2013 News Archive
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
January 24, 2013
Meeting Notes
WMAS started the year with a meeting on January 13 featuring a jam session, this time led by Jim Vandelly and Peter DiGiovanni. After a previous jam session, several months back, the general consensus was that we should do this regularly, and so we are. But we’re looking for feedback on how to make each one better.
First, let’s define what we mean by “jam session” and what we would like to accomplish in our jam sessions. They are not sight-reading exercises, which we occasionally do together for fun or when we run through the holiday concert music. They are also not lessons or performances or competitions. Rather, they are informal gatherings where we can play unrehearsed and by ear. Preparing for a jam session should involve only choosing an easy song or several that you can play for the group without sheet music. The object is for everyone to join in as they are able.
What we would like to accomplish is to have fun and give participants a chance to practice playing by ear, even songs they don’t know. To make this easier, it is best if we choose songs in easy keys with few chord changes. We can call out the chords, but there’s no need for everyone to play the chords. Each participant can choose what he/she wants to concentrate on, for example just the melody, just the left-hand chords, just the chords on the right hand, or maybe embellishments on either hand. There are no “mistakes” in a jam session; it’s an opportunity to listen and experiment. As always, the more we do this, the better we will become at it.
Mara says: The best jam session I ever participated in involved many types of instruments (mostly guitars, though, and I was the only accordion). One person would play through a song, and then keep repeating it. Little by little, other people would join in as they caught on to the melody, and we kept playing for as long as 20 minutes, maybe even longer. People called out if they wanted to take a solo, and then the others would play more quietly, switch to chords, or temporarily stop playing. The repetition may not have been enjoyable for the audience (there wasn’t one in this case), but jam sessions do not have to be for the benefit of the audience.
The high point of our January 13 session was the Polish song suggested by the Juszczyks and sung by Joan Habarek. Most people had never heard the song before, but many picked it up and played along as Joan sang the several verses. The result was exhilarating.
If you would like to be reminded of what the song (“Gweboka Studzienka”) sounded like, please check out these YouTube videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yA-9QI9wjk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pnzlQgla-U
The song Mara played, “Swiss Boy Waltz,” can be heard at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39umDQXTbDU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gf9Cpkdvmw
Upcoming Meetings
At next month’s meeting, at 4 pm on February 10, we will mark our 10th birthday with a dance party and cake. Please sign up to play a dance number (one that people can actually dance to), and please plan to bring your family and friends, along with snacks to share. A decade is a big milestone, so let’s celebrate! More details to come.
On March 10 we will welcome guest artist Dallas Vietty performing gypsy jazz on the accordion. Some of us were lucky enough to hear Dallas at last summer’s AAA festival in Baltimore, and we’re thrilled that he’s agreed to come and play for our club. Please mark your calendars now, and spread the word.
Please note that both the February and March meetings are on the SECOND Sunday of the month.
Accordionist Needed for Bastille Day Party
Looking for someone to play French accordion songs at a Bastille Day party at my home in Washington, DC on July 14. Please respond to [email protected].
Upcoming Events
Greta Sundström and Rasmus Lyberth at Millennium Stage
Monday, March 4, 2013, 6 pm
Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage
Free
Accordion virtuoso Greta Sundström, from Finland’s Åland Islands, is master of a vast repertoire ranging from classical pieces to folk music and dance-friendly pop tunes. Singer/songwriter Rasmus Lyberth, from Greenland, has captivated Danish and Greenlandic audiences since the 1970s and is increasingly popular with international audiences. Part of Nordic Cool 2013 Festival.
AAMS Festival
The annual American Accordion Musicological Society festival is March 15-17 in Whippany, New Jersey, and the Potomac Accordion Ensemble will be performing at the Saturday night banquet.
For more information, see http://www.aamsaccordionfestival.com/
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
February 22, 2013
Meeting Notes
WMAS celebrated its tenth anniversary on February 10 with music and dancing, cake and balloons, and lots more music and dancing. It was wonderful to see newcomers among the old-timers as we look both forward and back. A little history here: Karen Malan-Uribe is the person who originally came up with the idea for a club. She made a connection with Anne Johnson and Mara Cherkasky through Dale Wise and told them her idea. Both pitched in, spread the word, and put together the first meeting within weeks. To everyone’s amazement, 25 eager people showed up ready to play.
We don’t have the minutes from that first meeting in February 2003, but here’s what Karen wrote following the second one (we used to meet on Tuesday evenings):
Tuesday night's meeting was a wonder of wonders. It included such a diverse array of accordions I was just in a daze by the time I left. This time, as people arrived, they took out their accordions and started playing the music that we had laid out on the table to share. Suddenly I heard a concertina and then a young high school student with a brand new “birthday” accordion playing away. It was difficult to get the meeting started — I hated to stop the music.
Thanks, everyone, for your part in making WMAS such a success!
And don’t forget to come back soon! On March 10 we will be presenting a workshop and concert with gypsy jazz accordionist Dallas Vietty. Some of us had a chance to participate in Dallas’s workshop and hear him play at last summer’s American Accordionists’ Association festival in Baltimore, and we’re excited about seeing him again. Don’t forget to bring your accordions for the workshop, and don’t worry: it’s easier than you might think.
Joan Grauman has agreed to be the greeter (unless someone else is dying to do it), but we need people to bring snacks, and to help set up and clean up. Most importantly, though, we need to fill the room, so please bring your family and friends. (And remember: nonmembers will be asked for an $8 donation.) We will be forwarding you a flyer in the next several days.
The Dallas Vietty workshop and concert will take place at our usual meeting spot, Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, 3435 Sleepy Hollow Road in Falls Church, Va., at 4 pm.
A Couple of Announcements…
Guy Klucevsek at Dance Place
Accordionist Guy Klucevsek will perform his own original accordion music, accompanying Lionel Popkin’s dance show with his fantastic and inventive playing, at Dance Place in Northeast DC, on March 2-3. Dance Place is offering WMAS members a special 20 percent discount! If you would like to attend the show, please reply to this email and ask for the discount code. Then you’ll need to buy your tickets online, at http://www.danceplace.org/.
Here’s how Dance Place describes the show: “Inspired by the career of Ruth St. Denis, Ruth Doesn’t Live Here Anymore strives to question the acts of cultural appropriation, representation and transmission through “oriental” dance. Accompanied by a live accordion and violin-driven score performed by Guy Klucevsek, this world premiere sweeps across an array of metaphorical hints and extravagant fabrics.”
A preview of the piece is on vimeo; skip ahead to 1:22: http://vimeo.com/42559902.
Dance Place
3225 Eighth Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
http://www.danceplace.org/
Lionel Popkin/Guy Klucevsek
Saturday, March 2 at 8 pm
Sunday, March 3 at 7 pm
$22 General Admission
$17 Members, Seniors, Teachers and Artists
$10 College Students
$8 Children (17 and under)
Band ISO Accordionist
The Nice Tries, a band that rehearses in Greenbelt as well as in DC (Columbia Heights and H Street, NE) is looking for an accordion/concertina player.
If you’re interested, please contact Joe P. at [email protected]
Clips at http://thenicetrys.bandcamp.com/
Upcoming Events
Greta Sundström and Rasmus Lyberth at Millennium Stage
Monday, March 4, 2013, 6 pm
Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage
Free
Accordion virtuoso Greta Sundström, from Finland’s Åland Islands, is master of a vast repertoire ranging from classical pieces to folk music and dance-friendly pop tunes. Singer/songwriter Rasmus Lyberth, from Greenland, has captivated Danish and Greenlandic audiences since the 1970s and is increasingly popular with international audiences. Part of Nordic Cool 2013 Festival.
AAMS Festival
The annual American Accordion Musicological Society festival is March 15-17 in Whippany, New Jersey, and the Potomac Accordion Ensemble will be performing at the Saturday night banquet.
For more information, see http://www.aamsaccordionfestival.com/
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
March 28, 2013
Meeting Notes
Accordionist Dallas Vietty, accompanied by guitarists Ben Wood and Luke Hendon, delighted and intrigued the roomful of people who turned out to hear them at the March 10 WMAS meeting. Many listeners were unfamiliar with the style, known as Gypsy jazz or musette swing, which was popular in France from the 1920s into the 1950s. Rent (or stream) a French movie from that period, and you’ll probably hear some.
After the concert, Dallas led a workshop, during which he demystified the style and had us playing a few measures. People went away happy, and it was not only about the music. It is exciting to know that a new generation – including Dallas — has taken up the accordion and is moving it back into the spotlight where it belongs. We are proud that our club has been able to showcase some of these musicians: Gabe Rodrigues and Vladimir Mollov are two others.
Joan Grauman greeted members and guests with Irish tunes in honor of St. Patrick’s Day a week later. Thanks, Joan! And thanks, everyone who helped set up and clean up, handle the refreshments, take donations at the door, and all the other tasks that make things run smoothly.
Learn more about Dallas at www.dallasvietty.com. If you’d like a PDF of his workshop handout, please email [email protected].
