2004 News Archive
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
January 18, 2004
Notes from the President on the January 13 Meeting
Joan Grauman Workshop
Last Tuesday's meeting was filled with lots of good music. Joan Grauman presented a workshop on "Bringing Accordion Music to Life," which she illustrated with European folk melodies. Silvia joined in on her button accordion on the Bavarian tune "Schneewalz," and Dan Grauman played with Joan on the exquisite Irish tune "Star of the County Down."
Joan's main messages: listen to recordings of the music you want to learn; control the bellows; keep the bass light; vary your playing style according to the emotion conveyed by the piece; and, after playing the tune straight, add variations such as chords, arpeggios, ornaments and different registers and bass patterns.
If you missed the workshop, ask for a handout at the next meeting.
New Fee Structure
Paul Przedpelski discussed the new membership fee structure. The dues have increased to $15 per year, and will be collected on an annual basis during the first three meetings of the year (i.e. January/February/March).
Anyone joining in January through June will pay $15. Anyone joining in July through November will pay $10. Anyone joining in December will pay $15 for the following membership year.
For current members, those who joined in February through July 2003 will pay the full $15 for 2004. Those who joined in August through November only have to pay $10 for 2004. Those who joined in December 2003 (and have already paid $15) do not have to pay for the 2004 membership.
When you pay your dues, you will receive a new 2004 membership card.
Paul will collect the dues at the meetings and can check in his records which month you joined, and whether you owe $10 or $15. You can also directly mail in a payment by check (to Mara Cherkasky, 1801 Park Road, NW, Apt. 8, Washington, DC 20010). In that case your membership card will either be mailed to you or given to you at the next meeting. For members who are not able to attend any meetings in January/February/March, we will send an email or surface mail, reminding them that their dues are due.
When you pay, Paul will verify your membership data (address, phone, email, etc.); following the March meeting, we will send out a membership list to members.
Next Concert
Also at the meeting we discussed the possibility of organizing a concert for May, and several members thought this was a good idea. Later, though, some of us agreed it might be better to wait until later, maybe in a park during the summer, and/or at Oktoberfest time. Meanwhile, we will add to the songbook some spring songs that we can practice together, such as "The Cricket and the Bullfront" and "Over The Rainbow." Others are encouraged to bring songs that are good for small groups.
Meanwhile, I want us to keep up the Christmas songs for our second annual holiday concert. I would like to set a date for this and any other concert soon, so we can get them on the church calendar if we plan to use the church.
Web Site
New photos of the December 7 concert have been added to the Photo Album.
Other
Following Joan's presentation, Daniel Darrikhuma played us a couple of the tunes he likes to play for his church. This was Dan's first meeting, and we're hoping to see him back again soon.
Clay showed a new book, Latin Favorites, from Hal Leonard (publisher).
Article on Dale Wise
On Jan. 6, the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star published a very nice article about Dale Wise: "The secretive nature of accordion repair/Burr Hill's accordion man hopes to pass on his life's love to others." The article is also linked to Dale's name on the Teachers page and to the accordion repair workshop page of the Photo Album.
Next Meetings
The program for the next meeting, February 10, will be Michael B. Rubin on "The World of Jewish Music." At the March meeting, Ron Onda will play "Accordion Classics of the 1950s."
One idea I'm considering for our May meeting is a Spring Festival Night for members (and guests) to play tunes for each other. Let me know what you think.
T-Shirts
Joan and Dan Grauman have offered to make us t-shirts with the WMAS capitol dome logo on the front. Please use this form to pre-order shirts at a discount. If ordered by March 1, short-sleeved shirts will cost you $10 each and long-sleeved shirts, $15 each. After that date, the prices will increase to $12 and $18.
Color choices for short-sleeved shirts are white, natural, birch (gray), light blue, safety green, pink and island yellow. Sizes range from small to XXXL.
For long-sleeved shirts, color choices are white and birch, and sizes are small to XXL.
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
February 11, 2004
Notes on the February 10 Meeting
WMAS celebrated its first anniversary February 10 with cake and a rendition of "Happy Birthday to Us." (Thanks to Leone Monticone for bringing a cake decorated with an accordion in black icing!) One year ago, February 11, 2003, about 25 people showed up for our first meeting; thirteen meetings later, we're already old friends.
Due to the death of a colleague, Michael B. Rubin was not able to attend last night's meeting and present "The World of Jewish Music" as planned. We look forward to hearing this program at the June meeting instead. Meanwhile, Mike will be performing later this month with Hexagon in its annual political/satirical review; more information is at www.washingtonaccordions.org.
We were fortunate that Paul Aebersold was able to take Mike's place at the last minute, offering a marvelous program of Viennese café music. He demonstrated many of the pieces he plays at Café Mozart (1331 H Street, NW, DC) every Saturday at lunchtime: music that one would have heard in Vienna 50 years ago, such as Strauss waltzes, Brahms' Hungarian dances, drinking songs, marches and pieces by Robert Stolz.
Paul explained that he enjoys playing "background music" because it is less stressful than being on stage, and because he can stretch out the songs with embellishments and modulations without worrying about the audience's attention span. (Karen asked if he would concentrate on modulations in a future workshop.) A number of people tried out Paul's accordion, a 42-key Grüber with 3 clarinet reeds, a bassoon, and no piccolo.
Following the main program, Barbara Lockett and Lee Paulson played three short duets: Minuet from Anna Magdalena's Notebook; Dance of the Honeybees by Benjamin Richmond and arranged by Pietro Diero; and Bublitchki, arranged by Cliff Scholl. They dedicated the second piece to Karen, who had introduced the two women and suggested they play together.
Paul Przedpelski distributed membership directories and reminded people that the $15 annual membership fee is due now . Mara also reminded people to submit their t-shirt order forms before March 1 (there's an order form at www.washingtonaccordions.org). Joan and Dan Grauman set up a sales table for their SqueezinArt products and seemed to be doing a lively business.
We're looking forward to having Ron Onda with us next month playing Accordion Classics of the 1950s. Marjamann Pojat (Finnish music) is on the program in April, and the May meeting will include a mini-concert of member solos, duets and small groups, so please start practicing now.
Finally, the communications secretariat apologizes for not sending out a meeting reminder; however, we do meet faithfully every month, and program information is always posted at www.washingtonaccordions.org.
News from Carol "Bingo the Clown" Collins
Just wanted to tell you why my life has been a little hectic. I am actively involved with a caring clown organization and will be visiting orphanages in Vietnam between 2/22 and 3/6. I can't bring my accordian but I will play my harmonica!
***********************************************************************************************************************
February 11, 2004
Notes on the February 10 Meeting
WMAS celebrated its first anniversary February 10 with cake and a rendition of "Happy Birthday to Us." (Thanks to Leone Monticone for bringing a cake decorated with an accordion in black icing!) One year ago, February 11, 2003, about 25 people showed up for our first meeting; thirteen meetings later, we're already old friends.
Due to the death of a colleague, Michael B. Rubin was not able to attend last night's meeting and present "The World of Jewish Music" as planned. We look forward to hearing this program at the June meeting instead. Meanwhile, Mike will be performing later this month with Hexagon in its annual political/satirical review; more information is at www.washingtonaccordions.org.
We were fortunate that Paul Aebersold was able to take Mike's place at the last minute, offering a marvelous program of Viennese café music. He demonstrated many of the pieces he plays at Café Mozart (1331 H Street, NW, DC) every Saturday at lunchtime: music that one would have heard in Vienna 50 years ago, such as Strauss waltzes, Brahms' Hungarian dances, drinking songs, marches and pieces by Robert Stolz.
Paul explained that he enjoys playing "background music" because it is less stressful than being on stage, and because he can stretch out the songs with embellishments and modulations without worrying about the audience's attention span. (Karen asked if he would concentrate on modulations in a future workshop.) A number of people tried out Paul's accordion, a 42-key Grüber with 3 clarinet reeds, a bassoon, and no piccolo.
Following the main program, Barbara Lockett and Lee Paulson played three short duets: Minuet from Anna Magdalena's Notebook; Dance of the Honeybees by Benjamin Richmond and arranged by Pietro Diero; and Bublitchki, arranged by Cliff Scholl. They dedicated the second piece to Karen, who had introduced the two women and suggested they play together.
Paul Przedpelski distributed membership directories and reminded people that the $15 annual membership fee is due now . Mara also reminded people to submit their t-shirt order forms before March 1 (there's an order form at www.washingtonaccordions.org). Joan and Dan Grauman set up a sales table for their SqueezinArt products and seemed to be doing a lively business.
We're looking forward to having Ron Onda with us next month playing Accordion Classics of the 1950s. Marjamann Pojat (Finnish music) is on the program in April, and the May meeting will include a mini-concert of member solos, duets and small groups, so please start practicing now.
Finally, the communications secretariat apologizes for not sending out a meeting reminder; however, we do meet faithfully every month, and program information is always posted at www.washingtonaccordions.org.
News from Carol "Bingo the Clown" Collins
Just wanted to tell you why my life has been a little hectic. I am actively involved with a caring clown organization and will be visiting orphanages in Vietnam between 2/22 and 3/6. I can't bring my accordian but I will play my harmonica!
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
March 13, 2004
Notes on the March 9 Meeting
Tuesday's program was great, as usual. Not only did we have the pleasure of hearing Ron Onda perform accordion classics of the 1950s -- as promised -- but we were treated to a surprise: duets by newcomer Wei Wei and his nine-year old son Alan. Alan is impressively adept after only three months of learning the accordion, but apparently he's already an accomplished pianist. In any case, their delight in making music together was plain to see.
Ron played wonderfully several Charles Magnante pieces -- including "Dark Eyes," "Waltz Allegro," "Waltz in C Sharp Minor," "Malaguena," "Carnival of Venice" and "Tic Tock Polka" -- and also Tony Dannon's "Mazurka di Antonio" and Myron Floren's "Dakota Polka." Wei Wei and Alan Wei performed "Let's Play Together," "Musette" and "Cumparsita."
We can't wait to have them all back. Meanwhile, you can hear Ron again soon if you go to the Maryland Accordion Club meeting March 20 (see the Calendar for more information). While you're on there, check out the other listings. New ones are added regularly.
Upcoming Meetings
Marjamaan Pojat, a duo comprising Lee Simonson and Vic Aijala, will perform old-time Scandinavian dance music at the April 13 meeting. Please spread the word.
For the May 11 meeting we will hold a concert for ourselves. Please sign up to play your favorite piece or two by contacting [email protected] -- or make yourself known at the next meeting. Also, it would be helpful for the group if those who were involved in the AAMS competition, no matter what their level, would play us their piece and explain a little about competitions, to take the mystery out of them.
Summer Meetings
We're debating whether to hold meetings in July and August. The problem in July is that the meeting date falls during the American Accordionists' Association annual convention (July 11-15; the meeting would be July 13). Last year's August meeting was not well-attended because of summer vacations, so it's a shame to ask someone to prepare a program. On the other hand, we could always hold another mini-concert. Please let us know what you would like to do, so we can plan accordionly.
