2008 News Archive
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
January 30, 2008
Meeting Notes
According to our bylaws (see About Us), January is the time for our annual meeting. We got this business out of the way quickly at our January 20 meeting so we could get on to the fun.
(1) The membership voted to approve the slate of candidates: Karen Uribe as president, Joan Grauman as vice president, and Mara Cherkasky as secretary-treasurer. In addition, Peter DiGiovanni will continue as membership chairperson, and Lee Paulson will continue as communications chairperson.
(2) The treasurer’s report indicated we have approximately $3,500 in the bank.
(3) Members were reminded to pay their 2008 dues of $20 for individuals and $30 for family memberships.
President Karen Malan-Uribe announced the February meeting’s theme: Dance Party! Bring your dancing shoes and your accordion to join in the waltzes, polkas, and maybe even a schottische or two! Ken Kunec has volunteered to serve as master of ceremonies (we hope he’ll perform as well), and a couple of people have already agreed to play. PLEASE SIGN UP.
Karen also announced several upcoming events that are on the "don’t miss" list. They are listed at the end of the Meeting Notes.
The highlight of the evening was a presentation by Peter Fuehres on Digital Interfacing with the Accordion (see his notes below the Announcements). Peter explained how a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) can enhance playing, construction, and recording of music. The medium is standard, meaning all MIDIs can "talk" to each other. The MIDI file player connects to the computer, allowing the user to control up to 16 tracks, each carrying a different electronic instrument, all controlled by the keyboard. The tracks can be edited in various ways including tempo, key, orchestration, and inclusion or omission of parts, even pitch for playing music with half-tones.
The MIDI can also be used to learn new music by playing along at a slower tempo until proficiency is reached. After downloading the music from an MP3 file, the user can delete the lead instrument and play at a tempo that is comfortable until the music is mastered. Peter demonstrated this technique with a song titled “Die Kleine Kneipe.” Reading the sheet music and listening to the MIDI, several members of the audience were able to join in what sounded like a large group as the MIDI played the enhanced tracks. Later in the workshop, the same technique was applied to a polka, “In Den Bergen.”
Many of the MIDI Sequencing software programs that can record and play back MIDI data are accessible in shareware or freeware on the Internet. Just Google "MIDI sequencer" and select from the large array of programs available. After connecting a MIDI file player to a computer through a USB port, the user can set up playlists, connect a microphone for special effects, even turn a MIDI into a karaoke machine!
After Peter’s most interesting workshop, one of our newest members, Yimin Zhuang, treated us to the sound of his new Roland electronic accordion. As so often happens, a jam session broke out with the Roland leading the group. The sounds of Italy, France, Russia, and many other countries closed out our evening on a delightful note.
Announcements
AAMS
The American Accordion Musicological Society (AAMS) will hold its Accordion Festival and Competition March 7-9, 2008, at the Dolce Valley Forge Hotel in King of Prussia, PA. Highlights of the weekend include performances by Mario Tacca and Mary Mancini, a Cajun/Zydeco band (on Friday night), and our own Potomac Ensemble. In addition, numerous informative workshops are scheduled. See http://www.aamsaccordionfestival.com for more information and to register.
AAA
The American Accordionists’ Association will host several events on the East Coast this year, including the Carrozza Scholarship Dinner in Walkill, New York March 2; a Master Class and Concert Series in New York City July 25, 26, and 27, and the 70th anniversary Festival and Competition August 13 through 17 at the Holiday Inn in Rosslyn, Virginia. See http://www.ameraccord.com.
MAC
On February 16, the Maryland Accordion Club is hosting guest artist Jim Vandelly. Jim says he would enjoy having some of our members attend MAC’s meeting for a little "home support"! MAC meets at the Bloomsbury Community Center - 2nd floor auditorium, 106 Bloomsbury Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228. For more information call Joe and Marie Fertitta at (410) 744-3352.
New Accordion Club
Dale Wise is starting an accordion club in the Piedmont area of Virginia. Please contact him at [email protected] for more information.
Accordions in the Washington Post
See Nancy Leonard’s short and sweet accordion story published Jan. 16 in the Washington Post Metro Section, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011503670.html.
Italian Classics for the Accordion
Italian Classics for the Accordion assembles selections from the stacks of old, handwritten, hand-copied, and mimeographed tunes prepared by teachers and friends during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Three volumes of 23 classics each are being offered to accordion players at http://www.italianclassicsfortheaccordion.com .
The contents of the volumes are as follows:
Volume 1:
- Bride and Groom Polka/Brillantina Mazurca/Canto del Canarino/El Serio
- Waltz/Faccetta Nera/Ho Detto al Sole/Julia Waltz/La Capricciosa
- Polka/“Lina” Mazurka/L’o Vista Ieri Sera/Manin Polka/Marianna
- Waltz/Mirella/Occhi Neri/Piruli-Pirula/Quando Ero Piccolina/Quando Mi
- Bacia Teresa/Sbarazzina/Serafina Polka/Stella Alpina/Un Bicchiere d’Acqua e un Bacio/Valzer Della Domenica/Vola e Vá
Volume 2:
- Arie Italiane/Ballerina Polka/Bersaglieri Polka/Bigol/Biondina Mia
- Mazurca/Castel Sant’Angelo/Cesarina Mazurka/Chitarra Romana/Cielo
- Turantata/Cuchoo Waltz/Dino Polka/Gloritta Polka/La Marianna—Non Va In
- Campagna (Verse)/La Marianna—Non Va In Campagna (Chorus)/Mala
- Femmena/O Trieste Del Mio Cuore/Poeta Soldato Mazurka/Polka
- Brillante/Se Avessi Un Mandolino/Ti Salutoi—Vado in Abissinia/Valzer
- Delle Campane/Vieni—Vieni/Vita Veneziana Polka
Volume 3:
- Allegro Waltz/Blue Venetian Waters/Chiudi Gli Occhi, Rosita/Deirina
- Mazurca/Drigo Serenade (Part One)/Drigo Serenade (Part Two)/Il Mio
- Capriccio Mazurka/Il Volo Degli Angeli (Part One)/Il Volo Degli Angeli
- (Part Two)/La Barchetta/La Romanina/La Spagnola (Part One)/La Spagnola
- (Part Two)/Mariana/Marinello/Marsala Mia Mazurca/Paesanella/Polka
- Variata/Romagna Mia/Tango Delle Rose/Tic-Ti Tic-Ta/Valzer
- Trullallero/Veronica Waltz
WORKSHOP HANDOUT
What is MIDI?
MIDI (short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a music industry standard communications protocol that lets MIDI instruments and sequencers (or computers running sequencer software) talk to each other to play and record music. More and more of the music you hear everyday is written with and played by MIDI sequencers.
MIDI is:
- Compact – Hours of music can fit on a single 3-1/2” floppy disk.
- Efficient – Just about any computer can handle it.
- Powerful – A whole orchestra is at your command.
- Versatile – A click of a button is all it takes to change key, tempo, instrument, etc.
- Intuitive – A MIDI file is just an electronic version of a player piano roll for many instruments.
- An Industry Standard – Any MIDI instrument can talk to any other.
Why do I need MIDI?
- Bring your sheet music to life! Hear the music collecting dust on your shelf. If you can hear it, you can play it!
- See it play! Print out lead sheets.
- Arrange with Flexibility & Control – change tempo, transpose key, isolate parts, change feel and swing, accent alternate lines, orchestrate.
- Perform & Record – Play/sing along with ensembles, duets, trios, concertos, songs (with lyrics)
- Low Price – cheaper and easier than buying a bunch of recordings or hiring others.
- Easy to Use – compact, quicker than tapes. It takes only a second to start a file, cue to a section, etc.
What do I need to play MIDI songs?
- Hardware:
o A Multimedia Computer (PC with sound card) OR
o A Dedicated Sequencer/Synthesizer OR
o Computer connected to a Sound Module/Keyboard by a MIDI Interface
- Sequencer Software: We’ve delivered to Mac, PC compatible and Atari users and support all major sequencers and keyboards. Windows users can play standard MIDI files with the Media Player. To gain all the control MIDI offers, we recommend you get a sequencer that can mute tracks, transpose, display and print the score. We sell a full range of sequencers and notation programs, and digital audio, too, starting at just over $25, the cost of a book.
- MIDI Sound Modules - Most MIDI sound modules today are “multi-timbral.” This means that the module can listen to all 16 MIDI channels at once, and play any 16 of its “patches” simultaneously, with each of the 16 patches set to a different MIDI channel. It’s as if the module had 16 smaller “sub-modules” inside of it. Each sub-module plays its own patch (i.e., instrument) on its own MIDI channel.
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
February 26, 2008
Meeting Notes
WMAS celebrated its fifth birthday February 17 with three renditions of “Happy Birthday” (one for Mary Elizabeth Smith, also born in that date) and a cake decorated with a frosting accordion. The day’s program featured lots of music and dancing, and the debut of our newest star, DJ Geezken (aka Ken Kunec), who got the party rolling with a song about a birthday suit (“I Just Don’t Look Good Naked Anymore”). Dancers had ample opportunity to tire themselves out on polkas and waltzes, but most were still game to learn an Israeli folk dance. This was taught by Joan Grauman who then deftly strapped on her accordion to join her husband Dan on melodeon, leaving the dancers to fend for themselves. A rousing chicken dance closed out the session. A good time was had by all.