If you like the style, you might be interested in these upcoming events:
Django in June festival in Northampton, Mass. (June 17-23)
http://www.djangoinjune.com/index.html
Django Reinhardt Festival All-Stars concert at the Kennedy Center on November 2
http://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=MOJPD
Next Meeting
Ken Kunec will entertain us with “Love Songs, Fun Songs, and Sing-alongs.” Please bring your accordion for the play-along following the program.
Greeter: new member Halina Banas-Jones
Bayan Concert in Hagerstown this Saturday
Jim Vandelly reports that he has lent his Bugari bayan to a Serbian exchange student, 17-year-old Filip Novakovic, who is living with a family in Boonsboro, Maryland. If you’re in that area or can make the drive, you’ll be able to hear Filip this Saturday, March 30, at 3 pm, at the Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown. Admission is $5 per person. We hope to see Filip at an upcoming WMAS meeting.
Tips for Accordionists
By Karen Malan-Uribe
One of the workshops I attended at the AAMS festival over the March 15-17 weekend was Guenadiy Lazarov’s “How to Care for Your Instrument.” Between the workshop and listening to Guenadiy’s advice while he worked on my accordion for four hours, I learned some tips on accordion care and practicing that I’d like to pass on:
- If you have an accordion with a tone chamber, store it on its side. That way the leathers will hang down and not sideways. If you don't have a tone chamber, storing the accordion on its side is not so critical.
- Don't use the air button to push in the bellows. According to Guenadiy, this action forces the air out the wrong holes. Instead, always play a key when returning the bellows to the closed position. This is a bad habit for me to work on breaking.
- Play all of your accordions. An accordion that is played regularly is one that won't need so many repairs. Your accordion doesn't need an annual checkup; take it to a repairman only when it is having problems. Guenadiy suggested that, if you think your accordion has a problem, contact him ASAP; he may be able to help you over the phone. He emphasized the importance of taking care of any small problem as soon as possible.
- An unpleasant odor associated with your instrument could be caused by sweat on the straps and the bellows protector. If the problem is severe, you should remove the straps and bellows protector before putting the accordion in its case.
- Each time you play your accordion, start with scales and play them on all the switches, changing switches with each scale. Do this with both hands. This will give each valve a chance to move. Providing the accordion with the chance to utilize all of its facilities every time you play it. So now when I play my warmup scales, I change both the treble and bass registers with every new key. Another benefit: following this advice exercises your fingers and also hones your ear to identify the sounds the various switches make.
- In short, make sure you play your entire accordion regularly. We get into the habit of using one favorite switch and on one part of the accordion.
- Don't be afraid to use the bellows. Guenadiy was pleased to see me pump my bellows with gusto.
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
April 21, 2013
Meeting Notes
If last Sunday’s WMAS meeting could be faulted for anything, it is that it left us totally unprepared for the horrors of the week to come. The day was perfect. Too cold, followed by too hot, weather had given way to just the right amount of heat and sun, but even so, people were willing to spend part of their day inside. The room filled with people who know Ken Kunec’s ability to make us laugh, sing, and just plain drop our pretensions. His concert of “Love Songs, Fun Songs, and Singalongs” did all of that. Ken is one of the few in our group who can sing and play at the same time, and we’ve watched him develop this talent over the years.
A new member, Halina Banas-Jones, accepted our offer to serve as musician-greeter, and she really set the tone for the day. We heard Halina for the first time at our February meeting, and we look forward to hearing a lot more from her.
But back to the week just past for a second. We hope you and your families stayed safe. Bombings, explosions, and earthquakes remind us that life can change suddenly in a world where the beautiful and the monstrous live side by side. Let’s make the most of our time while we’re here, and let’s make as much music as we can!
Ken finished his program (see playlist below) with these words:
“Yesterday’s history
Tomorrow’s a mystery
Today’s a gift; that's why they call it the present.”
Next Month
We look forward to hearing Lou Coppola, former U.S. Air Force accordionist, at the May 19 meeting. Lou spent almost three decades with the Air Force, and now he performs most Sundays at National Harbor. In the second half of his concert Lou will be joined by a violinist and bass player. Please plan to bring your accordion because we will have a play-along afterwards. (Usual time and place: 4 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, 3435 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, Virginia).
Upcoming Event: An invitation to hear Mary Tokarski on May 4 from Joan Grauman
Hi Everyone,
I am pleased to invite you to the first concert in a beautiful new venue in historic Middletown, Maryland, on Saturday, May 4, at 7:30 pm. The concert will feature world-renowned accordionist Mary Tokarski, who will amaze and delight all with her incredible skills!
A good friend from our Frederick, Maryland, neighborhood (Worman’s Mill), Dot Donato, has renovated an old church and has created a delightful music studio and concert venue, in Middletown, just 25 minutes from the heart of Frederick.
Dot will be requesting a $12 donation ($4 for students) for the concert and the reception following.
May 4 will be Frederick’s annual May Fest, so I hope you will spend the whole day in our neck of the woods, enjoying activities taking place across the lovely, historic downtown area. Then, hop in the car and enjoy the gorgeous mountain vistas on your way to Middletown. Both Frederick and Middletown boast excellent restaurants.
Hope to see you on May 4! For more information, you can contact me at (301) 662-0203 or Dot Donato at (301) 524-0902. Click here to see the flyer.
Joan
Ken’s Playlist
Granada (warmup)
The Girl with Gardenias in Her Hair (Marty Robbins)
Minnie the Moocher (Cab Calloway)
Side by Side parody
One Child Born (Laura Nyro)
O’Reilly Is Dead
The Belle of Belfast City
Malagueña
Czardas
You Don’t Know Me (Eddy Arnold)
When the Volcano Blows (Jimmy Buffett)
Ne Me Quitte Pas (Jacques Brel)
Bridge Over Troubled Waters (Paul Simon)
Jambalaya (Hank Williams)
La Vie en Rose (Edith Piaf et al)
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
May 27, 2013
Meeting Notes
If you attended the May 19 meeting, you know you witnessed something rare. Lou Coppola, retired Air Force accordionist, current member of the Stereo Strings, and musician extraordinaire, performed for us. Although as a young man Lou won the American Accordionists’ Association Virtuoso championship four years in a row (1953 through 1956), once he joined the Air Force in 1957 he stopped playing solo.
“Why am I here? To get Joan off my back,” Lou said, only half-joking. Joan Grauman had been badgering Lou for years to play for our club, and for just as many years Lou had talked about how he hated playing solo. But he finally agreed, and he pulled it off perfectly. As Joan said, “Lou played each piece as if it were his all-time favorite piece of music.”
More about Lou: he’s from Bridgeport, Connecticut, began competing at age 13, and was the first person to represent the United States in a world contest. As an Air Force musician he performed for nine presidents. On one memorable occasion, in 1962, the US Air Force Strolling Strings performed for their usual seven minutes during the dessert portion of a state dinner. Afterwards they lined the halls between the White House dining room and the East Room to serenade the guests as they passed from one to the other. Isaac Stern and Leonard Bernstein were on the program on this particular evening, and after their concert, Jackie Kennedy invited Lou, Leonard Bernstein, and Isaac Stern and his wife upstairs to the Kennedys’ private quarters to play more music. Lou remembered that she asked them to play quietly because Caroline was sleeping. They ended up playing until 1:30 am.
Lou and Rose-Marie Coppola’s son John was born on November 23, 1963 (the day after President Kennedy was assassinated, for those of you who are too young to have the date seared into your memory), hence his name.
On display at the meeting was a portion of Joan Grauman’s American Accordionist’s Association archival display, including pictures of Lou. One framed photograph, showing Lou, Leonard Bernstein, and Isaac Stern, was taken by Jackie Kennedy.
Lou’s solo pieces:
Accordiana (Charles Magnante)
Polonaise Militaire (Chopin)
Dizzy Fingers (Zez Confrey)
Andalucia (Ernesto Lecuona), with John Coppola on upright bass
Variations on the Carnival of Venice, with John Coppola on upright bass
Czardas (Monti)
Lou was joined in the second half of his concert by the other members of the Stereo Strings: Stephanie Myers and David Swanson on violin, plus John Coppola on upright bass.
The Stereo Strings played:
Domino
Moon River (Henry Mancini)
West Side Story Medley (I Feel Pretty, Maria, and Tonight, Tonight)
Arrivederci Roma (Renato Rascel)
Granada (Agustin Lara)
Brazil (Ary Barroso)
Altogether, the concert was simply exquisite.
But there were more treats in store: Filip Novakovic performed for us on bayan during the refreshment break. Filip, a Serbian exchange student who has spent this past academic year with the Powell family in Boonsboro, Maryland, will be heading home soon, so it was great he could come to at least one of our meetings. Joan Grauman put the Powells in touch with Jim Vandelly, who loaned Filip a bayan a few months ago. The instrument has allowed the talented Filip to perform for several events in the Maryland and Virginia areas. Thank you, Jim!
The afternoon started out wonderfully as well, with Steve Albertini performing as folks arrived for the meeting.
Thanks to all the musicians who made our May meeting such a fabulous success! What a day!
