2020 News Archive
Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
January 6, 2020
MEETING NOTES
WMAS performed another successful Holiday Concert on December 15, conducted for the first time by our president Peter DiGiovanni, who also composed one of the offerings and arranged most of the others. It was quite amazing to experience the progress the orchestra made in only a matter of weeks, from receiving the somewhat complicated music in mid-October and rehearsing it for the first time in early November to playing it for an audience a month later.
Thanks to all who helped organize the concert and potluck! At the risk of leaving someone out we’d like to express special gratitude to Peter for all his work with the orchestra; to JoAnn and John Pankow for managing the potluck; to Ken Kunec for emceeing; to Janice Lavoie for greeting; to Silvia Eberly, Jim Vandelly and the others who played during the break before dinner; to Clare Cherkasky for working the door; to the orchestra members who worked so hard and sounded so good; to Dan Grauman for video-recording the orchestra; and to everyone else who helped set up and clean up, who performed, who brought food, and who were part of the audience.
At our first 2020 meeting, on January 26, we will discuss the concert/potluck and what went right or wrong. Please write down your thoughts now while you can still remember the event and bring your notes with you – along with your accordion, binder, and stand. We’ll be starting the year with a play-along (more on this below), after the discussion and the election of 2020 officers. Nominating Committee Chair Karen Uribe’s slate of candidates looks identical to last year’s, as all three elected officers have agreed to continue: Peter DiGiovanni as president, Robert Ford as vice-president, and Mara Cherkasky as secretary-treasurer. This slate does not preclude others from running, however. If you’d like to be considered for one of the offices, please make yourself known.
As usual, the January 26 meeting will take place at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, 3435 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, Virginia. Directions and other information are at www.washingtonaccordions.org.
We still need a greeter, and please bring snacks to share.
MORE ON THE PLAY-ALONG:
Peter will be uploading some sheet music to washingtonaccordions.org and will notify members in a week or so that it’s ready to download, print, and bring to the meeting.
After each play-along, please organize your music in a three-ring binder, so that you will have it for the next play-along. If you’ve brought music, please bring any extra copies to the next play-along for those who missed receiving it.
As a reminder, here are the guidelines for good play-along music:
- Fake book (aka lead sheet) format preferred – easier to sight-read
- Relatively simple - no complex extended chords, no virtuosic passages
- Sight-readable on first reading by the majority of our players
- Melodic in nature
- Easily grasped rhythms
- Simpler key signatures
- No page turns – one page preferable, 2 pages max
- Multiple parts okay but each should meet the guidelines - may include right-hand-only part(s)
- Bring 20 copies the first time, and 6 for newcomers at subsequent play-alongs.
NOTICES
Did you take photos at the Holiday Concert? Do any of them show Jim Vandelly playing Amazing Grace at the beginning of the concert, or of the audience singing along? This was part of the tribute to Davita Hays, and Jim would like to have a picture or two if you have some. Thanks!
In addition, Jim is interested in selling his Sonart accordion, but it’s available to WMAS members only for $5,000. You can see a photo of the instrument, along with contact information, at https://www.washingtonaccordions.org/classified-ads.html
Mike Rubin lost his eyeglasses at the Holiday Concert. The front part is brown with black or yellow, and they have black temples (the part that goes over the ear). If you remember seeing them, please let us know. Thanks!
The video of the orchestra's performance is at https://youtu.be/ttVL8LRLIoE. Individuals may request their performances on a case by case basis.
Finally, we’re happy to announce that WMAS will welcome back Stas Venglevski as our guest artist on March 15, so please mark your calendars. You can download a flyer to send to friends and family at https://www.washingtonaccordions.org/calendar.html
TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Our membership year starts January 1, so membership dues are payable now. Please see Peter DiGiovanni at the January meeting to get yourself square, or mail a check (for $20 for an individual or $30 for a family) to Mara Cherkasky, 603 Rock Creek Church Road NW, Washington DC 20010.
