2007 News Archive
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
January 16, 2007
Meeting Notes
Here in accordion land, the new year rolled in with a bang. Robert Ford’s performance at the January 9 meeting was a rare treat, and we had a larger-than-usual turnout, with many new faces. It was especially nice to see Frank Busso Jr. in the crowd. Frank now plays accordion with the U.S. Air Force Strings, and we’re hoping to get him and his father and sister, the Busso Trio, to play for our group sometime this spring.
Robert wove a little autobiography into the wonderful music he offered us. At age 10, he moved with his family to La Paz, Bolivia, he told us. Looking around for something to do, he settled on guitar lessons at the nearby Hohner Academy but soon switched to accordion because the guitar strings raised blisters on his fingers. In addition, “the accordion was king” at the academy, he said. His parents bought him a 72-bass black Hohner, and he practiced hours everyday. A few years later he got the 120-bass red Hohner that remains his one and only.
In 1972, the Hohner Academy received an invitation to participate in the 25th World Accordion Championship in Caracas, Venezuela, and 13-year-old Robert was chosen to represent Bolivia in the competition. Two years later he participated in the 27th World Accordion Championship in Stockholm, Sweden.
At age 17, Robert dropped the accordion and began studying electrical engineering. Only about six years ago he picked it up and began playing again. In July 2003 he met Joan Grauman at the American Accordionists’ Association festival in Philadelphia and found out about WMAS. (He also ran into Joe Natoli, an AAA regular, who represented the United States in Caracas in 1972.)
The musical part of the program started with a couple of French tunes arranged by Frank Marocco: “Under Paris Skies” and “Les Mesdemoiselles de Paris.” Next came two polkas – “Beer Barrel” and “Lichtensteiner” – and a medley of tangos: “A Media Luz,” “El Choclo,” and “La Comparsita.” “Tico Tico” and “Ritual Fire Dance” by Manuel de Falla followed, along with Monti’s “Czardas” and Brahms’s “Hungarian Dance No. 5.” For the finale Robert offered us the piece he played in Caracas in 1972: “Poet and Peasant Overture” by Franz von Suppé.
This last piece, especially, left the audience in awe, and no one dared to stand up and play in the open mic we’d planned to fill out the evening. We therefore adjourned for refreshments, while a few people – including Ken Kunec and Merv Conn – played in the din.
Announcements
Membership Dues
We’re collection 2007 membership dues now. It’s $15 or only pennies per day, as membership chairman Peter DiGiovanni notes.
Meeting Time Change
Starting in March WMAS will be meeting on Sunday afternoons at 4 pm, generally the third Sunday of the month. The new dates will be posted on the Web calendar. The executive committee is very pleased with the new time because it will be easier to book guest artists during meetings, and host out-of-town guests from other clubs. In addition, many of us will be relieved not to have to drive through rush-hour traffic any more. The Sunday meetings will be March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15, September 16, October 21, November 18, and December 16. We’ll skip August in favor of the American Accordionists’ Association festival and Coupe Mondiale the third week of that month, and the holiday concert will take the place of our December meeting. We’ll rehearse for the concert at the October and November meetings and will schedule some other rehearsals as well.
Next Meeting
The February meeting will be TUESDAY the 13th, and we will celebrate our 4th birthday and Valentine’s Day with an open mic. Please sign up to play your favorite songs for the occasion. Pieces with a love or Mardi Gras theme are especially welcome, but of course you’re welcome to play anything. (Maybe something with a winter or snow theme left over from the January meeting!!) If there’s time, we may also try a play-along tune led by Joan Grauman.
We will also VOTE for executive committee members. The nominating committee has put forward the following slate: Karen Malan-Uribe, president; Joan Grauman, vice-president; Mara Cherkasky, secretary-treasurer; Peter DiGiovanni, membership chairman; Jim Vandelly, communications; and Lee Paulson, committee member. Anyone who would like to nominate him/herself or someone else in place of any of these candidates, please do so ASAP.
T-shirts
It's been a while since we last ordered WMAS t-shirts. Joan is gathering price and style information to present at an upcoming meeting. We will allow people to pre-order items at a discount but also will order extras to sell at meetings and events.
Merv Conn Tribute February 18
Over the past year Joan Grauman and Mara Cherkasky have worked with local documentary maker Jeff Krulik to produce The Legend of Merv Conn. The film will premiere Sunday, February 18, at the AFI Silver Theater on Colesville Road in Silver Spring. Show time is 4:30. Tickets are $5. Please come out and support this project – it would be great to let the world know that the accordion is BIG in the DC area. Bring your accordion and participate in the world’s first 21-accordion salute. Eat birthday cake! View rare historic footage of Glen Echo and the last days of Washington’s streetcars! Hear Dale Wise and the Potomac Ensemble! More information at www.afi.com/silver or www.planetkrulik.com. Click here for a flyer.
Washington Saengerbund Fasching / Mardi Gras Bal
lSaturday, February 10, 2007, 7:00 p.m. – midnight
Come join us at our annual festive Costume Prize Masquerade Ball held at a large grand ballroom on Arlington Boulevard (Route 50) in Fairfax, VA.
Enjoy live dance music by two great bands: Steschner's Edelweiss Band and Mike Surratt & the Continentals, playing a wide variety of dance music, including dixieland, waltzes, polkas, swing, sambas, and other Karnival, Latin and ballroom dances. Savor delicious German food specialties, German and domestic beer and wine, soft drinks, and champagne.
Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. For directions and advance tickets, send your check payable to the Washington Saengerbund, and enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope to Mrs. Eva Brandt, 2860 Hideaway Road, Fairfax, VA 22031 (phone 703-280-1772).
See www.saengerbund.org for more details and to view pictures taken at past events. More information from Eva Brandt, 703-280-1772.
AAMS Festival
American Accordion Musicological Society
20th Annual Festival and Symposium - AAMS 2007 FESTIVAL - March 2-4, 2007
Valley Forge Hilton
251 West DeKalb Pike
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 19406
More information at www.aamsaccordionfestival.com, or call Joanna Arnold Darrow
at (856) 854-6628.
Registration packets will be mailed starting January 19.
Stas Venglevski and John Simkus in Concert April 22
Please put the date on your calendar. This concert will take place at the Masonic Temple in Silver Spring, the same place as the Frank Marocco concert last year. It starts at 3 pm. See more information.
Accordion History
Dominic Karcic sent the following link to an interesting article on accordion history. Check it out!
http://www.accordions.com/index/his/his_it.shtml
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
March 20, 2007
Meeting Notes
WMAS entered its fifth year on a high note. In celebration of our fourth birthday and our move to Sunday afternoons, we were thrilled to welcome the acclaimed Busso Trio for a concert that was attended by almost 80 people. Ever since we learned that Christina Busso was living in Alexandria, we had been hoping. And when Frank Busso Jr. signed on as Air Force accordionist and moved to the area as well, we figured our chances of getting Frank Busso Sr. down here had doubled. As soon as we learned we would be able to move our meetings to Sunday afternoons, we did not waste any time, and the Busso parents decided this past weekend was a good time to visit from Staten Island. We were rewarded with a truly outstanding performance.
Thanks to all who helped out, especially Luis Uribe, Lee and Ron Paulson, and Jim Vandelly for setting up the room; Peter DiGiovanni for procuring the new sign; and Joan Grauman for working out the details with the Bussos.
The executive committee has decided we should bring in a guest artist about every six months, depending on how this first concert worked out. It was a resounding success, so the plan will proceed.
Jim Vandelly has donated a microphone to the club, and Joan has donated a mic stand. We’re now good to go on concerts, and all the club had to purchase was some cords.
Merv Conn Tribute
The accordion has been all over the news lately, mainly thanks to Jeff Krulik’s documentary The Legend of Merv Conn, which premiered at the AFI Silver Theatre February 18. The program – which featured live music by Dale Wise, the Potomac Ensemble (and Merv Conn), as well as a “21-accordion salute” to Merv and Jim Vandelly on bayan in the lobby -- was a phenomenal success and sold out in advance. AFI therefore scheduled a second screening, which might also have sold out except that a blizzard hit the area that day. Still, a respectable number of hardy people showed up, and the show went on, sans 21-accordion salute. But the audience was happy anyway; people raved about both shows. Links to photos are on the WMAS home page, www.washingtonaccordions.org.
By the way, the AFI Silver Theatre will screen the film again Friday, April 20, at 2 pm. Tickets will be available at www.afi.com/silver.
Joan Grauman put together a lovely “Tribute to Merv” scrapbook with clippings related to the film premiere and photos taken at the event and the encore, birthday greetings, and other memorabilia. She and Mara Cherkasky presented the scrapbook to Merv after the March 18 Busso Trio concert.
NEXT MEETING
Our next meeting, on Sunday, April 15 at 4 pm, will feature a workshop by Jim Vandelly on quick accordion repairs. And this time we will actually have that open mic we’ve been talking about for several months now! So bring your accordions.
We are looking for volunteers to help before and/or after meetings setting up refreshments. If you could give us a hand we’d appreciate it!
OTHER NEWS
Magic Mountain Duo at Café Mozart
Magic Mountain Duo, aka Silvia Eberly and Peter Fuehres, will debut at Café Mozart this Sunday evening, March 25, between 5 and 8 pm. Reservations are recommended!
Café Mozart
1331 H Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 347-5732
More information at www.cafemozartgermandeli.com.
Quartetto Gelato in Concert
Saturday, March 24, at 8 pm
Historic Dumbarton Church
3133 Dumbarton Street
Georgetown (Washington, DC 20007)
Quartetto Gelato is a quartet of incredibly talented musicians, one of whom is an accordionist, viola player, and arranger for the group. The others play oboe, English horn, violin, mandolin, cello, and guitar. (Obviously each performer plays more than one instrument.) The group plays primarily classical pieces; this concert will include the music of Ravel, Weber, Brahms, Kodaly and more.
Tickets are $30; seniors and students $26
More info at (202) 965-2000,[email protected], or www.dumbartonconcerts.org.
Stas Venglevski and John Simkus in Concert
Also, don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Stas Venglevski and John Simkus concert on Sunday, April 22, at the Masonic Temple, University Boulevard West, in Silver Spring. These two are amazing musicians, so you don’t want to miss this concert. Joan and Dan Grauman, and Stella Allison, are the sponsors. Tickets are $15. For more information, call Joan at 301-806-5998, or email [email protected].
More events are listed on the WMAS Calendar.
Brat Night – Accordionist Needed
Liz Davis at the Dairy Godmother, formerly known as the Del Ray Dreamery, is thinking about holding a brat night in May but needs an accordionist (maybe for tips only). More information and contacts are at http://www.dairygodmother.com, [email protected], 703-683-7767. The Dairy Godmother is as 2310 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301.
Update: Silvia Eberly will play at the May Brat Night.
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
April 29, 2007
Meeting Notes
Jim Vandelly presented an amusing and informative workshop at the April 15 meeting. His handout, enhanced with notes taken at the workshop (numbers 2-15), is reproduced below.
Emergency Repairs on Accordions of All Sizes
By your humble servant Jim Vandelly
April 15, 2007
Disclaimer: The methods below reflect the opinion of the presenter, not real repair technicians, and no liability is assumed by Mr. Vandelly, his attorneys, his CPA, or relatives in perpetuity, for following these instructions. Leave tuning to a qualified quack.
Useful items: tools, junk, steady nerves. REMEMBER: It’s just a box!
· A kit of micro-sized screw drivers
· Small needle-nosed pliers (one with a right-angle “nose” – like my father’s)
· A roll of masking tape (blue type preferred)
· A can of spray glue (available at fabric stores)
· A yard or less of black speaker cloth (the stretchy kind) – used for replacing the treble screen if damaged, or to improve sound
· A pencil with the softest lead (#1 or soft printed on pencil)
· A small pliers that looks like a small wire-cutter
· A sheet of paper – for wobbly key repair
· Pieces of film negatives for use on internal reed leathers
· A sheet of thin felt (for repairs to pallets – those little hammers that lift up and down)
· Leathers: If you are lucky enough to find an old accordion at a yard sale that is NOT in playable condition, take it apart and save pallet-heads, screws, the U-shaped chrome attachments that hold the straps to the accordion, and any other pieces that could be scavenged for repairs to YOUR accordion.