T-shirts
The t-shirts have been ordered, and we're hoping to have them for you at the April meeting. The extras we ordered will be available for $12 for short-sleeved and $18 for long-sleeved.
Membership
It was nice to see so many familiar faces, and a number of new ones as well, at the March meeting. Some of the newcomers heard about WMAS through the Web site and some through the Washington Post announcements. We'll also be making up flyers for people to hand to anyone they meet who might be interested.
Please remember to renew your membership for 2004. We'll give stragglers a little more time before we send out a reminder.
Hope to see you April 13!
*************************************************************************************************************************
March 13, 2004
Notes on the March 9 Meeting
Tuesday's program was great, as usual. Not only did we have the pleasure of hearing Ron Onda perform accordion classics of the 1950s -- as promised -- but we were treated to a surprise: duets by newcomer Wei Wei and his nine-year old son Alan. Alan is impressively adept after only three months of learning the accordion, but apparently he's already an accomplished pianist. In any case, their delight in making music together was plain to see.
Ron played wonderfully several Charles Magnante pieces -- including "Dark Eyes," "Waltz Allegro," "Waltz in C Sharp Minor," "Malaguena," "Carnival of Venice" and "Tic Tock Polka" -- and also Tony Dannon's "Mazurka di Antonio" and Myron Floren's "Dakota Polka." Wei Wei and Alan Wei performed "Let's Play Together," "Musette" and "Cumparsita."
We can't wait to have them all back. Meanwhile, you can hear Ron again soon if you go to the Maryland Accordion Club meeting March 20 (see the Calendar for more information). While you're on there, check out the other listings. New ones are added regularly.
Upcoming Meetings
Marjamaan Pojat, a duo comprising Lee Simonson and Vic Aijala, will perform old-time Scandinavian dance music at the April 13 meeting. Please spread the word.
For the May 11 meeting we will hold a concert for ourselves. Please sign up to play your favorite piece or two by contacting [email protected] -- or make yourself known at the next meeting. Also, it would be helpful for the group if those who were involved in the AAMS competition, no matter what their level, would play us their piece and explain a little about competitions, to take the mystery out of them.
Summer Meetings
We're debating whether to hold meetings in July and August. The problem in July is that the meeting date falls during the American Accordionists' Association annual convention (July 11-15; the meeting would be July 13). Last year's August meeting was not well-attended because of summer vacations, so it's a shame to ask someone to prepare a program. On the other hand, we could always hold another mini-concert. Please let us know what you would like to do, so we can plan accordionly.
T-shirts
The t-shirts have been ordered, and we're hoping to have them for you at the April meeting. The extras we ordered will be available for $12 for short-sleeved and $18 for long-sleeved.
Membership
It was nice to see so many familiar faces, and a number of new ones as well, at the March meeting. Some of the newcomers heard about WMAS through the Web site and some through the Washington Post announcements. We'll also be making up flyers for people to hand to anyone they meet who might be interested.
Please remember to renew your membership for 2004. We'll give stragglers a little more time before we send out a reminder.
Hope to see you April 13!
*************************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
April 14, 2004
Notes on the April 13 Meeting
Last night's meeting was another great one. All right, we say this about every meeting, but, just like the old children's story "Millions of Cats," each one is wonderful. The program started with a set of Finnish waltzes, polkas, hambos and other folk dance music by Lee Simonson and Vic Aijala, aka Marjamaan Pojat (Finnish for "Maryland Boys"). Lee and Vic told us about learning to play music as kids and growing up Finnish-American. They also described the status of the accordion in Finland -- 4 percent of the population plays the instrument! -- and talked a bit about each song. Jim Vandelly videotaped their performance for a network television show that is broadcast on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. According to Jim, the show attracts a (relatively) huge Finnish-American audience.
Following Marjamaan Pojat, another Marylander, Stella Allison, performed a short set of 1940s-era jazz pieces. Although she described herself as "just a grandma having fun," Stella is a virtuoso, and very active. She described Anthony Galla-Rini's 100th birthday celebration, which she recently attended in Los Angeles (see www.accordionusa.com/ar_02_04.htm or www.petosa.com/galla-rini/party/), and numerous other accordion events she's participated in around the country.
We thank these musicians for playing for us -- it was a true pleasure -- and hope to see them back soon. Actually, Stella is a sure thing: she has agreed to present the program at the October meeting.
BUSINESS
Saturday Night at Fort Myer
We're organizing a group to dine Saturday night at the Fort Myer Officers Club in Arlington, where we also will be entertained by Rose-Marie Coppola's Strolling Strings. If you'd like to join us, please contact Karen at (703) 671-5395 or [email protected] so she can include you in the reservation. We'll meet at the Officers Club at 6 pm. The entrance is near the Iwo Jima Memorial, and when you drive through the gate, the security guards will inspect your car and ask you for identification. We'll be celebrating Karen's birthday, by the way.
If you need more information, call (301) 292-2929 or email [email protected].
T-shirts
Joan and Dan Grauman delivered the WMAS t-shirts, and Joan wore hers to the meeting -- it's definitely the height of fashion. If you ordered shirts and missed last night's meeting, please pick them up at the May meeting, or contact Karen at (703) 671-5395 or [email protected] about getting them sooner. Also, we ordered a few extras, and they will be for sale at meetings for $15 each.
May Mini-Concert
Karen would like to put together a printed program for the member concert at the May 11 meeting. If you are planning to play, please email her at [email protected] with your selections. If you are not sure yet whether you want to play, don't worry; we'll have a last-minute sign-up sheet. We are encouraging everyone to participate, including beginners; it would be nice to have all levels of ability represented. We'll try to advertise this meeting a bit more widely than usual.
May Day Party
Paul Aebersold is hosting a May Day party for WMAS members on his boat at the Gangplank Marina in Southwest DC. If you missed the invitation, please let us know and we'll resend it.
Upcoming Meetings
Michael B. Rubin will be presenting "The World of Jewish Music" at the June 8 meeting -- please put it on your calendar. Note also that we will be meeting in July and August but will not schedule any special programs. These summer meetings will be opportunities for members to play together in small or large groups.
At the September 14 meeting, Peter DiGiovanni will conduct a workshop on playing by ear, and Stella Allison will present the October 12 program. If you missed her last night, you'll have a chance to hear her then.
All meetings are posted on the Calendar.
Repair Workshop
Dale Wise says he will be scheduling another free accordion repair workshop in the next couple of months. Please let him know at [email protected] if you're interested. The workshop, which takes place at Dale's farm near Fredericksburg, Va., runs all day Saturday and includes lunch, then picks up again Sunday afternoon. Those who participated in last fall's workshop learned some good repair tricks and techniques and had a lot of fun (see the photos).
Executive Committee
Those of us running WMAS sometimes feel stretched a bit too thin. If you would like to join the Executive Committee or just help out in an unofficial capacity, we would greatly appreciate it. For example, we could use someone to write short articles for the national and international accordion Web sites, and we also could use someone to take care of the coffee and kitchen-related tasks. Meanwhile, thanks very much to Marisel Ortiz and Lola Charvet for last night's treats!
2004 Membership Dues
Dues are $15. If you haven't yet paid up for this year, your summons will be arriving soon in the mail.
Plea for Christmas Music
Henry Hancock of Newport News, Va., is looking for accordion music: sacred Christmas pieces that would be appropriate for performance in a special worship service and that would be moving and spiritually uplifting. Please contact him at [email protected].
That's it for this time. See you soon.
**********************************************************************************************************************
April 14, 2004
Notes on the April 13 Meeting
Last night's meeting was another great one. All right, we say this about every meeting, but, just like the old children's story "Millions of Cats," each one is wonderful. The program started with a set of Finnish waltzes, polkas, hambos and other folk dance music by Lee Simonson and Vic Aijala, aka Marjamaan Pojat (Finnish for "Maryland Boys"). Lee and Vic told us about learning to play music as kids and growing up Finnish-American. They also described the status of the accordion in Finland -- 4 percent of the population plays the instrument! -- and talked a bit about each song. Jim Vandelly videotaped their performance for a network television show that is broadcast on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. According to Jim, the show attracts a (relatively) huge Finnish-American audience.
Following Marjamaan Pojat, another Marylander, Stella Allison, performed a short set of 1940s-era jazz pieces. Although she described herself as "just a grandma having fun," Stella is a virtuoso, and very active. She described Anthony Galla-Rini's 100th birthday celebration, which she recently attended in Los Angeles (see www.accordionusa.com/ar_02_04.htm or www.petosa.com/galla-rini/party/), and numerous other accordion events she's participated in around the country.
We thank these musicians for playing for us -- it was a true pleasure -- and hope to see them back soon. Actually, Stella is a sure thing: she has agreed to present the program at the October meeting.
BUSINESS
Saturday Night at Fort Myer
We're organizing a group to dine Saturday night at the Fort Myer Officers Club in Arlington, where we also will be entertained by Rose-Marie Coppola's Strolling Strings. If you'd like to join us, please contact Karen at (703) 671-5395 or [email protected] so she can include you in the reservation. We'll meet at the Officers Club at 6 pm. The entrance is near the Iwo Jima Memorial, and when you drive through the gate, the security guards will inspect your car and ask you for identification. We'll be celebrating Karen's birthday, by the way.
If you need more information, call (301) 292-2929 or email [email protected].
T-shirts
Joan and Dan Grauman delivered the WMAS t-shirts, and Joan wore hers to the meeting -- it's definitely the height of fashion. If you ordered shirts and missed last night's meeting, please pick them up at the May meeting, or contact Karen at (703) 671-5395 or [email protected] about getting them sooner. Also, we ordered a few extras, and they will be for sale at meetings for $15 each.
May Mini-Concert
Karen would like to put together a printed program for the member concert at the May 11 meeting. If you are planning to play, please email her at [email protected] with your selections. If you are not sure yet whether you want to play, don't worry; we'll have a last-minute sign-up sheet. We are encouraging everyone to participate, including beginners; it would be nice to have all levels of ability represented. We'll try to advertise this meeting a bit more widely than usual.
May Day Party
Paul Aebersold is hosting a May Day party for WMAS members on his boat at the Gangplank Marina in Southwest DC. If you missed the invitation, please let us know and we'll resend it.
Upcoming Meetings
Michael B. Rubin will be presenting "The World of Jewish Music" at the June 8 meeting -- please put it on your calendar. Note also that we will be meeting in July and August but will not schedule any special programs. These summer meetings will be opportunities for members to play together in small or large groups.
At the September 14 meeting, Peter DiGiovanni will conduct a workshop on playing by ear, and Stella Allison will present the October 12 program. If you missed her last night, you'll have a chance to hear her then.
All meetings are posted on the Calendar.