Check out the WMAS website: www.washingtonaccordions.org
Our mailing address is:
[email protected] or [email protected]
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Our mailing address is:
[email protected] or [email protected]
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
February 8, 2020
WMAS started out 2020, on January 26, with Ken Kunec pounding the piano while waiting for Jim Vandelly to navigate a detour and bad traffic on Route 66; then Jim performed on bayan. During the business portion of the meeting we re-elected current officers (Peter DiGiovanni as president, Robert Ford as vice-president, and Mara Cherkasky as secretary-treasurer), and discussed the December 15 Holiday Concert and Potluck. In addition, Peter announced that we need someone to assist JoAnn and John Pankow with hospitality, in particular by taking home a storage box of coffee supplies, for the times when the Pankows can’t make the meeting. We will also look into storing the supplies at the church. We had some good news regarding club operations: Janice Lavoie has volunteered to take on outreach, so she will be spreading the word about our events and trying to boost membership.
A play-along followed the business meeting. The group ran through sheet music either distributed by members or downloaded from the members-only section of the website: mostly Norwegian tunes transcribed by Peter.
At our next meeting, on February 23, we will celebrate our 17th birthday. Yes, WMAS is approaching adulthood! The club came into the world in February 2003, conceived by Karen Uribe with the help of Anne Johnson and Mara Cherkasky, and here we are today, still going strong. In fact, we’re still meeting in the same room where we started, amazed that 25 people turned up after seeing our flyers and the announcement we placed in the local paper.
The theme for the February 23 party will be Carnevale/Mardi Gras, so when you sign up to play, please consider a dance tune to match. If that’s not your thing, sign up to play a dance tune in any style. Janice has graciously volunteered to provide decorations (hurrah!), and we’re sure she has some great ideas up her sleeve. Yimeng Huang will greet, and we look forward to that, too.
As always, please bring snacks to share. Karen and Luis Uribe will be bringing a birthday cake.
You may recall that Stas Venglevski will be our guest artist on March 15, so please mark your calendars. You can download a flyer to send to friends and family at https://www.washingtonaccordions.org/uploads/1/2/4/8/124892684/venglevski_3-15-2020.pdf
Check out the WMAS website: www.washingtonaccordions.org.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
March 3, 2020
We’re 17! We celebrated this milestone with a big party on February 23, and we did not skimp on the music, dancing, or cake. Greeter Yimeng Huang filled the room with happy tunes as we set up and decorated the tables with Janice Lavoie’s festive, Mardi Gras-themed centerpieces. Following announcements, we cut to the chase, sang “Happy Birthday,” blew out candles, and cut up the beautiful cake Karen and Luis Uribe had picked up from Heidelberg Bakery. Then, with that important business out of the way, we got down to the music and dancing, plenty of both. Genres ranged from Samba to Cajun to French Canadian to Mexican to Schottische to Northern European-style waltz and well beyond. With a little refresher course, we managed to do the macarena, and we also paraded around the room New Orleans-style, complete with parasol. In short, it was a fun day.
Thanks to all who performed and contributed in other ways!
Special thanks go to JoAnn Pankow, our Hospitality chair. We are enormously grateful to her and her husband, John, for taking on this responsibility, and we take this opportunity to send out another plea for a volunteer to assist with hospitality, especially on the occasional day they can’t attend a meeting.
Next MeetingOur March 15 meeting is fast approaching! We’re excited that Stas Venglevski will be back with us; he will perform a guest-artist concert and also conduct a workshop, so please bring your instruments. Of course, please also invite your friends and families; they won’t be disappointed. Not only is Stas one of the best accordionists in the world, he’s also a wonderful composer and charming and funny to boot.
As part of his workshop, Stas has provided easy-to-read sheet music (in four parts plus a bass part) for us to play together as an ensemble. The music been uploaded to the WMAS website in the Members Only section, so please print it out and bring it to the meeting: all pages or, if there's particular part that you want to play, just that one. We will have some extra copies at the meeting, but not necessarily enough for everybody.
By lucky chance, Silvia Eberly will be back in town (from her new home in Charlottesville) this weekend, and with her student Alex will greet for us, starting around 3:45 pm. Be there!
Stas Venglevski in Concert
Sunday, March 15, 2020, 4 pm
Donation: $8 for nonmembers. Free for members and children under 12.
Download a flyer here.
Check out the WMAS website: www.washingtonaccordions.org.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
April 1, 2020
We hope this finds you in good health and safe at home!