· A roll of two-sided tape for quick repairs of leathers on the pallets (not for the inner leathers on the reed blocks!)
· A bicycle tube of the size used in the thin tires of a racing bicycle – for use on straps to prevent scratches to the body of the accordion.
· Two seatbelt protectors (these can be purchased at Wal-Mart. They are about 8 inches long and wrap around the seat belts to protect the neck and shoulders from seat-belt irritation) for use on large buckles to prevent scratching accordion, and for comfort along rib cage.
· An Rx of Valium (optional). Always check with your doctor before taking any prescription drug. Never share prescription drugs with friends or family members. See above disclaimer.
Store your accordion in a room that is not too dry or humid, hot or cold. The little moisture-eating packets that come with pills, peanuts, etc., can serve the same purpose in the accordion case.
After playing for a long time, keep your accordion out of the case for a while to air out.
When traveling, place your accordion case face down on the backseat, and hold it in place with a seatbelt.
Place a tiny bit of soap on the pins when you put them back in the accordion. The soap seals the holes and helps the pins slide more easily.
A strip of photographic film can be taped against a leather to hold it in temporarily.
Save the tiny screws from an old computer to use for accordion repair.
Save pieces of leather to replace leathers in your accordion.
Put soft Velcro pads on the corners of your accordion to protect it when you bang into doorways.
Fisher’s Hardware in Springfield, VA, has everything.
Don’t use WD-40 on the accordion. It attracts dust.
Put the soft side of a piece of stick-on Velcro on the bottom of the bellows strap to protect your clothing.
Pull off your keyboard maybe once a year and dust underneath it.
Wash your hands before playing your accordion.
When traveling, pack foam between the reed blocks on the inside, also tape all the bass buttons in the OUT position.
After the workshop, Jim handed out sheet music for a Russian song he translated as “The Little Doan Tree in the Urals” (also known as “Marushya”), and the group played it together.
Afterwards, several people performed. Joyce Palmer’s new CHAOS group played a couple of pieces that they’ve been rehearsing for an event at Congressional Cemetery. Kevin Haiou Fu played “Lady of Spain,” “Cuckoo,” and “La Paloma.” Ken Kunec played “Carwash Blues” on the guitar, and then “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “She’s the One for Me” on his loaner Titano. Jim Vandelly and Peter DiGiovanni finished out the afternoon with “The Moon Shines,” “Podgorka,” “My Porch,” “La Golondrina,” and other pieces on bayan and accordion.
Next Month
At the May 20 meeting, John Giunta will present a workshop on exercises to improve your playing. This workshop will be for any person interested in better breathing, concentration, muscle flexibility and strength; it will be helpful for the accordionist and for other instrumentalists as well. The material comes from the practice of yoga and meditation and will be for people of all fitness levels. We will be sitting in chairs or standing for these exercises. Dress in loose comfortable clothing, ready to move. Learn more at www.SpecialMind.com.
Announcements
Several events were announced:
Jeff Krulik’s documentary The Legend of Merv Conn, Friday, April 20, at 2 pm at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring.
Stas Venglevski and John Simkus in concert, Sunday, April 22, at 3 pm, at the Masonic Temple in Silver Spring.
A Saengerbund event Friday, April 21.
And a Washington Balalaika Society concert Saturday, May 5, 7:30 pm, at Kenmore Middle School, in Arlington. Also Sunday, May 6, 3 pm, at the Jewish Community Center in Rockville. More information and tickets at www.balalaika.org.
More information on these events is/was on the WMAS Web site calendar.
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
May 28, 2007
Meeting Notes
Who would have known that yoga and the accordion mixed so well! Yoga instructor and musician John Giunta proved it in his entertaining and practical workshop at the May 20 meeting. John has been asking for years when we were going to switch to Sundays -- he teaches Tuesday evenings – and having switched, we didn’t waste any time nabbing him for a program.
John led the group through a series of exercises designed to provide techniques for improving breathing, poise and posture; manage performance anxiety; enhance memory and concentration; develop flexibility and strength; maintain emotional balance; and provide techniques for medication and visualization. Put more simply, the exercises can help the accordionist warm up before playing and during breaks, prevent repetitive stress and other injuries, improve concentration, and allay nervousness about playing before an audience.
With a master’s in classical guitar, John has ample experience in memorizing music, and he shared his back-to-front method. He first memorizes the last few measures of a piece, then the next to last measures, and so on until he gets to the beginning.
If you’d like to learn more, contact John at [email protected], 703-281-5498 or see http://SpecialMind.com.
After the workshop John performed on both the guitar and the accordion (his third instrument; the flute is his second), before ceding the platform to Ken Kunec and other members.
Our next meeting, June 17, features a Fathers’ Day concert by members. Please sign up to play (for about 5 minutes) by replying to this email.
Announcements
WMAS T-shirtsJoan and Dan Grauman have arranged for WMAS polo shirts to be printed in time for the Coupe Mondiale in August. We will be taking pre-orders, with payment ($15 per shirt), through June 17; if you don’t pre-order we cannot ensure that we will have your size. The shirts come in red and black and feature the WMAS logo in white on the left chest. Please contact the Graumans at [email protected] for more information.
Springfield Days – accordionists needed
Springfield Days, June 2-3, present a wonderful opportunity to promote the accordion in the area. WMAS members had a great time participating last year, and Lee Paulson has arranged for us to participate again this year. There are a couple of events, including a June 2 performance on the stage in the K-Mart parking lot, and then a fun boat race on Lake Accotink June 3. More musicians are needed!! Please contact Lee at 703-569-9641 or [email protected] if you are available.
Motion Trio in New York City
The Motion Trio will perform at Joe's Place in New York City Saturday, June 2, at 9:30. Karen and Luis will be driving up. Let them know ([email protected], 703-671-5395) if you are going and/or need additional information. Also, check out the Motion Trio web site at http://www.motion-trio.art.pl/a2Home.html.
Accordion Concert in Oakton
Wednesday, June 13, 2007, 8:00 P.M.
Oakton United Methodist Church
Rte. 123 & Hunter Mill Road
Oakton, VA 22124
featuring
Dale Wise
The Potomac Ensemble
Teachers’ Choice/Students
Accordions for Kids/U.S.A.
Community Singing
sponsored by
Accordion Plus
P.O. Box 53 / Burr Hill, VA 22433
[email protected] / Accordionplus.com
540-854-5209
Free admission
Mary Tokarski in Concert
Blackstone Memorial Library
758 Main Street
Branford, CT 06405
Introducing music from her 1st CD . . . PLUS
U.S. PREMIERE: music by Bulgarian Composer Todor Gerov,
including a duet with pianist Dessislava Vassileva Vaughan
and MORE!
Free admission.
More information at [email protected]
Potomac Accordion Ensemble at Glen Echo
The Potomac Accordion Ensemble will perform at Glen Echo’s “Then and Wow” festival June 23 from 3 to 5 pm. The group will play at various points around the park. Afterwards, WMAS members are invited to a party on Paul Aebersold’s house boat in Southwest DC. Contact Paul at [email protected] or 202-441-7197 to RSVP.
Workshop with Scottish Accordionist Lynn Tocker
Common Ground on the Hill, in Westminster, Maryland, is bringing in a wonderful
Scottish band this July, Lyra Celtica. It features a GREAT accordion player by the name of Lynn Tocker, who will be teaching a daily workshop there, July 2-6, and performing
at Common Ground on the Hill’s festival July 7th.
Check her out at:
http://www.commongroundonthehill.org/html/07_12.html (her class)
http://www.commongroundonthehill.org/html/07_41.html (band bio)
This is Lynn's first trip to the States.
Walt Michael, Executive Director
Common Ground on the Hill
2 College Hill, McDaniel College
Westminster, MD 21157
410-857-2771 [email protected]
http://www.commongroundonthehill.org
Second Annual Main Squeeze Accordion Festival
Saturday, July 7, 2-9 pm
Riverside Park South, Pier I @ 69th - 70th Street
New York City
Hosted by Walter KuhrIn addition to the music and dancing there will be a flea market including all the accordion-related items you could ever desire, and plenty of food and drink to quench your dancing-induced thirst.
More information at http://www.mainsqueezeorchestra.com/shows.html
In Memoriam
The accordion world was saddened to hear of the passing of the renowned accordionist and teacher Maddalena Belfiore.
The family has suggested that donations be made to the American Accordionists’ Association in Maddalena's memory
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May 28, 2007
Meeting Notes
Who would have known that yoga and the accordion mixed so well! Yoga instructor and musician John Giunta proved it in his entertaining and practical workshop at the May 20 meeting. John has been asking for years when we were going to switch to Sundays -- he teaches Tuesday evenings – and having switched, we didn’t waste any time nabbing him for a program.
John led the group through a series of exercises designed to provide techniques for improving breathing, poise and posture; manage performance anxiety; enhance memory and concentration; develop flexibility and strength; maintain emotional balance; and provide techniques for medication and visualization. Put more simply, the exercises can help the accordionist warm up before playing and during breaks, prevent repetitive stress and other injuries, improve concentration, and allay nervousness about playing before an audience.
With a master’s in classical guitar, John has ample experience in memorizing music, and he shared his back-to-front method. He first memorizes the last few measures of a piece, then the next to last measures, and so on until he gets to the beginning.
If you’d like to learn more, contact John at [email protected], 703-281-5498 or see http://SpecialMind.com.
After the workshop John performed on both the guitar and the accordion (his third instrument; the flute is his second), before ceding the platform to Ken Kunec and other members.
Our next meeting, June 17, features a Fathers’ Day concert by members. Please sign up to play (for about 5 minutes) by replying to this email.
Announcements
WMAS T-shirtsJoan and Dan Grauman have arranged for WMAS polo shirts to be printed in time for the Coupe Mondiale in August. We will be taking pre-orders, with payment ($15 per shirt), through June 17; if you don’t pre-order we cannot ensure that we will have your size. The shirts come in red and black and feature the WMAS logo in white on the left chest. Please contact the Graumans at [email protected] for more information.
Springfield Days – accordionists needed
Springfield Days, June 2-3, present a wonderful opportunity to promote the accordion in the area. WMAS members had a great time participating last year, and Lee Paulson has arranged for us to participate again this year. There are a couple of events, including a June 2 performance on the stage in the K-Mart parking lot, and then a fun boat race on Lake Accotink June 3. More musicians are needed!! Please contact Lee at 703-569-9641 or [email protected] if you are available.
Motion Trio in New York City
The Motion Trio will perform at Joe's Place in New York City Saturday, June 2, at 9:30. Karen and Luis will be driving up. Let them know ([email protected], 703-671-5395) if you are going and/or need additional information. Also, check out the Motion Trio web site at http://www.motion-trio.art.pl/a2Home.html.
Accordion Concert in Oakton
Wednesday, June 13, 2007, 8:00 P.M.
Oakton United Methodist Church
Rte. 123 & Hunter Mill Road
Oakton, VA 22124
featuring
Dale Wise
The Potomac Ensemble
Teachers’ Choice/Students
Accordions for Kids/U.S.A.
Community Singing
sponsored by
Accordion Plus
P.O. Box 53 / Burr Hill, VA 22433
[email protected] / Accordionplus.com
540-854-5209
Free admission
Mary Tokarski in Concert
Blackstone Memorial Library
758 Main Street
Branford, CT 06405
Introducing music from her 1st CD . . . PLUS
U.S. PREMIERE: music by Bulgarian Composer Todor Gerov,
including a duet with pianist Dessislava Vassileva Vaughan
and MORE!
Free admission.