By the way, if you would like to hear more of the Stereo Strings, they play during Sunday brunch at Pienza’s in the Gaylord Hotel, National Harbor. In addition, Joan will be posting videos of Lou performing Dizzy Fingers and the Stereo Strings playing Granada and Brazil, along with a short article, on AccordionUSA.com News in June.
Next Meeting
The next WMAS meeting will be our Spring Concert, on Sunday, June 16, 2013. Because this year is the 75th anniversary of the American Accordionists’ Association and our meeting is taking place on Fathers’ Day, the concert theme will be Founders and Fathers. So please – if possible – choose a selection by one of the AAA founders (Magnante, Frosini, Deiro, etc.) or a song about fathers or fatherhood. Please sign up to play.
As usual, the meeting will start at 4 pm, but greeters Yimeng Huang and Mara Cherkasky will start about 3:45. The place is as usual: Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, 3435 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, Virginia.
Announcements
An Accordion! What Is That?, a children’s book by Karen Malan-Uribe with illustrations by Joan Grauman and a CD featuring Mary Tokarski, will come out as an e-book in June. More information will be forthcoming. Visit this website: www.accordionbee.com.
August 14-18 is the American Accordionists’ Association festival in New York City. Register and find more information at www.ameraccord.com.
Paul Aebersold’s annual Boatloads of Accordions Party will take place on Saturday, June 8, on his houseboat moored in the Gangplank Marina in Southwest Washington.
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WMAS NEWS UPDATE
June 27, 2013
Meeting Notes
Thanks to all who participated in and attended our Fathers and Founders Concert on June 16. We celebrated both Fathers’ Day and the 75th anniversary of the American Accordionists’ Association by asking people to play music by one of the AAA founders or something with a fatherhood theme.
Pietro Frosini seemed to win the founders’ popularity contest: of the seven founders’ pieces performed in the concert, five were his compositions. In addition we heard one piece arranged by founder Charles Magnante and one arranged by Pietro Deiro, Jr., a founder’s son.
The Potomac Ensemble played “Founders’ Tribute,” by Peter DiGiovanni. Instead of playing with the group Peter spoke the lyrics over the music. (A member of the audience joked later that this was the first rap song written for the accordion.)
Joan Grauman emceed this time. She brought a large display from her AAA Archives and, as each performer was setting up, told brief stories about the founders and their accomplishments.
Karen Malan-Uribe, our own founder, is the one who came up with the idea for playing the AAA founders’ music -- which is especially dear to her because she grew up playing it in her father’s accordion school. After the concert, Karen said: “I was so impressed that people actually played some of the founders’ music. I appreciate people stepping up to the challenge and realize that some took a risk to put aside the music they are familiar with and used to playing. But it was wonderful to hear some of those great pieces.”
The program is listed below. Greeters Yimeng Huang and Mara Cherkasky opened the meeting with duets of traditional European tunes.
Next Month
Young Russian accordionist Luba Pak will perform at the July 14 meeting. Luba has studied the accordion for four years in Taganrog, Russia, and has participated in numerous competitions in her home town as well as in the nearby cities Rostov-on-Don and Azov. Her dream is to open a music school in the U.S., where she will teach accordion using the Russian methods.
Greeter: Jim Vandelly
July 14, 2013, 4 pm
Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church
3435 Sleepy Hollow Road
Falls Church, Virginia
Squeezeboxes in the New York Times This Week
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/arts/music/showing-off-the-accordions-hip-side.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/arts/music/in-new-works-j-p-jofre-celebrates-the-bandoneon.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1372365222-G2jDPWeNWdRqOhiBYSv4aA
Upcoming Events
Philadelphia Accordion Club
Joan Grauman will be conducting her acclaimed workshop, “Playing Ethnic Music More Authentically,” at the new Philadelphia Accordion Club’s kickoff meeting this Saturday, June 29, at 1 pm, at Liberty Bellows, 614 S. Second Street.
Following Joan’s workshop, around 2 pm, Mayumi Miyaoka and Robert Duncan of the Brooklyn Accordion Club (formed earlier this year) will perform a classical accordion duet.
Blob’s
Mike Surratt and the Continentals will perform at Blob’s Park this Sunday, June 30, from 4 to 8 pm. Call 410-799-7130 or visit www.blobspark.net.
Bastille Day at the Willard
Robert Jacobs will play solo in the Willard Hotel’s Café du Parc (French bistro with sidewalk café) from 5 to 9 pm on Bastille Day, Sunday, July 14. Gypsy Roots, the gypsy jazz/world music group, will be playing from earlier in the afternoon until about 4:30-5:00, and Jacobs says he may join them.
Unfortunately this event conflicts with the WMAS meeting, but it would be possible to go to WMAS and then catch the end of the Bastille Day event. The Willard is at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
From the hotel’s website:
The Willard InterContinental is hosting its annual block party-style celebration with a live band from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The outdoor fest features barbecue carry out lunch (picnic tables provided) with hot dogs, hamburgers and sweet crepes. Hot dog or hamburger lunch for $10, includes coleslaw, fruit and a bottle of water. Parisian-style sweet crepes station offers two items for $6. Wine and beer on tap is available as is an all-day dining Café du Parc menu.
Reservations: Call Café du Parc at 202-942-7000, or visit www.cafeduparc.com.
Fathers and Founders Concert Program
Karen Malan-Uribe: Frosini Memorial Waltz by Pietro Frosini* and Come Back to Sorrento by Ernesto De Curtis, arr. by Pietro Deiro, Jr.**
Karen and Luis Uribe: Finlandia, by Jean Sibelius, arr. by Charles Magnante*
Mike Rubin: Chusen Kala Mazel Tov, Jewish folk wedding song
Peter DiGiovanni: Florette, by Pietro Frosini*
Joan Grauman: La Coronita, by Pietro Frosini*
Suzanne Shayt: Ciribiribin, by Alberto Pestalozza, arr. by Palmer and Hughes
Robert and Rocio Ford: Jolly Caballero, by Pietro Frosini*
Robert Juszczyk: Deep Well, Polish folk song
JoAnn Pankow: Symphonic March, by Pietro Frosini*
Ken Kunec: I Just Fall In Love Again, by Herbstritt, Dorff, Lloyd & Sklerov, and Sunrise, Sunset, by Bock & Harnick
Potomac Accordion Ensemble: Belle of the Ball, by Leroy Anderson and Founders’ Tribute, by Peter DiGiovanni
*Founder of the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA)
**Son of AAA Founding President Pietro Deiro
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June 27, 2013
Meeting Notes
Thanks to all who participated in and attended our Fathers and Founders Concert on June 16. We celebrated both Fathers’ Day and the 75th anniversary of the American Accordionists’ Association by asking people to play music by one of the AAA founders or something with a fatherhood theme.
Pietro Frosini seemed to win the founders’ popularity contest: of the seven founders’ pieces performed in the concert, five were his compositions. In addition we heard one piece arranged by founder Charles Magnante and one arranged by Pietro Deiro, Jr., a founder’s son.
The Potomac Ensemble played “Founders’ Tribute,” by Peter DiGiovanni. Instead of playing with the group Peter spoke the lyrics over the music. (A member of the audience joked later that this was the first rap song written for the accordion.)
Joan Grauman emceed this time. She brought a large display from her AAA Archives and, as each performer was setting up, told brief stories about the founders and their accomplishments.
Karen Malan-Uribe, our own founder, is the one who came up with the idea for playing the AAA founders’ music -- which is especially dear to her because she grew up playing it in her father’s accordion school. After the concert, Karen said: “I was so impressed that people actually played some of the founders’ music. I appreciate people stepping up to the challenge and realize that some took a risk to put aside the music they are familiar with and used to playing. But it was wonderful to hear some of those great pieces.”
The program is listed below. Greeters Yimeng Huang and Mara Cherkasky opened the meeting with duets of traditional European tunes.
Next Month
Young Russian accordionist Luba Pak will perform at the July 14 meeting. Luba has studied the accordion for four years in Taganrog, Russia, and has participated in numerous competitions in her home town as well as in the nearby cities Rostov-on-Don and Azov. Her dream is to open a music school in the U.S., where she will teach accordion using the Russian methods.
Greeter: Jim Vandelly
July 14, 2013, 4 pm
Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church
3435 Sleepy Hollow Road
Falls Church, Virginia
Squeezeboxes in the New York Times This Week
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/arts/music/showing-off-the-accordions-hip-side.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/arts/music/in-new-works-j-p-jofre-celebrates-the-bandoneon.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1372365222-G2jDPWeNWdRqOhiBYSv4aA
Upcoming Events
Philadelphia Accordion Club
Joan Grauman will be conducting her acclaimed workshop, “Playing Ethnic Music More Authentically,” at the new Philadelphia Accordion Club’s kickoff meeting this Saturday, June 29, at 1 pm, at Liberty Bellows, 614 S. Second Street.
Following Joan’s workshop, around 2 pm, Mayumi Miyaoka and Robert Duncan of the Brooklyn Accordion Club (formed earlier this year) will perform a classical accordion duet.
Blob’s
Mike Surratt and the Continentals will perform at Blob’s Park this Sunday, June 30, from 4 to 8 pm. Call 410-799-7130 or visit www.blobspark.net.