It will come as no surprise that the April 19 meeting is canceled. The program was to be a workshop with Ken Kunec, but we’ll do it another time. Given the governor’s announcement of a shutdown through June 10, we will skip the May meeting, too, and the American Accordionists’ Association festival, scheduled for July in Alexandria, is also off. We will make a decision on the June 14 meeting as soon as we have enough information to do so, also depending on what the Church does. They are currently holding their services using Zoom tele-conferencing. Always check our calendar on the WMAS website, just in case you miss an important email.
A little bit of good news: Stas Venglevski has agreed to come back on September 20 to hold the concert and workshop we had to cancel in March. The September meeting was originally scheduled for the 13th but has been moved to the 20th to accommodate Stas’ new tour schedule. We are praying that everything will be back to normal by then. If you put all of the WMAS meeting dates on your personal calendar at the beginning of the year, don’t forget to change September or you will be a week early for Stas!
We're hoping to see you soon! Meanwhile, keep practicing and remember there’s lots of good sheet music in the Members Only section of the WMAS website, www.washingtonaccordions.org.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
April 24, 2020
We hope you are well and are staying safe at home! Unfortunately, though, we have sad news to report: our dear friend Louis F. Coppola passed away on Monday, April 20, due to complications from leukemia. The American Accordionists’ Association (AAA) has posted a wealth of information on Lou's life and achievements at http://ameraccord.com/news.php so please take a look.
Lou loved our club and often attended our events; he also performed an amazing concert for us a few years ago. We will miss him!
Check out the WMAS website: www.washingtonaccordions.org.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
May 23, 2020
Greetings, WMAS members and friends! We hope you’re all well and doing okay during the pandemic.
The executive committee met last weekend via Zoom and decided it was time to try what many other groups are doing, and that’s to get together virtually. After all, it may be a little while before we can meet in person. We thought we would start with an open mic and see how it goes.
Meeting by Zoom means we don’t have to stick with our regular schedule, so we’re taking a vote. Which of these times would you prefer:
Saturday, June 13, at 11 am
Sunday, June 14 at 4 pm
Thursday, June 18, at 7:30 pm
Thanks! We look forward to hearing from you. Happy Memorial Day weekend!
--WMAS Executive Committee
Check out the WMAS website: www.washingtonaccordions.org.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society - Instructions for June 14 Zoom Meeting
May 30, 2020
We will hold our next meeting via Zoom at the originally scheduled meeting time: Sunday, June 14 at 4pm. Those who RSVP YES will receive an invitation link via email a few days before the meeting. Be sure to respond to [email protected] If you want an invitation. And please sign up to play.
Meanwhile, if you have not done so already, install the Zoom desktop client on your computer (or your smartphone) – version 5.0 or later. If you are not familiar with Zoom, check out some of the free tips on YouTube, Zoom support, etc. One useful feature is “Chat” (so you can talk to someone privately during the meeting without disrupting anything). You can also change the way the meeting is displayed on your screen. And check out the virtual background feature, where you can have something other than your room in the camera view. You can use Zoom’s own backgrounds or upload your own.
Many computers have a built-in camera and mic. A USB mic that you can plug into your computer sounds best, but any mic, including the built-in one, should work. You don’t have to use a camera, but obviously we can’t see your smiling face without one. You can still participate with audio, and we'll see only your name on our screens.
Since there are always technical issues, we will start letting people into the meeting at 3:30 to allow some time for troubleshooting. Call Peter at 703-919-5701 if you need help.
Zoom Etiquette
It is important that you mute yourself when it isn’t your turn to speak or play your solo. Zoom can’t tell the difference between the intended speaker’s voice and sounds from the other participants (background noise, coughs, sneezes, laughs, random utterances, phone ringing, barking dog, etc.). And it can only allow one audio stream at a time, so the focus of attention shifts to the unintended noisemaker for 5 seconds. If you start to talk before the other person stops, you will cut that person off. This takes some getting used to. So stay muted, and when it’s your turn to speak, press the space bar to unmute, then release the space bar when you are finished talking.
Meeting Format
Peter will moderate the meeting. We will start by giving everyone 30 seconds each to tell us what they have been up to during the social distancing period (only if they want to, of course). Then we’ll have a short discussion of the situation and how it is affecting WMAS.
We are particularly interested in how you feel about meeting at the church again, once it reopens to outside groups like ours. We recognize that some members might prefer to avoid the meetings, even though we can easily socially distance in that big room, wear masks, and skip the food.
