Hi, Jerry! I’m so new I’ve only *just* learned about the museum in Canaan, so God help my poor husband, I’m going to make sure we get down there one of these days.
It's a super enjoyable experience. The owner Paul Rammuni is down to earth and NICE. If you ever get there, tell him "Jerry from Montreal says hello".
Wow! Thats a fun little history fact. I wonder why the accordion fell out of favor with bluegrass musicians?
Well, that is very cool! Thank you for sharing that story. I am the only woman at our Thursday night jams, so I feel a bit of a kinship with her!
I imagine there are further ideas on the internet but I suspect it was due to the difficulty in amplifying the accordion, especially in the days of all the bluegrass musicians gathering around one mic.
Hello Alice and welcome, though I arrived even more recently than you. Eastern Massachusetts: me too. Norton, specifically. I would not describe New England as a squeezebox hotbed, that museum aside. But I'm still exploring.
Welcome Alice. You're very lucky to have your "Thursday night jam sessions" because when playing live with other musicians you build on their energy and everyone benefits. Tell us about your musical experience and ambitions; you're seemingly new to the accordion but perhaps you're a seasoned musician.
LOL, definitely not a squeezebox hotbed up here! Such a fun instrument, though. It adds SO MUCH color to the sound of the group I play with. It’s fun to see the reactions I get when I play simple fills. Palpable joy. Also: They love to send me comics about accordions (mostly how most people hate them).
Hi there! Yes, I am a seasoned musician (I have a master’s degree in voice performance & pedagogy, and grew up playing the piano), so I’m lucky that I just need to apply what I know to the accordion. For me, I just need to learn to coordinate the bellows and get my left hand used to the bass buttons. I have to say, I’m super thankful I already know the circle of 5ths; otherwise, I expect the bass buttons would be an impenetrable mystery. You are right about being lucky to have the opportunity to play live with other musicians. Nothing like trial by fire! The guys in the group are so tickled to have an accordion. I mean, all I have to do is play a simple fill (triads) and you should see their faces light up. It is really fun for me to be able to add something new. (The guys are all multi-instrumentalists and the only other instrument I‘ve played with them is a ukulele, which no one can even hear and I kinda suck at it). My goal is to be able to confidently take solo breaks that are more than single-line melodies — meaning, I want to be able to play single notes in combination with running harmonies (3rds, 6ths, etc. where appropriate).Welcome Alice. You're very lucky to have your "Thursday night jam sessions" because when playing live with other musicians you build on their energy and everyone benefits. Tell us about your musical experience and ambitions; you're seemingly new to the accordion but perhaps you're a seasoned musician.
The accordion is a versatile instrument which lends itself to many genres so you can always try to play just about anything. In fact many of the styles of music that you and your group are playing are written in 2/4 time so you may already be playing Polkas without realizing! In any case enjoy and keep learning.
Sweet! I’ll give that some thought. I haven’t learned any Irish tunes yet, but it sure would be fun to try. I tend to get flustered when I have to play fast, but if I practice …