Bastille Day at the Willard
Robert Jacobs will play solo in the Willard Hotel’s Café du Parc (French bistro with sidewalk café) from 5 to 9 pm on Bastille Day, Sunday, July 14. Gypsy Roots, the gypsy jazz/world music group, will be playing from earlier in the afternoon until about 4:30-5:00, and Jacobs says he may join them.
Unfortunately this event conflicts with the WMAS meeting, but it would be possible to go to WMAS and then catch the end of the Bastille Day event. The Willard is at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
From the hotel’s website:
The Willard InterContinental is hosting its annual block party-style celebration with a live band from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The outdoor fest features barbecue carry out lunch (picnic tables provided) with hot dogs, hamburgers and sweet crepes. Hot dog or hamburger lunch for $10, includes coleslaw, fruit and a bottle of water. Parisian-style sweet crepes station offers two items for $6. Wine and beer on tap is available as is an all-day dining Café du Parc menu.
Reservations: Call Café du Parc at 202-942-7000, or visit www.cafeduparc.com.
Fathers and Founders Concert Program
Karen Malan-Uribe: Frosini Memorial Waltz by Pietro Frosini* and Come Back to Sorrento by Ernesto De Curtis, arr. by Pietro Deiro, Jr.**
Karen and Luis Uribe: Finlandia, by Jean Sibelius, arr. by Charles Magnante*
Mike Rubin: Chusen Kala Mazel Tov, Jewish folk wedding song
Peter DiGiovanni: Florette, by Pietro Frosini*
Joan Grauman: La Coronita, by Pietro Frosini*
Suzanne Shayt: Ciribiribin, by Alberto Pestalozza, arr. by Palmer and Hughes
Robert and Rocio Ford: Jolly Caballero, by Pietro Frosini*
Robert Juszczyk: Deep Well, Polish folk song
JoAnn Pankow: Symphonic March, by Pietro Frosini*
Ken Kunec: I Just Fall In Love Again, by Herbstritt, Dorff, Lloyd & Sklerov, and Sunrise, Sunset, by Bock & Harnick
Potomac Accordion Ensemble: Belle of the Ball, by Leroy Anderson and Founders’ Tribute, by Peter DiGiovanni
*Founder of the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA)
**Son of AAA Founding President Pietro Deiro
**********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
August 6, 2013
Meeting Notes
Sleepy Hollow United Methodist was a cool refuge on a hot July day, and those who turned out for the WMAS meeting on the 14th were further rewarded with a concert by fifteen-year-old Russian accordionist Liuba Pak. This was Liuba’s first concert during this visit to the United States; in fact she played within one day of her arrival, and she played superbly. Joan Grauman lent her an instrument and said, “My accordion never sounded better!”
Fortunately, you don’t have to take our word for it. Dan Grauman recorded the entire concert, and you can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-dBaAgq2Y
Thanks go to Jim Vandelly for warming up the crowd!
Coming Up …
The American Accordionists’ Association’s 75th anniversary festival will take place at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City August 14-18, and you can still register, at www.ameraccord.com.
Members of our club are involved in the AAA event in various ways:
Peter DiGiovanni’s “Founders’ Tribute,” which the Potomac Ensemble played during our June 14 Founders and Fathers Concert, will be the opening selection at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday afternoon, August 17. Joan will lead a few musicians and Peter will recite the lyrics over the music.
Joan will present two workshops at the archival display in the exhibit room: “Carnegie Hall and the Accordion” at 8:30 am Thursday; and “The Women Who Made a Difference” at 8:30 am Friday.
The combined Busso Music Schools – including some of our members -- will compete at the event, as will our new honorary member, Liuba Pak.
A Night at Blob’s Park
Who wants to meet up at Blob’s Park on Saturday, August 31st? That’s the night the Schuplättler Verein Alt Washingtonia is holding its Stiftungsfest and 35th anniversary there, and it promises to be a great time.
Music will be supplied by a band from Lancaster, PA, “Die Immergrün Musikanten,” which of course includes an accordionist.
But local musicians will play, too. Event organizer Mike Leggett says there will also be a jam session during one (or more?) of the band’s breaks, because many members of Alt Washingtonia are musicians as well as dancers. Mike’s son Michael and his band will take a turn – many of us are fans of his.
If you would like to be included in the WMAS table reservation, please contact Mara by August 28.
Alt Washingtonia Stiftungsfest and 35th Anniversary
Saturday, August 31st, 6 pm-midnight
Max Blob’s Bavarian Biergarten
8024 Max Blobs Park Road
Jessup, MD 20794
www.blobspark.net
Next Meetings
We will not meet in August, so our next meeting will be our Oktoberfest on September 15. Please sign up to play an appropriate dance or drinking tune. Please also invite your friends and family, and bring German-style dishes to share. As usual we will welcome help with setting up and cleaning up.
At our October 20 meeting we will welcome guest artist Joe Natoli in concert on his Roland. Joe was an AAA champion and the first International Roland Champion. We will be requesting an $8 donation of nonmembers, so this will be a good time to catch up on your 2013 dues.
Both the September 15 and the October 20 meetings will take place at our usual spot: Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church in Falls Church, Virginia, starting at 4 pm.
Miscellany: a poem and a video
From Lee Paulson:
At Sunday's meeting, Rosalie Ciccotelli gave me the following poem from Carl Sandburg:
Happiness (from Chicago Poems 1916)
I asked professors who teach the meaning of life to tell me what is happiness.
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a little smile as though I was trying to fool with them.
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along the Des Plaines River.
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with their women and children and a keg of beer and an accordion."
~ Carl Sandburg (1978-1967)
Also, Halina Banas-Jones sent this link to the trailer for a documentary on the accordion called Behind the Bellows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qyzcSfvOwc
The video includes information on how to purchase the entire film, which includes Joan Grauman and many other musicians you probably know.
*********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
September 30, 2013
Meeting Notes
WMAS got the Oktoberfest season off to a great start with our September 15 meeting. Lee and Ron Paulson arrived early to decorate the room, and we filled it with lots of music, lots of dancing, lots of food, and lots of Bavarian buttonboxes, dirndls, and lederhosen. We did not quite roll out the barrel, but we did indulge in some near-beer. Oh, well. In heaven there is no near-beer, right?
Among the highlights ….
Silvia Eberly served as greeter, putting everyone in the mood with her Austrian and Bavarian tunes. Silvia sings and yodels, strolling and accompanying herself on a four-row Austrian diatonic accordion called a “Steirische Harmonika.” What more could you ask!? Oh, yes, she occasionally takes her hands off the accordion to tap out rhythms on the wooden spoons.
Frank Vidergar, a newcomer, performed dance tunes on a three-row Slovenian diatonic button accordion. What a treat! We hope to see Frank back again.
Herb Fredrickson and his Bayrisch and Steirisch dance group demonstrated some classics and taught an easy and fun circle dance. It used to be that we couldn’t get people up and dancing, and that was a bit disconcerting for the musicians. But it’s not a problem any more; this year people danced to just about every song. The dance group folks played a big role in getting people onto the floor, and we did not even have to bring out the chicken dance!
The musical offerings of Paul Aebersold, Peter DeGiovanni, Robert Ford, Joan Grauman, Bob Juszczyk, and Joe Kulick all added to the day’s pleasures. Thanks also to Ken Kunec, who once again did the honors as master of ceremonies, and performed as well.
Following the main program and refreshment break, Joan conducted the WMAS Super Special Oktoberfest Orchestra through some of the seasonal sheet music she brought. Considering that everyone was sightreading and some of the music was not so easy, the orchestra sounded fabulous.
Ready for more Oktoberfesting? Please read on.
Invitation from Joyce Palmer for October 19
Please join your accordion friends for a potluck picnic lunch in my Capital Hill back yard on Saturday, October 19, 2013, from 1 pm to 4 pm.
Please bring a lawn chair and a dish to share. Also, please bring your accordion* and be a star on my little stage. It will be fun to hear the music in the outdoors. I want to hear “Beer Barrel” a million times.
FLASH!! Don’t forget to bring the Oktoberfest sheet music Joan distributed at the WMAS meeting!
Please let me know by e-mail ([email protected]) that you will be attending and what you will bring, and I will send you my address and phone number.
Considerable interest from last year’s guests seems to say we are ready for a good time. A mayoral candidate has even expressed interest in attending our little gathering. Since this is a Saturday event, parking will not be such a problem.
I hope to see you on Saturday, October 19, at 1 pm. Hope the weather cooperates!
*Those who bring an accordion can store the cases and stuff in my basement apartment. The door will be open....watch your head....low entrance.
Next Month’s Meeting
Sunday, October 20, 4 pm: Guest Artist Joe Natoli in Concert. Joe was the first International Roland Champion as well as an AAA champion. $8 donation for nonmembers. Members free. Sign up to be the greeter! Also at the October meeting: Joan Grauman will distribute music for the Holiday Concert.
By the way, we still need a greeter for the meeting. Please respond to this email to sign up to play from 3:45 to 4:05 on Sunday, October 20.
