May 6th is World Accordion Day

[JerryPH]

Have any plans? Doing something special accordion realted on this day?
I don't have any plans this year, but I plan to see what I can do next year about the annual event... maybe that pilgrimage trip from Montreal to Castelfidardo??

 

[Jim the box]

Have any plans? Doing something special accordion realted on this day?

I might practice {}

 

[donn]

Im going to be celebrating International Tuba Day. Though according to my rehearsal schedule Im more likely to be on electric bass.

 

[debra]

May 6 is the first day of the World Music Festival in Innsbruck. (It is a two day competition for accordion orchestras, organized once every three years.)
See http://dhv-ev.de/world-musik-festival-2016/ for more details.
I will be celebrating the World Accordion Day by competing in the Höchststufe (highest category) for accordion orchestras as bass player in the Nederlands Symfonisch Accordeon Orkest (see http://www.nsao.nl). Cant think of a better way to celebrate the World Accordion Day. What a coincidence!

 

[Deleted member 48]

This year the 24th meeting of accordion enthusiasts in Tournai, Belgium, happens to be on Friday May 6th 2016
http://www.visittournai.be/spip.php?page=details&id=EVT-02-0008N1&id_rubrique=5&lang=fr

I have visited this very charming 1 day event accordion buskers festival 7 times, and probably will attend also this year. Accordion playing in bars, cafés and in the Streets, ...
This is only one evening and night. Starts 20 pm to around 2 at night, until the morning.
About 85 groups with 450 musicians will be present, mostly amateurs, also some professional accordionists. Everything in a concentrated area in the Quartier Saint-Pierre of Tournai.
http://www.accordeontournai.be/site/?q=fr/node/61

By the way, another accordion festival starting on May 6th, for several weeks: Airbag in Bruges, Belgium:
http://www.ccbrugge.be/airbag
(On the left side of the screen, you can download the 27 pages brochure with the accordion recitals/concerts/events)

 

[JerryPH]

There is a vast difference in the amount of accordion events in Montreal vs other places... man, it pains me to see that basically the only events I can find in all of Quebec is the yearly accordion festival in Montmagny. I am sure there are more, especially during this coming summer's jazz festival (touted as the world's largest jazz festival), but they're just so poorly promoted that it's hard to find anything. I can find more events in Ontario than Quebec!

 

[Matt Butcher]

Good luck Paul tomorrow, let us know what happens and I hope you come back with a massive trophy.

 

[JerryPH]

As they say, Paul... break a leg!

 

[Anyanka]

I view it in the same way as Mother's Day: Every day should be Accordion Day.

 

[purplehaze]

Everyday is accordion day in our house Anyanka - Husband is part of a little group that play around care homes (they are very busy and could be somewhere everyday but they try to limit it to three days a week for two or three hours a day) he had two accordions (Hohners) when he started and then thought he might need a BACKUP accordion and bought another - he now has fourteen accordions of different vintages and makes so I think he has become a collector! He keeps a lookout for them and always buys ones that are in reasonable and/or doeruppable condition. It has become his hobby along with the playing. A nice one I think and very relaxing for his retirement (he was a paramedic) - his proper retirement, he has been retired for many years now but has only what I consider properly retired for the last couple as he did part time first aid teaching around the factories, public etc.
Years ago we played in a dance band and his instrument then was the drums and double bass with the accordion a novelty extra at the time. I played the piano and I now have four (yes I am nearly as bad as him!) piano accordions but would not say that I am a 'player' - I muck about! I started with a second hand 120 bass Scandali but it is too heavy to play for me and I now have a Frontilini, another Scandali and a little I.Busilacchio. all in descending sizes. I will not be buying anymore! So that is a condensed history of our accordion obsessions!

 

[JackieC]

Everyday is accordion day with me, as I am making up for last year when I was recovering from rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder. I couldn't play for close to a year, but now, I am back in full swing. Since I started on CBA about 2 months ago, I am really enjoying this great new challenge. {}

 

[purplehaze]

I sympathise JackieC as I am just getting used to having had a pacemaker put in and couldn't play my piano accordions for awhile as the straps hit the spot where it is inserted but I can play the two smaller ones with a bit of manipulating of positions - however, I am grateful that I can play at all.

 

[JackieC]

I certainly feel for you, dealing with a pacemaker. My dad had a difibulator and, though he wasn't an accordion player, he loved golf. I think it was a bit restrictive when it came to swinging the club. It seems that when we are young and invincible, we tend to negotiate more weight than we should. Hopefully, we get smarter as we get older. Glad you are able to play and enjoy your music.

 

[purplehaze]

Young for me seems so far away! (74) but there are compensations for every age -

 

[debra]

No trophy but we came in 12th (our of 23) and Im very proud of what we did:

Im the bass player in the middle at the back.

 

[Matt Butcher]

Believe it or not, I finally got to listening to Paul de Bra's competition video today after trying and being interrupted for two weeks. Now I've heard the first one.

You're right to be proud, Beethoven is a monster and this is not just accurate, as well as that there are fantastic sounds and colours and a lot of energy. Plus (it goes without saying) tons of heavyweight bass. Really enjoyed it, thank you.

 

[Matt Butcher]

And I very much enjoyed the second of Paul's videos too, it shows off how well a load of accordions can work in a modern orchestral sound. It takes some technique to get all those different textures across crisply and cleanly, in the hands of lesser musicians that would have descended into murky chaos. Excellent. the other 11 orchestras must have been good.

 

[debra]

Our orchestra practices for a whole afternoon about once a month. This means we had about 10 rehearsals before going to the competition. The orchestras ending in the top at this competition have rehearsals twice a week. We may have good players but we come from all over the country and just cannot have more rehearsals. So ending 12th actually made us really happy. (Also, we ended highest of the two orchestras from the Netherlands that participated.
All in all, it was a successful international accordion day!