More information at [email protected]
Potomac Accordion Ensemble at Glen Echo
The Potomac Accordion Ensemble will perform at Glen Echo’s “Then and Wow” festival June 23 from 3 to 5 pm. The group will play at various points around the park. Afterwards, WMAS members are invited to a party on Paul Aebersold’s house boat in Southwest DC. Contact Paul at [email protected] or 202-441-7197 to RSVP.
Workshop with Scottish Accordionist Lynn Tocker
Common Ground on the Hill, in Westminster, Maryland, is bringing in a wonderful
Scottish band this July, Lyra Celtica. It features a GREAT accordion player by the name of Lynn Tocker, who will be teaching a daily workshop there, July 2-6, and performing
at Common Ground on the Hill’s festival July 7th.
Check her out at:
http://www.commongroundonthehill.org/html/07_12.html (her class)
http://www.commongroundonthehill.org/html/07_41.html (band bio)
This is Lynn's first trip to the States.
Walt Michael, Executive Director
Common Ground on the Hill
2 College Hill, McDaniel College
Westminster, MD 21157
410-857-2771 [email protected]
http://www.commongroundonthehill.org
Second Annual Main Squeeze Accordion Festival
Saturday, July 7, 2-9 pm
Riverside Park South, Pier I @ 69th - 70th Street
New York City
Hosted by Walter KuhrIn addition to the music and dancing there will be a flea market including all the accordion-related items you could ever desire, and plenty of food and drink to quench your dancing-induced thirst.
More information at http://www.mainsqueezeorchestra.com/shows.html
In Memoriam
The accordion world was saddened to hear of the passing of the renowned accordionist and teacher Maddalena Belfiore.
The family has suggested that donations be made to the American Accordionists’ Association in Maddalena's memory
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
July 1, 2007
Meeting Notes
WMAS celebrated Fathers’ Day with a member concert at our June 17 meeting. As usual, this was a treat for longtimers and newcomers alike – and we did have some newcomers, thanks to our new sign placed out at the road, and to the Washington Post Thursday calendars. The lineup included Peter DiGiovanni; Phil Fox, back after shoulder surgery; Peter Fuehres; John Giunta on mandolin accompanied by Dale Wise (on “Oh, My Papa,” the only father-specific piece); Robert Juszczyk; Joseph Kulick; Ken Kunec; Rick Nunno and Mara Cherkasky in duet; Joann Pankow in her first time at WMAS; Mary Elizabeth Smith with her “Random Band” (Karen, Phil, Peter and Mara); and four members of the Potomac Ensemble (Lou Silvia, Karen, Peter and Mara). Dale emceed and played a couple of numbers himself.
Next Month
At next month’s meeting – July 22 – Ken Kunec will present a workshop on creative arrangements -- ideas on improving your playing through the use of technique, style, improvisation and full use of the accordion's capabilities. If you’ve attended any recent meetings, you’ll know that Ken is a wonderful entertainer, so you’ll want to see what he has to show us.
Announcements
New WMAS Shirts
We want to submit our new WMAS shirt order in time to get the shirts to wear at Coupe Mondiale in mid-August, so you need to PLACE YOUR ORDER BY JULY 9. This is especially important if you are concerned about getting your size. We will be ordering extras, but there is no guarantee that we’ll have enough of each size. Photos of the shirts are attached. The men’s version is a polo shirt and comes in sizes S through 3XL; the women’s has a v-neck and collar, similar to a polo shirt but without buttons. It comes in S through 2XL. Both men’s and women’s come in red and black, with the WMAS logo on the left chest. The price is $15. If you’ve already placed your order, you’re set. If you have questions about sizes, please contact Joan at 301-279-8716. Send your order (or questions about orders) by replying to this email.
Coupe Mondiale/Milliennium Stage
If you haven’t yet registered for the Coupe Mondiale in Alexandria August 13-18, please do so soon, at http://accordions.com/coupeusa/tickets.htm. One of the highlights will be the massed band performance at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, August 17; another will be WMAS’s “after-hours” party on Thursday evening, August 16. And then, of course, there are concerts every night, a banquet, and loads of other activities. Also, in honor of the Coupe, the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage will present free accordion concerts every evening at 6 pm during that week. Don’t miss the fun! And let’s have a strong presence at the Coupe!
Picnic At Dale & DeAnn Wise’s
Saturday, August 4, 2007, 10:30 – 5:00
4314 Burr Hill Rd. (P.O. Box 53)
Burr Hill, VA 22433
RSVP to 540-854-5209 / [email protected]
Bring salad or dessert to share, and don’t forget your accordion!
Directions from the North:
95 S; 3 W; 20 S; right on 611; left on 692; first driveway on right
or
495 S; 66 W; 29 S at Gainesville; 3 E; 522 S; pass Baker’s Store;
left on 611; right on 692; first driveway on right
From the South:
95 N; 3 W; 20 S; right on 611; left on 692; first driveway on right
or
29 N; 3 E; 522 S; pass Baker’s Store; left on 611; right on 692; first driveway on right
Please call if weather is questionable.
We’ll pass out some music wenyagithere!
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
July 29, 2007
Meeting Notes
Ken Kunec’s workshop “Accordions Gone Wild! Getting Creative With Your Music” was a great way to spend part of a sunny July afternoon. In Ken’s words: “Most of us became accordion players by strict adherence to a framework of music that we were taught. We learned to play somebody else’s arrangement of music, usually with wondrous precision and we graduated through increasingly more difficult compositions. Some of us learned to improvise somewhat around the framework and that represents our ‘creativity.’ While that is commendable and often very entertaining, this workshop challenges you to get away from those frameworks and become your own arranger. Be a rebel!”
Anyone who has seen Ken play knows that he knows what he’s talking about! And to those of you who missed this entertaining and educational workshop: do not despair! Ken has prepared a series of short videos, along with some written materials, and these will be posted to the WMAS Web site as soon as the Webmaster learns how to handle videos. Stay tuned!
Massed Band
After the workshop Karen distributed a packet of beginning- and intermediate-level music for a WMAS Massed Band. If you want to take part in the band, please come to the meetings; we will not be able to send you the music via mail, e-mail or fax. Currently the band is just for fun, but in a couple of months we will be practicing for the December 16 holiday concert, and later for other concerts.
Next Meeting/Coupe Mondiale
Remember, WMAS will not be meeting in August. Instead, everyone is encouraged to attend the Coupe Mondiale in Alexandria August 13-19. See the calendar for more information. You can still register! And don’t worry if you’ve sent in your money and heard nothing back. They will not be mailing you anything but instead will hold your tickets at the door. Seating at the banquet and luncheon will be open – no table plans.
September 16 WMAS will be hosting the world-renowned Mary Tokarski. Mary is a wonderful musician and teacher, so mark your calendars now and be sure not to miss this meeting!
Announcements
Accordion Wanted
A friend of Mara’s, in North Carolina, is looking for “a cheap used accordion, preferably one with a 1/4" jack/mic.” Does anyone have anything like this they’re trying to find a home for? If so, please respond to this email.
Accordion Concerts at the Kennedy Center
During the Coupe, the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage will host a series of accordion concerts Tuesday through Friday. Here’s the lineup:
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Jerosh Accordion Orchestra
Akkordeonorchester Hof
Part of the 2007 Coupe Mondiale: World Accordion Championships.
Germany’s Akkordeonorchester Hof, conducted by Guenther Zeilinger, and Canada’s Jerosh Accordion Orchestra, conducted by Maureen Jerosh, perform.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Martin Music Center Accordion Orchestra
The University of Missouri-Kansas City Accordion Community Orchestra
Part of the 2007 Coupe Mondiale: World Accordion Championships.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City Accordion Community Orchestra, conducted by Joan Cochran Sommers, and California’s Martin Music Center Accordion Orchestra, conducted by Randall Martin, perform.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Rosita Lee Accordion Orchestra and Dancers
New Zealand Accordion Orchestra
Part of the 2007 Coupe Mondiale: World Accordion Championships.
New Hampshire’s Rosita Lee Accordion Orchestra and Dancers, conducted by Rosita Lee Latulippe, and New Zealand Accordion Orchestra, conducted by Lionel Reekie, perform.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Beijing Children's Palace Accordion Orchestra
Accordeonova
Part of the 2007 Coupe Mondiale: World Accordion Championships.
Denmark’s Accordeonova, conducted by Peter Anders, and China’s Beijing Children's Palace Accordion Orchestra perform.
Michael B. Rubin Recognized
(July 21, 2007) I am happy and proud to say that the Mayor and City Council of Rockville chose me last week to receive Rockville's Good Neighbor Award this year for my community service. This includes work I did and continue to do around Woodmont Spring Condominium (WSC) where I live, as Chairman of the Landscape Committee, assistance I have given to many neighbors at WSC, and efforts I have made to keep the neighborhood safe and clean.
The Mayor of Rockville will be presenting me with this award at a reception on Wed. evening Aug. 1, 2007 at the Glenview Mansion in the Rockville Civic Center.
It's nice to be recognized for doing good work .
-- Mike
Who Woulda Thunk It?
A new WMAS list member reports seeing the following in a July 23 obituary of Tammy Faye Bakker Messner in the New York Times:
"She and Mr. Bakker, an Assemblies of God minister, worked as traveling
evangelists in the early years of their marriage. He preached; she sang
and played the accordion."
Another Option for Selling Instruments
A list member who had no luck selling her two accordions via our Web site classified advertising, said she took the accordions over to Atomic Music in Beltsville, MD; “and although they apparently don't regularly deal in accordions (they had all kinds of musical equipment - guitars, keyboards, etc., etc.) they said that they would advertise them on e-bay for me, and actually did it twice. The first time we were overpriced, so they lowered the price. I know I didn't get what they probably were worth, but I feel that under the circumstances, it was good to be done with this. The more expensive accordion had about 22 bids and sold for just under $250 (and actually this one hadn't cost us anything as my son had found it next to the dumpster in his townhouse complex!) and the smaller one that [my late husband] had as a child sold for $99.
They charged me 20% for the listing on e-bay, which I thought was
reasonable.
The person I dealt with was Cole and his e-mail address is
[email protected] and the web address for Atomic Music was
www.atomicmusiconline.com
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
August 19, 2007
COUPE MONDIALE
The 60th Coupe Mondiale, in Alexandria, Virginia, was a grand success, a chance to almost get your fill of amazing accordion music, and a time to catch up with old friends and make new ones. This was a rare treat: the last Coupe Mondiale to be held here was in 1976, during our country’s bicentennial. In 1959 and 1969 the event took place in New York City, and in 1981 it took place in Kansas City. Glasgow, Scotland will host next year’s Coupe.
Some highlights of the week:
- Playing Washington native son John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes in a huge massed band in front of the Capitol, and seeing a photo of the event on the cover of the next day’s Washington Post.
- Experiencing close up amazing performance after amazing performance during the competitions held Tuesday through Saturday.
- Sitting within arm’s reach of a 160-piece accordion orchestra as it performed the world premiere of “Lest We Forget,” written expressly for accordion orchestra by the Emmy award-winning composer Leonard Stack of Los Angeles. Stack was in the audience for Saturday evening’s performance.
- Seeing WMAS vice president Joan Grauman’s Coupe Mondiale 2007 logo everywhere you looked: on a huge banner, on t-shirts, on programs, and on flyers.
- Hearing Merv Conn’s remark: “I’d like to take the French accordionists home and teach them to play s-l-o-w-l-y.” Also overheard in the audience: “I didn’t know there were so many notes!”
- From Silvia Eberly: Thanks to all WMAS members, what a wonderful event it was! I found my accordion teacher, Professor Walter Maurer there! I last saw him in Vienna in 1965! Now that is amazing! I gave him the program for our upcoming Heimatabend at Cafe Mozart August 29, 2007, where his name is included in my bio. And he really was happy to see that!