We will try to be more serious next month (March 16), when Peter DiGiovanni will teach us how to use fakebooks. Afterwards Joan Grauman will lead us in some Irish tunes. Hope to see you then, if not before
Two good concerts are coming up.
Guy Klucevsek & Alan Bern will perform this Saturday, March 1, at An Die Musik, 409 N. Charles Street in Baltimore. They’re playing two sets: 8 pm and 9:30 pm, and tickets are $20. More info is at http://www.andiemusiklive.com.
Then, next Thursday, March 6, accordionist Stefan Hussong and trombonist Mike Svoboda will perform at the Freer Gallery of Art’s Meyer Auditorium. The concert starts at 7:30 pm, and there’s a pre-concert gallery tour of the Arts of Japan at 6:45. Free tickets required at <http://www.asia.si.edu/events/performances.asp##>
The Freer is on Independence Ave. at 12th St., SW, near the Smithsonian Metro Station.
Here’s more info:
German accordionist Stefan Hussong's frequent tours to Japan have inspired composers there to write more than forty works for him. For this concert, Hussong presents his own adaptation of ancient Japanese gagaku music, new works written for him by Keiko Harada and Joji Yuasa, and music by Cage, Frescobaldi, Stockhausen, and Piazzolla. Hussong recently won the Record of the Year award from Japan Record Guide, and he has appeared with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Mike Svoboda collaborated throughout the 90s with the late Karlheinz Stockhausen, and has premiered music by Frank Zappa and Xenakis.
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Patterned Feathers, Piercing Eyes: Edo Masters from the Price Collection.
http://www.asia.si.edu.
And then, of course, the American Accordion Musicological Society’s festival is March 7-9 in Valley Forge, Pa. It’s not too late to register at http://www.aamsaccordionfestival.com. The Potomac Ensemble will be performing in a workshop at 12:30 pm on Saturday, March 8, and the rest of the program looks interesting, too.
The Latest from Michael B. Rubin
Michael B. Rubin has joined the InterPlay Band (www.interplayband.org) on accordion. InterPlay is a 15-year-old award-winning band of between 50 and 60 adult musicians with and without developmental and/or physical disabilities where the majority of players with disabilities do not and probably will not read music. The band includes former and current members of the National Symphony Orchestra and performs at Strathmore Hall in Rockville, MD.
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February 26, 2008
Meeting Notes
WMAS celebrated its fifth birthday February 17 with three renditions of “Happy Birthday” (one for Mary Elizabeth Smith, also born in that date) and a cake decorated with a frosting accordion. The day’s program featured lots of music and dancing, and the debut of our newest star, DJ Geezken (aka Ken Kunec), who got the party rolling with a song about a birthday suit (“I Just Don’t Look Good Naked Anymore”). Dancers had ample opportunity to tire themselves out on polkas and waltzes, but most were still game to learn an Israeli folk dance. This was taught by Joan Grauman who then deftly strapped on her accordion to join her husband Dan on melodeon, leaving the dancers to fend for themselves. A rousing chicken dance closed out the session. A good time was had by all.
We will try to be more serious next month (March 16), when Peter DiGiovanni will teach us how to use fakebooks. Afterwards Joan Grauman will lead us in some Irish tunes. Hope to see you then, if not before
Two good concerts are coming up.
Guy Klucevsek & Alan Bern will perform this Saturday, March 1, at An Die Musik, 409 N. Charles Street in Baltimore. They’re playing two sets: 8 pm and 9:30 pm, and tickets are $20. More info is at http://www.andiemusiklive.com.
Then, next Thursday, March 6, accordionist Stefan Hussong and trombonist Mike Svoboda will perform at the Freer Gallery of Art’s Meyer Auditorium. The concert starts at 7:30 pm, and there’s a pre-concert gallery tour of the Arts of Japan at 6:45. Free tickets required at <http://www.asia.si.edu/events/performances.asp##>
The Freer is on Independence Ave. at 12th St., SW, near the Smithsonian Metro Station.
Here’s more info:
German accordionist Stefan Hussong's frequent tours to Japan have inspired composers there to write more than forty works for him. For this concert, Hussong presents his own adaptation of ancient Japanese gagaku music, new works written for him by Keiko Harada and Joji Yuasa, and music by Cage, Frescobaldi, Stockhausen, and Piazzolla. Hussong recently won the Record of the Year award from Japan Record Guide, and he has appeared with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Mike Svoboda collaborated throughout the 90s with the late Karlheinz Stockhausen, and has premiered music by Frank Zappa and Xenakis.
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Patterned Feathers, Piercing Eyes: Edo Masters from the Price Collection.
http://www.asia.si.edu.
And then, of course, the American Accordion Musicological Society’s festival is March 7-9 in Valley Forge, Pa. It’s not too late to register at http://www.aamsaccordionfestival.com. The Potomac Ensemble will be performing in a workshop at 12:30 pm on Saturday, March 8, and the rest of the program looks interesting, too.
The Latest from Michael B. Rubin
Michael B. Rubin has joined the InterPlay Band (www.interplayband.org) on accordion. InterPlay is a 15-year-old award-winning band of between 50 and 60 adult musicians with and without developmental and/or physical disabilities where the majority of players with disabilities do not and probably will not read music. The band includes former and current members of the National Symphony Orchestra and performs at Strathmore Hall in Rockville, MD.
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
March 23, 2008
Meeting Notes
The March 16 meeting was a good mix of instruction and music. Peter DiGiovanni presented a fun, instructive workshop on how to play from a fakebook (see his handout reproduced below), and led the group through a few pieces taken from various fakebooks.
Afterwards Joan Grauman handed out some Irish pieces for everyone to play together in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day. Several soloists performed as well.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Photos
Photos from the WMAS holiday concert have at long last been posted on the Web site. Photos from the AAMS festival of March 7-9 will be posted soon. Check out the photo album at www.washingtonaccordions.org. And don’t forget to check the calendar for our meeting schedule and events around the area, as well as festivals around the world.
Accordion Bibliophiles
Joan Grauman will be giving a one-hour presentation on the accordion Tuesday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Fairfax Library. The program, for “bibliophiles," will cover books, old sheet music, ephemera, etc. Afterwards she will play a few Frosini pieces.
The library address is 10360 North Street, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, at the corner of Old Lee. Entrances to the underground parking lot are from Old Lee and University. The library’s phone number is 703-293-6227.
HOW TO PLAY FROM A FAKEBOOK
By Peter DiGiovanni
Fakebook – crams a lot of sheet music in a small space. It is a collection of lead sheets comprising the main melody and supporting harmony, key and time signatures. BARE BONES versions of the selections, presented as concisely as possible. Tempo notes are generally provided, and lyrics are often provided. Rhythm is not generally indicated, nor are dynamics. The complexity of chords shown can vary greatly between arrangements of the same song. Register selection is never provided unless specifically intended for accordion. So what do you do with it?
Minimum knowledge is required – how to sightread the melody and play the accompanying harmony in the bass, along with a feel for basic rhythms and tempos. With this, you can play exactly what is written on the lead sheet. But there is lots more you can do with just a little more knowledge.
Helpful supporting knowledge – scales, makeup of as many chords as possible, bass patterns and proper accenting for various rhythms, common chord substitutions.
The performer has the freedom to embellish and improvise while playing, thereby creating his/her own interpretation of the music. The bass/harmony supports the melody, and provides the essential information needed to come up with an interesting treatment for the treble.
Bass
- Vary the pattern (a la Dale Wise Pro Notes)
- Use thirds as well as fifths (counterbass row)
- Walking bass lines, scales in the bass (“Oh Baby Mine,” etc.)
- Chord substitution, slash chords
Melody
- Add grace notes, appoggiaturas, upper and lower auxiliaries, passing tones
- Add countermelody and voice leading
- Flesh out the melody with chords as suggested by the harmony (including using inversions, especially when bass chord is not available or is inconvenient – e.g., augmented chords)
A good time to improvise around the melody is during long sustained notes. Throw in part of a scale, or a chord arpeggio, a short chromatic figure, or a bridge to the next phrase. When playing with others, observe good jamming etiquette.
Some complex chords are best formed by combining simple chords or single notes in the bass with the desired extra notes in the treble. Also nice to use unconventional chord combinations in the bass (a la Eric Schwarz). Minor sixth, minor seventh, dominant ninth, and Sus4 come up frequently and are actually quite convenient to pay in the bass and add a lot of interest to the music. Also, you don’t always have to play all the chords indicated – some are of very short duration and are actually formed by a simple chord in the bass plus a note in the melody.
