Sugar City boy who learned to play the organ while recovering from brain surgery now plays for church congregation

SUGAR CITY – After undergoing brain surgery at just 10 years old, Kobin Harris found himself with a lot of time to heal and a predicament: What’s a boy to do for fun when he has to limit his physical activity?

As a naturally-gifted musician who had been taking piano lessons for a few years, Kobin decided he was going to use his downtime to accomplish something he’d been wanting to do anyway — learn to play the organ. Now, just over a year after his surgery, 11-year-old Kobin gets to share his passion and talent for music as an official organist for his local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation, and it all started with an unexpected surgery.

“I was going to the orthodontist for a check, and the doctor took an X-ray to see my teeth,” Kobin says. “Dr. (Matt) Ellison saw this thing and had a feeling.”

That “thing” turned out to be a slow-growing epidermoid cyst in Kobin’s skull. While this type of cyst is usually considered benign, Kobin’s mother, Lori Harris, says this one posed a danger to Kobin, as it was growing into his brain. It needed to be removed.

Kobin went to Primary Children’s Hospital for the surgery in June 2023, where it was also revealed that Kobin was missing a small part of his skull. His mother considers it a miracle that he had never injured his skull before the vulnerability was discovered. Kobin was given a star-shaped titanium plate to close the hole in his skull.

“I couldn’t do anything with my head for six weeks,” Kobin says. His mother explains that he had to avoid submerging his head in water or doing anything that would cause increased blood flow to his head or that would risk him bumping his head.

While in recovery, Kobin practiced his music, including playing his electric keyboard set to make organ sounds. He became enthralled with learning to play the organ, so his dad, Jeff Harris, called in a favor. Jeff had done some remodeling work for local organist Jim Clark and thought maybe he could help Kobin.

“I said, ‘Jim, I’ve got a son who’s overly fixated on organs, and I don’t know where to go,’” Jeff says.

Clark insisted that he wasn’t an organ teacher, but said he wanted to meet Kobin and show him a few things. According to Jeff, this turned into “visits on the daily for the rest of the summer.”

“Jim really unlocked something Kobin didn’t know he had,” Jeff says.

Clark says Kobin is self-driven, which makes him easy to teach.

“Kobin definitely wants to learn,” Clark says. “It is his idea and he isn’t being forced to take lessons. Perhaps his parents gave him a start and he discovered something he loves. I bet they don’t need to coax him to practice every day.”

After his first summer learning from Clark, Kobin continued to hone his skills and was eventually asked to play for his church congregation every other Sunday. He says it’s always exciting when his ward’s music director gives him the songs to practice for the upcoming week. His mom says he has also accompanied the choir and played for baptisms, funerals and larger area meetings.

“He’s always willing,” Lori says. “He always will tell people, ‘Absolutely.’”

Kobin can play through the entire hymnbook and when his mom quizzes him on hymn numbers, he knows every one.

Lori says that, while having her child go through brain surgery and recovery was not something she would have chosen, she’s grateful for what the experience created for Kobin.

“Looking back, it was just a tender mercy that Dr. Matt Ellison found it when he did,” Lori says. “I don’t think Kobin would have had the same time or opportunity (to learn to play the organ). It’s such a blessing that came out of that trial.”

Jeff says he is continually amazed with his son’s talent and desire to play.

“It blows my mind that he can do this at such a young age, and he’s still getting better every day,” Jeff says. “He just keeps going and going and getting better and better.”

Kobin says he wants to teach music at a college when he grows up.