WINNERS
Congratulations to the first-place winners:
- Coupe Mondiale: Alexander Sevastian of Canada ($5,000 awarded by ATG in honor of Anthony Galla-Rini, plus a concert tour in Portugal and an appearance at the Las Vegas accordion convention October 6-9, 2008)
- Junior Coupe Mondiale: Ruslan Osipov of Russia ($1,500)
- International Competition for Virtuoso Entertainment Music: Jérémie Buirette of France ($1,500)
- Junior International Competition for Virtuoso Entertainment Music: Eric Allard-Jacquin of France ($1,000)
- International Competition for Piano Accordion: Stanislav Jusufovic of Serbia ($5,000 awarded by the AAA Carmen Carrozza Fund plus a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand)
- Best performance of test piece by Karen Fremar of Fort Scott, Kansas: Li Long of China (also Coupe Mondiale second-place winner)
- International Competition for Ensemble Music: Quintet "Art of Accordion" from Germany ($1,000)
- Maddalena Belfiore Entertainment Competition for Female Accordionists: Betty Jo Simon of Overland Park, Kansas
If you missed the Coupe competitions and concerts and want to experience just a glimpse of what went on, log onto
http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/archive.html#
to watch five amazing accordion concerts on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.
We'll be posting photos soon on this site.
THANK YOUs
A huge thank you goes to Joan Grauman for her role in Coupe’s planning and execution stages. Joan also organized the “after-hours” party Thursday night at the Crowne Plaza, a casual setting where the Potomac Ensemble had a chance to perform for some of the greats, and some of the greats performed into the night for the rest of us.
Thanks also to the volunteers who helped sell WMAS shirts or picked up the slack at the CIA table: Nancy Leonard, Silvia Eberly, Mary Smith and her mother, Barbara Lockett, and Barbara and Bob Juszczyk.
A MESSAGE FROM JOAN --
We got home today after a great week of amazing music, enormous crowds, very hard work (our SqueezinArt table was busy nonstop), and a wonderful time with friends old and new.
I want to thank all of the WMAS friends who came by constantly to see if we needed help with anything. All were willing to help with manning the WMAS table, to help with setting up and taking down the decorations for our club-sponsored party (and it was a great success!!), and to help us with SqueezinArt. Many even offered their assistance to AAA, ATG, and CIA. All of your happy faces and those beautiful new club shirts were seen everywhere!
Dan and I want to especially thank Ron and Lee Paulson for their constant and cheerful help (always there at the right moments without even being asked!) with SqueezinArt and with the party preparations. I hope I do not leave anyone out now! Thank you, Stella, Peter D., Paul A., Vic A., Mara, Karen, Luis, Mary S., Silvia E., and Elise M. for assisting us so much during Coupe. Silvia even came and played the button box at our SqueezinArt table -- it was wonderful! I want to thank my dear friend and great accordionist, Sharon Walters-Greyhosky from San Francisco, for joining our ensemble at the after-hours party, and for joining WMAS! And thank you, Barbara L. and your guest (and our friend) from California, Marian Kelly, for helping SqueezinArt.
A special thanks goes to Mara for getting us on "Morning Edition" on NPR!! GREAT JOB, MARA!
I am happily exhausted, and very, very proud to be a member of WMAS.
-- Joan Grauman
MEDIA COVERAGE
On Friday, August 17, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition ran a short story on Coupe featuring Joan Grauman, which you can hear at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12866129.
Morning Edition also aired an accordion version of its theme song recorded by Lee Paulson, Peter DiGiovanni, and Mara Cherkasky. Peter wrote the arrangement and engineering the recording. We’ll try to post the piece at www.washingtonaccordions.org; meanwhile we’ll bring the CD to the September meeting and you can hear it there.
Voice of America covered the entire event in print and video at
http://www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2007-08-24-voa14.cfm. (Thanks to Michael B. Rubin for finding this.)
The Post covered Coupe and published photos of the massed band performance at the U.S. Capitol, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/17/AR2007081702336.html. Click here for a glimpse of the Post's August 18, 2007, front page, and the article and photos in the Style section (thanks to Michael B. Rubin for all three scans).
Another photo is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/08/17/PH2007081702339.html.
The Washington Post also provided some pre-Coupe publicity at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/09/AR2007080901832.html.
And in a Post Points email:
Our Coupe runneth over.
The Coupe Mondiale, the prestigious international accordion competition now celebrating its 60th anniversary, is back in Washington for the first time since America's bicentennial (that's 1976 for the historically challenged). Run by the Confederation Internationale des Accordionistes, the annual gathering explains why you may be seeing people toting accordions all over town, especially in Alexandria, where the Holiday Inn at 625 First St. has become Accordion Central. The gathering is hosted by the American Accordionists Association and the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International, so you can probably expect spirited jam sessions in the lobbies, lounges and around the pool. Many music events are conference oriented, but there are concerts Friday and Saturday night in the Holiday Inn's Grand Ballroom, including Saturday's world premier of the 166-member World Accordion Orchestra. That concert will feature a number of works specifically written for accordion orchestras, including John Philip Sousa's "Hands Across the Sea March" and the world premiere of Leonard Stack's "Lest We Forget," specifically commissioned for this performance, with Stack in attendance. Tickets are only $20. In addition, Coupe Mondiale participants will interrupt a sightseeing tour Friday for a noon performance at the Grant Memorial in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, where scores of accordion players will join in performing Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever." First-place winners in a half-dozen competitions will be featured in a Kennedy Center Millennium Stage concert Saturday at 6 p.m., which will be webcast live at www.kennedy-center.org/millennium. lt and the preceding competitions will be available for viewing in the Millennium Stage Performance Archives. Information about the Coupe Mondiale, the competitions and the festival can be found at www.coupemondiale.org.
--Richard Harrington, Weekend section
Months later, the Post ran this:
Washington Post Magazine: Second Glance - November 11, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/magazine/second-glance/111107_enlarge.html?referrer=emaillink
************************************************************************************************************************
August 19, 2007
COUPE MONDIALE
The 60th Coupe Mondiale, in Alexandria, Virginia, was a grand success, a chance to almost get your fill of amazing accordion music, and a time to catch up with old friends and make new ones. This was a rare treat: the last Coupe Mondiale to be held here was in 1976, during our country’s bicentennial. In 1959 and 1969 the event took place in New York City, and in 1981 it took place in Kansas City. Glasgow, Scotland will host next year’s Coupe.
Some highlights of the week:
- Playing Washington native son John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes in a huge massed band in front of the Capitol, and seeing a photo of the event on the cover of the next day’s Washington Post.
- Experiencing close up amazing performance after amazing performance during the competitions held Tuesday through Saturday.
- Sitting within arm’s reach of a 160-piece accordion orchestra as it performed the world premiere of “Lest We Forget,” written expressly for accordion orchestra by the Emmy award-winning composer Leonard Stack of Los Angeles. Stack was in the audience for Saturday evening’s performance.
- Seeing WMAS vice president Joan Grauman’s Coupe Mondiale 2007 logo everywhere you looked: on a huge banner, on t-shirts, on programs, and on flyers.
- Hearing Merv Conn’s remark: “I’d like to take the French accordionists home and teach them to play s-l-o-w-l-y.” Also overheard in the audience: “I didn’t know there were so many notes!”
- From Silvia Eberly: Thanks to all WMAS members, what a wonderful event it was! I found my accordion teacher, Professor Walter Maurer there! I last saw him in Vienna in 1965! Now that is amazing! I gave him the program for our upcoming Heimatabend at Cafe Mozart August 29, 2007, where his name is included in my bio. And he really was happy to see that!
WINNERS
Congratulations to the first-place winners:
- Coupe Mondiale: Alexander Sevastian of Canada ($5,000 awarded by ATG in honor of Anthony Galla-Rini, plus a concert tour in Portugal and an appearance at the Las Vegas accordion convention October 6-9, 2008)
- Junior Coupe Mondiale: Ruslan Osipov of Russia ($1,500)
- International Competition for Virtuoso Entertainment Music: Jérémie Buirette of France ($1,500)
- Junior International Competition for Virtuoso Entertainment Music: Eric Allard-Jacquin of France ($1,000)
- International Competition for Piano Accordion: Stanislav Jusufovic of Serbia ($5,000 awarded by the AAA Carmen Carrozza Fund plus a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand)
- Best performance of test piece by Karen Fremar of Fort Scott, Kansas: Li Long of China (also Coupe Mondiale second-place winner)
- International Competition for Ensemble Music: Quintet "Art of Accordion" from Germany ($1,000)
- Maddalena Belfiore Entertainment Competition for Female Accordionists: Betty Jo Simon of Overland Park, Kansas
If you missed the Coupe competitions and concerts and want to experience just a glimpse of what went on, log onto
http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/archive.html#
to watch five amazing accordion concerts on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.
We'll be posting photos soon on this site.
THANK YOUs
A huge thank you goes to Joan Grauman for her role in Coupe’s planning and execution stages. Joan also organized the “after-hours” party Thursday night at the Crowne Plaza, a casual setting where the Potomac Ensemble had a chance to perform for some of the greats, and some of the greats performed into the night for the rest of us.
Thanks also to the volunteers who helped sell WMAS shirts or picked up the slack at the CIA table: Nancy Leonard, Silvia Eberly, Mary Smith and her mother, Barbara Lockett, and Barbara and Bob Juszczyk.
A MESSAGE FROM JOAN --
We got home today after a great week of amazing music, enormous crowds, very hard work (our SqueezinArt table was busy nonstop), and a wonderful time with friends old and new.
I want to thank all of the WMAS friends who came by constantly to see if we needed help with anything. All were willing to help with manning the WMAS table, to help with setting up and taking down the decorations for our club-sponsored party (and it was a great success!!), and to help us with SqueezinArt. Many even offered their assistance to AAA, ATG, and CIA. All of your happy faces and those beautiful new club shirts were seen everywhere!
Dan and I want to especially thank Ron and Lee Paulson for their constant and cheerful help (always there at the right moments without even being asked!) with SqueezinArt and with the party preparations. I hope I do not leave anyone out now! Thank you, Stella, Peter D., Paul A., Vic A., Mara, Karen, Luis, Mary S., Silvia E., and Elise M. for assisting us so much during Coupe. Silvia even came and played the button box at our SqueezinArt table -- it was wonderful! I want to thank my dear friend and great accordionist, Sharon Walters-Greyhosky from San Francisco, for joining our ensemble at the after-hours party, and for joining WMAS! And thank you, Barbara L. and your guest (and our friend) from California, Marian Kelly, for helping SqueezinArt.
A special thanks goes to Mara for getting us on "Morning Edition" on NPR!! GREAT JOB, MARA!
I am happily exhausted, and very, very proud to be a member of WMAS.
-- Joan Grauman
MEDIA COVERAGE
On Friday, August 17, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition ran a short story on Coupe featuring Joan Grauman, which you can hear at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12866129.
Morning Edition also aired an accordion version of its theme song recorded by Lee Paulson, Peter DiGiovanni, and Mara Cherkasky. Peter wrote the arrangement and engineering the recording. We’ll try to post the piece at www.washingtonaccordions.org; meanwhile we’ll bring the CD to the September meeting and you can hear it there.
Voice of America covered the entire event in print and video at
http://www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2007-08-24-voa14.cfm. (Thanks to Michael B. Rubin for finding this.)
The Post covered Coupe and published photos of the massed band performance at the U.S. Capitol, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/17/AR2007081702336.html. Click here for a glimpse of the Post's August 18, 2007, front page, and the article and photos in the Style section (thanks to Michael B. Rubin for all three scans).
Another photo is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/08/17/PH2007081702339.html.
The Washington Post also provided some pre-Coupe publicity at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/09/AR2007080901832.html.
And in a Post Points email:
Our Coupe runneth over.