Introductions and endings – rarely given in the lead sheet
Can use last measures of the song, or create an appropriate melodic figure and chord progression.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Believe your ears. This is a creative process. Compare any arrangement to a lead sheet for the same song and look for places where the arranger inserted his/her own stuff. Notice how the basic building blocks (scales associated with the current harmony and especially notes from chords from the current harmony) are ever-present in the melody and the improvisational material. You can MAKE music when playing from a lead sheet, not simply PLAY someone else’s musical arrangement.
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
April 30, 2008
Meeting Notes
The April 20 meeting was a two-fer, or even a three-fer. Joan Grauman presented a brief workshop on the blues scale, based on a similar workshop offered by Lenny Feldman at the Mesa, Arizona, accordion camp in January. The point was to provide some music basics to help accordionists invent “jazz-sounding” melodies. Joan suggested that people who want to play jazz should listen to Frank Marocco and Eddie Monteiro CDs to get an ear for the sound. We’ll see if anyone is inspired enough to come up with something for our June 15 concert.
After the workshop Jim Vandelly performed a short concert on both bayan and piano accordion. We scheduled the concert for April because Jim will be away most of the next several meetings, and we needed our fix before he left. The piano accordion was a bonus, as we rarely hear Jim play the standards. One audience member was moved to sing along, and Jim slipped easily into the role of accompanist on “Moon River.”
The third part of the meeting was a surprise birthday for Karen. Only a few people in the room knew what it meant when the Mexican song “Las Mañanitas” suddenly came over the speakers. It’s the birthday song, and Karen’s surprised grin – and birthday cake – soon followed. She would like to let everyone know how much she appreciated the love and good wishes, our rendition of “Happy Birthday,” and the delicious tres leches cake.
Announcements
Next Meeting
Our next meeting, on May 18, will be a concert of Italian Valtaro Musette Music by Dominic Karcic and Ray Oreggia. We are advertising this to the public and asking for a donation of $8. WMAS members don’t have to pay, but we are hoping you will bring refreshments such as grapes, cheese, and desserts for after the concert. This is instead of a regular meeting, but the time and place will be the usual: 4 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, 3435 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, VA 22044.
Embassy Concert
On April 19 a large group of WMAS members attended a fantastic concert by accordionist Alessandro Gazza at the Italian Cultural Institute just off Massachusetts Avenue, Embassy Row. Mr. Gazza, who has won 15 first prizes in national (Italian) and international accordion competitions, studied with Semionov, among other teachers. The program included Piazzolla, Paganini, Scarlatti, Albeniz, Rossini, and Gazza’s own compositions, plus a selection of film music. After the free (!) concert, the audience was treated to champagne and strawberries.
Fairfax Bibliophiles
Joan Grauman will be speaking on the accordion for the Fairfax Bibliophiles on Tuesday, May 13, at the Fairfax Public Library. The presentation will cover books on the accordion, old sheet music, some history of the accordion in the United States, and the different kinds of accordions. In addition, she will play a few pieces on the piano accordion (by P. Frosini and F. Marocco) and the Austrian diatonic accordion. The library is at 10360 North Street, Fairfax, VA 22030, at the corner of Old Lee and North, telephone 703-293-6227. The event starts at 7:30 pm.
WMAS T-shirts
Below is an updated T-shirt inventory. If you would like a shirt, please check to see if we have your size, and then let us know so we can bring it to the next meeting. We cannot mail the shirts. The price is $15.
Women’s red - 1 S, 1 M, 2 L, 3 XL, 2XL = 11 total
Women’s black - 2S, 2 M, 2 L = 6 total
Men’s red - 3S, 3M, 1L, 2XL = 9 total
Men’s black - 1S, 1L, 1XL = 3
AAA Accordion Extravaganza
On Saturday, June 21, 2008, at 2 pm the American Accordionists’ Association will present an Accordion Extravaganza Concert in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the AAA and to the memory of Maddalena Belfiore. The event takes place at the Academic Arts Theatre, Westchester Community College, 75 Grasslands Rd., Valhalla, NY 10595
The Concert will feature the Accordion Pops Orchestra under the direction of Danny Desiderio, Eddie Monteiro, Mary Tokarski, The Jazz Duo of Tony Dannon and Joe Cerrito, former CIA World Champion Beverly Roberts Curnow, Dr. William Schimmel, Dr. Robert McMahan, International Vocal Artist Mary Mancini with Mario Tacca, The Amazing Accordion Kings, and others. Concert tickets are $30; dinner is $35. Please reply to this email if you would like more information.
Get Your Accordion Into the Smithsonian!
[Letter from Michelle De Cesare, Supply Coordinator, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, 202-633-6485, to WMAS:]This summer, the Smithsonian Institution will present the 42nd annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to a crowd of more than 1 million people. The Festival, running from June 25- July 6, is a free, 10-day, “living museum” celebrating cultural traditions practiced across the United States and around the world. We are currently seeking product donations to help us produce this important event and are asking for your support.
Each year we invite 300-600 participants to join us in sharing their culture with the American public. Through demonstrations, performances, and face-to-face interaction, visitors can experience the living traditions of the world’s people in an exhibition that is both educational and entertaining. This year’s Festival will feature three very distinctive programs: Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon, NASA: Fifty Years and Beyond, and Texas: A Celebration of Music, Food and Wine.
As a non-profit agency, the Smithsonian Institution often looks to the generosity of people and businesses nationwide for support in creating and presenting this mammoth event. In our Texas a Celebration of Music, Food and Wine program we are planning an activity where children have the opportunity to play musical instruments, specifically the accordion, bajo sexto guitar, fiddle, maracas, cow bells and triangle, and are instructed by the performers. For your donation of a used, working accordion you will receive recognition in our printed program book distributed during the Festival. All donations are tax deductable.
Feel free to visit our website at www.folklife.si.edu for a better idea of this summer’s programs. The assistance of companies such as yours is crucial to the Smithsonian’s efforts—every donation, great and small, contributes to make this Festival a success. We hope that you will join the list of distinguished supporters for this year’s 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
New Accordion Clubs
Florida:Our friends Ben and Brigitte Valenti, WMAS members who moved to Florida, report that they’re starting the Accordion Club of South Florida, and have scheduled the first meeting for May 5. They already have a web site, at www.accordionclubofsouthflorida.com.
Here is the notice they’ve sent out:
Accordion Club of South Florida
Calling all accordion players. We are starting an accordion club.
Our mission is to bring together accordionists and promote accordion music in South Florida. Please come and join us on Monday, 5 May 2008 at 7:30 PM to 10 PM at Sunny South Estates Clubhouse on 8710 Sunny South Avenue, Boynton Beach, FL. 33436.
Contact: Peter Lapira at 561-281-2738; email: [email protected]
Bring your squeeze box. Meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month at the same time and place.
Western New York:
In addition, our friend Bernie Schenkler, who recently moved from New Jersey to Buffalo, is working with Roxy’s Music Store in Batavia, NY, to start the Western New York Accordion Club.
He’s working on a website at www.wnyaccordions.org and hoping to schedule a first meeting for after the summer. (Summers are so short in that part of the country, that they don’t like to schedule anything for indoors!)
From Dominic Karcic:
The Ten Accordion Commandments
(source unknown)
1. Thou shalt not keep me in the trunk of the car when we go riding so that my wax will melt, or my bass buttons fall in.
2. Thou shalt not stretch my bellows as far as they will go to see them rip apart.
3. Thou shalt not be careless when placing me in or out of my case, for my keys will pop up and catch on the straps as you pull them over.
4. Thou shalt not push my bass buttons in quite hard, or bump them on a door, for my wire fastenings will then bend and I will lose my buttons.
5. Thou shalt not set me on the seat of the car so that I roll off onto the floor when you stop.
6. Thou shalt not take me apart to find out what makes me click!
7. Thou shalt not forget and leave me near a heater so that I will warp and thus be the only accordion with rounded sides.
8. Thou shalt not forget to bring me in for my yearly check-up at the repairman or I may wheeze and cough.
9. Thou shalt not take me out of the case and begin to play me while I am still cold and not full of air.
10. Thou shalt not misuse me and therefore soon throw me away with mean words because I didn't behave.
Long Live the Accordion!
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
May 26, 2008
Meeting Notes
All you had to do at the May 18 WMAS meeting was close your eyes; the music transported you to 1930s-era Manhattan and a dancehall named Val-Taro Restaurant and Bar. Dominic Karcic and Ray Orteggia, down for the weekend from Long Island, specialize in Val-Taro musette music, brought to the United States by immigrants from the Taro River Valley region south of Parma, Italy. The duo played us a variety of dance melodies, beautiful all of them, that in their day had couples crowding the dance floor. In fact, Dominic said, people often would not even wait for a Val-Taro event to begin; they would start dancing as the musicians tuned up. At our event one couple danced to some of the tunes while the rest of us listened raptly. Maybe our club’s next mission, now that the accordion is heard regularly in the best venues around town, is to remind people how much fun it is to dance to the accordion. And it doesn’t always have to be the polka.
More information about Val-Taro music is on the WMAS Miscellany page.
Dominic and Ray sold out of the CDs they brought to the meeting, but you can always have them send you one. Contact Dominic at [email protected], or (631) 864-4428.