Repair Workshop
Dale Wise says he will be scheduling another free accordion repair workshop in the next couple of months. Please let him know at [email protected] if you're interested. The workshop, which takes place at Dale's farm near Fredericksburg, Va., runs all day Saturday and includes lunch, then picks up again Sunday afternoon. Those who participated in last fall's workshop learned some good repair tricks and techniques and had a lot of fun (see the photos).
Executive Committee
Those of us running WMAS sometimes feel stretched a bit too thin. If you would like to join the Executive Committee or just help out in an unofficial capacity, we would greatly appreciate it. For example, we could use someone to write short articles for the national and international accordion Web sites, and we also could use someone to take care of the coffee and kitchen-related tasks. Meanwhile, thanks very much to Marisel Ortiz and Lola Charvet for last night's treats!
2004 Membership Dues
Dues are $15. If you haven't yet paid up for this year, your summons will be arriving soon in the mail.
Plea for Christmas Music
Henry Hancock of Newport News, Va., is looking for accordion music: sacred Christmas pieces that would be appropriate for performance in a special worship service and that would be moving and spiritually uplifting. Please contact him at [email protected].
That's it for this time. See you soon.
**********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
May 17, 2004
Notes on the May 11 Meeting
What a successful Spring Concert we had May 11! WMAS members played an incredible variety of music, covering all ends of the globe and all styles of music. Truly we are an international group! I was amazed at the quality of playing, and pleased to see, several times, people dancing in the back of the room, including the gentlemen who were taping the program. It was a fun time for all ages and music for everyone to enjoy.
I also want to thank Dale Wise for conducting as we played together as a whole group.
APOLOGY
I want to offer a heartfelt apology to Clay Bobrowski. He played at the
end of the program and, due my poor instructions, his song was difficult
to hear. I was a little nervous about the whole group playing with me,
and I encouraged people to get their accordions ready too early. I ask
for his forgiveness and have asked him to play for us again at the next
meeting. We look forward to that performance.
PICNIC
Anne Johnson of the WMAS special events committee would like to plan a picnic for the whole group, probably for Saturday or Sunday, June 26 or 27, in a public park with a shelter in case of rain. Or -- does anyone want to volunteer their backyard?
LATIN GROUP
You may recall that Ron Charvet, at the concert, played the beautiful "Concierto de Arajuez" by ear. Well, Ron is interested in getting together with others to play Latin music. Just imagine that piece done with some electronic/regular harmony!
Please contact Ronald Charvet at (703) 273-9356 or [email protected].
If you can't find a place large enough to meet, you can check the libraries, where people can sign up to use rooms on a month-to-month basis. The phone number for the George Mason Library is (703) 256-3800; the Web address is
http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/library/branches/gm/direct.htm.
PARTIES
I want to thank everyone who joined me at the Fort Myer Officers' Club for my
birthday a few Saturdays ago. It was a great party. Also, Paul Aebersold had a wonderful turnout at his "Mayday" houseboat party. The food was delicious, and it was fantastic to sit on the deck in the drizzle and sing along to Dale's and Peter's accordions. Photos will be posted soon on this site.
ACCORDION REPAIR WORKSHOP
It seems that Dale Wise's June 12-13 repair workshop is full. But he is encouraging people to put their name on a waiting list so they'll be first in line for the next workshop he schedules. Contact Dale at (703) 507-9182 or [email protected].
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
We have a new executive committee member: Jim Vandelly will be doing
some PR for us. We look forward to seeing his articles in papers and on line.
FOOD SIGN-UP
We are going to return to using a food sign-up sheet, and I will provide the
coffee. If anyone would like to bring snacks for June, please contact me at
[email protected] or (703) 671-5395. Thank you to Lola Charvet for the
wonderful cake and for helping in the kitchen at the May 11 meeting.
NEXT MONTH
Thanks again, everyone, for a great Spring Concert, and welcome to the new
members! Don't forget to bring your accordions to the June 8 meeting (7:30 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church) to play with small groups after Mike Rubin's program, The World of Jewish music, and Clay's performance.
See you in June!
Karen
***********************************************************************************************************************
May 17, 2004
Notes on the May 11 Meeting
What a successful Spring Concert we had May 11! WMAS members played an incredible variety of music, covering all ends of the globe and all styles of music. Truly we are an international group! I was amazed at the quality of playing, and pleased to see, several times, people dancing in the back of the room, including the gentlemen who were taping the program. It was a fun time for all ages and music for everyone to enjoy.
I also want to thank Dale Wise for conducting as we played together as a whole group.
APOLOGY
I want to offer a heartfelt apology to Clay Bobrowski. He played at the
end of the program and, due my poor instructions, his song was difficult
to hear. I was a little nervous about the whole group playing with me,
and I encouraged people to get their accordions ready too early. I ask
for his forgiveness and have asked him to play for us again at the next
meeting. We look forward to that performance.
PICNIC
Anne Johnson of the WMAS special events committee would like to plan a picnic for the whole group, probably for Saturday or Sunday, June 26 or 27, in a public park with a shelter in case of rain. Or -- does anyone want to volunteer their backyard?
LATIN GROUP
You may recall that Ron Charvet, at the concert, played the beautiful "Concierto de Arajuez" by ear. Well, Ron is interested in getting together with others to play Latin music. Just imagine that piece done with some electronic/regular harmony!
Please contact Ronald Charvet at (703) 273-9356 or [email protected].
If you can't find a place large enough to meet, you can check the libraries, where people can sign up to use rooms on a month-to-month basis. The phone number for the George Mason Library is (703) 256-3800; the Web address is
http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/library/branches/gm/direct.htm.
PARTIES
I want to thank everyone who joined me at the Fort Myer Officers' Club for my
birthday a few Saturdays ago. It was a great party. Also, Paul Aebersold had a wonderful turnout at his "Mayday" houseboat party. The food was delicious, and it was fantastic to sit on the deck in the drizzle and sing along to Dale's and Peter's accordions. Photos will be posted soon on this site.
ACCORDION REPAIR WORKSHOP
It seems that Dale Wise's June 12-13 repair workshop is full. But he is encouraging people to put their name on a waiting list so they'll be first in line for the next workshop he schedules. Contact Dale at (703) 507-9182 or [email protected].
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
We have a new executive committee member: Jim Vandelly will be doing
some PR for us. We look forward to seeing his articles in papers and on line.
FOOD SIGN-UP
We are going to return to using a food sign-up sheet, and I will provide the
coffee. If anyone would like to bring snacks for June, please contact me at
[email protected] or (703) 671-5395. Thank you to Lola Charvet for the
wonderful cake and for helping in the kitchen at the May 11 meeting.
NEXT MONTH
Thanks again, everyone, for a great Spring Concert, and welcome to the new
members! Don't forget to bring your accordions to the June 8 meeting (7:30 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church) to play with small groups after Mike Rubin's program, The World of Jewish music, and Clay's performance.
See you in June!
Karen
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
June 11, 2004
Notes from the President
June 8, 2004, Meeting
What a night! The meeting started with a wonderful and well-organized program by Michael B. Rubin. His survey of Jewish music covered cantorial/liturgical music, which started in approximately the 12th century, then moved to Ladino, Klezmer, Yiddish, Israeli, holiday and American Jewish music. For each category, Mike played us a couple of example pieces on his accordion, and the audience sang along on many. I hope that, in a future program, we'll be able to learn some Jewish and other types of folk dances.
Following Mike's presentation, our youngest member, Elise Malouf, performed "Skip to My Lou," and then Clay Bobrowski played several pieces on his Midi, in particular some Italian and Polish songs he recently played at a family member's wedding. Several of us tried the Midi afterwards, and it was an incredible experience for me to play Bach's Toccata on that instrument. I was sure Dracula was going to walk in the door any minute.
Next, newcomer David Ball demonstrated his beautiful 1929 Star concertina, playing a few songs and answering many questions. I look forward to hearing more from David.
Next month we will not have a workshop but will have short performances by Wendy Morrison, Peter DiGiovanni, and perhaps others, and then will begin working on music for the December 12 holiday concert. If you have some festive music with multiple parts, please bring it to the meeting, and make a dozen or so copies if you can.
Upcoming Events
Dale Wise will hold his summer recital next Thursday, June 17, at 8 p.m., at Oakton Methodist Churchon Route 123. Click here for more details on this and other events.
The Maryland Accordion Club (MAC) is looking for accordionists to ride on its float in the Catonsville, Md., 4th of July parade on Saturday, July 3. Several WMAS members participated last year and had a ball. Call Joe Fertitta at (410) 744-3352 for more information, and check out the photos from last year.
Also, MAC’s next meeting is Saturday, June 19, from 2 to 5 pm at the Bloomsbury Community Center, 106 Bloomsbury Avenue in Catonsville.
Joan Grauman and, I think, Stella Allison will be presenting workshops at the American Accordionists' Association convention in Quincy, Mass., July 11-15.
Hope to see you at the July 13 meeting, if not before.
Karen
***********************************************************************************************************************
June 11, 2004
Notes from the President
June 8, 2004, Meeting
What a night! The meeting started with a wonderful and well-organized program by Michael B. Rubin. His survey of Jewish music covered cantorial/liturgical music, which started in approximately the 12th century, then moved to Ladino, Klezmer, Yiddish, Israeli, holiday and American Jewish music. For each category, Mike played us a couple of example pieces on his accordion, and the audience sang along on many. I hope that, in a future program, we'll be able to learn some Jewish and other types of folk dances.
Following Mike's presentation, our youngest member, Elise Malouf, performed "Skip to My Lou," and then Clay Bobrowski played several pieces on his Midi, in particular some Italian and Polish songs he recently played at a family member's wedding. Several of us tried the Midi afterwards, and it was an incredible experience for me to play Bach's Toccata on that instrument. I was sure Dracula was going to walk in the door any minute.
Next, newcomer David Ball demonstrated his beautiful 1929 Star concertina, playing a few songs and answering many questions. I look forward to hearing more from David.
Next month we will not have a workshop but will have short performances by Wendy Morrison, Peter DiGiovanni, and perhaps others, and then will begin working on music for the December 12 holiday concert. If you have some festive music with multiple parts, please bring it to the meeting, and make a dozen or so copies if you can.
Upcoming Events
Dale Wise will hold his summer recital next Thursday, June 17, at 8 p.m., at Oakton Methodist Churchon Route 123. Click here for more details on this and other events.
The Maryland Accordion Club (MAC) is looking for accordionists to ride on its float in the Catonsville, Md., 4th of July parade on Saturday, July 3. Several WMAS members participated last year and had a ball. Call Joe Fertitta at (410) 744-3352 for more information, and check out the photos from last year.
Also, MAC’s next meeting is Saturday, June 19, from 2 to 5 pm at the Bloomsbury Community Center, 106 Bloomsbury Avenue in Catonsville.
Joan Grauman and, I think, Stella Allison will be presenting workshops at the American Accordionists' Association convention in Quincy, Mass., July 11-15.