The Coupe Mondiale, the prestigious international accordion competition now celebrating its 60th anniversary, is back in Washington for the first time since America's bicentennial (that's 1976 for the historically challenged). Run by the Confederation Internationale des Accordionistes, the annual gathering explains why you may be seeing people toting accordions all over town, especially in Alexandria, where the Holiday Inn at 625 First St. has become Accordion Central. The gathering is hosted by the American Accordionists Association and the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International, so you can probably expect spirited jam sessions in the lobbies, lounges and around the pool. Many music events are conference oriented, but there are concerts Friday and Saturday night in the Holiday Inn's Grand Ballroom, including Saturday's world premier of the 166-member World Accordion Orchestra. That concert will feature a number of works specifically written for accordion orchestras, including John Philip Sousa's "Hands Across the Sea March" and the world premiere of Leonard Stack's "Lest We Forget," specifically commissioned for this performance, with Stack in attendance. Tickets are only $20. In addition, Coupe Mondiale participants will interrupt a sightseeing tour Friday for a noon performance at the Grant Memorial in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, where scores of accordion players will join in performing Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever." First-place winners in a half-dozen competitions will be featured in a Kennedy Center Millennium Stage concert Saturday at 6 p.m., which will be webcast live at www.kennedy-center.org/millennium. lt and the preceding competitions will be available for viewing in the Millennium Stage Performance Archives. Information about the Coupe Mondiale, the competitions and the festival can be found at www.coupemondiale.org.
--Richard Harrington, Weekend section
Months later, the Post ran this:
Washington Post Magazine: Second Glance - November 11, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/magazine/second-glance/111107_enlarge.html?referrer=emaillink
************************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
September 27, 2007
Meeting Notes
The middle weekend of September was all accordion all the time for some members of the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society. For the second event in our guest artist series, Mary Tokarski came from Connecticut to offer a concert and workshop during our regular monthly meeting September 16 – and private lessons Saturday and part of Sunday. The concert was a marvel, and at least some people are already noticing improvements to their playing after practicing the exercises Mary taught during the workshop. Those who spent $60 to have Mary to themselves for an hour during the weekend are already asking when we can bring her back for more lessons.
If you missed the workshop and want to improve your playing through 15 minutes per day of warm-up exercises, ask for a copy of the handouts at the next meeting.
Photos of the concert and workshop are at www.washingtonaccordions.org. Mary’s web site, where you can buy her CDs, is at www.accordions.com/mary/.
Next Meeting
On October 21 Jim Vandelly and Joan Grauman will present a workshop on diatonic accordions. In honor of the season, Joan will also play some Oktoberfest tunes. In addition, Jim will show some videos of Russian musicians. Afterwards we’ll begin rehearsing for the December 16 holiday concert, so please bring your accordions. Check the calendar for the rehearsal schedule.
Also at the October meeting the nominating committee will be presenting the slate of candidates for the 2008 calendar year. Current officers (Karen Malan Uribe, president; Joan Grauman, vice president; and Mara Cherkasky, secretary/treasurer) are willing to stay on, but nominations from the floor will be welcome at the November meeting, and we will vote at the January meeting. The club’s bylaws are posted on About Us if you’re interested. The executive committee has voted to raise membership dues to $20 individual and $30 family. The dues policy is also posted on About Us.
Announcements
Accordionist Needed
Saturday, October 6, between 4 and 7 pm, for an Oktoberfest Brat Day at Whole Foods (not sure which location). Call William Gold at 703-851-3332 or 703-992-0651.
Updated Web Site
Loads of photos, videos, and calendar listings have been added to the web site. If you missed Ken Kunec’s workshop in July, the handout is posted under Lessons (on the link bar on the left side of the home page) and includes a whole series of short videos in which Ken demonstrates various techniques. Keep checking back for more instructional videos now that the webmaster has figured out how to post them. Sound clips are coming soon, too. Additional videos are on the Miscellany page.
WMAS Shirts
If you’ve ordered a shirt, please pick it up at the next meeting. We still have shirts to sell, but not in all sizes. Contact [email protected] if you’d like to have one set aside.
Chamamé at Millennium Stage
The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage is hosting a wonderful Argentine accordionist, Chango Spasiuk, on Wednesday, October 4, at 6 pm. The style he plays is called Chamamé, and this is a rare chance to hear it right here in DC. All Millennium Stage concerts are free.
Small Freebass Accordion Needed
Wei Wei is looking for a light-weight freebass accordion for his son. If you have one to sell, or have any leads, please contact him at [email protected].
Accordion Teacher Needed in Richmond Area
Please contact Pat Moore
804-526-5250
[email protected]
Information on Accordion School Needed
Judy Hallenbeck is trying to find info about a school for accordion instruction named the Guild Institute of Music on G or H Street in Washington, DC. She took lessons there in the late 1940s and early 1950s and had a teacher by the name of Mr. Kessler.
Does anyone remember this school? If so, please contact [email protected].
The Bolling Clubs Proudly Present…
STEREO STRINGS
This popular strolling ensemble will be performing Saturday, September 29, 2007 in our dining room from 6:30 P.M. - 9:30 P.M.
Alternating with the “Stereo Strings” will be an exciting dance combo. Dance your cares away until 11:30 P.M.
The club will be featuring specially priced dinners for two (including salad) for only $31.95. (Members' price @ $22.95). Choices will include Prime Rib, Salmon and Chicken Cordon Bleu. Don't miss out on a great value!
Join us for a fabulous relaxing evening of dining and dancing!
Call (202) 563-8400 for reservations. We look forward to seeing you!
Those of you who do not have access to the base may call Lou at 703-379-7400, or email [email protected] for further information.
Please visit Stereo Strings web site at… www.loucoppola.com.
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
October 29, 2007
Meeting Notes
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed October’s offering: a presentation by Joan Grauman and Jim Vandelly on various types of diatonic instruments (including harmonicas played by Jim). We learned that on a diatonic accordion each row is a different key, so you have to have many instruments if you want to play in many different keys.
The cherry on the sundae was the unexpected appearance of newcomer Casey Sutcliffe, who played her beautiful, 2.5-row diatonic accordion for the group and shared her knowledge of the instrument. German accordions generally play C and F; French ones play G and C; and Irish diatonic accordions are completely different, she said.
Another newcomer said he didn’t know how to play his blue accordion, so he lent it to Jim, who picked out a tune.
Jim also brought some videos of Russian accordionists, but not everyone had a chance to see them, so we might ask him to bring them another time.
In the business portion of the October 21 meeting, President Karen Malan-Uribe reported that we are required to hold elections for officers in January. The current officers are willing to continue another year; however, anyone who would like to nominate him/herself or someone else for president, vice president, secretary or treasurer may do so at the November meeting.
The slate at this time is Karen Malan-Uribe for president; Joan Grauman for vice president; and Mara Cherkasky for secretary-treasurer. The president appoints committee chairpersons who also serve on the executive committee. Currently they are Lee Paulson, communications, and Peter DiGiovanni, membership.
Membership dues will go up as of January 1, 2008, to $20 for individuals for one year and $30 for families for one year. The advantage of a family membership is free or reduced-price entrance to our concerts for the whole (immediate) family.
More information on the fees and elections are at About Us.
Following the workshop, Joan distributed music for the WMAS orchestra to play at the holiday concert, and we ran through the music. It was a promising start! The next rehearsal will be Sunday, November 4, at 7 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, our normal meeting place. Please check the rehearsal schedule on the calendar. Joan has more folders of Christmas music for those who were not at the meeting and want to pick them up at the Nov. 4 rehearsal. She would like to remind people that, for the Christmas orchestra, EVERYONE is encouraged to participate, even those who have never played with a group before.
November Meeting and December Concert
At the November 18 meeting Joan Grauman will present a short program on how to follow a conductor and play in an ensemble. Afterwards we will rehearse for the December 16 holiday concert. It is time to begin thinking about solo or small ensemble pieces for the concert. Sign up soon for a five-minute slot – we need to restrict everyone’s time so we can keep the concert to a manageable length. As in previous years, we may ask some individuals to play during the dinner rather than during the concert itself. The advantage to playing during dinner is that you can play a bit longer.
Speaking of dinner, we will also be asking everyone to bring a dish for the potluck dinner following the concert, and we will be asking for volunteers to help set up starting at 2 pm on December 16, and clean up afterwards. Some of our most stalwart volunteers have moved to Florida in the past year or two, so we’re going to need others to step in and fill their shoes. Thanks!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Merchandise
We will be selling Lou Coppola’s new CD, "The USAF Strolling Strings, Through the Years," at upcoming meetings for $15. To hear sample cuts, please go to www.LouCoppola.com.
We also continue to sell WMAS shirts and The Legend of Merv Conn DVDs, for $15. The Merv Conn documentary was made by prominent DC filmmaker Jeff Krulik, www.PlanetKrulik.com.
Composer Peter DiGiovanni
The Washington Balalaika Society will play a composition by Peter DeGiovanni at its November 3 and 4 concerts.
Saturday, November 3 at 7:30 pm
Ernst Cultural Center Auditorium
Northern Virginia Community College
Ernst Cultural Center Auditorium
8333 Little River Turnpike (Route 236)
Annandale VA
http://www.balalaika.org/tixorder.htm: Adults $20; seniors and students $18; children 12 and under free
and
Sunday, November 4 at 4:00 pm
Greenberg Theatre
4200 Wisconsin Avenue
Washington DC
http://www.balalaika.org/tixorder.htm: $25
Also available at www.TIX.com
Music for Your Repertoire
In response to a query from Karen, Mary Tokarski offered this list of the best Palmer-Hughes pieces to work on:
BOOK 5: (not the best of the material offered)
Mexican Polka -- a good study in repeated RH notes, as well as the sixteenth passages on the 4th section . . . great for "over the thumb" exercise! But remember to relax.
Nine Blind Mice is a great "variation" style piece -- hits lots of technical areas -- grace notes, trills, and more over the thumb exercise.
Roumanian Rhapsody #1 is just fun to do! Triplets, turns, trills and octaves!
BOOK 6:
Voices of Spring is a charming Strauss Waltz. Not difficult to learn, but difficult to play musically and elegantly!
Waltz Theme, is a Chopin Minute Waltz like piece that can also be done as a duet . . . good technical exercise.
El Relicario -- a 3/4 time piece, with the left hand playing a 2/4 kind of bass rhythm. It's rather tricky to accomplish and keep going on! It's got a bit of flair on the 16th not chromatic scale.
BOOK 7:
Semper Fidelis, is a great Sousa march . . . good 6/8 study, and fun drum solo imitation . . . as well as bass solo study.
Relative Samba includes reiterated RH notes in a cute samba style.
Charlie the Boxer is a fun Polish Polka . . . and is challenging to play at the correct speed with the 16th triplets (duet, too).
Turkish Rondo is a nice arrangement of Mozart's Turkish March . . . definitely worth the time!
Hungarian Dance #5 . . . same story.
Entry of the Gladiators is the typical "circus" entrance theme . . . chromatic scales, octaves, bass solo, RH chording, melody in chords.
(Grandioso)
BOOK 8:
Espana is a GREAT piece . . . I go around humming it all day after I hear it once!
Of course, the Toccata in D Minor!
The Strauss Medley is just a series of his pieces . .. if you like them, it's worth the time.
Saber Dance . . . a great arrangement . . . and technically difficult to accomplish!
I do think that should keep you out of trouble for a while!
Let me know how it goes. Hope to see you again soon,
Mary
Accordions Breathe Easier Since Smoking Ban
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Banning smoking in bars is not only salve for the lungs, it is music to the ears.
A smoking ban in Irish workplaces has improved air quality in Irish pubs as well as the health of musical instruments -- such as accordions -- and the people who play them, research suggests.
"Research to date looking at the health effects of the smoking ban on hospitality workers in Ireland has focused mainly on bar staff," said Dr. John Garvey, specialist registrar in respiratory medicine at St. Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin.
Garvey, who plays the accordion, is co-author of a letter to the editor detailing the accordion findings in the Sept. 29 issue of the British Medical Journal.
"It's a remarkable analogy in that you've got an instrument that's basically performing much the same way as the lung and responding much the same way as the lung," added Kirby Donnelly, head and associate professor of environmental and occupational health at Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health.