At our next meeting members will take the “stage.” Please sign up now (by replying to this email) to play at the Fathers’ Day concert, June 15, at 4 pm. As always, we urge you to invite your friends and family, and to please bring refreshments.
Announcements
New tunebook for all accordions and concertinas:
Easy Squeezy Tunes by Wendy Morrison is for beginning players of all squeezeboxes, in the keys of C and G. Melody notation and chord symbols. Thirty-six uncommon and original tunes from the folk dance tradition: polkas, schottishes, waltzes, etc. Great practice and teaching tunes. See full description at http://www.hmtrad.com/catalog/books/sbx-bks/easysqueezy.html.
A couple of concerts coming up next week:
Beyond the Pale, part of the Washington Jewish Music Festival
Monday, June 2, 7:30 pm
Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater
Washington DC Jewish Community Center
16th and Q streets, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Eric Stein, mandolin; Bret Higgins, bass; Milos Popovic, accordion; Martin van de Ven, clarinet; Bogdan Djukic, violin and percussion; Aleksandar Gajic, violin and viola.
Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Members, students, seniors get $5 off.
Critically acclaimed and award-winning, Toronto's Beyond the Pale is one of the most exciting ensembles in the Canadian folk, roots, and world music scenes. Their explosive acoustic sound is inspired by a wide range of cross-cultural influences, from European folk styles (klezmer, Balkan, Gypsy, Romanian) to contemporary and North American styles (bluegrass, jazz, reggae, funk, and more).
www.wjmf.org
Accordion Concert featuring Accordions for Kids/U.S.A. of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area
and Dale E. Wise, M.M.E.Saturday, June 7, 2008, 7:00 pm
Oakton United Methodist Church
Rte. 123 & Hunter Mill Rd.
Oakton, VA 22124
sponsored by
Accordion Plus, LLC
POB 53 / Burr Hill, VA 22433
[email protected] / Accordionplus.com
540-854-5209
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
June 22, 2008
Meeting Notes
For the second year in a row WMAS celebrated Fathers Day with a concert. Our emcee, Ken Kunec, entertaining as usual, warmed up the crowd of about 60 people with a sing-along of “We Will Rock You,” then introduced the solo, duo, and ensemble performances. This was a great opportunity for our members to play in front of an appreciative audience, and the result was a wonderful variety of musical styles.
At next month’s meeting, July 20, Richard Dangel will play and sing the standards – which he defines as “songs that have a melody, an interesting chord progression, familiar and pleasing lyrics, and hopefully a rhythm.” Dick explains that he prefers jazz dissonant chords and couples those harmonic explorations with strong bass leading. He considers playing while singing a lifetime challenge and still a work in progress for him.
This should be a great program! Afterwards, there will be a chance to jam, so please bring your instruments.
More information on the WMAS calendar.
Announcements
Volunteer(s) Needed to Organize Sheet Music
Karen is looking for someone to help her with putting the three boxes of music her dad gave me into a data base. She will be working on that in July during the day and in the evenings. The bonus would be that the volunteer(s) get to keep any duplicate copies of songs. Please contact Karen at [email protected].
News from Remote Outposts (Ben and Brigitte Valenti in South Florida)
Hi All,
We had our first meeting Monday, June 2, and thought it was a great success. The meeting was attended by 12 accordion lovers, seven of whom played the accordion regularly at some time in their lives and some who were professionals. There seem to be a lot of those in Florida. We are hoping that this is just the beginning. A good time was had by all as they were entertained by Ralph Michaels, Carol Schiror, Doreen Stuart, Peter Lapira, Bobby Collins, Norberto, and me (Brigitte).
Photos taken at the meeting can be seen on our website at: www.AccordionClubofSouthFlorida.com . Note: We also found our Merv Conn. He is Ralph Michaels of the famous Punchenellos of Florida. He is only 84 and plays and sings just like Merv. This little 5-foot man is one ball of fire, but we need to hold him back the next time or he will play and sing the whole time.
Let me tell you what else happened. No anouncement showed up in the Palm Beach Post as promised. Needless to say I was very upset to have spent all this time and making many phone calls with the paper and then nothing. So when I called the young lady to question it, she got very snotty with me and told me next time pay for it and then you will have it for sure in the paper. That did not sit too well with me and I spoke to her supervisor. She appologized a lot and promised it will be in this time. But here is the kicker: She knows the fellow who writes the comics and he plays the accordion and she gave me his number. He got all excited about the club developing and showed up at my house this morning with his accordion and a camera man and, and interviewed me and played with me. It is now going to show up on the home page of the Palm Beach Post's website. They said it would be about two weeks and that they would call me and give me a heads-up. I will let you all know when it is going to appear. The bad thing, however, is that I was so nervous that I could hardly play. So this is really going to be interesting.
Brigitte and Ben
Accordions at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
This year's festival features Texas, the state that might have contributed more to American music than any other. This is also the state of which it has been said: For every 12 families there are 13 accordions.
The festival, held on the National Mall, runs June 25-29 and July 2-6. You can look forward to concerts featuring a wide variety of music styles -- and an amazing lineup of musicians -- every day and most evenings, as well as workshops. For example, a workshop on building accordions is scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 4:30 pm. All events are free.
Schedules and more information are at http://www.folklife.si.edu/festival/2008/index.html
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is one of the best reasons to live in Washington. Don't miss it!
Accordion players in the news! - - the NYT editorial pages. ~ Submitted by Louise Neu
WEEK IN REVIEW | June 15, 2008
Correspondence: Thanks, Weird Al, You Model American
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
A globe-trotting dad leads his sons to their roots. And vice versa.
***********************************************************************************************************************
June 22, 2008
Meeting Notes
For the second year in a row WMAS celebrated Fathers Day with a concert. Our emcee, Ken Kunec, entertaining as usual, warmed up the crowd of about 60 people with a sing-along of “We Will Rock You,” then introduced the solo, duo, and ensemble performances. This was a great opportunity for our members to play in front of an appreciative audience, and the result was a wonderful variety of musical styles.
At next month’s meeting, July 20, Richard Dangel will play and sing the standards – which he defines as “songs that have a melody, an interesting chord progression, familiar and pleasing lyrics, and hopefully a rhythm.” Dick explains that he prefers jazz dissonant chords and couples those harmonic explorations with strong bass leading. He considers playing while singing a lifetime challenge and still a work in progress for him.
This should be a great program! Afterwards, there will be a chance to jam, so please bring your instruments.
More information on the WMAS calendar.
Announcements
Volunteer(s) Needed to Organize Sheet Music
Karen is looking for someone to help her with putting the three boxes of music her dad gave me into a data base. She will be working on that in July during the day and in the evenings. The bonus would be that the volunteer(s) get to keep any duplicate copies of songs. Please contact Karen at [email protected].
News from Remote Outposts (Ben and Brigitte Valenti in South Florida)
Hi All,
We had our first meeting Monday, June 2, and thought it was a great success. The meeting was attended by 12 accordion lovers, seven of whom played the accordion regularly at some time in their lives and some who were professionals. There seem to be a lot of those in Florida. We are hoping that this is just the beginning. A good time was had by all as they were entertained by Ralph Michaels, Carol Schiror, Doreen Stuart, Peter Lapira, Bobby Collins, Norberto, and me (Brigitte).
Photos taken at the meeting can be seen on our website at: www.AccordionClubofSouthFlorida.com . Note: We also found our Merv Conn. He is Ralph Michaels of the famous Punchenellos of Florida. He is only 84 and plays and sings just like Merv. This little 5-foot man is one ball of fire, but we need to hold him back the next time or he will play and sing the whole time.
Let me tell you what else happened. No anouncement showed up in the Palm Beach Post as promised. Needless to say I was very upset to have spent all this time and making many phone calls with the paper and then nothing. So when I called the young lady to question it, she got very snotty with me and told me next time pay for it and then you will have it for sure in the paper. That did not sit too well with me and I spoke to her supervisor. She appologized a lot and promised it will be in this time. But here is the kicker: She knows the fellow who writes the comics and he plays the accordion and she gave me his number. He got all excited about the club developing and showed up at my house this morning with his accordion and a camera man and, and interviewed me and played with me. It is now going to show up on the home page of the Palm Beach Post's website. They said it would be about two weeks and that they would call me and give me a heads-up. I will let you all know when it is going to appear. The bad thing, however, is that I was so nervous that I could hardly play. So this is really going to be interesting.
Brigitte and Ben
Accordions at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
This year's festival features Texas, the state that might have contributed more to American music than any other. This is also the state of which it has been said: For every 12 families there are 13 accordions.
The festival, held on the National Mall, runs June 25-29 and July 2-6. You can look forward to concerts featuring a wide variety of music styles -- and an amazing lineup of musicians -- every day and most evenings, as well as workshops. For example, a workshop on building accordions is scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 4:30 pm. All events are free.
Schedules and more information are at http://www.folklife.si.edu/festival/2008/index.html
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is one of the best reasons to live in Washington. Don't miss it!