Hope to see you at the July 13 meeting, if not before.
Karen
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
July 19, 2004
Meeting Notes
Because we didn't have a workshop scheduled for the July 13 meeting, we had the luxury of sitting back and listening to two of our members demonstrate some of the range of their playing. Peter DiGiovanni's and Wendy Morrison's performances were thoroughly enjoyable, and we still had time afterwards to practice for the December concert.
Peter started with "Gypsy Love" by Franz Lehar (who also wrote "The Merry Widow"). This piece, which Peter learned from a CD, "is very tuneful and the harmonies are straightforward, for the most part, so I was able to pick up most of it pretty quickly," he said. "But even after I had the tune in my head, there were some transitions and chords that required repeated listening and some trial and error to figure out. Then I had to find the appropriate bass treatment and fingering to get the chords I wanted." In his workshop at the September WMAS meeting, Peter will describe some of the mental processes he undergoes in learning by ear.
The second tune was "The Arpeggio Polka," from a book of compositions by Helene Criscio (polkas, waltzes, mazurkas, etc.). The book, which Peter recommends "without reservation," is available at the House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park.
The final piece in this set was "The Florentiner March," by Julius Fucik. Peter learned it mostly from a CD, "but some of the countermelodies that added greatly to the pleasure ... were tough to hear, so I ordered the miniscore and put some notes on paper." He said he played enough of the piece at the meeting to give the audience a feel for it. "Some of the sounds I want to create require improved playing skills and lots of trial and error (melodies in the bass, bellows shakes, rapidly repeating the same 16th notes, etc.), which is all part of the fun. With the help of the miniscore, I also constructed a second accordion part (right hand only) and hope to play a duet in the future," Peter said.
Wendy opened with a dance tune from Quebec, "Reel a Beatrice," that she learned from a French-Canadian one-row button accordion player many years ago. While playing, Wendy showed how the accordionists and fiddlers in Quebec provide percussion and keep time, seated, by clogging (foot-tapping/dancing) on a wooden floor, wearing hard-soled shoes. She was wearing sandals, and the floor was linoleum, "but I think [the audience] got the general idea," she said. "I hadn't done this technique in a long time, so I started slowly with the foot tapping, then I sped the tune up to normal dance tempo and stopped clogging."
Wendy's second piece was a traditional Jewish song in waltz time whose lyrics consisted of a series of biblical quotes about the Patriarch Jacob. "Only I didn't sing, because I can play much better than I can sing," she said.
The final piece was a long medley of klezmer tunes that Wendy's band Klezcentricity has been working on: a Khosidl, a march, and two Bulgar-Freylakhs, all learned from a book of tunes collected by a Moldavian clarinetist.
We look forward to Wendy's workshop in October.
Concert Rehearsal
The Holiday Concert is scheduled for December 12. If you were in the concert last year, you should have the music for most of the songs we will use this year:
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
Up on the Housetop
Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
How Brightly Shines the Morning Star
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Raindeer
In addition, Wendy has provided the music for a Hanukkah song, "Hanerot Halalu" (These lights that
we kindle).
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Again in August we do not have a formal workshop scheduled, so we're looking for a couple of people to perform at the meeting on the 10th. Also, it's really nice if someone plays while we set up, to get us in the mood. Contact Karen at [email protected] if you'd like to volunteer. (Mike Surratt has volunteered.)
(UPDATED) Joan Grauman would like to lead a small teaching/playing accordion band using her favorite advanced beginner/intermediate pieces that she has played over the years. She says she has a lot of sheet music and is in the process now of writing out some things to use in this group. Examples: a gorgeous arrangement of Greensleeves, El Choclo, Lara's Theme, Gold and Silver Waltz, a Viennese waltz medley, Edelweiss, a GREAT Irish waltz, "Star of the County Down" that her friend wrote an incredible second part for (download the music from the Miscellaneous page), some Italian pieces, Ashokan, and Lonely Accordion. Almost all of these are dance pieces, but also good concert pieces. Contact Joan for details at (301)279-8716.
Several of our members attended the American Accordionists' Association festival in Quincy, Mass., last week, and one member even ended up on the front page of the Boston Globe. We'll have a copy of the photo and article at the August meeting. (On the Globe's web site, her head was cropped out!)
Lots of events coming up …
Concerts this Thursday, July 22, are by the Eastern European group Harmonia at Nottaway Park in Vienna, and by the American Balalaika Symphony at Strathmore Hall in Bethesda.
Wednesday, July 28, Russikye Musikanti is at Lee District Park in Springfield, Va.
Saturday, August 14, is the picnic at Dale and DeAnn Wise's place in Burr Hill, Va., from 10:30 am to 5 pm. You should have received the details in a separate email. Please respond to Dale at [email protected] as to whether you're attending. Hamburgers, hotdogs and beverages will be supplied, but otherwise it's potluck. Also bring your accordion and music stand.
Saturday, August 28, Brave Combo is playing at Blob's in Jessup, Md. Contact Dave Ball at [email protected] if you'd like to join the WMAS group going up there. He'll take care of the reservation.
September 2 is the season's first Brat Night at the Del Ray Dreamery on Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria. Paul Przedpelski provides the music, but the Dreamery has offered to let WMAS members play on an open-mike basis during Paul's breaks. Contact him at [email protected] if you'd like to sign up. Brat Nights will continue on the first Thursday of the month through April, from 6 to 9 pm.
A September 28 concert in Danville, Va., featuring Tony Lovello, aka the Liberace of the Accordion, will benefit the Danville Life Saving Crew.
Details on these events are on the calendar.
AND FINALLY, ALL RUMORS TO THE CONTRARY, STELLA ALLISON IS ALIVE AND WELL!
See you soon!
*************************************************************************************************************************
July 19, 2004
Meeting Notes
Because we didn't have a workshop scheduled for the July 13 meeting, we had the luxury of sitting back and listening to two of our members demonstrate some of the range of their playing. Peter DiGiovanni's and Wendy Morrison's performances were thoroughly enjoyable, and we still had time afterwards to practice for the December concert.
Peter started with "Gypsy Love" by Franz Lehar (who also wrote "The Merry Widow"). This piece, which Peter learned from a CD, "is very tuneful and the harmonies are straightforward, for the most part, so I was able to pick up most of it pretty quickly," he said. "But even after I had the tune in my head, there were some transitions and chords that required repeated listening and some trial and error to figure out. Then I had to find the appropriate bass treatment and fingering to get the chords I wanted." In his workshop at the September WMAS meeting, Peter will describe some of the mental processes he undergoes in learning by ear.
The second tune was "The Arpeggio Polka," from a book of compositions by Helene Criscio (polkas, waltzes, mazurkas, etc.). The book, which Peter recommends "without reservation," is available at the House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park.
The final piece in this set was "The Florentiner March," by Julius Fucik. Peter learned it mostly from a CD, "but some of the countermelodies that added greatly to the pleasure ... were tough to hear, so I ordered the miniscore and put some notes on paper." He said he played enough of the piece at the meeting to give the audience a feel for it. "Some of the sounds I want to create require improved playing skills and lots of trial and error (melodies in the bass, bellows shakes, rapidly repeating the same 16th notes, etc.), which is all part of the fun. With the help of the miniscore, I also constructed a second accordion part (right hand only) and hope to play a duet in the future," Peter said.
Wendy opened with a dance tune from Quebec, "Reel a Beatrice," that she learned from a French-Canadian one-row button accordion player many years ago. While playing, Wendy showed how the accordionists and fiddlers in Quebec provide percussion and keep time, seated, by clogging (foot-tapping/dancing) on a wooden floor, wearing hard-soled shoes. She was wearing sandals, and the floor was linoleum, "but I think [the audience] got the general idea," she said. "I hadn't done this technique in a long time, so I started slowly with the foot tapping, then I sped the tune up to normal dance tempo and stopped clogging."
Wendy's second piece was a traditional Jewish song in waltz time whose lyrics consisted of a series of biblical quotes about the Patriarch Jacob. "Only I didn't sing, because I can play much better than I can sing," she said.
The final piece was a long medley of klezmer tunes that Wendy's band Klezcentricity has been working on: a Khosidl, a march, and two Bulgar-Freylakhs, all learned from a book of tunes collected by a Moldavian clarinetist.
We look forward to Wendy's workshop in October.
Concert Rehearsal
The Holiday Concert is scheduled for December 12. If you were in the concert last year, you should have the music for most of the songs we will use this year:
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
Up on the Housetop
Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
How Brightly Shines the Morning Star
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Raindeer
In addition, Wendy has provided the music for a Hanukkah song, "Hanerot Halalu" (These lights that
we kindle).
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Again in August we do not have a formal workshop scheduled, so we're looking for a couple of people to perform at the meeting on the 10th. Also, it's really nice if someone plays while we set up, to get us in the mood. Contact Karen at [email protected] if you'd like to volunteer. (Mike Surratt has volunteered.)
(UPDATED) Joan Grauman would like to lead a small teaching/playing accordion band using her favorite advanced beginner/intermediate pieces that she has played over the years. She says she has a lot of sheet music and is in the process now of writing out some things to use in this group. Examples: a gorgeous arrangement of Greensleeves, El Choclo, Lara's Theme, Gold and Silver Waltz, a Viennese waltz medley, Edelweiss, a GREAT Irish waltz, "Star of the County Down" that her friend wrote an incredible second part for (download the music from the Miscellaneous page), some Italian pieces, Ashokan, and Lonely Accordion. Almost all of these are dance pieces, but also good concert pieces. Contact Joan for details at (301)279-8716.
Several of our members attended the American Accordionists' Association festival in Quincy, Mass., last week, and one member even ended up on the front page of the Boston Globe. We'll have a copy of the photo and article at the August meeting. (On the Globe's web site, her head was cropped out!)
Lots of events coming up …
Concerts this Thursday, July 22, are by the Eastern European group Harmonia at Nottaway Park in Vienna, and by the American Balalaika Symphony at Strathmore Hall in Bethesda.
Wednesday, July 28, Russikye Musikanti is at Lee District Park in Springfield, Va.
Saturday, August 14, is the picnic at Dale and DeAnn Wise's place in Burr Hill, Va., from 10:30 am to 5 pm. You should have received the details in a separate email. Please respond to Dale at [email protected] as to whether you're attending. Hamburgers, hotdogs and beverages will be supplied, but otherwise it's potluck. Also bring your accordion and music stand.
Saturday, August 28, Brave Combo is playing at Blob's in Jessup, Md. Contact Dave Ball at [email protected] if you'd like to join the WMAS group going up there. He'll take care of the reservation.
September 2 is the season's first Brat Night at the Del Ray Dreamery on Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria. Paul Przedpelski provides the music, but the Dreamery has offered to let WMAS members play on an open-mike basis during Paul's breaks. Contact him at [email protected] if you'd like to sign up. Brat Nights will continue on the first Thursday of the month through April, from 6 to 9 pm.