As usual the meeting will take place at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, 3435 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, Virginia.
*********************************************************************************************************************
September 30, 2013
Meeting Notes
WMAS got the Oktoberfest season off to a great start with our September 15 meeting. Lee and Ron Paulson arrived early to decorate the room, and we filled it with lots of music, lots of dancing, lots of food, and lots of Bavarian buttonboxes, dirndls, and lederhosen. We did not quite roll out the barrel, but we did indulge in some near-beer. Oh, well. In heaven there is no near-beer, right?
Among the highlights ….
Silvia Eberly served as greeter, putting everyone in the mood with her Austrian and Bavarian tunes. Silvia sings and yodels, strolling and accompanying herself on a four-row Austrian diatonic accordion called a “Steirische Harmonika.” What more could you ask!? Oh, yes, she occasionally takes her hands off the accordion to tap out rhythms on the wooden spoons.
Frank Vidergar, a newcomer, performed dance tunes on a three-row Slovenian diatonic button accordion. What a treat! We hope to see Frank back again.
Herb Fredrickson and his Bayrisch and Steirisch dance group demonstrated some classics and taught an easy and fun circle dance. It used to be that we couldn’t get people up and dancing, and that was a bit disconcerting for the musicians. But it’s not a problem any more; this year people danced to just about every song. The dance group folks played a big role in getting people onto the floor, and we did not even have to bring out the chicken dance!
The musical offerings of Paul Aebersold, Peter DeGiovanni, Robert Ford, Joan Grauman, Bob Juszczyk, and Joe Kulick all added to the day’s pleasures. Thanks also to Ken Kunec, who once again did the honors as master of ceremonies, and performed as well.
Following the main program and refreshment break, Joan conducted the WMAS Super Special Oktoberfest Orchestra through some of the seasonal sheet music she brought. Considering that everyone was sightreading and some of the music was not so easy, the orchestra sounded fabulous.
Ready for more Oktoberfesting? Please read on.
Invitation from Joyce Palmer for October 19
Please join your accordion friends for a potluck picnic lunch in my Capital Hill back yard on Saturday, October 19, 2013, from 1 pm to 4 pm.
Please bring a lawn chair and a dish to share. Also, please bring your accordion* and be a star on my little stage. It will be fun to hear the music in the outdoors. I want to hear “Beer Barrel” a million times.
FLASH!! Don’t forget to bring the Oktoberfest sheet music Joan distributed at the WMAS meeting!
Please let me know by e-mail ([email protected]) that you will be attending and what you will bring, and I will send you my address and phone number.
Considerable interest from last year’s guests seems to say we are ready for a good time. A mayoral candidate has even expressed interest in attending our little gathering. Since this is a Saturday event, parking will not be such a problem.
I hope to see you on Saturday, October 19, at 1 pm. Hope the weather cooperates!
*Those who bring an accordion can store the cases and stuff in my basement apartment. The door will be open....watch your head....low entrance.
Next Month’s Meeting
Sunday, October 20, 4 pm: Guest Artist Joe Natoli in Concert. Joe was the first International Roland Champion as well as an AAA champion. $8 donation for nonmembers. Members free. Sign up to be the greeter! Also at the October meeting: Joan Grauman will distribute music for the Holiday Concert.
By the way, we still need a greeter for the meeting. Please respond to this email to sign up to play from 3:45 to 4:05 on Sunday, October 20.
As usual the meeting will take place at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, 3435 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, Virginia.
*********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
November 7, 2013
Meeting Notes
Joe Natoli, WMAS’s guest artist at our October 20 meeting, demonstrated definitively that the Roland is an awesome instrument – and that he is an amazing musician and composer. The playlist included classical pieces, accordion standards, selections from the American songbook, and Joe’s beautiful Waltz for Ron plus his dramatic soundtrack for an imaginary film. The soundtrack is meant to show how far the instrument can go, he said, and the answer is “pretty far.” Joe also played tributes to World War II veterans and members of the armed forces, and to recently departed stars of the accordion world (see complete playlist below).
Joe and his wife JoAnn drove out from Ohio for our meeting. He grew up there and began studying the accordion at age seven with prominent teacher Mickey Bisilia. In 1972 Joe won the AAA US Virtuoso Accordion Championship under Mr. Bisilia’s tutelage, and a few months later represented the US at the Coupe Mondiale in Caracas, Venezuela, where he finished as first runner up. More recently (2008), Joe won the grand prize for the first Roland US V-Accordion competition, in Los Angeles.
With Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Toronto, Joe has composed in all musical styles and genres for standard and free-bass accordion. His most recent recordings include an all-acoustic accordion CD, Omaggio, dedicated to the many musical influences in his life, as well as an all- digital Roland V-Accordion CD, Waltz for Ron, which includes many original compositions and arrangements of classical, light classical, ethnic and jazz pieces, fully exploring the orchestral possibilities of the Roland Virtual accordion. Joe’s CDs, compositions, and arrangements are available through his music publishing company, JANPress Music.
If you would like a copy of the sheet music for Waltz for Ron, please reply to this email.
After Joe’s concert, Joan Grauman distributed sheet music for the Holiday Concert Orchestra. We’ve already rehearsed once, on November 3, and have three more rehearsals planned: November 17 during the meeting, December 8 at 4 pm, and December 15 at 2 pm, just before the concert. There’s still time to join up; please contact Joan at [email protected].
Also, we will have room for a few soloists (or duos, etc.) in the Holiday Concert, as well as during dinner. Please reply to this email if you would like to perform. Nancy Leonard has already signed up to be the greeter.
Next Meeting
Our next meeting will take place Sunday, November 17, at 4 pm, at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church. As per tradition, Jim Vandelly will perform Russian music and more in the first half of the meeting, and then we will rehearse for the Holiday Concert. Our greeter will be Frank Vidergar, who played Slovenian tunes on his buttonbox at our Oktoberfest, so there’s a lot to look forward to. Please bring refreshments to share, and please invite your family and friends to hear Jim.
Other News
The WMAS Executive Committee will meet soon to plan next year’s programs. If you have ideas, please pass them along, by replying to this email or talking to Peter DiGiovanni, Joan Grauman, or Mara Cherkasky.
ISO Accordion Teacher in Glens Falls, NY Area
Lenore Clesceri is looking for an accordion teacher for her 12-year-old grandson Nick , in the Glens Falls NY area. Nick actually lives in Bolton Landing, NY, which is about 25 miles north of Glens Falls. If you have any ideas, please reply to this email, and they will be passed along to Lenore.
Joe Natoli’s Playlist
America the Beautiful
Fanfare for the Common Man (a tribute to WWII vets & all members of the armed services)
Die Spieluhr
Solfeggio in C Minor
Piece in the Ancient Style
Sonatina in C Major
Le Coucou
Elf Dance
Amazing Grace/Danny Boy (in memory of Frank Marocco, Ralph Stricker, Carmelo Pino, Carmen Carozza, Amy Hatfield, and Dr. Sal Febraio)
Movie Sequence
Waltz for Ron
Flight of the Angels
Once Upon a Time in America
Just One of Those Things
Someone to Watch Over Me
Dizzy Fingers
It Never Entered My Mind
Carnival of Venice
Donkey Serenade
BOOK REVIEWS
From "[email protected]"
Squeeze This!: A Cultural History of the Accordion in America. By
Marion Jacobson. 2012. Champaign: University of Illinois Press. 288
pages. ISBN: 978-0-252-03675-0 (hard cover).
The Accordion in the Americas: Klezmer, Polka, Tango, Zydeco, and
More! Edited by Helena Simonett. 2012. Champaign: University of
Illinois Press. 344 pages. ISBN: 9780252037207 (hard cover),
9780252078712 (soft cover).
Reviewed by Phil Nusbaum
In its nearly 200 year history, the accordion has undergone constant
technical refinement, and there have been virtuosic performers in
every era and seemingly wherever you go. In Squeeze This, author
Marion Jacobson ably tracks the changes affecting the piano accordion
and accordion players, including the varieties of accordion
technology and decoration, the dress of accordion entertainers, the
kinds of places featuring accordion music, improvements to
accordions, and the accordion repertoire.
The first chapter deals with the rise of the piano accordion. This is
followed by chapters that follow the accordion over time, from the
early focus on classical music, through the accordion's assault on
pop, and the twenty-first century reimagining of the accordion.
Folklorists may be especially interested in chapter 4, “Crossover
Accordionists: Viola Turpeinen, John Brugnoli and Frankie Yankovic.”
Jacobson's portrayal of each of these artists fits the current
interest in folk musicians that position their work to serve a
variety of publics. Turpeinen, Brugnoli, and Yankovic were each
attempting to be more than Finnish, Italian, or Slovenian. Their
quests were to create music that would appeal to a wide swath of
Americans, particularly working class Americans.
In each accordion era, Jacobson references the most important movers
and shakers in the accordion world. To her credit, the analysis
considers much more than music sound. For example, the 1930s were an
era of accordion studios. Accordionists would set up businesses in
major cities. They and the fellow accordionists they hired taught the
accordion to mostly young students. They would also sell accordions
to the students and create performance opportunities for them.