Accordion players in the news! - - the NYT editorial pages. ~ Submitted by Louise Neu
WEEK IN REVIEW | June 15, 2008
Correspondence: Thanks, Weird Al, You Model American
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
A globe-trotting dad leads his sons to their roots. And vice versa.
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
August 7, 2008
Meeting Notes
At our July 20 meeting: Richard Dangel led us on a tour through Tin Pan Alley, that section of West 28th Street in New York City that gave rise to so many wonderful tunes between the 1890s and the mid-1950s. Dick played and sang about 20 songs including such standards as Jerome Kern’s “Look for the Silver Lining” and Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark.” (He defines standards as songs that have a melody, an interesting chord progression, familiar and pleasing lyrics, as well as rhythm.) In a couple of trips away from the alley Dick gave us “Amazing Grace” and “Beer Barrel Polka.”
After retiring from a career in engineering management with the U.S. Navy, Dick studied music theory. Besides playing the accordion – he used a Roland in his WMAS program – Dick also sings barbershop. He recommended three books: Dick Hyman’s All the Right Changes (about chord changes); Frank Marocco and Ralph Stricker’s Jazz Theory and Improvisation; and David A. Jasen’s Tin Pan Alley. One or more of these might be just the thing to help keep you cool this summer.
Upcoming Meetings
Please remember we will not be meeting in August. Instead we encourage everyone to attend the American Accordionists’ Association festival in Arlington, Va. (actually, Rosslyn) from August 13 to 17 (more on this below).
We have something very exciting lined up for September: a special concert featuring accordionist Antonio Barbarena from Mexico. But please note that the concert will take place Sunday, September 14, not the 21st as originally announced. The time and place will not change: 4 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church. As usual for these special concerts, we will be asking nonmembers for a donation, so September will be a good time to become a member.
Mr. Barbarena will stick around after the concert for a potluck and jam session. Please plan to bring a dish to share, and your accordion. More details will follow.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WMAS Music Library
Lee Paulson has sorted the sheet music and books Karen received from her father, the former director of an accordion school, and developed a database of all the titles. If you are a member and would like to see a copy of the database on an Excel spreadsheet, please reply to this message. You may then ask to borrow music from the collection. You will have to pick it up at a meeting, however; Karen will not mail it.
American Accordionists’ Association August 13-17
The festival opens with a “Press and Squeeze Party” on Wednesday, August 13, at 7 pm.
On Thursday, August 14, at 10:30 am, Ray Oreggia – who performed a concert for us in June with Dominic Karcic (see below) – will present a workshop on Charles Magnante, His Life and Recordings.
The U.S. Air Force Strolling Strings with accordionist Frank Busso will be the luncheon concert performers on Thursday at 11:30 am.
At 1:15 on Thursday Dominic Karcic and Ray Orteggia will present a workshop on the Music of the Vartaro Musette. If you missed their WMAS concert, here’s your chance. If you attended their WMAS concert, you know you want to see them again!
At 2:15 pm on Thursday, Joan Grauman will present a multi-media accordion memorabilia workshop. She will cover the history and founders of the AAA; old recordings by favorites such as Frosini, Myron Floren, and Magnante; and books, advertisements, photos, cartoons, and stories of the past 70 wonderful years of the accordion in the United States.
At 3:15 pm on Thursday Dr. Robert Young McMahan will present a workshop on the Accordion in the Symphony Orchestra from Tchaikovsky to the Present.
Rehearsals will fill the rest of the afternoon. The evening’s offerings include the Belfiore International Entertainment Competition at 7 pm and the Vivian Vivio Stolaruk International Entertainment Competition at 8 pm.
On Friday buses will take participants on a sightseeing tour of Northern Virginia starting at 11 am. A gala concert at 7 pm will feature Joe Cerrito, Mary Tokarski, and Alexander Poeluev among other virtuosos.
On Saturday competitions start at 9 am. A workshop presented by Alexander Poeluev is scheduled for 10 am; other events include a 2 pm awards concert and a banquet starting with a cocktail hour at 6 pm.
See www.ameraccord.com for more details.
Dale Wise’s Advice on How to Choose an Accordion
Friends of the accordion:
Please share this information with those who you think are in search of an accordion that is right for them.
It's easy to get confused, so here are some thoughts and information to help with decisions.
As to new accordions, consider only those that are appealing as to size, weight, sound and quality of reeds, color, cost, can be returned if not completely safisfied, and come with a five-year warranty on all parts and repair. Used instruments must follow the same considerations, and have at least a two-year warranty on all parts and repair.
Here's what is commonly available in new accordions.
+ Italian-made
or
Chinese-made
or
German/Chinese-made
+ Size of treble keyboard (lowest to highest white key):
Small (16 1/8") w/34 keys (G1-E3); white key = .77" wide
Intermediate (17") w/41 keys (F1-A4); white key = .67" wide
Medium (17 3/4") w/37 keys (F1-F4); white key = .77" wide
Medium+ (17 3/4") w/41 keys (F1-A4); white key = .71" wide
Large (19 1/8") w/41 keys (F1-A4); white key = .77" wide
+ Weights: 16.25 lbs.; 18 lbs.; 22 lbs.; 24 lbs; 26-29 lbs.
+ Reed Quality: Commercial; Handmade Type; Special Export; Handmade; (There is also a reedless electronic type)
+ Sets of Reeds: RH (2, 3, or 4); LH (4 or 5)
+ Tuning: Wet = Musette (available in various "speeds" of vibrato) or Dry
+ Tuning Standard = A 440 or A 442
+ Tone Chamber: Enriches tone, and is available on professional-type instruments
+ Most common number of Basses: 72 (covers everything that ever has been or could be written for music); 96 (has 24 repeats); 120 (has 48 repeats
+ Lowest Bass Note: C (most common); A (European); G or E (German)
+ Most common colors: Black, Red Pearl, White Pearl
+ Soft Cases are lighter than Hard Cases, and can be carried onboard most airplanes.
+ Shoulder Straps come in many shapes and sizes, some being more comfortable than others.
Questions invited. Remember, "The proof is in the pudding."
Best regards,
Dale E. Wise, M.M.E.
Accordion Plus, LLC
P.O. Box 53
Burr Hill, VA 22433
(540) 854-5209
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.Accordionplus.com
Greetings from WMAS expatriates and the Accordion Club of South Florida
Forty-two people turned out for the July 7 meeting of the Accordion Club of South Florida. The minutes can be found at www.accordionclubofsouthflorida.com. Ron and Lola Charvet attended the meeting and then spent a night with us and had a blast (see photo below). The head of the entertainment committee that books groups at the American German Club also attended the meeting. He was so taken with everything that he also wants to join the club. Peter Lapira received a call from another local paper here, i.e., The Sun Sentinal, and they want to visit him and will be taking a video person along as well. The advertising in all of the local newspapers has really been a great success.
-- Ben and Brigitte Valenti
The following article appeared in the Palm Beach Post.
Have an accordion? Bring it to Boynton Club
By LINDA HAASE
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Mention accordions and some people in South Florida think of shutters. But not Boynton Beach residents Brigitte Valenti and Peter Lapira, who are launching the Accordion Club of South Florida.
The group will hold a meeting at 7:30 p.m. July 7, at Sunny South Estates Clubhouse, 8710 Sunny South Ave. in Boynton Beach.
Valenti moved here a year ago and was a member of an accordion group in Virginia.
She says she misses the camaraderie and music.
"This is a group for people who just want to play and have fun and share our music," said Valenti, who learned to play in Germany.
Valenti, a retired sales person, is hoping the group will perform at various venues, including nursing homes. The group also plans to socialize, perhaps with potluck meals or other events, she said.
"We're just looking for accordion buddies. We can meet and decide what we want to do," Valenti said.
For Lapira, who repairs, restores and rebuilds accordions, the group is a way to promote accordion playing.
"This may not be the most popular instrument, but it makes beautiful music and gives your brain a workout," said Lapira, who is teaching his 6-year-old granddaughter how to play.
Lapira's dad was a professional accordion player and he hopes the instrument's popularity makes a resurgeance.
Future meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month at the same time and place. The club will not meet in September. For more information, call Lapira at (561) 281-2738 or visit www.accordionclubof southflorida.com.
***********************************************************************************************************************
August 7, 2008
Meeting Notes
At our July 20 meeting: Richard Dangel led us on a tour through Tin Pan Alley, that section of West 28th Street in New York City that gave rise to so many wonderful tunes between the 1890s and the mid-1950s. Dick played and sang about 20 songs including such standards as Jerome Kern’s “Look for the Silver Lining” and Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark.” (He defines standards as songs that have a melody, an interesting chord progression, familiar and pleasing lyrics, as well as rhythm.) In a couple of trips away from the alley Dick gave us “Amazing Grace” and “Beer Barrel Polka.”
After retiring from a career in engineering management with the U.S. Navy, Dick studied music theory. Besides playing the accordion – he used a Roland in his WMAS program – Dick also sings barbershop. He recommended three books: Dick Hyman’s All the Right Changes (about chord changes); Frank Marocco and Ralph Stricker’s Jazz Theory and Improvisation; and David A. Jasen’s Tin Pan Alley. One or more of these might be just the thing to help keep you cool this summer.