A September 28 concert in Danville, Va., featuring Tony Lovello, aka the Liberace of the Accordion, will benefit the Danville Life Saving Crew.
Details on these events are on the calendar.
AND FINALLY, ALL RUMORS TO THE CONTRARY, STELLA ALLISON IS ALIVE AND WELL!
See you soon!
*************************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
August 12, 2004
Notes from the President
We had not scheduled a workshop for the August 10 meeting, but we were treated to three! Several new people came just to listen and we gained a couple of new members!
Mike Surratt started us off with the Christmas song "Do You Hear What I Hear," which he had arranged for us in three parts. As Paul Przedpelski and Phil Fox joined in, the song echoed beautifully, the three instruments answering each other's question.
Gratified, Mike asked which other pieces we would like arranged. We shouted out our favorite songs and together agreed that he should be our group arranger.
Next, Mike performed some songs from his CD, including "I'm In the Mood for Love." With the ability to tell jokes, sing and play at the same time, he entertained us and also provided some tips. For example, he would stop in the middle of a song to explain how to "use all your fingers at the same time." As Mike put it, "Why let your finger stick out there doing nothing, just waiting for a bird to land on it; use it to enhance your song and play the complete chord." It was a great little show/workshop. While he didn't have time to stay and sell his CDs, Mike agreed to come back and do a workshop for us in January or February. It's something to look forward to.
Then, in walked our beloved Merv Conn with the smallest accordion I have ever seen in my life: only eight bass buttons. He played a really sweet song on it, showing that, no matter how small the accordion, it can make beautiful music. In his part of the program, Merv played and sang, and also discussed how the bass "counterpoint" works to enhance a song such as "Old Man River." With "Cheek to Cheek," he demonstrated the right-hand technique of holding one note while playing other keys. Merv also told us how much he enjoys our meetings, and mentioned that he used to be president of a former Washington accordion organization.
Next, Joan Grauman played Ashokan Farewell in duet with Phil Fox and demonstrated various types of Balkan music. She discussed the rhythm of some of the dances and passed out music to people who expressed an interest in playing in a mini accordion band that she is organizing. The first meeting will be held at her home in Potomac, Md., on Tuesday, August 24, at 7:30. Contact Joan at (301) 279-8716 or [email protected] if you would like to participate, and contact Karen at (703) 671-5393 or [email protected] to arrange a car pool.
Following her performance, Joan conducted us as a band as we practiced for the December 12 holiday concert. Dale Wise will be conducting the concert itself, but Joan has volunteered to take over during the rehearsals that Dale can't make.
Next Meeting
At the September 14 meeting, Peter DiGiovanni will be doing a workshop on playing by ear. We look forward to that, as well as the other events that are coming up (see below). By the way, Joan and Dan Grauman will be bringing a large assortment of SqueezinArt accordion-related items to the September meeting, so start putting together your holiday shopping list.
Upcoming Events
This Saturday, August 14, is the picnic at Dale and DeAnn Wise's place in Burr Hill, Va., from 10:30 am to 5 pm. Details can be found in the News Archive. Please respond to Dale at [email protected] as to whether you're attending. Hamburgers, hotdogs and beverages will be supplied, but otherwise it's potluck. Also bring your accordion and music stand.
Saturday, August 28, Brave Combo is playing at Blob's in Jessup, Md. Contact Dave Ball at [email protected] if you'd like to join the WMAS group going up there.
September 2 is the season's first Brat Night at the Del Ray Dreamery on Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria. Paul Przedpelski provides the music, but the Dreamery has offered to let WMAS members play on an open-mike basis during Paul's breaks. Contact him at [email protected] if you'd like to sign up. Brat Nights will continue on the first Thursday of the month through April, from 6 to 9 pm.
A September 28 concert in Danville, Va., featuring Tony Lovello, aka the Liberace of the Accordion, will benefit the Danville Life Saving Crew.
Details on these events are on the Calendar.
************************************************************************************************************************
August 12, 2004
Notes from the President
We had not scheduled a workshop for the August 10 meeting, but we were treated to three! Several new people came just to listen and we gained a couple of new members!
Mike Surratt started us off with the Christmas song "Do You Hear What I Hear," which he had arranged for us in three parts. As Paul Przedpelski and Phil Fox joined in, the song echoed beautifully, the three instruments answering each other's question.
Gratified, Mike asked which other pieces we would like arranged. We shouted out our favorite songs and together agreed that he should be our group arranger.
Next, Mike performed some songs from his CD, including "I'm In the Mood for Love." With the ability to tell jokes, sing and play at the same time, he entertained us and also provided some tips. For example, he would stop in the middle of a song to explain how to "use all your fingers at the same time." As Mike put it, "Why let your finger stick out there doing nothing, just waiting for a bird to land on it; use it to enhance your song and play the complete chord." It was a great little show/workshop. While he didn't have time to stay and sell his CDs, Mike agreed to come back and do a workshop for us in January or February. It's something to look forward to.
Then, in walked our beloved Merv Conn with the smallest accordion I have ever seen in my life: only eight bass buttons. He played a really sweet song on it, showing that, no matter how small the accordion, it can make beautiful music. In his part of the program, Merv played and sang, and also discussed how the bass "counterpoint" works to enhance a song such as "Old Man River." With "Cheek to Cheek," he demonstrated the right-hand technique of holding one note while playing other keys. Merv also told us how much he enjoys our meetings, and mentioned that he used to be president of a former Washington accordion organization.
Next, Joan Grauman played Ashokan Farewell in duet with Phil Fox and demonstrated various types of Balkan music. She discussed the rhythm of some of the dances and passed out music to people who expressed an interest in playing in a mini accordion band that she is organizing. The first meeting will be held at her home in Potomac, Md., on Tuesday, August 24, at 7:30. Contact Joan at (301) 279-8716 or [email protected] if you would like to participate, and contact Karen at (703) 671-5393 or [email protected] to arrange a car pool.
Following her performance, Joan conducted us as a band as we practiced for the December 12 holiday concert. Dale Wise will be conducting the concert itself, but Joan has volunteered to take over during the rehearsals that Dale can't make.
Next Meeting
At the September 14 meeting, Peter DiGiovanni will be doing a workshop on playing by ear. We look forward to that, as well as the other events that are coming up (see below). By the way, Joan and Dan Grauman will be bringing a large assortment of SqueezinArt accordion-related items to the September meeting, so start putting together your holiday shopping list.
Upcoming Events
This Saturday, August 14, is the picnic at Dale and DeAnn Wise's place in Burr Hill, Va., from 10:30 am to 5 pm. Details can be found in the News Archive. Please respond to Dale at [email protected] as to whether you're attending. Hamburgers, hotdogs and beverages will be supplied, but otherwise it's potluck. Also bring your accordion and music stand.
Saturday, August 28, Brave Combo is playing at Blob's in Jessup, Md. Contact Dave Ball at [email protected] if you'd like to join the WMAS group going up there.
September 2 is the season's first Brat Night at the Del Ray Dreamery on Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria. Paul Przedpelski provides the music, but the Dreamery has offered to let WMAS members play on an open-mike basis during Paul's breaks. Contact him at [email protected] if you'd like to sign up. Brat Nights will continue on the first Thursday of the month through April, from 6 to 9 pm.
A September 28 concert in Danville, Va., featuring Tony Lovello, aka the Liberace of the Accordion, will benefit the Danville Life Saving Crew.
Details on these events are on the Calendar.
************************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
September 15, 2004
Notes from the President
I woke up this morning to Mike Surratt's arrangement of the We Three Kings/Greensleeves Medley, thinking it was the clock radio. Instead my mind was replaying the WMAS orchestra's beautiful rendition from last night's rehearsal for the holiday concert. Mike arranged two pieces for us, and they are wonderful. Thanks so much, Mike!
We had a full house last night for Peter DiGiovanni's very informative workshop on "Playing By Ear." The program also could have been called "how to hear music": Peter explained his method of listening for the scales and chords in melodies, the intervals in the melody and bass, the distinct notes in a chord, and so on. He also spent a little time demystifying the circle of fifths for us. In fact, the workshop was like a semester of music theory ingeniously organized and condensed into a little more than an hour. We didn't get through everything, though, and look forward to part 2 sometime in the spring.
For those who missed the meeting, here are Peter's suggestions for ear-training exercises:
- It's all about listening more closely than you may be accustomed to, with childlike curiosity and an unforced ear -- let the music come to you. Pay attention to the tones and their relationships.
- Scales up and down, followed by cadence sequence, in all keys.
- Intervals and scale degrees -- learn what they sound like -- sing intervals out loud -- say/sing C-G, G-C.
- Chords with inversions up and down the keyboard, in all keys -- sing them as arpeggios.
- Listen for all the tones in a chord, not just the top note.
- Check out musicalintervaltutor.com or other ear training source.
- Play (or have someone else play) any two notes together and identify the interval.
- Get accustomed to recognizing the home key whenever you listen to a song, and try to hear the bass line in your mind.
- Analyze a piece of music you are familiar with and look for the elements discussed in this workshop.
- Take a short note sequence and make a tune out of it, or see how many songs you know that start with the same notes (play name that tune).
- Spend time with a fake book -- note the patterns in the chord progressions and how they relate to the melody.
The workshop was followed by a series of duets. Lee and Barbara played Accordion Rhumba (with a second part arranged by Barbara), Perfidia and Tango Amoroso. Then Stella and Joan rounded up a couple of accordions and played Zum Abschied and Inga Lil Hambo. Next, Stella and Wei Wei performed an improvisational La Cumparsita, and, as a finale, Wei played Blue Sky (not Blue Skies).
Wendy Morrison is responsible for next month's program (Oct. 12), and it should be great.
See you soon,
Karen
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Maryland Accordion Society meets this Saturday from 2 to 5 pm in Catonsville. Dale Wise will teach Octoberfest songs. See the calendar for more information and directions.
Also, Saturday's forecast is for rain, so Paul Aebersold's Docktoberfest (houseboat) party that evening may have to be postponed. We'll send out the final word Saturday morning, so please check your email to see whether the party is on or off.
There are lots of concerts and other events coming up, so check the calendar regularly.
************************************************************************************************************************
September 15, 2004
Notes from the President
I woke up this morning to Mike Surratt's arrangement of the We Three Kings/Greensleeves Medley, thinking it was the clock radio. Instead my mind was replaying the WMAS orchestra's beautiful rendition from last night's rehearsal for the holiday concert. Mike arranged two pieces for us, and they are wonderful. Thanks so much, Mike!
We had a full house last night for Peter DiGiovanni's very informative workshop on "Playing By Ear." The program also could have been called "how to hear music": Peter explained his method of listening for the scales and chords in melodies, the intervals in the melody and bass, the distinct notes in a chord, and so on. He also spent a little time demystifying the circle of fifths for us. In fact, the workshop was like a semester of music theory ingeniously organized and condensed into a little more than an hour. We didn't get through everything, though, and look forward to part 2 sometime in the spring.