However, the sun was setting on this system by the end of World War
II. By this time, electronic media were playing greater roles in
creating musical tastes and supplying music to members of the public.
Through a study of accordionist Dick Contino, Jacobson shows how, in
the more media-influenced post-WW II era, the interest in the
accordion shifted from the participatory impulse of the studio era to
the accordionist as entertainer. Through live and radio performances,
Dick Contino was becoming something of an idol for teenaged people.
He played a flashy repertoire to appeal to them, but also included
standards in his shows to appeal to older people. Jacobson reports
that the 1950s were the era of conformist, consumer culture, when
artists such as Lawrence Welk and Lawrence Welk Show accordionist
Myron Floren created a sound that was professional and stressed songs
and styles within the listening experiences of most listeners. Welk's
TV audience consisted of millions of unconnected people with varying
tastes and varying levels of sophistication. With that kind of an
audience, validating, and not challenging, the tastes of listeners
became the overarching need.
The history of the accordion consists of periods of popularity mixed
with periods of unpopularity. After the accordion's biggest sales
year, 1955, the instrument entered into a decline. Jacobson writes of
the 1990s as a sort of rebirth. A chart labeled “Accordion Articles”
lists a total of fifteen print and broadcast pieces in national media
for the twenty-six-year period, 1980-2006. Another chart lists a
total of eleven national television commercials that used the
accordion in the 1990s. However, these figures do not seem to
indicate a rebirth, but something resembling a bit of quirky interest
instead.
While ours may not represent a new era of accordion popularity, it is
hard to argue against a new cutting-edge “cool” for the accordion
emerging in recent times. It seems like an underground and represents
premises that differ from those of past decades. Jacobson ably
describes the combination of festivals, fans, recordings, and artists
that is home to the new accordion cool. To these accordion people,
including Jacobson, the accordion represents indie and not the
standard music business as usual. Despite that the accordion is
sometimes wed to electronic gadgetry, to current accordion people the
accordion represents something "real," an antidote to the phoniness
of pop.
In her introduction, Jacobson writes about her discovery of an
emerging instrument-centered culture of the accordion. Throughout the
book, and especially in the final chapter, she references many things
that accordion players have in common: interest in all accordions,
idealization of the past, and collecting accordion memorabilia, for
example. It would have brought the idea of an instrument-based
accordion culture to life, had Jacobson included a transcription of
members of the culture in conversation with Jacobson commenting on
the conversational themes shared that validated the speakers'
cultural membership. As it stands, the book documents the
multiplicity of accordion cultures; but as far as a widely shared
culture of the accordion, the book asserts that it exists but does
not offer detailed analysis of it.
Squeeze This is centered on the accordion in the United States, while
The Accordion in the Americas considers both North and South America.
But the differences between the two books are more than their scopes.
Where Squeeze This treats the development and changes of the
accordion in the United States in general, The Accordion in the
Americas is a book of readings that after the introduction and the
first chapter treats individual accordion traditions separately.
Reading the bulk of the individual chapters of The Accordion in the
Americas puts meat on the bones of the contention that the accordion
is usually involved with genres that are under duress or at least not
mainstream. For example, the chapter about Cajun accordion tells how
the popularity of Cajun tradition in Cajun country and elsewhere has
much to do with self-conscious cultural revival against the onrush of
mainstream American culture. Cathy Ragland’s chapter, “Regional
Accordion Traditions of South Texas and the Border Region,” shows
how, to people of the region, the accordion represents the
combination of Spanish and Anglo elements that reflects the area's
self-image. To supporters of this music, the button box represents
the music and the working class experience. Most players play it
rather than switching to the piano accordion because they hold that
the button accordion has the real Tejano sound. In the Dominican
Republic, merengue is the music. However, there are two types of
merengue. The orchestra-based type was brought in by former dictator
Trujillo and appeals to middle and upper class people. However, the
merengue típico is accordion-based and is the type favored by
migrants returning to the Dominican Republic.
The chapters in The Accordion in the Americas relate to individual
traditions, though in many cases, the individual traditions are known
to be combinations of two or more traditions. Jim Leary’s article,
“Accordions and Working-Class Culture along Lake Superior's South
Shore,” shows how in social occasions, accordion styles representing
a variety of nationalities were welcome. Leary documents many players
who formed a multi-ethnic musical community in the period 1880-1930.
Young people representing many cultural backgrounds sought out the
music and musical settings for partying.
Participants in each of the folkloric accordion traditions testify to
the existence of a shared past for those in a particular tradition.
Even in formal composition, it seems that the accordion is involved
in works that refer to a shared past. Squeeze This author Marion S.
Jacobson contributes “The Accordion in New Scores: Paradigms of
Authorship and Identity in William Schimmel’s Musical ‘Realities’” to
the Accordion in America book. Schimmel is an American composer who
has written over 4,000 works based thematically and structurally on
the works of others. The message one gets from this is that there is
something about the accordion that causes composers, players, and
audience members to enter into worlds of memory, tradition, and
community.
From the perspective of this North American reader, The Accordion in
the Americas serves as an introduction to a number of genres uncommon
in North America. The accordion world has its set of colorful
characters, including Luiz Gonzaga. His career in his native Brazil
seemed destined not to take off. Sambas were popular, and he could
not play them well. But the day he was asked to play something from
his home region, Pernambuco, Gonzaga’s luck changed. The piece he
played made a hit with the audience, so he continued to emphasize his
background. Eventually, by his talking about northeast Brazil as a
region, it entered the minds of audiences and his music was
positioned as the style representing the region.
The differing scopes of the two books work well together. Squeeze
This tells readers about the changes in the accordion's history in
North America, from the perspective of the accordion. The Accordion
in the Americas tells of the symbolism of the accordion and the role
the instrument and its genres play in a variety of cultures. Few
world instruments are as pervasive as the accordion and few are as
under-represented in scholarly literature. The two books discussed
here represent welcome additions to the study of the accordion and
its cultures.
---------
Read this review on-line at:
http://www.indiana.edu/~jofr/review.php?id=1453
(All JFR Reviews are permanently stored on-line at
http://www.indiana.edu/~jofr/reviews.php)
***********************************************************************************************************************
November 7, 2013
Meeting Notes
Joe Natoli, WMAS’s guest artist at our October 20 meeting, demonstrated definitively that the Roland is an awesome instrument – and that he is an amazing musician and composer. The playlist included classical pieces, accordion standards, selections from the American songbook, and Joe’s beautiful Waltz for Ron plus his dramatic soundtrack for an imaginary film. The soundtrack is meant to show how far the instrument can go, he said, and the answer is “pretty far.” Joe also played tributes to World War II veterans and members of the armed forces, and to recently departed stars of the accordion world (see complete playlist below).
Joe and his wife JoAnn drove out from Ohio for our meeting. He grew up there and began studying the accordion at age seven with prominent teacher Mickey Bisilia. In 1972 Joe won the AAA US Virtuoso Accordion Championship under Mr. Bisilia’s tutelage, and a few months later represented the US at the Coupe Mondiale in Caracas, Venezuela, where he finished as first runner up. More recently (2008), Joe won the grand prize for the first Roland US V-Accordion competition, in Los Angeles.
With Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Toronto, Joe has composed in all musical styles and genres for standard and free-bass accordion. His most recent recordings include an all-acoustic accordion CD, Omaggio, dedicated to the many musical influences in his life, as well as an all- digital Roland V-Accordion CD, Waltz for Ron, which includes many original compositions and arrangements of classical, light classical, ethnic and jazz pieces, fully exploring the orchestral possibilities of the Roland Virtual accordion. Joe’s CDs, compositions, and arrangements are available through his music publishing company, JANPress Music.
If you would like a copy of the sheet music for Waltz for Ron, please reply to this email.
After Joe’s concert, Joan Grauman distributed sheet music for the Holiday Concert Orchestra. We’ve already rehearsed once, on November 3, and have three more rehearsals planned: November 17 during the meeting, December 8 at 4 pm, and December 15 at 2 pm, just before the concert. There’s still time to join up; please contact Joan at [email protected].
Also, we will have room for a few soloists (or duos, etc.) in the Holiday Concert, as well as during dinner. Please reply to this email if you would like to perform. Nancy Leonard has already signed up to be the greeter.
Next Meeting
Our next meeting will take place Sunday, November 17, at 4 pm, at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church. As per tradition, Jim Vandelly will perform Russian music and more in the first half of the meeting, and then we will rehearse for the Holiday Concert. Our greeter will be Frank Vidergar, who played Slovenian tunes on his buttonbox at our Oktoberfest, so there’s a lot to look forward to. Please bring refreshments to share, and please invite your family and friends to hear Jim.
Other News
The WMAS Executive Committee will meet soon to plan next year’s programs. If you have ideas, please pass them along, by replying to this email or talking to Peter DiGiovanni, Joan Grauman, or Mara Cherkasky.