Upcoming Meetings
Please remember we will not be meeting in August. Instead we encourage everyone to attend the American Accordionists’ Association festival in Arlington, Va. (actually, Rosslyn) from August 13 to 17 (more on this below).
We have something very exciting lined up for September: a special concert featuring accordionist Antonio Barbarena from Mexico. But please note that the concert will take place Sunday, September 14, not the 21st as originally announced. The time and place will not change: 4 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church. As usual for these special concerts, we will be asking nonmembers for a donation, so September will be a good time to become a member.
Mr. Barbarena will stick around after the concert for a potluck and jam session. Please plan to bring a dish to share, and your accordion. More details will follow.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WMAS Music Library
Lee Paulson has sorted the sheet music and books Karen received from her father, the former director of an accordion school, and developed a database of all the titles. If you are a member and would like to see a copy of the database on an Excel spreadsheet, please reply to this message. You may then ask to borrow music from the collection. You will have to pick it up at a meeting, however; Karen will not mail it.
American Accordionists’ Association August 13-17
The festival opens with a “Press and Squeeze Party” on Wednesday, August 13, at 7 pm.
On Thursday, August 14, at 10:30 am, Ray Oreggia – who performed a concert for us in June with Dominic Karcic (see below) – will present a workshop on Charles Magnante, His Life and Recordings.
The U.S. Air Force Strolling Strings with accordionist Frank Busso will be the luncheon concert performers on Thursday at 11:30 am.
At 1:15 on Thursday Dominic Karcic and Ray Orteggia will present a workshop on the Music of the Vartaro Musette. If you missed their WMAS concert, here’s your chance. If you attended their WMAS concert, you know you want to see them again!
At 2:15 pm on Thursday, Joan Grauman will present a multi-media accordion memorabilia workshop. She will cover the history and founders of the AAA; old recordings by favorites such as Frosini, Myron Floren, and Magnante; and books, advertisements, photos, cartoons, and stories of the past 70 wonderful years of the accordion in the United States.
At 3:15 pm on Thursday Dr. Robert Young McMahan will present a workshop on the Accordion in the Symphony Orchestra from Tchaikovsky to the Present.
Rehearsals will fill the rest of the afternoon. The evening’s offerings include the Belfiore International Entertainment Competition at 7 pm and the Vivian Vivio Stolaruk International Entertainment Competition at 8 pm.
On Friday buses will take participants on a sightseeing tour of Northern Virginia starting at 11 am. A gala concert at 7 pm will feature Joe Cerrito, Mary Tokarski, and Alexander Poeluev among other virtuosos.
On Saturday competitions start at 9 am. A workshop presented by Alexander Poeluev is scheduled for 10 am; other events include a 2 pm awards concert and a banquet starting with a cocktail hour at 6 pm.
See www.ameraccord.com for more details.
Dale Wise’s Advice on How to Choose an Accordion
Friends of the accordion:
Please share this information with those who you think are in search of an accordion that is right for them.
It's easy to get confused, so here are some thoughts and information to help with decisions.
As to new accordions, consider only those that are appealing as to size, weight, sound and quality of reeds, color, cost, can be returned if not completely safisfied, and come with a five-year warranty on all parts and repair. Used instruments must follow the same considerations, and have at least a two-year warranty on all parts and repair.
Here's what is commonly available in new accordions.
+ Italian-made
or
Chinese-made
or
German/Chinese-made
+ Size of treble keyboard (lowest to highest white key):
Small (16 1/8") w/34 keys (G1-E3); white key = .77" wide
Intermediate (17") w/41 keys (F1-A4); white key = .67" wide
Medium (17 3/4") w/37 keys (F1-F4); white key = .77" wide
Medium+ (17 3/4") w/41 keys (F1-A4); white key = .71" wide
Large (19 1/8") w/41 keys (F1-A4); white key = .77" wide
+ Weights: 16.25 lbs.; 18 lbs.; 22 lbs.; 24 lbs; 26-29 lbs.
+ Reed Quality: Commercial; Handmade Type; Special Export; Handmade; (There is also a reedless electronic type)
+ Sets of Reeds: RH (2, 3, or 4); LH (4 or 5)
+ Tuning: Wet = Musette (available in various "speeds" of vibrato) or Dry
+ Tuning Standard = A 440 or A 442
+ Tone Chamber: Enriches tone, and is available on professional-type instruments
+ Most common number of Basses: 72 (covers everything that ever has been or could be written for music); 96 (has 24 repeats); 120 (has 48 repeats
+ Lowest Bass Note: C (most common); A (European); G or E (German)
+ Most common colors: Black, Red Pearl, White Pearl
+ Soft Cases are lighter than Hard Cases, and can be carried onboard most airplanes.
+ Shoulder Straps come in many shapes and sizes, some being more comfortable than others.
Questions invited. Remember, "The proof is in the pudding."
Best regards,
Dale E. Wise, M.M.E.
Accordion Plus, LLC
P.O. Box 53
Burr Hill, VA 22433
(540) 854-5209
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.Accordionplus.com
Greetings from WMAS expatriates and the Accordion Club of South Florida
Forty-two people turned out for the July 7 meeting of the Accordion Club of South Florida. The minutes can be found at www.accordionclubofsouthflorida.com. Ron and Lola Charvet attended the meeting and then spent a night with us and had a blast (see photo below). The head of the entertainment committee that books groups at the American German Club also attended the meeting. He was so taken with everything that he also wants to join the club. Peter Lapira received a call from another local paper here, i.e., The Sun Sentinal, and they want to visit him and will be taking a video person along as well. The advertising in all of the local newspapers has really been a great success.
-- Ben and Brigitte Valenti
The following article appeared in the Palm Beach Post.
Have an accordion? Bring it to Boynton Club
By LINDA HAASE
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Mention accordions and some people in South Florida think of shutters. But not Boynton Beach residents Brigitte Valenti and Peter Lapira, who are launching the Accordion Club of South Florida.
The group will hold a meeting at 7:30 p.m. July 7, at Sunny South Estates Clubhouse, 8710 Sunny South Ave. in Boynton Beach.
Valenti moved here a year ago and was a member of an accordion group in Virginia.
She says she misses the camaraderie and music.
"This is a group for people who just want to play and have fun and share our music," said Valenti, who learned to play in Germany.
Valenti, a retired sales person, is hoping the group will perform at various venues, including nursing homes. The group also plans to socialize, perhaps with potluck meals or other events, she said.
"We're just looking for accordion buddies. We can meet and decide what we want to do," Valenti said.
For Lapira, who repairs, restores and rebuilds accordions, the group is a way to promote accordion playing.
"This may not be the most popular instrument, but it makes beautiful music and gives your brain a workout," said Lapira, who is teaching his 6-year-old granddaughter how to play.
Lapira's dad was a professional accordion player and he hopes the instrument's popularity makes a resurgeance.
Future meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month at the same time and place. The club will not meet in September. For more information, call Lapira at (561) 281-2738 or visit www.accordionclubof southflorida.com.
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
September 25, 2008
Notes from the President
Our September 14 meeting – a special concert with Trio Zur from Mexico – was a real triumph. These were world-class musicians, and we were lucky to be able to hear them in such an intimate setting. In turn they loved meeting and talking with the members of our group. Luis and I got to know the trio and their music on trips to Mexico, and we were eager for the rest of you to be able to hear them, too. Luis worked with the Mexican Cultural Institute to bring them here, and while they were here they also played at the Organization of American States and at the Mexican Embassy, as well as another concert in Annapolis. In addition, they had a chance to shop and sightsee.
By the way, Trio Zur left CDs for sale, including Antonio solo on accordion, the entire trio, and the marimba solo. Also, my nephew Daniel is making a DVD that will be for sale in the near future.
Thanks to everyone who helped out the day of the concert. Lee and Ron came at 2 pm to help set up and stayed until 7:00 to help clean up. Mara and friends took money at the door, photographed the concert, and helped clean up afterwards. The executive committee helped with the planning and organizing.
Food for thought: As you know we’re an all-volunteer group, and we can always use another hand. A couple of people approached me about promoting the concert on the TV stations. At this point my hands are full but it would be great if someone would take on that responsibility (coordinating it with the executive committee, of course). Also, people asked about a program. Likewise, it would be great if someone would take this on for another time.
Our next meeting will be October 19. We are expecting Rik Kaplan to conduct a workshop on how to “cajunize” music. This still needs to be confirmed, though.
The Sheng - Father of the Accordion?
By Yimeng Huang
I had a great time at the AAA festival in August. Besides the great performances, the interesting workshops, the banquet, and other events, we had a little treat in one of the workshops: a short demonstration of the Chinese traditional music instrument, the sheng, and a short sheng/accordion duet. The accordionist was Chen Jun, vice president of the Chinese Accordionists Association, and his colleague played the sheng.