For those who missed the meeting, here are Peter's suggestions for ear-training exercises:
- It's all about listening more closely than you may be accustomed to, with childlike curiosity and an unforced ear -- let the music come to you. Pay attention to the tones and their relationships.
- Scales up and down, followed by cadence sequence, in all keys.
- Intervals and scale degrees -- learn what they sound like -- sing intervals out loud -- say/sing C-G, G-C.
- Chords with inversions up and down the keyboard, in all keys -- sing them as arpeggios.
- Listen for all the tones in a chord, not just the top note.
- Check out musicalintervaltutor.com or other ear training source.
- Play (or have someone else play) any two notes together and identify the interval.
- Get accustomed to recognizing the home key whenever you listen to a song, and try to hear the bass line in your mind.
- Analyze a piece of music you are familiar with and look for the elements discussed in this workshop.
- Take a short note sequence and make a tune out of it, or see how many songs you know that start with the same notes (play name that tune).
- Spend time with a fake book -- note the patterns in the chord progressions and how they relate to the melody.
The workshop was followed by a series of duets. Lee and Barbara played Accordion Rhumba (with a second part arranged by Barbara), Perfidia and Tango Amoroso. Then Stella and Joan rounded up a couple of accordions and played Zum Abschied and Inga Lil Hambo. Next, Stella and Wei Wei performed an improvisational La Cumparsita, and, as a finale, Wei played Blue Sky (not Blue Skies).
Wendy Morrison is responsible for next month's program (Oct. 12), and it should be great.
See you soon,
Karen
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Maryland Accordion Society meets this Saturday from 2 to 5 pm in Catonsville. Dale Wise will teach Octoberfest songs. See the calendar for more information and directions.
Also, Saturday's forecast is for rain, so Paul Aebersold's Docktoberfest (houseboat) party that evening may have to be postponed. We'll send out the final word Saturday morning, so please check your email to see whether the party is on or off.
There are lots of concerts and other events coming up, so check the calendar regularly.
************************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
October 13, 2004
Notes from the President
I have been singing “Monster Mash” all morning; I am so excited about the October 27 Halloween parade in Vienna, Va. WMAS will have a float with several of us on it in costume playing “Monster Mash” and other scary songs. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Joyce Palmer at (202) 543-3860 or [email protected]. The parade starts at 7 pm, but apparently people start setting out chairs in the morning.
Last night we were introduced to Wendy Morrison’s Home for Wayward Accordions Traveling Museum and Circus of Strange, Rare and Wonderful Squeezeboxes . Wendy had brought about a dozen instruments, and she explained the history of each and demonstrated how it sounded. Among the artifacts were a modern, American-made, octagonal Anglo concertina with hand-made Italian accordion reeds; a hexagonal English concertina built in 1918 that was a top-of-the-line instrument in its day; a Soviet-made one-row diatonic squeezebox with a bell accompaniment on the bass side; and a couple of club accordions by Hohner. One feature of the museum is that people are allowed to touch, and after the presentation, several people tried out the instruments and purchased tchochkes, records, music and other items from the “museum gift shop.” It was a great night. We had a nice turnout including a couple of new faces. Thanks, Wendy!
The December 12 holiday concert will be here before we know it. Here are the songs you need to practice: the two arrangements by Mike Surratt ("We Three Kings"/"Greensleeves" Medley and "Do You Hear What I Hear?"), “Rudolph,” “Up on the Housetop” and “March of the Toy Soldiers.” Also, we are starting to develop the program, so please let us know if you or your small group wants to play a piece in the concert. So far, Ron Charvet has signed up for “Silent Night,” Peter DiGiovanni has dibs on the “Skaters’ Waltz," and Peter and Mara will play "Hanerot Hallalu." Also, Joan Grauman’s small group is planning to play a few pieces. Please note that we will be rehearsing for the concert Tuesday, Nov. 2 (the week before the next meeting), as well as all the Tuesdays between the November 9 meeting and the concert, except for the one just before Thanksgiving. Please try to make the rehearsals if you’re playing in the concert. All take place at Sleepy Hollow Church and start at 7:30 pm.
Lots of other events coming up:
- Ronald and Lola Charvet have invited WMAS members to a party in Reston Saturday, October 23, starting at 4 pm. Please RSVP to (703) 273-9356 or [email protected], and don’t forget to bring your accordion.
- Paul Przedpelski plays November 4 at the Del Ray Dreamery on Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria, from about 6 to 9 pm. The Dreamery welcomes accordionists who’d like to play a couple of numbers during Paul’s breaks. Contact him at [email protected].
- November 6 the Washington Balalaika Society is holding a fundraiser party or “Vecherinka”: $25 includes food and musical entertainment by "Russkiye Musikanti," "Beltway Balalaikas," "The WBS Sextet" and "St. Petersburg Trio. For tickets or more information, check www.balalaika.org or call (703) 536- 3082.
- At our November 9 meeting, Stella Allison will present a workshop on jazz classics of the 1940s. We’ve had a taste of Stella’s music at previous meetings and can’t wait to hear more.
- Hexagon will give two free performances of its satirical musical comedy revue Monday, November 8, at 6 and 7:30 pm at the National Theater downtown. WMAS member Michael Rubin is a member of the troupe. See www.hexagon.org for more information.
- November 13 at 2 pm, WMAS is sponsoring a concert by accordion virtuoso Rita Davidson at the Fourth Presbyterian Church School, 10701 South Glen Road, Potomac, Md. This is our first try at bringing in an out-of-town performer – actually, Rita is a friend of Dan and Joan Grauman, who are doing all the legwork on this -- so we’re hoping for a good turnout. We’re asking for an $8 donation, and there will be a reception after the performance.
Rita, a full-time music teacher in West Orange, N.J., for many years, studied accordion with Eugene Ettore and has recorded his works. She has won many state and national accordion competitions and sits on the boards of the Accordion Teachers’ Association of New Jersey and the American Accordionists’ Association. She also has judged many piano and accordion competitions, presented workshops and concerts at accordion events around the country, performed at Lincoln Center and the United Nations, and plays in a Klezmer band in the New York metropolitan area. The November 13 concert will feature music by Eugene Ettore and Charles Magnante, plus some Klezmer selections.
For more information, contact Dan and Joan Grauman at (301) 279-8716 or [email protected].
- Also on the evening of November 13, Wendy Morrison’s group Shalshelet will perform some of her music at the 2004 Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music . The next day, the group will perform others of Wendy’s new pieces at afternoon workshops. The festival takes place at Temple Shalom, 8401 Grubb Road in Silver Spring, Md. See www.shalshelet.org for more information.
Details and more listings are on the calendar.
See you soon,
Karen
*************************************************************************************************************************
October 13, 2004
Notes from the President
I have been singing “Monster Mash” all morning; I am so excited about the October 27 Halloween parade in Vienna, Va. WMAS will have a float with several of us on it in costume playing “Monster Mash” and other scary songs. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Joyce Palmer at (202) 543-3860 or [email protected]. The parade starts at 7 pm, but apparently people start setting out chairs in the morning.
Last night we were introduced to Wendy Morrison’s Home for Wayward Accordions Traveling Museum and Circus of Strange, Rare and Wonderful Squeezeboxes . Wendy had brought about a dozen instruments, and she explained the history of each and demonstrated how it sounded. Among the artifacts were a modern, American-made, octagonal Anglo concertina with hand-made Italian accordion reeds; a hexagonal English concertina built in 1918 that was a top-of-the-line instrument in its day; a Soviet-made one-row diatonic squeezebox with a bell accompaniment on the bass side; and a couple of club accordions by Hohner. One feature of the museum is that people are allowed to touch, and after the presentation, several people tried out the instruments and purchased tchochkes, records, music and other items from the “museum gift shop.” It was a great night. We had a nice turnout including a couple of new faces. Thanks, Wendy!
The December 12 holiday concert will be here before we know it. Here are the songs you need to practice: the two arrangements by Mike Surratt ("We Three Kings"/"Greensleeves" Medley and "Do You Hear What I Hear?"), “Rudolph,” “Up on the Housetop” and “March of the Toy Soldiers.” Also, we are starting to develop the program, so please let us know if you or your small group wants to play a piece in the concert. So far, Ron Charvet has signed up for “Silent Night,” Peter DiGiovanni has dibs on the “Skaters’ Waltz," and Peter and Mara will play "Hanerot Hallalu." Also, Joan Grauman’s small group is planning to play a few pieces. Please note that we will be rehearsing for the concert Tuesday, Nov. 2 (the week before the next meeting), as well as all the Tuesdays between the November 9 meeting and the concert, except for the one just before Thanksgiving. Please try to make the rehearsals if you’re playing in the concert. All take place at Sleepy Hollow Church and start at 7:30 pm.
Lots of other events coming up:
- Ronald and Lola Charvet have invited WMAS members to a party in Reston Saturday, October 23, starting at 4 pm. Please RSVP to (703) 273-9356 or [email protected], and don’t forget to bring your accordion.
- Paul Przedpelski plays November 4 at the Del Ray Dreamery on Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria, from about 6 to 9 pm. The Dreamery welcomes accordionists who’d like to play a couple of numbers during Paul’s breaks. Contact him at [email protected].
- November 6 the Washington Balalaika Society is holding a fundraiser party or “Vecherinka”: $25 includes food and musical entertainment by "Russkiye Musikanti," "Beltway Balalaikas," "The WBS Sextet" and "St. Petersburg Trio. For tickets or more information, check www.balalaika.org or call (703) 536- 3082.
- At our November 9 meeting, Stella Allison will present a workshop on jazz classics of the 1940s. We’ve had a taste of Stella’s music at previous meetings and can’t wait to hear more.
- Hexagon will give two free performances of its satirical musical comedy revue Monday, November 8, at 6 and 7:30 pm at the National Theater downtown. WMAS member Michael Rubin is a member of the troupe. See www.hexagon.org for more information.
- November 13 at 2 pm, WMAS is sponsoring a concert by accordion virtuoso Rita Davidson at the Fourth Presbyterian Church School, 10701 South Glen Road, Potomac, Md. This is our first try at bringing in an out-of-town performer – actually, Rita is a friend of Dan and Joan Grauman, who are doing all the legwork on this -- so we’re hoping for a good turnout. We’re asking for an $8 donation, and there will be a reception after the performance.
Rita, a full-time music teacher in West Orange, N.J., for many years, studied accordion with Eugene Ettore and has recorded his works. She has won many state and national accordion competitions and sits on the boards of the Accordion Teachers’ Association of New Jersey and the American Accordionists’ Association. She also has judged many piano and accordion competitions, presented workshops and concerts at accordion events around the country, performed at Lincoln Center and the United Nations, and plays in a Klezmer band in the New York metropolitan area. The November 13 concert will feature music by Eugene Ettore and Charles Magnante, plus some Klezmer selections.