The Irish government banned smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants, on March 29, 2004.
A study that appeared earlier this year in then American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found a significant reduction in air pollution in pubs and an improvement in respiratory symptoms in Irish bar workers after the ban.
Musicians, including Garvey, frequently gather at pubs to play traditional music together. In addition to the accordion, these pub sessions feature concertina, melodeon and Uilleann (Irish) bagpipes, all of which are bellows-driven.
Anecdotal evidence had suggested that accordions subjected to heavy smoke collected particles inside, much like a person's lungs would.
Garvey and his colleagues conducted a telephone survey of all workers (a total of seven) involved in the cleaning, repair, maintenance and renovation of accordions in the Republic of Ireland. Six of the seven workers were interviewed.
Those interviewed noted that, when opened, accordions that had been played in smoke-filled rooms emitted a strong cigarette odor. Deposits of soot-like dirt were also found inside the instruments. One worker interviewed said that, in some cases, enough dirt could be deposited in the instrument to affect the pitch.
All interviewees said that both the cigarette smell from accordions and the dirt residue inside had improved since the smoking ban.
"There's no question that there's a lot of secondhand smoke in bars, and the Irish have gotten rid of it, and people are feeling better," said Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. "We know that banning smoking in bars improves health."
Of humans and, it seems, accordions.
A Survey by Dale Wise
Fellow Accordionists:
In Larry Hughes article, "The President's Squeeze," from the July 2007 Newsletter of the Peoria Area Accordion Club, he alludes to "FUN" as being the reason for his club's success. His point was well taken, and as a result I was moved to raise the following questions to our Maryland Accordion Club and
Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society members. Here are their responses received to date.
-- Dale Wise 10/4/07
_________________
What's so special about the accordion? Why play the accordion?
It needs no accompaniment.
_________________
It was my first musical instrument. I spent some happy hours as a child discovering, albeit unknowingly, the mysteries of chords, harmony, scales, and the way music worked.
_________________
I could write a book. The simple fact is the accordion is the ultimate instrument of all time.
It is unique in that it can play rhythm, bass notes, chords and/or melody on either the right or left hand, separately or together. Like the piano, music for the accordion is written in both bass and treble clef; thus allowing the student to learn both as he/she progresses. Accordion music is written for and performed in every genre known; from classical to country, folk to French, jazz to zydeco, and everything in between. The accordion is expressive. It can set a mood from happy to sad. It can make you want to dance or become introspective. It can be played by itself and be complete, or it can be played in duets to orchestras, as a lead instrument, or as an accompaniment. Unlike the piano, it is portable. It can be your friend on a long journey; and it can make friends in a strange country; and like many I agree, it is FUN(!), and it has been for many a year....
_______________
Accordion is a versatile instrument. It can be a band in itself. It can be relatively easily transported.
_________________
It's a humble instrument: one can manipulate it as one wants to; rich in sounds, elegant; it's interior/exterior construction is marvelous; can be played at various levels of culture...
_________________
It's easy to take around, and draws crowds of people to watch and listen. People also love to sing along.
_________________
It's a "whole band in your arms."
_________________
It is fun to play, extremely versatile, portable, and most listeners love it despite the jokes. Very few people can play it at all (let alone well). It sounds good. It's a one-person band. You hug it when you play it, and it doesn't need a lot of maintenance if you take care of it. You hardly ever have to tune it. Many are attractive. Their sound is unique, and not easily confused with other instruments.
_________________
Accordion stimulates my mind in a way that my two main instruments do not. I like the idea that I can provide melody and accompaniment with one instrument.
_________________
I'm in LOVE with it.
_________________
For my own pleasure. My interest in the accordion goes back to my childhood.
_________________
I like the sound, and it feels like you're having a party, even if you're just practicing by yourself!
_________________
It's soooo fun!
_________________
When I was a very little boy I heard its sounds and felt transported to levels of harmony, joy. I am still mesmerized when I hear it. Its sounds cause deep-seated thrills that are never satisfied. The more it is experienced, the finer it becomes and begs for more...
_________________
Because it is the greatest instrument available. It has the melody, can harmonize, can be any instrument in the orchestra, and is just plain fun and excites people.
_________________
It must satisfy some part of my inner spirit. Much of the music that I like to listen to and love is well suited to the accordion. The accordion is configured the way I listen to and learned to play music by ear (piano keyboard, circle of fifths, etc.), so there is a synergy there which is very satisfying.
_________________
It is fun to play, and it is fun to be around happy accordion players. It is the perfect instrument for playing Western folk, popular and even classical music across a wide spectrum of ethnicities comprising with a wide variety of scales, rhythms, harmonic structures, and melodic treatments. Every time I play for someone, they think it's great, no matter what I play or how well I play it. Surely there's an appetite out there that is currently unsatisfied.
_________________
What makes our accordion clubs successful?
I hope that through the years our clubs can always say that having fun, learning lots of music from beginning to advanced, and having variety in our activities is why we have succeeded!
_________________
The club is successful because it has not become a JOB. Too many gigs, concerts, events outside our club activities at our meetings would make our club a JOB, not a hobby. Also, the club is FUN because we work hard at making every meeting a special event with presentations, interactive workshops, and jam sessions.
_________________
I suspect that the success of any club lies in the fact that members feel comfortable; that more experienced members make new members feel welcome; that everyone feels connected to some aspect of running the club; that admin jobs can be given to each member, etc.
_________________
The attitude of its members and organizational skills of its leaders.
_________________
People with a common interest can meet each other, and talk shop.
_________________
It's a good feeling when you're around others who play accordion.
_________________
Whoever is there must be experiencing a thrill; all those who wish need to play it; there is a sense of "one mind, one heart" about our meetings; there is respect, there is acknowledgement, encouragement; fun, "family" spirit; in the spirit of the construction of the accordion with buttons on one side and keys on the other and air-bellows in between we create harmony.
_________________
The enthusiasm of the core members and their willingness to work on behalf of all the members to assure pleasant venues for meeting and playing, opportunities for growth and performance, and creating a level playing field for all levels of ability.
_________________
What should our accordion clubs be doing?
Keep our focus in MEETINGS. If the meetings become uninteresting, our membership will dwindle. Trying to be all things about the accordion will surely wreck the club.
_________________
Invite accomplished accordionists to play and teach accordion tricks with handouts. Give workshops on accordion repair at meetings.
_________________
Encourage its members, and maintain a positive image in the community.
_________________
Teach more variety of styles-Klezmer, Cajun, Zydeco, Tango. Have guests who specialize in these.
_________________
Teaching fellow accordionists to be sensitive to "tension-release" in music without valuing intense rapid speed as an end in itself.
_________________
They should be networking, sharing ideas that are successful, bouncing ideas off each other for programs and workshops, and helping to get incorporated.
_________________
Guard against excluding, acting clicky, and giving of awards to themselves.
_________________
We must involve children in our club activities. They are the future, the life-blood of the accordion's existence.
_________________
"Leave our six-gun at the door." Every one must be treated and viewed equally. Too, there must be a willingness to help each other in every way possible for the betterment of the organization.
_________________
More growth and development opportunities for those who are trying to improve, encouraging younger participants (children and young adults).
_________________
Avoid competition among members.
_________________
Do we need more accordion clubs in our area?
Absolutely NOT (N. VA).
_________________
At this time, I don't think so (N. VA)
_________________
Yes. There should be one in the Bethesda-Rockville area.
_________________
I am not sure. Possibly depends on the area.
_________________
I would like to see more satellite clubs develop throughout our states, and have each of them draw members from a 50-mile radius. From these clubs delegates could be chosen to attend annual or semi-annual conventions to exchange ideas and information in an attempt to maintain a commonality throughout the state memberships.
_________________
Probably not. Despite tough transportation issues, another club would probably dilute the membership to the point where a critical mass cannot be sustained at both. May be better to have ensembles comprised of like-minded club members who want to do more together and where specific goals can be addressed.
_________________
THERE IS NO CLUB IN CENTRAL VA. What would it take to start one? How do you go about this? I KNOW there are a coupe of accordionists here. I can name 3 and I'm sure there are others.
_________________
How can we introduce and promote the accordion with our peers?
Illustrate the DIVERSITY of the instrument.
_________________
Have a party to share the accordion, making sure that everyone else is able to bring and talk about their instruments, too.
_________________
Talk about it. Show how it works. Play it. Let them try to play it. Play it with them. Play it with them while they play a different instrument. Tell about the club. Tell about the parade. Show them articles about the accordion. Tell them how much fun it is to play!
_________________
Play well; play a variety of compositions; explain the compositions; the accordion is not just to play popular songs......there is so much more.
_________________
Have workshops, play together, use a variety of music to include the various
levels, have a variety of styles of music to appeal to everyone, have
sing-a-longs, encourage small groups to play together, always be positive and
happy, don't critique and be negative.
_________________
1) play for them
2) accept invitations to play at parties, etc.
3) invite them to club meetings
4) invite them to accordion concerts
5) invite them to jam sessions
6) "advertise" via accordion-related clothing, bumper stickers, etc.
7) Always be happy when talking about the accordion
8) Offer to lend them an instrument to tinker with
9) Offer to give them a few free lessons to get them started
10) play for them some more
_________________
I am aware that many older persons play the accordion, and that the young are in a definite minority. However, many approaching middle age want to play the instrument, and in so doing, entrance the younger persons. We need to cater to those in mid years more.
_________________
How can we introduce and promote the accordion with children?
I do it by having presentations in elementary classes. I take a variety of little accordions into the schools, let the children see them, touch them, and even look INSIDE them to see how they work. I start by playing a song they know--"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
_________________
Play it for them, simply, so that they can see that "their" music can be played on it too.
_________________
Children have to fall in love with the accordion, and gradually stronger commitment will ensue. They need confidence building too. Parents need to be enlightened about the merit of playing the accordion, and encourage their children to study. My mother wanted me to learn Latin and not music...it was okay for three of my sisters to learn music, but not for me "for it would be a distraction." What could a little boy like me do? I had recourse to a little mouth organ!
_________________
Have sing-a-longs; look for children's music (I can't find) that has complete chords so it sounds better; play music that kids know and love; include the children in the playing through demonstrations and hands on events.
_________________
The door to the accordion must be opened by children through their parents, supported by fellow accordionists.
_________________
1) play for them
2) AFK, of course
3) Home school expos
4) Give them CDs of children's songs played on the accordion
5) Find (or have someone write) a children’s story featuring the accordion
6) Invite them to concerts
7) Invite them to club meetings
8) Target the parents as above
9) Lobby popular retail outlets to sell accordions
10) Lobby schools to make accordion instruction available
11) Work the accordion into movie plots in a positive way which might elevate its
image.
_________________
Here's a great idea. My sister is an M.M.E. from ______, and has taught private piano lessons for 30 years. Since she is also an organist, she regularly allows her pupils use the organ some -- to expose them to it, and to hunt up some new organists. She says they're a dying breed. And we think we have problems!
Well, I gave her the little accordion I rented for her 13 year old daughter to try, and sister promptly made all of he piano students try it. They all could play
Jesus, Joy of Mans Desiring in the first week-- of course because they already knew the right hand!! What genius!! I'm so grateful to her for thinking of it, and she is having fun playing the little accordion after all these years of watching me because she claimed my accordion was always too big.
So, the lesson is that piano teachers should be a great entre to possible accordion students !!!!!
_________________
Will there always be accordion players? Why?
Accordions are forever.........bringing joy and happiness to everyone!
_________________
No, there will not always be accordion players as long as the instrument in this country suffers from stereotypes.
_________________
I don't think there will always be accordion players in every city. Accordion culture is slowly being replaced by more electric, pop culture. Just look at the membership: They/we are mostly in retirement or close to it.