Up until that moment, I had never connected the accordion with the sheng, an instrument that I heard often in traditional Chinese folk music when I was growing up in Beijing, China.
When Chen said that the Sheng has 5,000 years of history and is the father of the accordion, it really intrigued me. The traditional sheng is a bunch of pipes -- with holes in them -- that are positioned vertically over a sort of cup. From the side of the cup comes a mouthpiece that you blow into (or suck out of -- it does work both ways like a harmonica).
The instrument sounds to me like something between a flute and a bagpipe. It can play chords, giving it a rich sound. Interestingly, it also uses reeds, and the reeds, like the accordion reeds, are waxed onto the pipes.
The reeds used to be made of bamboo and nowadays are made of steel.
As for the sheng being the father of the accordion, at first I had my doubts, but after some googling, I found many sources that said in the early 1800s the sheng was brought to Europe and inspired the invention of the harmonica, accordion, and reed organ.
As young kids, we were taught to be proud of the four big inventions by the Chinese: the compass, gunpowder, paper-making, and printing. Now we have the accordion added to the list :-) Or is that stretching it a little?
Here are some links:
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheng_(instrument)
Here is a good picture of the Sheng:
http://www.tomleemusic.com/SpecialPage/MS/ins35/img/Shengzoom.jpg
Here is my pick of a Sheng and Accordion duo, a traditional piece done with a modern flavor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A1AmTAGSi8
A postscript:
Our friend Bernie Schenkler, of Buffalo, NY, was so inspired by the sheng demonstration at AAA that he bought a sheng and is learning to play it. See below.
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September 25, 2008
Notes from the President
Our September 14 meeting – a special concert with Trio Zur from Mexico – was a real triumph. These were world-class musicians, and we were lucky to be able to hear them in such an intimate setting. In turn they loved meeting and talking with the members of our group. Luis and I got to know the trio and their music on trips to Mexico, and we were eager for the rest of you to be able to hear them, too. Luis worked with the Mexican Cultural Institute to bring them here, and while they were here they also played at the Organization of American States and at the Mexican Embassy, as well as another concert in Annapolis. In addition, they had a chance to shop and sightsee.
By the way, Trio Zur left CDs for sale, including Antonio solo on accordion, the entire trio, and the marimba solo. Also, my nephew Daniel is making a DVD that will be for sale in the near future.
Thanks to everyone who helped out the day of the concert. Lee and Ron came at 2 pm to help set up and stayed until 7:00 to help clean up. Mara and friends took money at the door, photographed the concert, and helped clean up afterwards. The executive committee helped with the planning and organizing.
Food for thought: As you know we’re an all-volunteer group, and we can always use another hand. A couple of people approached me about promoting the concert on the TV stations. At this point my hands are full but it would be great if someone would take on that responsibility (coordinating it with the executive committee, of course). Also, people asked about a program. Likewise, it would be great if someone would take this on for another time.
Our next meeting will be October 19. We are expecting Rik Kaplan to conduct a workshop on how to “cajunize” music. This still needs to be confirmed, though.
The Sheng - Father of the Accordion?
By Yimeng Huang
I had a great time at the AAA festival in August. Besides the great performances, the interesting workshops, the banquet, and other events, we had a little treat in one of the workshops: a short demonstration of the Chinese traditional music instrument, the sheng, and a short sheng/accordion duet. The accordionist was Chen Jun, vice president of the Chinese Accordionists Association, and his colleague played the sheng.
Up until that moment, I had never connected the accordion with the sheng, an instrument that I heard often in traditional Chinese folk music when I was growing up in Beijing, China.
When Chen said that the Sheng has 5,000 years of history and is the father of the accordion, it really intrigued me. The traditional sheng is a bunch of pipes -- with holes in them -- that are positioned vertically over a sort of cup. From the side of the cup comes a mouthpiece that you blow into (or suck out of -- it does work both ways like a harmonica).
The instrument sounds to me like something between a flute and a bagpipe. It can play chords, giving it a rich sound. Interestingly, it also uses reeds, and the reeds, like the accordion reeds, are waxed onto the pipes.
The reeds used to be made of bamboo and nowadays are made of steel.
As for the sheng being the father of the accordion, at first I had my doubts, but after some googling, I found many sources that said in the early 1800s the sheng was brought to Europe and inspired the invention of the harmonica, accordion, and reed organ.
As young kids, we were taught to be proud of the four big inventions by the Chinese: the compass, gunpowder, paper-making, and printing. Now we have the accordion added to the list :-) Or is that stretching it a little?
Here are some links:
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheng_(instrument)
Here is a good picture of the Sheng:
http://www.tomleemusic.com/SpecialPage/MS/ins35/img/Shengzoom.jpg
Here is my pick of a Sheng and Accordion duo, a traditional piece done with a modern flavor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A1AmTAGSi8
A postscript:
Our friend Bernie Schenkler, of Buffalo, NY, was so inspired by the sheng demonstration at AAA that he bought a sheng and is learning to play it. See below.
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
November 3, 2008
Meeting Notes
At our October 19 meeting Rik Kaplan took us on a trip through the music of southwestern Louisiana. Before the end of the meeting he had us playing “Away in a Manger” Cajun style! It is clear Rik has a passion for this music, and we’re grateful he was willing to spend a Sunday afternoon with us and share his knowledge. Thanks, Rik!
Here’s a summary of the presentation:
Southwestern Louisiana Genres
Cajun originated with the farmers in Southwestern Louisiana, the white descendents of French Canadians, playing single-row diatonic squeezeboxes – instruments that originated with the German immigrant shopkeepers in the area. These farmers exploited the instrument’s limitations, i.e., it plays only eight notes, so no flats or sharps, and only two chords -- no minor, diminished, etc., chords. Cajun music usually uses a C instrument that plays C and G chords on the bass side.
Creole and La La music originated with the area’s black population and developed into Zydeco styles. Rik described a La La as a house party in the Creole community. Creole people are mixed African and French and/or Spanish. Call-and-response from field songs shows up in Creole and La La. These styles are less metronomic than Cajun.
Southwestern Louisiana also has roadhouse music, which is closer to rockabilly, Texas swing, and big band music but is accordion-driven and more bluesy.
Juré – African American a capella community singing
Cajun Techniques
Instead of playing a half or whole note, play a series of 8th notes. The music is “busy.”
Play octaves - 2 notes simultaneously or “rocking.” Rocking can be done fast like a trill or “shuffled,” that is, syncopated and “pop” the higher notes.
Play thirds rather than 1-3-5 chords.
Add grace notes.
Place as dry a register as possible. (Zydeco is wetter.)
Play single notes.
Metronomic beat.
Concentrate on upbeat. (In Zydeco there is more attention to the downbeat.)
In a Cajun waltz accent beats 1 and 3.
Announcements
Rehearsals for Holiday Concert
If you plan to play in the WMAS Orchestra at the holiday concert on December 14, please be sure to mark your calendar with these rehearsal dates:
Sunday, November 2, 7 pm – About 10 people showed up for this rehearsal last night, so that’s a start.
Sunday, November 16, 4 pm (regular meeting – see below)
Sunday, November 23, 7 pm
Sunday, December 7, 7 pm
Sunday, December 14, 2 pm
CONCERT December 14 at 4 pm
You must come to the rehearsals is you plan to play at the concert! No matter that you sightread like a dream, it is important to practice playing with the rest of the orchestra. All rehearsals take place at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist, the same place as our meetings.
Please let us know if you would like to play a solo (or duet, etc) in the concert. If the list gets too long, though, we will assign some people to play during dinner. We encourage everyone to join the orchestra so we can keep the concert to a manageable length. Thanks!
Next Meeting
At our November 16 meeting we will have a rehearsal, and a two-part workshop led by Joan Grauman:
1. “Working with a Conductor” will be brief and upbeat. It will focus on preparing for the Holiday Concert. We encourage ALL club members to join in and play the holiday music with us. Even if you can only play a few notes, join us for the rehearsals and you will find that your playing improves and that it is a lot of fun to play in an orchestral setting. If you haven’t received your music yet, Joan will be handing it out at the meeting and we’ll play through the selections while following her baton.
2. “Getting To Know Your Accordion” will be a three-part, very brief talk and demonstration of (a) how to wear your accordion and why to make changes where needed; (b) musette tuning versus dry tuning and the versatility of both, and the purpose of a tone chamber; and (c) how to travel with your accordion, including a demonstration of how to “lock” your basses and safely take the accordion apart (into two pieces) for placing in an overhead of a plane.
Also at the November 16 meeting, SqueezinArt will set up a table with gifts for accordionists for early holiday shopping. If you have a used accordion to sell, please bring it to the November meeting.
Trio Zur CDs
We still have CDs of Trio Zur, Antonio Barbarena solo, and marimba player Javier Nandayapa for sale. If you’re interested, please get in touch with Karen at [email protected] or pick them up at the next meeting.
Question from Stacie Keenan
Do any accordionists out there use Sibelius at home to write or arrange their own sheet music for accordions? I was wondering how to notate the counterbasses using Sibelius. I've already figured out how to indicate treble fingerings with tiny text, but counterbass font seems kind of unusual. Anybody familiar with it?