After the discussion and announcements, the open mic will start. Those who have signed up will be first up to play. Please keep your initial selection to 4 minutes. Time goes more slowly on Zoom than in real life, given the lack of eye contact with others and the ambiance of the hall. Once everyone has had a chance to play, we can continue with additional performances or discussions if things are working well and people want to continue. Plan on a one-hour session, but it could go longer for those who want to stay. Obviously, you’re free to leave the meeting at any time, and we will cut off at 6 pm regardless.
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The following suggestion comes courtesy of Ben Hamblin, president of the Reston Herndon Folk Club. They have been doing Zoom open mics for several months. Thanks to Ben for these great tips:
“The most important thing is making sure everyone turns on Original Sound, which disables Zoom's attempts to modify the sound so that speech is clear. But that is not good for music. Here are my instructions:
Zoom Settings for Best Sound
- Install the latest version of the Zoom app or program
- Audio Settings - Windows and MacOS only
- Select the arrow to the right of the mic icon in the left corner
- Select Audio Settings
- Disable "automatically adjust microphone volume"
- Select Advanced
- Enable "Show in-meeting option to 'Enable Original Sound' from microphone"
- Disable "suppress persistent background noise"
- Disable "suppress intermittent background noise"
- Set Echo Cancellation to Auto.
- Exit back to Zoom display screen
- Zoom display screen setting
- Windows and MacOS: Set "Turn on Original Sound" in the upper left corner (so it shows "Turn off Original Sound") – it's highlighted in blue on a Windows PC, but not on a Mac
- Android and iOS: select “••• More” then select “Enable Original Sound”
People should use an external mic if they can get it into their computer - a USB mic can plug into a PC/Mac and some into iPad/iPhone/Android phone - or mic into mixer that has USB out. Otherwise, they can use the mic on their computer/tablet/phone. Obviously, they use whatever camera they have, webcam or built into their device.
Everyone needs to learn to mute and unmute themselves and to remember to do that when they aren't playing.”
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See you on Sunday, June 14. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call or email Peter at 703-919-5701 or [email protected]
Check out the WMAS website: www.washingtonaccordions.org.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
June 30, 2020
Greetings, WMAS members and friends!
We hope you’re all well and staying safe. And we hope you’ll join us at our next Zoom meeting, on Sunday, July 19, at 4 pm. Sign up here to attend and/or to play.
At our first, experimental Zoom meeting, on June 14, many folks had a problem with their sound. Since then, we’ve been testing various ways to fix this. For the July meeting, we’re asking you to make a few more adjustments if you’re going to play for us.
Zoom Settings
Zoom prioritizes speech over other sounds such as music, which it can regard as extraneous noise. You can minimize some of the effects of this by using “Original Sound,” i.e., the unadulterated sound captured by your microphone.
After you join the meeting, look at the bottom left-hand corner of your screen; you'll see a mic icon and an upward–pointing arrow. Click on the arrow, and a menu of options will appear. Choose the bottom one: “Audio Settings.” On the next screen, uncheck “Automatically adjust microphone volume.” You can set the mic level here yourself by clicking “Test Mic,” then speaking and/or playing, and watching the input volume. The blue line should go at least half-way across on the louder volumes, but never all the way.
Then, at the bottom right-hand corner you'll see a button labeled “Advanced,” which takes you to another screen. Towards the top of this you'll see “Show in–meeting option to Enable Original Sound from microphone.” This should be checked. You should also set both “Suppress Persistent Background Noise” and “Suppress Intermittent Background Noise” to Disable.
Now close the settings screens and return to the main screen. Check these settings the next time you Zoom -- it should remember your choices.
Back at the main screen, you will now see a new box (probably blue) at the top left-hand corner saying “Turn on Original Sound.” Click on this and it will change to “Turn off Original Sound.” This means that you ARE now using original sound. Check this at the start of each meeting when music will be played.
Headset
It is best to use headphones or earbuds for Zoom, particularly if you are performing. Without them, the sound from the speakers built into your computer will be picked up by your microphone, along with the sound from your voice or accordion. This degrades the sound and causes feedback. Unless you are muted, Bluetooth devices are not recommended, as they have a considerable time lag.
You might need a short extension cable if your headset cord does not reach your computer jack. To avoid the cord catching in the bellows or straps while you're playing, use a small clip to attach the cord to the top bellows strap.