_________________
My feeling, since I came into contact with some 'North American Squeezers" is ... they are living in the past. It seems to me, from my limited knowledge of what's going on 'ova dey' - that you have ancients playing their polkas and Slovenian folk songs... and not much focus is being given to the accordion as a jazz instrument or to play popular ballads - Superstar, Morning of the Carnival, Feelings etc/....
So OBVIOUSLY the instrument is becoming dated.
I can only tell you what I did... I had a custom box made... over on the left hand I have only 12 buttons... which are single note bass notes. The stuff I play focuses on the right hand where I play melody and chords... and I use the left hand to emphasize. I'm playing all genres of popular music and people just love to hear the instrument... they are not hearing all this oom - pah, fuddy duddy sound you hear when someone who can play far better than I, is ripping up the left hand and the whole thing is muddy.... instead they are hearing the beauty of the melody, the beauty of the reeds. I don't know that I am explaining myself very well. I would just bring this to a close by saying... IN MY OPINION the instrument has to be presented in a modern light, in a way to deal with modern songs.... What I can tell you is, that in particular countries in Europe the box is very popular with peeps playing gypsy and flamenco style music, also in places like Dominican Republic where it's the front instrument in merengue, etc. So here we see the application. As long as in North America (USA and Canada) the box is being used to play grand dad's music... and not much else, - the answer is right before you.
_________________
It is hard to predict. It seems that the number of professional players and teachers is decreasing. It is very difficult to find dedicated and competent accordion teachers, especially at an affordable fee.
_________________
Yes, there will always be people who are fascinated by it and want to play it , and others who love to listen to it.
_______________
Of course. The accordion has been around forever (5,000 yrs.) because it is fun, portable, has a wonderful sound, and is fascinating to watch.
_________________
Of course. The music will always be there, and it needs to be played.
_________________
Is accordion popularity on the up-swing? How?
Yes. It has always been on the upswing in countries where the accordion is a respected instrument.
_________________
I don't think so, although there seemed to be a little surge about 10 or more years ago.
_________________
I do not think so. The price of the accordion can be prohibitive to many potential students. Our society got technology crazy. Humanistic values are not stressed.
_________________
This doesn't bother me at all; birds don't bother if anybody is hearing their song; I am like a bird. Playing/Loving the accordion does not require an audience; the stars in heaven produce their sounds, and only the silent listener will hear them; so freeing. I remember reading a quote by Andres Segovia that said something like this: "I enjoy playing the guitar for two or three visitors at my house who just delight in the music rather than playing for big audiences."
_________________
I hope so. I think young people are now finding out that it is a wonderful way to "Go Green," and not use electronics, to go back to the "Back Porch" music.
Let Them Be Giants is a good rock group that uses it. Also, Bruce Springfield put out a CD that was dedicated to Pete Seeger using only instruments that could be played on the porch. It is a great way to bring out the accordion.
_________________
Based on sales, teaching rosters, club activities, new recording artists, T.V. and radio shows, and commercials, YES, accordion is on the move.......forward!
_________________
I think so. The current fads in music are not particularly musical and are not sustainable over the long term. This primal-sounding music is a generational thing, and should blow by. For most people the accordion can be a part of any popular music that has a melody and harmony, and lots more of course if you extend to the concert venues for classical and contemporary music. The MIDI accordion could be a big part of the next upswing.
_________________
Other thoughts:
Accordionists in the United States are extremely ethnocentric. They seem to be stuck in the mind-set that American accordionists are the only ones that exist. I notice this, especially on a regional basis. In Michigan, the polka accordionists are the only ones that people seem to know about. In the New Jersey/New York/ Philadelphia area, it seems to be the Italian-American accordionists that are the knowledge base. In Missouri, it is polkas, polkas, polkas. I play the Russian bayan for two reasons: First, to be more authentic in playing Russian folk Music, and Second, because the bayan seems to break down the normal stereotypes that people hold about ALL accordions. If the bayan changes minds, maybe it will spill over to the piano accordion (my first love!) and other types of accordions.
_________________
I like it very much, and will always play it as a remembrance of times past.
_______________
In the 1960s and 1970s steel guitar was the big attraction. Many kids were crazy about it. Nowadays, the computer has made the young generation crazy. Thus, the
accordion has suffered. Studying and learning music requires more thinking, patience, and perseverance than playing with the computer.
_________________
Where did they get the idea for this contraption?!
_______________
I'm glad there are accordion repair workshops along with children's
programs. It is the way to promote the instrument for the future.
_________________
A nice lady in Boise gladly loaned her wonderful piano accordion to me for a wedding engagement so that I did not have to risk taking my accordion on the plane. We accordionists trust one another enough to risk our precious instruments.
_________________
Although the accordion is a keyboard instrument, it is also a reed instrument and therefore, "breathes."
_________________
Interesting! A friend was telling me recently that she was interviewing a kid for some sort of scholarship. She sits on a panel. She told me, of course, they are all brilliant, and have excellent academic histories. But she said she likes to ask them "What do you do for fun?" And the kid says "I play the accordion."
_________________
After writing this note, I realized there might be others who could benefit from its message.
Dear ______,
Perhaps at this point you've had a chance to look over and play the various materials. I'm hoping they will help to "unlock" the life-long barrier to improvisation and "professional Cocktail Lounge" musical styles that you mentioned.
There is a possibility that your perception of these items is less than significant as to what you want to attain, but, trust me, they are a reflection of how I think, view, and perform music as a creative jazz musician, and ............................they work! So, stick with _____________ Bass Patterns, Passing Tones, Anticipations, Accompaniments, etc., and "plug" them into the simplest tunes you know. Notice how the sound of your music becomes unique, fresh, and exactly what you want.
Keep in mind our differences in how we approach music. I "feed" on spontaneity and improvisation, and my ears guide my fingers to "sing" whatever's in my head. You are gifted to sightread the most difficult music, and your eyes convey exactly what the fingers must do.
To me there are no mistakes in music, simply a re-configuring of what is written, i.e., as long as meter is maintained.
If I had to read some of the things I play, I'm quite certain I'd have a problem.
My musical performance is exactly as I want it. If some parts are too difficult for me to play professionally, I insert something easier. If they're too easy, I enhance them.
How you play the left hand on accordion will either "make or break" you.
Review __________ from _______________________________, and experiment implementing the various concepts.
Stay in touch! I think you've got real possibilities.
_________________
As dreams arise.
_________________
Thank you for your interest and contributions to this survey. Please email additional comments if you like.
Best regards,
Dale E. Wise, M.M.E.
Accordion Plus
P.O. Box 53
Burr Hill, VA 22433
(540) 854-5209
Email: [email protected]
Website: Accordionplus.com
**************************************
PS
The accordion, I believe, is a three-handed instrument. Unfortunately, it seems too many players have difficulty understanding how to play the bellows, or "the third hand." While it may not be too evident when one changes bellows direction in the middle of a legato phrase, some so called professional players I've heard change direction of the bellows in the middle of a whole or extended note. I think one of the reasons accordion players get such a bad rap is that too many play their instruments too sloppily of which one example is poor bellows control.
************************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
November 25, 2007
Meeting Notes
Jim Vandelly treated the group to a gem of a short bayan set Sunday, November 18. The music was all the more welcome because we had scheduled only a brief workshop by Joan Grauman for the evening. Frank Busso’s and SqueezinArt’s sales tables, as well as the WMAS shirt/CD/Merv Conn DVD table, also contributed to the meeting’s festiveness.
We expect to have the same sales tables back, plus one manned by Accordion Plus (Dale and DeAnn Wise) at the December 16 holiday concert, so don’t forget your checkbooks.
After Jim’s concert and Q&A about the bayan, Joan led the group through “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” as an exercise in how to follow a conductor and play with an orchestra. The group then used its new-found skills to rehearse for December 16.
Reminder: The next rehearsal for the concert is Sunday, December 2, at 7 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church. If you plan to play in the orchestra, please do your best to make this rehearsal. The 2 pm rehearsal on December 16 is MANDATORY.
Also, please don’t forget to sign up for potluck dishes and setup/cleanup tasks. Obviously orchestra members will be tied up with the rehearsal, so we need other hardy souls to take on these chores. Thank you!!
A concert flyer is attached. Please print it out and hang it up in music stores, community centers, or other places where it might catch people’s eyes. Or mail it to family and friends. Again, thank you!
Lineup for the concert:Master of Ceremonies: Dale E. Wise, M.M.E.
Conductor: Joan Grauman
Orchestra: "We Three Kings of Orient Are" by John H. Hopkins, Jr., 1857
"Angels We Have Heard On High," old French carol, arr. for 2 accordions
by Joan Grauman, 2007
Nancy Leonard - "Marina" and "Oh Marie Polka" by Frank Yankovic
JoAnn Pankow - "Santa Baby"
Michael B. Rubin & Donato Sorrano (vocalist) - TBD
Potomac Ensemble: "Ding-Dong Merrily on High," traditional, arr. for 4 accordions
by Peter DiGiovanni, 2007
Silvia Eberly and students - German Christmas Medley
Orchestra: "Christmas in Killarney" by Redmond, Cavanaugh, & Weldon, 1950
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" by Gillespie & Coots, arr. for 2 accordions
by Frank Gaviani, 1952
Justin Zhou -- "Jingle Bells" & "Join the Fun"
Clare Cherkasky, Mara Cherkasky, & Leone Monticone - "Joy to the World" by Handel and "The Chipmunk Song"
Ken Kunec -- "What Child is This" and "Feliz Navidad"
Potomac Ensemble: "Once In Royal David's City" by Henry J. Gauntlett, arr. for 2 accordions
by Joan Grauman, 2007
Elise Malouf - "Anniversary Waltz
Vic Aijala - "Winter Nights Waltz" and "Christmas Memories from Finland"
Jim Vandelly - Russian tunes on the bayan
Orchestra: "Away In a Manger," 15th Century German carol
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas," traditional English
Dinner Entertainment will be provided by:
The duet team of Stella Allison & Joan Grauman
Karen Malan-Uribe
Phil Fox
Peter DiGiovanni
POTLUCK SIGNUP
Dinner setup: Teri Fox Teddy Kunec
Cleanup: ?
Main dishes:
Nancy Leonard – Pasta
Mara
Juliette - tofu quiche
Mary Smith - Kentucky Fried Chicken
Vegetable/side dishes:
Juliette
Mary Smith - California veggie medley
Salads:
JoAnn Pankow – 3-bean
Graumans - tossed salad with pecans, pears, and gorgonzola cheese
Beverages:
Jim Vandelly - bottled water
Desserts:
Teddy Kunec- Baklava
Teri Fox
Mary Smith - Hanukah cookies
ACCORDION CONCERT
December 19 (Wednesday), 2007, 8:00 P.M.
Oakton United Methodist Church
Rte. 123 & Hunter Mill Road
Oakton, VA 22124
featuring Jim Rice and “The Wiseguys”
with new singing sensation Greg Marlow
and child prodigy June Kim, pianist
The Potomac Ensemble / Teachers’ Choice / Students
Accordions for Kids/U.S.A.
Community Singing
sponsored by
Accordion Plus
P.O. Box 53
Burr Hill, VA 22433
[email protected]
Accordionplus.com
540-854-5209
free admission
Newly Released Piano Accordion CD -- A TRUE MASTERPIECE!
"Carmelo, Celebrating the Accordion"
Reviewed by Joan Grauman
Four years in the making, this magnificent compilation celebrates not only a technically and musically flawless accordion performance, it also showcases the amazing composing and arranging skills of this accomplished and acclaimed accordionist, Dr. Carmelo Pino.
The album features twenty-one musicians considered by Carmelo to be among the finest, and includes his award-winning composition, "Concertino for Accordion and Strings", which has been performed by several symphony orchestras. There are a number of beautifully arranged jazz pieces featuring the accordion with solos by the well-known trombonist Dave Steinmayer, plus Carmelo's celebrated medley of Gershwin tunes, "Gershwiniana", and David Diamond's "Night Music," a composition for accordion and string quartet commissioned by the American Accordionists' Association.