ISO Accordion Teacher in Glens Falls, NY Area
Lenore Clesceri is looking for an accordion teacher for her 12-year-old grandson Nick , in the Glens Falls NY area. Nick actually lives in Bolton Landing, NY, which is about 25 miles north of Glens Falls. If you have any ideas, please reply to this email, and they will be passed along to Lenore.
Joe Natoli’s Playlist
America the Beautiful
Fanfare for the Common Man (a tribute to WWII vets & all members of the armed services)
Die Spieluhr
Solfeggio in C Minor
Piece in the Ancient Style
Sonatina in C Major
Le Coucou
Elf Dance
Amazing Grace/Danny Boy (in memory of Frank Marocco, Ralph Stricker, Carmelo Pino, Carmen Carozza, Amy Hatfield, and Dr. Sal Febraio)
Movie Sequence
Waltz for Ron
Flight of the Angels
Once Upon a Time in America
Just One of Those Things
Someone to Watch Over Me
Dizzy Fingers
It Never Entered My Mind
Carnival of Venice
Donkey Serenade
BOOK REVIEWS
From "[email protected]"
Squeeze This!: A Cultural History of the Accordion in America. By
Marion Jacobson. 2012. Champaign: University of Illinois Press. 288
pages. ISBN: 978-0-252-03675-0 (hard cover).
The Accordion in the Americas: Klezmer, Polka, Tango, Zydeco, and
More! Edited by Helena Simonett. 2012. Champaign: University of
Illinois Press. 344 pages. ISBN: 9780252037207 (hard cover),
9780252078712 (soft cover).
Reviewed by Phil Nusbaum
In its nearly 200 year history, the accordion has undergone constant
technical refinement, and there have been virtuosic performers in
every era and seemingly wherever you go. In Squeeze This, author
Marion Jacobson ably tracks the changes affecting the piano accordion
and accordion players, including the varieties of accordion
technology and decoration, the dress of accordion entertainers, the
kinds of places featuring accordion music, improvements to
accordions, and the accordion repertoire.
The first chapter deals with the rise of the piano accordion. This is
followed by chapters that follow the accordion over time, from the
early focus on classical music, through the accordion's assault on
pop, and the twenty-first century reimagining of the accordion.
Folklorists may be especially interested in chapter 4, “Crossover
Accordionists: Viola Turpeinen, John Brugnoli and Frankie Yankovic.”
Jacobson's portrayal of each of these artists fits the current
interest in folk musicians that position their work to serve a
variety of publics. Turpeinen, Brugnoli, and Yankovic were each
attempting to be more than Finnish, Italian, or Slovenian. Their
quests were to create music that would appeal to a wide swath of
Americans, particularly working class Americans.
In each accordion era, Jacobson references the most important movers
and shakers in the accordion world. To her credit, the analysis
considers much more than music sound. For example, the 1930s were an
era of accordion studios. Accordionists would set up businesses in
major cities. They and the fellow accordionists they hired taught the
accordion to mostly young students. They would also sell accordions
to the students and create performance opportunities for them.
However, the sun was setting on this system by the end of World War
II. By this time, electronic media were playing greater roles in
creating musical tastes and supplying music to members of the public.
Through a study of accordionist Dick Contino, Jacobson shows how, in
the more media-influenced post-WW II era, the interest in the
accordion shifted from the participatory impulse of the studio era to
the accordionist as entertainer. Through live and radio performances,
Dick Contino was becoming something of an idol for teenaged people.
He played a flashy repertoire to appeal to them, but also included
standards in his shows to appeal to older people. Jacobson reports
that the 1950s were the era of conformist, consumer culture, when
artists such as Lawrence Welk and Lawrence Welk Show accordionist
Myron Floren created a sound that was professional and stressed songs
and styles within the listening experiences of most listeners. Welk's
TV audience consisted of millions of unconnected people with varying
tastes and varying levels of sophistication. With that kind of an
audience, validating, and not challenging, the tastes of listeners
became the overarching need.
The history of the accordion consists of periods of popularity mixed
with periods of unpopularity. After the accordion's biggest sales
year, 1955, the instrument entered into a decline. Jacobson writes of
the 1990s as a sort of rebirth. A chart labeled “Accordion Articles”
lists a total of fifteen print and broadcast pieces in national media
for the twenty-six-year period, 1980-2006. Another chart lists a
total of eleven national television commercials that used the
accordion in the 1990s. However, these figures do not seem to
indicate a rebirth, but something resembling a bit of quirky interest
instead.
While ours may not represent a new era of accordion popularity, it is
hard to argue against a new cutting-edge “cool” for the accordion
emerging in recent times. It seems like an underground and represents
premises that differ from those of past decades. Jacobson ably
describes the combination of festivals, fans, recordings, and artists
that is home to the new accordion cool. To these accordion people,
including Jacobson, the accordion represents indie and not the
standard music business as usual. Despite that the accordion is
sometimes wed to electronic gadgetry, to current accordion people the
accordion represents something "real," an antidote to the phoniness
of pop.
In her introduction, Jacobson writes about her discovery of an
emerging instrument-centered culture of the accordion. Throughout the
book, and especially in the final chapter, she references many things
that accordion players have in common: interest in all accordions,
idealization of the past, and collecting accordion memorabilia, for
example. It would have brought the idea of an instrument-based
accordion culture to life, had Jacobson included a transcription of
members of the culture in conversation with Jacobson commenting on
the conversational themes shared that validated the speakers'
cultural membership. As it stands, the book documents the
multiplicity of accordion cultures; but as far as a widely shared
culture of the accordion, the book asserts that it exists but does
not offer detailed analysis of it.
Squeeze This is centered on the accordion in the United States, while
The Accordion in the Americas considers both North and South America.
But the differences between the two books are more than their scopes.
Where Squeeze This treats the development and changes of the
accordion in the United States in general, The Accordion in the
Americas is a book of readings that after the introduction and the
first chapter treats individual accordion traditions separately.
Reading the bulk of the individual chapters of The Accordion in the
Americas puts meat on the bones of the contention that the accordion
is usually involved with genres that are under duress or at least not
mainstream. For example, the chapter about Cajun accordion tells how
the popularity of Cajun tradition in Cajun country and elsewhere has
much to do with self-conscious cultural revival against the onrush of
mainstream American culture. Cathy Ragland’s chapter, “Regional
Accordion Traditions of South Texas and the Border Region,” shows
how, to people of the region, the accordion represents the
combination of Spanish and Anglo elements that reflects the area's
self-image. To supporters of this music, the button box represents
the music and the working class experience. Most players play it
rather than switching to the piano accordion because they hold that
the button accordion has the real Tejano sound. In the Dominican
Republic, merengue is the music. However, there are two types of
merengue. The orchestra-based type was brought in by former dictator
Trujillo and appeals to middle and upper class people. However, the
merengue típico is accordion-based and is the type favored by
migrants returning to the Dominican Republic.
The chapters in The Accordion in the Americas relate to individual
traditions, though in many cases, the individual traditions are known
to be combinations of two or more traditions. Jim Leary’s article,
“Accordions and Working-Class Culture along Lake Superior's South
Shore,” shows how in social occasions, accordion styles representing
a variety of nationalities were welcome. Leary documents many players
who formed a multi-ethnic musical community in the period 1880-1930.
Young people representing many cultural backgrounds sought out the
music and musical settings for partying.
Participants in each of the folkloric accordion traditions testify to
the existence of a shared past for those in a particular tradition.
Even in formal composition, it seems that the accordion is involved
in works that refer to a shared past. Squeeze This author Marion S.
Jacobson contributes “The Accordion in New Scores: Paradigms of
Authorship and Identity in William Schimmel’s Musical ‘Realities’” to
the Accordion in America book. Schimmel is an American composer who
has written over 4,000 works based thematically and structurally on
the works of others. The message one gets from this is that there is
something about the accordion that causes composers, players, and
audience members to enter into worlds of memory, tradition, and
community.
From the perspective of this North American reader, The Accordion in
the Americas serves as an introduction to a number of genres uncommon
in North America. The accordion world has its set of colorful
characters, including Luiz Gonzaga. His career in his native Brazil
seemed destined not to take off. Sambas were popular, and he could
not play them well. But the day he was asked to play something from
his home region, Pernambuco, Gonzaga’s luck changed. The piece he
played made a hit with the audience, so he continued to emphasize his
background. Eventually, by his talking about northeast Brazil as a
region, it entered the minds of audiences and his music was
positioned as the style representing the region.
The differing scopes of the two books work well together. Squeeze
This tells readers about the changes in the accordion's history in
North America, from the perspective of the accordion. The Accordion
in the Americas tells of the symbolism of the accordion and the role
the instrument and its genres play in a variety of cultures. Few
world instruments are as pervasive as the accordion and few are as
under-represented in scholarly literature. The two books discussed
here represent welcome additions to the study of the accordion and
its cultures.