For more information, contact Dan and Joan Grauman at (301) 279-8716 or [email protected].
- Also on the evening of November 13, Wendy Morrison’s group Shalshelet will perform some of her music at the 2004 Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music . The next day, the group will perform others of Wendy’s new pieces at afternoon workshops. The festival takes place at Temple Shalom, 8401 Grubb Road in Silver Spring, Md. See www.shalshelet.org for more information.
Details and more listings are on the calendar.
See you soon,
Karen
*************************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
November 10, 2004
Meeting Notes from the President
What an extraordinary evening! At the November 9 meeting, Stella Allison and guitarist Pat Quinn just blew our socks off with their wonderful music. The two, who have been working together for about 10 years, played "Blue Moon," "Autumn Leaves," "Charade," "Summertime," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Satin Doll," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "The Glory of Love," "All the Things You Are," "It's Been a Long Time" and "Sweet Georgia Brown." Arrangers included Art Van Damme, Frank Marocco, Joe Morelli, and Stella herself, working under Carmelo Pino. In addition, Joan Grauman joined Stella in two beautiful duets: Stas Venglevski's "Let's Play Together" and "Achtung Los" by Walter Wild. Thank you so much, Stella, Pat and Joan!
Following the program, Joan's small group played three pieces -- "Zum Abschied," "Gay Time" and "Star of the County Down" -- which also were well received. As a member of that group, I know I've enjoyed getting together at Joan's house to practice, and I'm sure we all appreciate Joan's giving us an opportunity to learn different types of music.
Joan and Stella, by the way, have been invited to play at the luncheon at the American Accordionists' Association festival in Dearborn, Michigan, next July. This is a big honor!
Several WMAS members participated in the Vienna Halloween parade Oct. 27, and we won second place for adult bands. At the awards ceremony at the Vienna City Council, they made quite a fuss about our group and really talked up how wonderful it was to have an accordion group. We felt proud and, more important, glad that we helped spread the word about our instrument. Photos of the parade are in the photo album and photos of the awards ceremony will be up soon.
We are still missing an important piece to our WMAS puzzle: press coverage. Mara sends notices about each of our events to various calendars (Washington Post, City Paper and WETA), but we need someone who can put a little time into contacting the media (print, TV, radio) about coming out to see what we're about. (WAMU's Metro Connection might be a good place to start.) Meanwhile, please try to spread the word about our meetings and the December 12 concert by contacting your local free newspapers and newsletters (but, to avoid duplication, please let us know the outlets you contact). If everyone works together in this effort, we will have even more members, and will reach a greater age range.
Rita Davidson Concert
We are hoping to have a good turnout for Rita's concert at 2 pm on Saturday at the Fourth Presbyterian School, 10701 S. Glen Road, Potomac, Md. If you can manage it, please bring a plate of cookies or other treats for the reception following the concert. Hope to see you there! For more information, see the calendar or call Joan and Dan Grauman at (301) 279-8716.
Holiday Concert
If you would like to play in the December 12 concert, please let us know as soon as possible (if you haven't already done so). If you cannot commit in advance to the concert, don't worry; you can still bring your accordion on the 12th and play after the concert, during the dinner.
We'll need help with setup starting at 1:30 pm on the 12th, and with cleanup after the potluck. Any family members and friends who can help out are more than welcome.
If you're playing in the WMAS Orchestra, please arrive at least by 2 pm to rehearse. And don't forget we're rehearsing three more Tuesdays before the 12th: November 16 and 30 and December 7, at 7:30 at Sleepy Hollow Church.
Two more concert-related items: Rather than having everyone dress uniformly, let's just say everyone in the orchestra should dress up. Also, please let us know what dish you will be bringing, so we can make sure any gaps get filled.
Following is a preliminary concert play list; remember, everything is subject to change.
WMAS Orchestra-Rudolph
Paul P. and Barbara duet-Feliz Navidad
Joan's Group (Potomac Ensemble Mattinata
Peter DiG on accordion and Jim Vandelly on bayan and balalaika Ach Vi Sienni (Oh, My Porch)
Phil Fox The Magic of Christmas (Is Love) - by Merv Conn
WMAS Orchestra- We Three Kings/Greensleeves Medley arr. by Mike Surratt for WMAS
Paul P. Winter Wonderland
WMAS Orchestra Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
Peter DiG., Joan G. and Mara C. Hanerot Hallalu - arr. by Wendy Morrison
Mike Rubin solo TBD
Karen and Paul The Christmas Waltz
Potomac Ensemble Sto Mi E Milo - Bulgarian folk song arr. by Joan Grauman
Ronald C. Silent Night
WMAS Orchestra
Do You Hear What I Hear - arr. by Mike Surrett for WMAS
Peter DiG. The Skaters Waltz - by Emil Waldteufel, Op 183
Elise M. Silent Night and Jingle Bells
Potomac Ensemble Ashokan Farewell - arr. by Joan Grauman
Stella solo TBD
Stella and Joan Siciliano - by J.S. Bach
Vic Aijala Life's Heartaches (Finnish song)
Elizabeth Nelson with Fred Nelson on mandolin Christmastime's A-Comin'
Jim V. Russkiye Napyevi
Merv Conn Christmas Song by Mel Torme & Robert Wells
Steve T. Espana Cani
Potomac Ensemble Zum Abschied
WMAS Orchestra Up On the Housetop
***********************************************************************************************************************
November 10, 2004
Meeting Notes from the President
What an extraordinary evening! At the November 9 meeting, Stella Allison and guitarist Pat Quinn just blew our socks off with their wonderful music. The two, who have been working together for about 10 years, played "Blue Moon," "Autumn Leaves," "Charade," "Summertime," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Satin Doll," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "The Glory of Love," "All the Things You Are," "It's Been a Long Time" and "Sweet Georgia Brown." Arrangers included Art Van Damme, Frank Marocco, Joe Morelli, and Stella herself, working under Carmelo Pino. In addition, Joan Grauman joined Stella in two beautiful duets: Stas Venglevski's "Let's Play Together" and "Achtung Los" by Walter Wild. Thank you so much, Stella, Pat and Joan!
Following the program, Joan's small group played three pieces -- "Zum Abschied," "Gay Time" and "Star of the County Down" -- which also were well received. As a member of that group, I know I've enjoyed getting together at Joan's house to practice, and I'm sure we all appreciate Joan's giving us an opportunity to learn different types of music.
Joan and Stella, by the way, have been invited to play at the luncheon at the American Accordionists' Association festival in Dearborn, Michigan, next July. This is a big honor!
Several WMAS members participated in the Vienna Halloween parade Oct. 27, and we won second place for adult bands. At the awards ceremony at the Vienna City Council, they made quite a fuss about our group and really talked up how wonderful it was to have an accordion group. We felt proud and, more important, glad that we helped spread the word about our instrument. Photos of the parade are in the photo album and photos of the awards ceremony will be up soon.
We are still missing an important piece to our WMAS puzzle: press coverage. Mara sends notices about each of our events to various calendars (Washington Post, City Paper and WETA), but we need someone who can put a little time into contacting the media (print, TV, radio) about coming out to see what we're about. (WAMU's Metro Connection might be a good place to start.) Meanwhile, please try to spread the word about our meetings and the December 12 concert by contacting your local free newspapers and newsletters (but, to avoid duplication, please let us know the outlets you contact). If everyone works together in this effort, we will have even more members, and will reach a greater age range.
Rita Davidson Concert
We are hoping to have a good turnout for Rita's concert at 2 pm on Saturday at the Fourth Presbyterian School, 10701 S. Glen Road, Potomac, Md. If you can manage it, please bring a plate of cookies or other treats for the reception following the concert. Hope to see you there! For more information, see the calendar or call Joan and Dan Grauman at (301) 279-8716.
Holiday Concert
If you would like to play in the December 12 concert, please let us know as soon as possible (if you haven't already done so). If you cannot commit in advance to the concert, don't worry; you can still bring your accordion on the 12th and play after the concert, during the dinner.
We'll need help with setup starting at 1:30 pm on the 12th, and with cleanup after the potluck. Any family members and friends who can help out are more than welcome.
If you're playing in the WMAS Orchestra, please arrive at least by 2 pm to rehearse. And don't forget we're rehearsing three more Tuesdays before the 12th: November 16 and 30 and December 7, at 7:30 at Sleepy Hollow Church.
Two more concert-related items: Rather than having everyone dress uniformly, let's just say everyone in the orchestra should dress up. Also, please let us know what dish you will be bringing, so we can make sure any gaps get filled.
Following is a preliminary concert play list; remember, everything is subject to change.
WMAS Orchestra-Rudolph
Paul P. and Barbara duet-Feliz Navidad
Joan's Group (Potomac Ensemble Mattinata
Peter DiG on accordion and Jim Vandelly on bayan and balalaika Ach Vi Sienni (Oh, My Porch)
Phil Fox The Magic of Christmas (Is Love) - by Merv Conn
WMAS Orchestra- We Three Kings/Greensleeves Medley arr. by Mike Surratt for WMAS
Paul P. Winter Wonderland
WMAS Orchestra Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
Peter DiG., Joan G. and Mara C. Hanerot Hallalu - arr. by Wendy Morrison
Mike Rubin solo TBD
Karen and Paul The Christmas Waltz
Potomac Ensemble Sto Mi E Milo - Bulgarian folk song arr. by Joan Grauman
Ronald C. Silent Night
WMAS Orchestra
Do You Hear What I Hear - arr. by Mike Surrett for WMAS
Peter DiG. The Skaters Waltz - by Emil Waldteufel, Op 183
Elise M. Silent Night and Jingle Bells
Potomac Ensemble Ashokan Farewell - arr. by Joan Grauman
Stella solo TBD
Stella and Joan Siciliano - by J.S. Bach
Vic Aijala Life's Heartaches (Finnish song)
Elizabeth Nelson with Fred Nelson on mandolin Christmastime's A-Comin'
Jim V. Russkiye Napyevi
Merv Conn Christmas Song by Mel Torme & Robert Wells
Steve T. Espana Cani
Potomac Ensemble Zum Abschied
WMAS Orchestra Up On the Housetop
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
December 18, 2004
Notes from the President
Our concert last Sunday was a huge success! At least 110 people attended, enough to fill up the church social hall. The program offered a wonderful variety of selections, styles and levels, so our members from the youngest beginner to the oldest pro got a chance to perform, and the audience loved it.
Both Dan Grauman and Jim Vandelly recorded the concert, and eventually they will make copies of their video and CD available to WMAS members. We'll also be posting photos on the Web site. By the way, the concert was mentioned ahead of time on www.accordionusa.com, along with a photo from the Halloween parade and general info on WMAS. Check it out!