The CD also includes three very lovely and uniquely different Italian dance tunes, which were composed by Carmelo for the Italian film "54 Roses." Accordion great Peter Soave is featured in Carmelo's jazz arrangement of J.S. Bach's "Two Part Invention in A Minor." This piece is just wonderful. The entire CD is truly a gem. It flows seamlessly from one mood and musical style to another. Dr. Carmelo Pino has taken our beloved instrument to a new level. His new CD is a real masterpiece. BRAVO!
Joan Grauman is on the governing board of the American Accordionists' Association, is vice president of the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society, and performs nationally with accordion duet partner Stella Allison.
To obtain a CD, please contact Carmelo by phone (202) 342-0669, or by mail at:
1066 Papermill Ct., NW
Washington, DC 20007
CDs are $20 each, plus $2 shipping (within the US)
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November 25, 2007
Meeting Notes
Jim Vandelly treated the group to a gem of a short bayan set Sunday, November 18. The music was all the more welcome because we had scheduled only a brief workshop by Joan Grauman for the evening. Frank Busso’s and SqueezinArt’s sales tables, as well as the WMAS shirt/CD/Merv Conn DVD table, also contributed to the meeting’s festiveness.
We expect to have the same sales tables back, plus one manned by Accordion Plus (Dale and DeAnn Wise) at the December 16 holiday concert, so don’t forget your checkbooks.
After Jim’s concert and Q&A about the bayan, Joan led the group through “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” as an exercise in how to follow a conductor and play with an orchestra. The group then used its new-found skills to rehearse for December 16.
Reminder: The next rehearsal for the concert is Sunday, December 2, at 7 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church. If you plan to play in the orchestra, please do your best to make this rehearsal. The 2 pm rehearsal on December 16 is MANDATORY.
Also, please don’t forget to sign up for potluck dishes and setup/cleanup tasks. Obviously orchestra members will be tied up with the rehearsal, so we need other hardy souls to take on these chores. Thank you!!
A concert flyer is attached. Please print it out and hang it up in music stores, community centers, or other places where it might catch people’s eyes. Or mail it to family and friends. Again, thank you!
Lineup for the concert:Master of Ceremonies: Dale E. Wise, M.M.E.
Conductor: Joan Grauman
Orchestra: "We Three Kings of Orient Are" by John H. Hopkins, Jr., 1857
"Angels We Have Heard On High," old French carol, arr. for 2 accordions
by Joan Grauman, 2007
Nancy Leonard - "Marina" and "Oh Marie Polka" by Frank Yankovic
JoAnn Pankow - "Santa Baby"
Michael B. Rubin & Donato Sorrano (vocalist) - TBD
Potomac Ensemble: "Ding-Dong Merrily on High," traditional, arr. for 4 accordions
by Peter DiGiovanni, 2007
Silvia Eberly and students - German Christmas Medley
Orchestra: "Christmas in Killarney" by Redmond, Cavanaugh, & Weldon, 1950
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" by Gillespie & Coots, arr. for 2 accordions
by Frank Gaviani, 1952
Justin Zhou -- "Jingle Bells" & "Join the Fun"
Clare Cherkasky, Mara Cherkasky, & Leone Monticone - "Joy to the World" by Handel and "The Chipmunk Song"
Ken Kunec -- "What Child is This" and "Feliz Navidad"
Potomac Ensemble: "Once In Royal David's City" by Henry J. Gauntlett, arr. for 2 accordions
by Joan Grauman, 2007
Elise Malouf - "Anniversary Waltz
Vic Aijala - "Winter Nights Waltz" and "Christmas Memories from Finland"
Jim Vandelly - Russian tunes on the bayan
Orchestra: "Away In a Manger," 15th Century German carol
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas," traditional English
Dinner Entertainment will be provided by:
The duet team of Stella Allison & Joan Grauman
Karen Malan-Uribe
Phil Fox
Peter DiGiovanni
POTLUCK SIGNUP
Dinner setup: Teri Fox Teddy Kunec
Cleanup: ?
Main dishes:
Nancy Leonard – Pasta
Mara
Juliette - tofu quiche
Mary Smith - Kentucky Fried Chicken
Vegetable/side dishes:
Juliette
Mary Smith - California veggie medley
Salads:
JoAnn Pankow – 3-bean
Graumans - tossed salad with pecans, pears, and gorgonzola cheese
Beverages:
Jim Vandelly - bottled water
Desserts:
Teddy Kunec- Baklava
Teri Fox
Mary Smith - Hanukah cookies
ACCORDION CONCERT
December 19 (Wednesday), 2007, 8:00 P.M.
Oakton United Methodist Church
Rte. 123 & Hunter Mill Road
Oakton, VA 22124
featuring Jim Rice and “The Wiseguys”
with new singing sensation Greg Marlow
and child prodigy June Kim, pianist
The Potomac Ensemble / Teachers’ Choice / Students
Accordions for Kids/U.S.A.
Community Singing
sponsored by
Accordion Plus
P.O. Box 53
Burr Hill, VA 22433
[email protected]
Accordionplus.com
540-854-5209
free admission
Newly Released Piano Accordion CD -- A TRUE MASTERPIECE!
"Carmelo, Celebrating the Accordion"
Reviewed by Joan Grauman
Four years in the making, this magnificent compilation celebrates not only a technically and musically flawless accordion performance, it also showcases the amazing composing and arranging skills of this accomplished and acclaimed accordionist, Dr. Carmelo Pino.
The album features twenty-one musicians considered by Carmelo to be among the finest, and includes his award-winning composition, "Concertino for Accordion and Strings", which has been performed by several symphony orchestras. There are a number of beautifully arranged jazz pieces featuring the accordion with solos by the well-known trombonist Dave Steinmayer, plus Carmelo's celebrated medley of Gershwin tunes, "Gershwiniana", and David Diamond's "Night Music," a composition for accordion and string quartet commissioned by the American Accordionists' Association.
The CD also includes three very lovely and uniquely different Italian dance tunes, which were composed by Carmelo for the Italian film "54 Roses." Accordion great Peter Soave is featured in Carmelo's jazz arrangement of J.S. Bach's "Two Part Invention in A Minor." This piece is just wonderful. The entire CD is truly a gem. It flows seamlessly from one mood and musical style to another. Dr. Carmelo Pino has taken our beloved instrument to a new level. His new CD is a real masterpiece. BRAVO!
Joan Grauman is on the governing board of the American Accordionists' Association, is vice president of the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society, and performs nationally with accordion duet partner Stella Allison.
To obtain a CD, please contact Carmelo by phone (202) 342-0669, or by mail at:
1066 Papermill Ct., NW
Washington, DC 20007
CDs are $20 each, plus $2 shipping (within the US)
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
December 25, 2007
Concert Notes
Thanks to all who helped make the December 16 holiday concert and potluck a big success! According to our statisticians, we had about 150 people in the hall, including musicians, audience members, vendors, and helpers, and we are grateful to each one of you for turning out.
Some people have questioned why we ask for a donation for the concert. After expenses, we end up with a few hundred dollars, half of which we donate to the church. Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church has been extremely generous with us, allowing our group to meet once a month all year and additional times for rehearsals during the fall. This is our chance to give back just a little. The money that goes into the club’s treasury will help us bring in guest musicians and cover the costs of photocopying sheet music, mailing out updates to members without email, purchasing coffee for meetings, maintaining the web site (http://www.washingtonaccordions.org), and numerous other expenses.
Next Month
We’ll be starting the new year January 20 with a workshop by Peter Fuehres on Ditigal Interfacing, "Playing along with the MIDI." Peter will demonstrate some basics about using a MIDI and give everyone a chance to play along with him and his MIDI. Please be sure to mark your calendar. As usual we will meet at 4 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church.
Meanwhile, happy holidays to everyone!
More Ideas from Jim Vandelly
Okay, here goes again. This is the next chapter in Jim's ideas of things to do to an accordion:
A few days ago, I was browsing in WAL-MART's sports department--specifically the GUN department. I cam across a rifle-sling that is made of a non-skid material strong enough to support the weight of an accordion--especially the intermediate size instruments.
The sling has a short end of nylong webbing that fits well into the top strap loops. the bottom has a longer webbing to adjust the strap. The webbing is about 1" wide. I had some pieces of 2" webbing from the many extra luggage straps I have with my motorcycle luggage. So, I cut pieces of the 2" webbing and sewed it to the 1" webbing on the bottom of each gun-sling.
These straps cost about $10.00 each. That's a far cry from the $60 and up for those Italian straps that still come with metal buckles. You'd think that after all these years the Italians could come up with plastics that do not scratch the accordion. Every scratch that I have on my accordions and bayans has come from a strap-buckle.
I'm sure that for those of you who need new straps and don't want to spend a fortune of new ones, this idea will work for you.
My Bugari bayan is easier to play now, and the left strap no longer falls off my shoulder. The non-skid side of the straps help eliminate the need for backstraps for those of you who hate backstraps, as I do! I have arthritis in my shoulders that is so bad that I couldn't reach around to attach a backstrap in any case.
At our January meeting, I'll show you this item. By the way, you can also get an all-leather version for a few dollars more. It also has a non-skid side to prevent slipping.
Merry Christmas. Everyone sounded GREAT at Dale's concert. It was nice to see all the kids who have progressed over the years.
Jim Vandelly
"Legend in his own mind"
December 25, 2007
Concert Notes
Thanks to all who helped make the December 16 holiday concert and potluck a big success! According to our statisticians, we had about 150 people in the hall, including musicians, audience members, vendors, and helpers, and we are grateful to each one of you for turning out.
Some people have questioned why we ask for a donation for the concert. After expenses, we end up with a few hundred dollars, half of which we donate to the church. Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church has been extremely generous with us, allowing our group to meet once a month all year and additional times for rehearsals during the fall. This is our chance to give back just a little. The money that goes into the club’s treasury will help us bring in guest musicians and cover the costs of photocopying sheet music, mailing out updates to members without email, purchasing coffee for meetings, maintaining the web site (http://www.washingtonaccordions.org), and numerous other expenses.
Next Month
We’ll be starting the new year January 20 with a workshop by Peter Fuehres on Ditigal Interfacing, "Playing along with the MIDI." Peter will demonstrate some basics about using a MIDI and give everyone a chance to play along with him and his MIDI. Please be sure to mark your calendar. As usual we will meet at 4 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church.
Meanwhile, happy holidays to everyone!
More Ideas from Jim Vandelly
Okay, here goes again. This is the next chapter in Jim's ideas of things to do to an accordion:
A few days ago, I was browsing in WAL-MART's sports department--specifically the GUN department. I cam across a rifle-sling that is made of a non-skid material strong enough to support the weight of an accordion--especially the intermediate size instruments.
The sling has a short end of nylong webbing that fits well into the top strap loops. the bottom has a longer webbing to adjust the strap. The webbing is about 1" wide. I had some pieces of 2" webbing from the many extra luggage straps I have with my motorcycle luggage. So, I cut pieces of the 2" webbing and sewed it to the 1" webbing on the bottom of each gun-sling.
These straps cost about $10.00 each. That's a far cry from the $60 and up for those Italian straps that still come with metal buckles. You'd think that after all these years the Italians could come up with plastics that do not scratch the accordion. Every scratch that I have on my accordions and bayans has come from a strap-buckle.
I'm sure that for those of you who need new straps and don't want to spend a fortune of new ones, this idea will work for you.
My Bugari bayan is easier to play now, and the left strap no longer falls off my shoulder. The non-skid side of the straps help eliminate the need for backstraps for those of you who hate backstraps, as I do! I have arthritis in my shoulders that is so bad that I couldn't reach around to attach a backstrap in any case.
At our January meeting, I'll show you this item. By the way, you can also get an all-leather version for a few dollars more. It also has a non-skid side to prevent slipping.
Merry Christmas. Everyone sounded GREAT at Dale's concert. It was nice to see all the kids who have progressed over the years.
Jim Vandelly
"Legend in his own mind"