After plugging in your listening device, you can test it once you are in a Zoom meeting in the same audio settings area that you used to set up the mic. If you do not have earbuds, keep your speaker volume as low as possible, and lower it all the way if you are performing.
Microphone Setups
Microphones vary widely in quality and price. The one built into your computer or laptop is primarily intended for speaking and will not provide as satisfying sound for your listeners as a separate mic designed for music and plugged into your computer. One specific recommendation, courtesy of Bernie Schenkler, is the Jounivo desktop mic. Bernie was kind enough to demo this for a few of us and it sounded great. It is available on Amazon for $25, and a (presumably) better one is $43. These plug directly into your computer with a USB cable. There are many others out there if you want to do your own research.
In addition, there are more elaborate and versatile setups involving higher quality mics using an audio interface. Depending on your requirements and budgets, these may be worth checking out. These will probably not materially improve your Zoom experience but would be better for more serious applications like recording. Bottom line: if you are serious about playing and having your music sound as good as possible, consider acquiring professional equipment designed for music applications.
Muting
PLEASE remember to mute your mic during the meeting, unless it is your turn to speak or play. Any sound from your live mic will interrupt the player’s performance and annoy everyone else. After the performance, unmute and applaud to your heart’s content. Then mute again until it’s your turn to speak or play. On a computer or laptop, the space bar can be pressed to unmute -- if you have selected that option in the microphone settings above (recommended) -- and it will re-mute when released. This works very well, and you don’t have to remember to mute when you're done speaking.
Workshops
If you would like to test out your equipment or settings, or if you need help with the settings, Peter will be happy to organize one-on-one or small-group Zoom meetings. Please contact him about this.
Happy July 4th! We look forward to seeing you on Zoom!
Check out the WMAS website: www.washingtonaccordions.orgGreetings, WMAS members and friends!
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
July 23, 2020
It was wonderful to see some of you last Sunday and also to hear those who performed. At our first, experimental Zoom meeting, on June 14, many folks had a problem with their sound. Following that meeting, we started testing various ways to fix this, and we asked you to make a few more adjustments if you’re going to play for us. Gratifyingly, the July meeting was 100 percent better than the previous one, so thank you for adjusting the settings on your computer, adding a headset or mic, or whatever it took. We’ll meet again on Sunday, August 16, at 4 pm and, as before, will open the doors at 3:30 to be sure everything works.
Besides providing an opportunity to catch up on people’s news and listen to the various performances, the July meeting featured a “name that tune” contest, courtesy of Peter DiGiovanni. No one was able to name all of the dozen tunes he played, but two people were each able to name seven, winning … their names here. Congrats, Halina Banas-Jones and Ken Kunec! We’ll do this again when we have extra time during a Zoom meeting.
Meanwhile, here’s a treat for this coming Sunday: a concert that sounds too good to miss! This notice arrived yesterday:
Since the start of the pandemic, Constellations Chamber Concerts, based in DC, has been holding virtual concerts to bring together artists from all over the world and audiences here. This Sunday’s concert will feature an amazing accordionist from Bosnia and Herzegovina named Merima Ključo.
Crosscurrents (featuring Merima Ključo and vocalist Jelena Milušić)
Sunday, July 26, 4pm EDT. A live Q&A session with the artists will follow the concert.
Sign up here: https://www.constellationsmusic.org/event-details/crosscurrents
More information: [email protected] or 202-734-0752
The program will feature these works:
Couperin Visiting the Balkans (after François Couperin’s Les Roseaux)
Vračenica
Mujo
Snovidenje (Apparitions)
For those who can’t tune in on Sunday, the concert will be available at www.constellationsmusic.org for 72 hours afterwards.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
August 27, 2020
Hello WMAS members and friends!
Here we are at the end of the strangest summer most of us can remember, as life continues to be shared via Zoom. We had 24 participants at our August 16 meeting, of whom about 10 performed for the group. After that, WMAS president and Zoom host Peter DiGiovanni treated us to another “Name that Tune” session. The theme turned out to be “blue,” and Halina Banas-Jones won with eight correct answers (for ten songs), while Ken Kunec and Joe Kulick each came up with seven. Bob and Barbara Juszczyk claim they would have won if their Wi-Fi hadn’t gone out at the beginning of the exercise and only let them back in at the end. Instead, they got one correct. Luckily there are no prizes, so no one has to fight this out.
