans, LA. (First church to be organist – 1970), Gethsemane Lutheran Church – Chalmette, LA., St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church – New Orleans, LA., First English Lutheran Church – New Orleans, LA., Bethany Lutheran Church – Slidell, LA., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church – Slidell, LA, and Lamb of God – Slidell, LA. Louis has been a substitute organist at other Lutheran Churches in New Orleans, Chalmette, Slidell, Picayune, and Houma, LA and has served as a substitute organist at non-Lutheran Churches in New Orleans. He has served as the organist at many weddings and funerals in the metropolitan area, and also as tenor soloist for Sunday services, weddings and funerals. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Tulane University asked Louis to be the project coordinator to replace the pipe organ in the Roger’s Memorial Chapel on the Uptown Campus. After several months of plan development, a new Schantz pipe organ was installed in 2006 at a cost of $186,000.00. This organ is used today for services and performances in that facility. Louis has performed on that instrument for weddings, funerals, and other services held in that facility. Louis holds two college degrees from LSUNO in German and a MPH in Public Health from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (TUSPHTM) in the field of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. He has completed several post graduate courses from the TUSPHTM and completed several undergraduate courses from the Tulane University School of Music to include vocal music. Louis is married to Lana Gerica of New Orleans, and they have no children. They reside in Slidell, Louisiana. Louis was baptized, confirmed, taught Sunday School, married, served as organist and choir director at the First English Lutheran Church in New Orleans, LA and attended the St. Paul – First English Lutheran School from kindergarten to ninth grade (1955 – 1965). He still provides musical instruction to students in his home studio on his very own Schantz pipe organ.