---------
Read this review on-line at:
http://www.indiana.edu/~jofr/review.php?id=1453
(All JFR Reviews are permanently stored on-line at
http://www.indiana.edu/~jofr/reviews.php)
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
November 20, 2013
Meeting Notes
Jim Vandelly showed us a good time at the November 17 meeting, performing mostly Russian songs and mostly on his bayan. As he explained, whether the song was called “In the Blacksmith Shop” or “The Birch Tree,” the topic was usually women, though possibly not for the song called “The Mosquito.” One particularly beautiful piece was “Katarina,” composed by Jim for his wife Kathy. And three of the pieces – “Ellin Polkka,” “The Moon Is Shining,” and “Podgorka” – were duets with Peter DiGiovanni.
Frank Vidergar got the meeting off to a lively start. He played a number of Slovenian polkas and waltzes on his three-row button accordion, and a few people couldn’t help but find a partner and dance.
Joan and Dan Grauman set up a flea market, selling sheet music, music books, tchotchkes, accordion straps, and other items. The proceeds will go into a college fund for the children of accordionist Amy Hatfield, who died suddenly not too long ago.
After the break, the Holiday Orchestra rehearsed, and Joan distributed CDs of all the concert pieces. She recorded the pieces so that each orchestra member can practice along with the CD, and at the same time get used to the tempo, dynamics, road map, etc.
Holiday Concert
As you know, our annual Holiday Concert & Potluck is scheduled for Sunday, December 15, at 4 pm. Please put the date on your calendar and send the attached flyer to your friends and family – we definitely want to fill the hall for this fun and festive event.
More instructions will follow, but here are the basics: Members can help out by coming early to set up, bringing potluck offerings (main dishes and vegetables/salads especially welcome), and staying late to clean up. Also, bring your wallets: the Graumans will be bringing back the flea market, with more items, that day.
If you are in the orchestra, we will be rehearsing twice more: at 4 pm on Sunday, December 8, and at 2 pm on the day of the concert. Please make every effort to be at those rehearsals. Even if you are an expert musician, playing with a group is quite different from playing solo because you have to follow the conductor and everyone has to play exactly the same thing in the same way at the same time. Therefore, you absolutely need to rehearse with the group (as well as on your own at home). If you missed the November 17 rehearsal, please contact Joan at [email protected] about getting a CD (see above).
Upcoming Events
Washington Balalaika Society Concerts
Saturday, November 23, 8 pm
F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre
603 Edmundson Drive
Rockville, Maryland
Sunday, November 24, 3 pm
Kenmore Middle School
Kenmore Performing Arts Center
200 S. Carlin Springs Road
Arlington, Virginia
Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students. Children 12 and under are free. See www.balalaika.org or contact Peter DiGiovanni at 703-919-5701 or [email protected] for specially priced tickets.
Potomac Ensemble at Dublin Roasters Coffee
Saturday, December 7, 1-3 pm
1780 N. Market Street
Frederick, Maryland
www.dublinroasterscoffee.com
***********************************************************************************************************************
November 20, 2013
Meeting Notes
Jim Vandelly showed us a good time at the November 17 meeting, performing mostly Russian songs and mostly on his bayan. As he explained, whether the song was called “In the Blacksmith Shop” or “The Birch Tree,” the topic was usually women, though possibly not for the song called “The Mosquito.” One particularly beautiful piece was “Katarina,” composed by Jim for his wife Kathy. And three of the pieces – “Ellin Polkka,” “The Moon Is Shining,” and “Podgorka” – were duets with Peter DiGiovanni.
Frank Vidergar got the meeting off to a lively start. He played a number of Slovenian polkas and waltzes on his three-row button accordion, and a few people couldn’t help but find a partner and dance.
Joan and Dan Grauman set up a flea market, selling sheet music, music books, tchotchkes, accordion straps, and other items. The proceeds will go into a college fund for the children of accordionist Amy Hatfield, who died suddenly not too long ago.
After the break, the Holiday Orchestra rehearsed, and Joan distributed CDs of all the concert pieces. She recorded the pieces so that each orchestra member can practice along with the CD, and at the same time get used to the tempo, dynamics, road map, etc.
Holiday Concert
As you know, our annual Holiday Concert & Potluck is scheduled for Sunday, December 15, at 4 pm. Please put the date on your calendar and send the attached flyer to your friends and family – we definitely want to fill the hall for this fun and festive event.
More instructions will follow, but here are the basics: Members can help out by coming early to set up, bringing potluck offerings (main dishes and vegetables/salads especially welcome), and staying late to clean up. Also, bring your wallets: the Graumans will be bringing back the flea market, with more items, that day.
If you are in the orchestra, we will be rehearsing twice more: at 4 pm on Sunday, December 8, and at 2 pm on the day of the concert. Please make every effort to be at those rehearsals. Even if you are an expert musician, playing with a group is quite different from playing solo because you have to follow the conductor and everyone has to play exactly the same thing in the same way at the same time. Therefore, you absolutely need to rehearse with the group (as well as on your own at home). If you missed the November 17 rehearsal, please contact Joan at [email protected] about getting a CD (see above).
Upcoming Events
Washington Balalaika Society Concerts
Saturday, November 23, 8 pm
F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre
603 Edmundson Drive
Rockville, Maryland
Sunday, November 24, 3 pm
Kenmore Middle School
Kenmore Performing Arts Center
200 S. Carlin Springs Road
Arlington, Virginia
Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students. Children 12 and under are free. See www.balalaika.org or contact Peter DiGiovanni at 703-919-5701 or [email protected] for specially priced tickets.
Potomac Ensemble at Dublin Roasters Coffee
Saturday, December 7, 1-3 pm
1780 N. Market Street
Frederick, Maryland
www.dublinroasterscoffee.com
***********************************************************************************************************************
WMAS NEWS UPDATE
December 23, 2013
Meeting Notes
Thanks go to everyone who made our 2013 Holiday Concert such a wonderful success!
☼
Soloists;
Orchestra members;
Ken Kunec for emceeing;
Joan Grauman for conducting;
Tom Leonard for the photo displays;
Connie Racioppa for all the decorations;
Everyone who brought delicious food to share;
Friends, family, and newcomers who sat in the audience;
Sally DiGiovanni and Teddy Kunec for running the “box office”;
Greeter Nancy Leonard for starting off the concert/party on a festive note;
Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church for letting us use its beautiful space; and
Eugene, Ronny, and everyone else who managed the potluck and cleaned up the kitchen.
See
You
All
In
2014!
Note from Joan Grauman:
I want our members to know that the flea markets I held at the November and December meetings brought in $560. We have sent all of the money to the college fund for the children of accordionist Amy Hatfield, who passed away suddenly this past summer. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this fund!
January and February Meetings
Our next meeting will be Sunday, January 12, at 4 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church. This will be a jam/play-along session, so please bring your accordions and invite family and friends who play other instruments. We will be concentrating on simple songs that everyone, or most people, know. Please let us know if there are any songs you would like to play with the group so we can find lead sheets – not everyone is comfortable playing by ear. Better yet, if you have lead sheets for any of the music you want to play, please bring about 20 copies to hand out. We will also have sheet music to distribute and ideas for music to play by ear.
During the business portion of the meeting, we will elect officers for 2014. The current officers – President Peter DiGiovanni, Vice President Joan Grauman, and Secretary/Treasurer Mara Cherkasky – are willing to stay on, but if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else to run for president, vice president, or secretary/treasurer, please let us know.
Please note that both our January and February meetings will be held on the second Sunday of the month (Jan. 12 and Feb. 9), rather than the third, so we can avoid holiday weekends.
Best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
December 23, 2013
Meeting Notes
Thanks go to everyone who made our 2013 Holiday Concert such a wonderful success!
☼
Soloists;
Orchestra members;
Ken Kunec for emceeing;
Joan Grauman for conducting;
Tom Leonard for the photo displays;
Connie Racioppa for all the decorations;
Everyone who brought delicious food to share;
Friends, family, and newcomers who sat in the audience;
Sally DiGiovanni and Teddy Kunec for running the “box office”;
Greeter Nancy Leonard for starting off the concert/party on a festive note;
Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church for letting us use its beautiful space; and
Eugene, Ronny, and everyone else who managed the potluck and cleaned up the kitchen.
See
You
All
In
2014!
Note from Joan Grauman:
I want our members to know that the flea markets I held at the November and December meetings brought in $560. We have sent all of the money to the college fund for the children of accordionist Amy Hatfield, who passed away suddenly this past summer. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this fund!
January and February Meetings
Our next meeting will be Sunday, January 12, at 4 pm at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church. This will be a jam/play-along session, so please bring your accordions and invite family and friends who play other instruments. We will be concentrating on simple songs that everyone, or most people, know. Please let us know if there are any songs you would like to play with the group so we can find lead sheets – not everyone is comfortable playing by ear. Better yet, if you have lead sheets for any of the music you want to play, please bring about 20 copies to hand out. We will also have sheet music to distribute and ideas for music to play by ear.
During the business portion of the meeting, we will elect officers for 2014. The current officers – President Peter DiGiovanni, Vice President Joan Grauman, and Secretary/Treasurer Mara Cherkasky – are willing to stay on, but if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else to run for president, vice president, or secretary/treasurer, please let us know.
Please note that both our January and February meetings will be held on the second Sunday of the month (Jan. 12 and Feb. 9), rather than the third, so we can avoid holiday weekends.
Best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!