Peter updated the group on the situation at our normal meeting place, Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, and we kicked around the possibility of gathering in person outside, weather permitting, in the next several weeks. The church would require us to wear masks, even outside, but we would have access to the indoor restrooms if we give them enough lead time so they can have their cleaning crew come through after we leave.
The big question is: how many of us would be interested in getting together to play outside the church, weather permitting? Please let us know!
Next MeetingAt our next regular meeting, which will take place via Zoom at 4 pm on September 20, Peter DiGiovanni will present a workshop on "Tips for Playing by Ear." Afterwards we’ll hold an open mic, and you can sign up to attend here. Please also let us know if you’d like to play for the group and if you need help with Zoom settings.
In Other NewsHalina Banas-Jones and Peter DiGiovanni (with Halina's encouragement) participated in the virtual Cotati Festival's Lady of Spain-a-thon on Saturday, August 22. The entire festival can be seen by way of the Videos tab on the Cotati YouTube channel, and features excellent performances from players around the world. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT_BnhvURmM. Lady of Spain starts at 2:47:25.
As Silvia Eberly mentioned during the August 16 meeting, she has created a YouTube channel and uploaded some instructional videos. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3yQok3QzUg25xPRZ34KKPA
The subject of how to play virtually with other musicians came up during the August meeting, and Jamulus software was mentioned: http://llcon.sourceforge.net/ If you try it, please send us a review.
As promised, Dan Grauman provided links to Stas Venglevski’s livestream concert at 4 pm EDT on Sunday, August 30:
https://umcwfb.com/love-care-serve/events/concert-with-stas-venglevski/
https://www.facebook.com/events/s/concert-with-stas-venglevski/303493944405217/?ti=icl
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
October 1, 2020
Hello WMAS members and friends!
We hope everyone’s well and continuing to stay safe! We had 25 participants at our September 20 meeting, during which Peter DiGiovanni presented a workshop on playing by ear. It was basically a lesson on how to listen to a melody for the elements from which it is commonly constructed — scales, intervals, and arpeggios — and the underlying harmonic chord progressions, the circle of fifths, and cadences. (A cadence, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “a musical chord sequence moving to a harmonic close or point of rest and giving the sense of harmonic completion.). Peter included a number of helpful examples in his presentation.
If you’d like a copy of the notes from the workshop, please contact Peter and he’ll email them.
In addition, there are many free resources on YouTube and other apps related to ear training and playing by ear. Someone suggested “Earpeggio” as a fun way of learning to recognize intervals, rhythms, and other musical elements. As with learning a new language and many other skills, the more time you spend with it, the more natural it will become.
Following the workshop, we held an open mic. It was great to hear both from people we miss seeing every month and from people we hadn’t seen in a long time or who were joining us from far away.
Next Meeting
Our next meeting, which will take place via Zoom at 4 pm on October 18, will be a downsized Oktoberfest. Obviously, it will lack most of the group activities, but the good news is that we can have beer, and even a fancy meal; it’s up to you! There will also be music, and you can dance at home, if you’d like. So please sign up to attend and also let us know if you’d like to play for the group and if you need help with Zoom settings. As usual, the doors will open at 3:30.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
November 1, 2020
Hello WMAS members and friends!
We hope you’re well and continuing to stay safe!
Our annual Oktoberfest was a little different this year, just like everything else is. It took place via Zoom on October 18 and featured performances by a number of our members. There may also have been food, drink, and dancing in our respective homes, but alas, we couldn’t share any of that. Following the open mic, Peter DiGiovanni played songs from the Sound of Music for the “Name That Tune” game we’ve been enjoying at some of our recent meetings, and Joe Kulick won this time, with 11 correct answers out of 12 songs.
Our next meeting will be two weeks from now, on Sunday, November 15. Because it conflicts a bit with a concert organized by Mary Tokarski, the doors won’t open until 4 pm, and the meeting will start a little late. Please let us know if you’ll be attending and if you’d like to sign up to play for us for 5 minutes. If you’re interested in Mary’s concert, please contact her directly at [email protected].
As usual, please let us know, too, if you need help with Zoom settings. And if you haven’t already, please check this out: https://blog.zoom.us/high-fidelity-music-mode-professional-audio-on-zoom/.