A huge thank you to everyone who helped out with the concert! At the risk of leaving someone out, we'd like to mention the following:
- Rev. Pam Egan and the congregation of Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church for allowing us to use their space;
- Joan Grauman for conducting -- and managing to whip us into shape;
- Dale Wise for MC'ing;
- Ron andLola Charvet, and their whole family, for providing the decorations and huge pans of chicken and rice, and helping with setup and cleanup;
- Luis Uribe for managing the setup, potluck and cleanup, along with all sorts of miscellaneous tasks;
- Brigitte and Ben Valenti for providing a whole ham and helping with cleanup;
- Lee and Ron Poulsen for helping set up and clean up;
- Dan Grauman and Roy Allison for helping with cleanup;
- Elizabeth Nelson for hauling trash;
- Deann Wise, Lola Charvet and Terry Fox for helping in the kitchen;
- Mara's friends Malini Dominey for making the flyer and program and taking photos, and Juliette Tahar for handling the "box office"; and
- Phil Fox for storing the decorations in his basement for next year.
And many thanks, also, to all the musicians who participated in the concert, cooks who provided potluck dishes, and friends and family who came out to hear us play!
Two days after the concert, December 14, was the second Tuesday of the month, and a number of people showed up for our regular meeting which featured Dale Wise's very educational workshop on "Bass Patterns That Make a Difference." This was a hands-on deal: we tried out 50 different patterns, as Dale demonstrated the types of songs that go with each one. Afterwards, some of us bought Dale's Pro Notes CD and sheet music so we can work on the patterns at home. If you'd like a copy, see www.accordionplus.com.
If Sunday and Tuesday were not enough, a number of WMAS members also performed or sat in the audience at Dale's AccordionPlus concert on Wednesday night, December 15. This was another big success and a lot of fun. No doubt some of us now are suffering from withdrawal -- we have nothing big scheduled until after the holidays!
Joke Break (provided by Wendy Morrison)
So a B-flat, a D-flat, and an F walk into a bar. The bartender says to them, "I'm sorry we don't serve minors here"...
The D-flat leaves and the B-flat and the F have an open fifth between them.
(ba-da-boom ...)
Upcoming Meetings
Our first meeting of 2005 will take place Tuesday, January 11; the program will feature Steve Tchamouroff will performing European popular music. We heard one piece from Steve at the holiday concert, and he's also played for us on a couple of other occasions -- but only briefly, so we look forward to hearing a bigger chunk of his repertoire.
Then, for the February meeting, we're planning a polka night. At this point, we're thinking we'd like to have people sign up ahead of time for a total of maybe 15 songs, and we're hoping we'll have dancers as well. Maybe someone could teach the polka.
Rita Davidson Concert
On November 13, WMAS sponsored a truly enjoyable concert featuring virtuoso accordionist Rita Weinbuch Davidson. Rita played a wonderful mix of classical and folk music to a very appreciative audience consisting mainly of accordionists from our area. Her warm personality came through everything she played, and her accuracy -- even in the pieces she played with lightning speed -- delighted the awestruck listeners. We hope to bring her back again sometime. Rita is an elementary school music teacher in New Jersey. What a lucky bunch of children to have such a kind person and superb musician as their musical role model!!
January 15 Bayan Concert
The Washington Balalaika Society (WBS) will present a house concert featuring the bayan player and vocalist from the Ossipov Orchestra of Moscow on Saturday night, January 15, in Potomac, Md. The ticket price is $45 per person, and WMAS members are welcome.
Dmitri Dmitrienko is considered one of the best bayanists in Russia; Anna Litvenenko is the vocalist.
If you would like to attend, please contact Jim Vandelly ASAP at
[email protected] or [email protected].
You can pay Jim at the January 11 WMAS meeting, or, if you are NOT going to be at the January meeting, you can mail a check (no cash, please) to
James E. Vandelly
15508 Vine Cottage Drive
Centreville, VA 20120-3750
Please make the check payable to the WASHINGTON BALALAIKA SOCIETY for $45/person. In the remarks section write: "Dmitrienko Concert" to help the WBS treasurer sort the checks.
Please note that you'll need to dress up for the concert: coat and tie for men (no blue jeans!) and dress slacks or dress for women (also no jeans!).
Jim will send out directions before the concert.
Tom Brzostowski
Pat Potter reports that the accordionist Tom Brzostowski passed away early last Tuesday, December 14, 2004. The following email came from his wife, Sharon.
Hello everyone,
Just a quick note to let you know the details.
Viewing & visiting on Monday, December 20, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9pm.
Mass on Tuesday, December 21, at 10:00 am
Viewing and Mass will all be at at
Mother Seton Parish
19951 Father Hurley Boulevard
Germantown, MD 20874
Father Hurley Boulevard is Route 27 off 270. From 270 take Father Hurley Blvd and go west almost to the end. The church will be on the left, right after Middlebrook Road. Go to the next left and make a U-turn, then a right into the parking lot.
We will have a light lunch after, and all are invited.
Instead of flowers you may make a donation to:
Mother Seton Parish
Buiding Fund
19951 Father Hurley Blvd
Germantown, MD 20874
Polish-American Arts Association
of Washington, DC
Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 9442
Washington, DC 20016
American Lung Association
Again thank you for your love, prayers and support.
Love, Sharon
December 18, 2004
Notes from the President
Our concert last Sunday was a huge success! At least 110 people attended, enough to fill up the church social hall. The program offered a wonderful variety of selections, styles and levels, so our members from the youngest beginner to the oldest pro got a chance to perform, and the audience loved it.
Both Dan Grauman and Jim Vandelly recorded the concert, and eventually they will make copies of their video and CD available to WMAS members. We'll also be posting photos on the Web site. By the way, the concert was mentioned ahead of time on www.accordionusa.com, along with a photo from the Halloween parade and general info on WMAS. Check it out!
A huge thank you to everyone who helped out with the concert! At the risk of leaving someone out, we'd like to mention the following:
- Rev. Pam Egan and the congregation of Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church for allowing us to use their space;
- Joan Grauman for conducting -- and managing to whip us into shape;
- Dale Wise for MC'ing;
- Ron andLola Charvet, and their whole family, for providing the decorations and huge pans of chicken and rice, and helping with setup and cleanup;
- Luis Uribe for managing the setup, potluck and cleanup, along with all sorts of miscellaneous tasks;
- Brigitte and Ben Valenti for providing a whole ham and helping with cleanup;
- Lee and Ron Poulsen for helping set up and clean up;
- Dan Grauman and Roy Allison for helping with cleanup;
- Elizabeth Nelson for hauling trash;
- Deann Wise, Lola Charvet and Terry Fox for helping in the kitchen;
- Mara's friends Malini Dominey for making the flyer and program and taking photos, and Juliette Tahar for handling the "box office"; and
- Phil Fox for storing the decorations in his basement for next year.
And many thanks, also, to all the musicians who participated in the concert, cooks who provided potluck dishes, and friends and family who came out to hear us play!
Two days after the concert, December 14, was the second Tuesday of the month, and a number of people showed up for our regular meeting which featured Dale Wise's very educational workshop on "Bass Patterns That Make a Difference." This was a hands-on deal: we tried out 50 different patterns, as Dale demonstrated the types of songs that go with each one. Afterwards, some of us bought Dale's Pro Notes CD and sheet music so we can work on the patterns at home. If you'd like a copy, see www.accordionplus.com.
If Sunday and Tuesday were not enough, a number of WMAS members also performed or sat in the audience at Dale's AccordionPlus concert on Wednesday night, December 15. This was another big success and a lot of fun. No doubt some of us now are suffering from withdrawal -- we have nothing big scheduled until after the holidays!
Joke Break (provided by Wendy Morrison)
So a B-flat, a D-flat, and an F walk into a bar. The bartender says to them, "I'm sorry we don't serve minors here"...
The D-flat leaves and the B-flat and the F have an open fifth between them.
(ba-da-boom ...)
Upcoming Meetings
Our first meeting of 2005 will take place Tuesday, January 11; the program will feature Steve Tchamouroff will performing European popular music. We heard one piece from Steve at the holiday concert, and he's also played for us on a couple of other occasions -- but only briefly, so we look forward to hearing a bigger chunk of his repertoire.
Then, for the February meeting, we're planning a polka night. At this point, we're thinking we'd like to have people sign up ahead of time for a total of maybe 15 songs, and we're hoping we'll have dancers as well. Maybe someone could teach the polka.
Rita Davidson Concert
On November 13, WMAS sponsored a truly enjoyable concert featuring virtuoso accordionist Rita Weinbuch Davidson. Rita played a wonderful mix of classical and folk music to a very appreciative audience consisting mainly of accordionists from our area. Her warm personality came through everything she played, and her accuracy -- even in the pieces she played with lightning speed -- delighted the awestruck listeners. We hope to bring her back again sometime. Rita is an elementary school music teacher in New Jersey. What a lucky bunch of children to have such a kind person and superb musician as their musical role model!!
January 15 Bayan Concert
The Washington Balalaika Society (WBS) will present a house concert featuring the bayan player and vocalist from the Ossipov Orchestra of Moscow on Saturday night, January 15, in Potomac, Md. The ticket price is $45 per person, and WMAS members are welcome.
Dmitri Dmitrienko is considered one of the best bayanists in Russia; Anna Litvenenko is the vocalist.
If you would like to attend, please contact Jim Vandelly ASAP at
[email protected] or [email protected].
You can pay Jim at the January 11 WMAS meeting, or, if you are NOT going to be at the January meeting, you can mail a check (no cash, please) to
James E. Vandelly
15508 Vine Cottage Drive
Centreville, VA 20120-3750
Please make the check payable to the WASHINGTON BALALAIKA SOCIETY for $45/person. In the remarks section write: "Dmitrienko Concert" to help the WBS treasurer sort the checks.
Please note that you'll need to dress up for the concert: coat and tie for men (no blue jeans!) and dress slacks or dress for women (also no jeans!).
Jim will send out directions before the concert.
Tom Brzostowski
Pat Potter reports that the accordionist Tom Brzostowski passed away early last Tuesday, December 14, 2004. The following email came from his wife, Sharon.
Hello everyone,
Just a quick note to let you know the details.
Viewing & visiting on Monday, December 20, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9pm.
Mass on Tuesday, December 21, at 10:00 am
Viewing and Mass will all be at at
Mother Seton Parish
19951 Father Hurley Boulevard
Germantown, MD 20874
Father Hurley Boulevard is Route 27 off 270. From 270 take Father Hurley Blvd and go west almost to the end. The church will be on the left, right after Middlebrook Road. Go to the next left and make a U-turn, then a right into the parking lot.
We will have a light lunch after, and all are invited.
Instead of flowers you may make a donation to:
Mother Seton Parish
Buiding Fund
19951 Father Hurley Blvd
Germantown, MD 20874
Polish-American Arts Association
of Washington, DC
Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 9442
Washington, DC 20016
American Lung Association
Again thank you for your love, prayers and support.
Love, Sharon