Baseball!
It looks like WMAS will get to play the National Anthem for a Nationals game next spring or summer. We’ll need to start practicing soon if we’re going to pull this off, though. Joan Grauman will find a good arrangement for us.
Blob’s Is Back!
As it turns out, the economic downturn has an upside. The plans to develop Blob’s Park into an office and retail park have been dropped, and this beloved venue will reopen for Saturday night dances, probably by the end of the year. Blob’s was founded in 1933 and closed at the end of 2007. More info at www.blobspark.com.
Announcement from Dominic Karcic
When you get the chance check out my "Heard It on the Gig" column which now is published online at the AAA web-site, http://www.ameraccord.com/
Once at the site, click on AAA Newsletter and then click on Click Here for Heard It On The Gig by Dominic Karcic.
Hope you enjoy .............. Dominic
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
November 19, 2008
Meeting Notes
We started the November 16 meeting with business. Karen reminded everyone about the upcoming rehearsals and December 14 holiday concert. If you plan to play in the WMAS orchestra you must attend the rehearsals scheduled for November 23 at 7 pm, December 7 at 7 pm, and December 14 at 2 pm. Contact Joan Grauman, [email protected], if you need sheet music.
We will need people to help set up before the concert and clean up after the potluck. We will need people to receive potluck dishes and get them ready to set out after the concert ends (Karen may be contacting you about this). And we need people to let us know if they plan to play in the concert.
The other order of business: in January we will need to elect new officers. Based on the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” philosophy, and the fact that no one else has expressed interest in serving, the current officers are willing to stay on. Therefore the slate consists of Karen Malan-Uribe for president, Joan Grauman for vice president, and Mara Cherkasky for secretary-treasurer. The president appoints committee chairs, and the current ones – Peter DiGiovanni and Lee Paulson share membership duties – also have agreed to continue. All five form the WMAS Executive Committee which meets occasionally to plan programs and deal with whatever issues arise (meeting space, web hosting, etc.).
Following the business portion of the meeting Joan Grauman presented a workshop and conducted an orchestra rehearsal.
Joan Grauman’s Workshop Notes
I have repeatedly been asked certain questions about accordions over the last several years and thought that, since I was asked to fill some time at the meeting, this would be a good time to answer "Frequently Asked Questions."
1. How to hold the accordion and why: The black keys should be directly under your chin. In order to adjust the straps comfortably to bring the accordion into this position without the wide strap on the right digging into your neck, tighten the left strap to "pull" the accordion to your left, then OPEN, as much as possible, the right strap where it attaches to the accordion on the top (near your neck), then tighten it from the middle or the bottom until snug.
Wear a back strap to take weight from your shoulders and to help keep the instrument snug. Always have a back pad on the accordion to protect the bellows and to help keep the instrument snug against you.
Keep your bass strap tight for added bellows control. If you "bellows shake," your bass strap needs to be VERY snug.
2. You want a new accordion: What is appropriate for you? Musette? Dry tuned? Tone chamber? Using a 4/5 reed, full-size accordion as our starting point, I discussed the options. If you want to play mostly classical or jazz, or play in an accordion orchestra, a DRY TUNED instrument with a TONE CHAMBER would be a good choice. A dry tuned instrument has two middle reeds, one bassoon, and one piccolo reed. Tone chambers, which I described as the different placement of the reed blocks of usually one set of clarinet reeds and the bassoon reeds into the "chamber" allowing the air to move through another space or chamber. This gives the reeds a sweet, mellow tone. Tone chambers are also used in MUSETTE tuned accordions with 3 middle (or clarinet) reeds. One of the clarinet reeds will be in the chamber. If this musette instrument is not very "wet tuned (not too sharp)," it can be the best choice all around for an "all uses" accordion. Why is this? You can choose registers that leave out one of the clarinet reeds and this will sound closer to "dry." The tone chamber will "tone down" most of the registers because they use the clarinet reed and the bassoon reed. If you play mostly polkas or Irish, Scottish, German or French folk music, you might prefer an accordion WITHOUT a tone chamber that is a 3 middle musette instrument. These types of music sound amore authentic with the brighter sound rather than a mellow sound, so not having a tone chamber would give that bright sound.
3. Is the tone chamber the same thing as a MUTE? No. A mute is a "shade" that "pulls down" over the reeds that dulls the sound.
4. How to block the basses for shipping: The basses can "fall" if not properly secured when shipping for repairs or packing to place in cargo on a plane. Unscrew the bass strap, then, with a small screwdriver, carefully remove the screws that hold the bass plate on. When you remove this plate, be VERY CAREFUL not to dislodge the air button. Now, take your hand and lower all of the bass buttons. You will see, when you look at the bass section, just above the felt, a row of thin metal rods come down onto the felt. When you release the buttons, the rods go back up leaving a 1/4 inch space above the felt for you to place a narrow strip of folded "folder" or any cardboard that doesn't shed dust particles. This folded cardboard needs to be about 12 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide. With this in place, try to push down the buttons. They should not go down. Put back the plate and the basses are now "blocked," Always GENTLY remove and replace the screws so as not to enlarge the holes.
I also talked about flying with an accordion: which planes can hold accordions in the overhead, how to take an accordion apart to fly it in two suitcases (one as a carry-on), and other problems with flying and how to solve them, and which tools you should always have on hand. While I had the accordion bass side "open," I also demonstrated how to repair a "fallen bass." Please feel free to write to me, [email protected], if you have more questions about any of the matters discussed and demonstrated at the meeting.
CONCERT PREPARATIONS:
Rehearsal November 23, 7 pm
Rehearsal December 7, 7 pm
Rehearsal December 14, 2 pm
Concert December 14, 2 pm
We will be requesting a $7 donation at the door from nonmembers, so this will be a good time to get paid up on your dues ($20 individual, $30 family).
Please bring a dish for the potluck dinner following the concert.
Please volunteer to help set up before the concert and clean up after the potluck. It takes a lot of work to put on the concert, so we need everyone to pitch in. Thanks!
Please help spread the word about the concert; invite your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc.
Here is the list IN ORDER for the WMAS Orchestra’s pieces for the concert:
Angels We Have Heard on High
O Holy Night
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Greensleeves
Jingle Bells
Away In a Manger
We Three Kings
Auld Lang Syne
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Attire: Please wear a black skirt or pants, and a white or festive top/shirt.
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
December 25, 2008
Message from the President
Happy holidays! I hope this message finds you well.
Our sixth annual holiday concert, on December 14, was the most successful one so far. Thanks to Joan Grauman the orchestra was ready with a variety of pieces, many of them arranged by Joan herself. Peter DiGiovanni also came up with a beautiful arrangement of “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” played by the Potomac Ensemble, which Joan also leads.
As always we invited the audience to sing along, but this year we had song books so people wouldn’t have to sing “la la la” when they forgot the words. Thanks to Lee and Dan for putting the song books together. We look forward to using them every year.
Besides the orchestra and ensemble the concert featured a variety of soloists, including, once again, the sensational Justin, who tap dances while playing the accordion. Justin is a student of Michael B. Rubin’s. Nobody else in the lineup tapped, but everyone played beautifully.
The masterful Master of Ceremonies Ken Kunec not only introduced all the musicians but also kept the audience laughing with his antics. We are booking him now for next year.
Thanks to everyone who helped make the concert a success! We appreciate all the additional volunteers we had this year: Joyce and Stacie showed up extra early to set up the chairs. Ron and Lee arrived with huge boxes of decorations, and Eugene and Ron pitched in to hang them up around the hall. Luis ran the kitchen with his able helpers: among them spouses of several of the musicians. Juliette and Cindy sat at the door and took donations.
Congratulations to all of you, and thanks for all the dedication you put into practicing and performing, preparing dishes for the potluck, setting up the room and cleaning up afterwards, and bringing your friends family members. It is so rewarding to see our group thrive and to witness the pleasure our music brings to the community. I look forward to more great events.
Next Meeting
At the January 11 meeting (just around the corner), Daniel Darrikhuma will present a program on using the accordion in sacred and gospel music. He plans to offer traditional hymns, sing-along-kids-type songs, contemporary praise and worship songs, and talk about playing with different types of musical groups (Southern gospel, blugrass, and ensemble). This will be something new to many of us, and should be a lot of fun – and inspirational.
Announcements
Accordion USA Web Site
Our friend Rita Davidson, who played us a concert a couple years ago and often takes part in the AAMS festival, is now the editor of the Accordion USA web site. Rita is constanting adding new material; for example on January 1 she plans to post an interview with Mary Tokarski about her new CD. Be sure to check out the site, and look for Joan Grauman’s artwork.
Who Made the Turkey Quinoa Loaf?
Sally DiGiovanni would like to know who made this dish for the potluck. She’d like the recipe. (Please reply to this email, and we’ll forward the recipe to Sally.)
Lou Coppola CD
Lou Coppola has a sensational new CD out. He will be selling through the club and will donate $5 for each one sold (at $15).
See you soon!