Planning Ahead
Looking ahead to our December meeting -- a Zoom holiday gathering -- we would like to have a virtual orchestra in addition to the usual open mic. Please let us know asap if you think you’d like to participate in the orchestra; this helps us plan.
We will be sending out MP3s and instructions in the next few days; please let us know if you need them but don’t receive them. We realize that this will be a learning curve for many if not of all of us, but it should be fun!
See you soon!
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
November 23, 2020
Hello WMAS members and friends!
Our November 15 meeting was a fun exchange of music, jokes, and news. Mixing it up a bit, we had performances on guitar and on piano, in addition to lots of accordion. The theme of Peter DiGiovanni’s Name That Tune turned out to be the word “baby,” and once you figured that out, it was … still hard to name many tunes. Duane Quenzel won with 6 out of 10; Joe Kulick came in second with 5. Thanks go to everyone who participated in the meeting and helped give us all a good time.
Next Meeting
Our December meeting, on the 13th, will be a Zoom holiday gathering starting at 4 pm, with doors opening at 3:30 pm. Plan to bring some holiday cheer—maybe some eggnog or mulled cider—and how about decorating your backdrop … and contributing (asap) to the virtual orchestra.
Speaking of which, here’s a message from Peter: Hi all - thanks to those of you who indicated that you will or might be participating in this year's virtual orchestra presentation. If I haven't heard from you one way or another but know you are capable of participating, please remember: this may be the only chance you get to do this! Hopefully we’ll be back in the church next year. I need your input no later than Sunday, November 29. That gives you the Thanksgiving weekend to record your video. You can do all the songs, or just the ones you want. Right hand only is fine; we will have plenty of bass from those who play bass. I have begun the exciting plunge into the not-so-intuitive world of video and audio workstation software, and everything you have heard about the process being time-consuming is true. So I need all the input no later than the deadline. If you have not been in the loop on the virtual orchestra and want to participate, there is still time. Contact me at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) for instructions, reference tracks, and the sheet music that you will need. Also, please let me know if you have any problems during the process, or with the upload. —Peter
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It will be exciting to see how Peter weaves all the individual video/audio files together into one beautiful, virtual orchestra! In addition to the orchestra selections, we’ll also fit in some solo holiday-themed pieces, as time permits. Please let us know if you’d like to reserve a 5-minute slot. And be sure to invite family and friends. (And send us their email addresses so we can send them the Zoom link when the time comes.)
Looking forward to seeing you soon! Meanwhile, have a happy and SAFE Thanksgiving!
WMAS WEBSITE
Are you looking to buy an accordion? Check out the Classified Ads on our website (http://www.washingtonaccordions.org) . Do you need a teacher? Now’s the time to try remote lessons, so check out the Teachers section. The 2021 calendar is up, too.
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Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society Update
January 5, 2021
Hello WMAS members and friends!
Here we are in 2021! We’re hoping for not so wild a ride this year, and much less drama. We did finish 2020 on a high note, though: in the spirit of “The show must go on,” we managed to put on a brilliant Holiday Concert on December 13, despite the shutdown. Peter DiGiovanni did an amazing job assembling all the individual videos into an orchestra; other members submitted some spectacular offerings; and the result was a fun and festive event. That said, we’re hoping to hold the concert in-person next time.
Thanks go to Peter for the many hours he put in learning the technology and creating the virtual concert. We truly appreciate all who sent videos or performed “live” for us, and of course all of you who tuned in and made it a party. We hope you had a good time!
Here is the link to the concert video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZNQgY-72ck
It is unlisted on YouTube, so it is not searchable.
Next Meeting
Our January meeting, on the 24th, will be a Zoom open mic starting at 4 pm, with doors opening at 3:30 pm. As usual, please let us know if you’ll be joining us, and if you’d like to play for us (for 5 minutes).
Normally, we would elect officers at the January meeting, from a slate put together by the Nominating Committee. However, since things won’t be normal for most of the year, the current officers – President Peter DiGiovanni, Vice President Robert Ford, and Secretary/Treasurer Mara Cherkasky – would like to request a "vote by acclamation" to accept the current slate for another year. We can do this at the January meeting, using the polling feature in Zoom.
PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Our membership year starts January 1, so membership dues are payable now: $20 for individuals, $30 for families. Please mail your check (made out to WMAS) to Mara Cherkasky, 603 Rock Creek Church Road NW, Washington DC 20010. Thank you!