The accordion is far from dying away

[JerryPH]

Down south in southern Texas or Mexico, TexMex still rules, and good accordionists provoke the young ladies to the Elvis-like frenzies and regularly even today fill 50,000 person arenas!

 

[EMan]

Fortunately, the people here in the US who have a negative, or inherited bias towards the accordion are dying out. Everyone else is intrigued and intetested.

I can attest to that. I often do 1 hour workshops for band students at high schools in my area. I co ordinate this with the music director of the school and usually do 1 or 2 per school ( always band/orchestra students ). I get a very positive feedback from the students. Most of whom have never seen and accordion/accordionist in person before. They are full of questions about the accordion and show real interest in the instrument. I think it's productive both for the students ( and me).

 

[Tom]

Yup, everyone loves it! I played a (Italian) tune yesterday as my tiny local parade passed my house. They clapped and threw candy, although one guy yelled for me to play a polka. By the time I thought of it the parade was over!

 

[JerryPH]

I often do 1 hour workshops for band students at high schools in my area. I co ordinate this with the music director of the school and usually do 1 or 2 per school

We spoke about your experiences with this a couple times... I think it would be an amazing video story to make and share with the world... next time you do one, let me know and if I can make it down, we'll make it in to a mini documentary video for your YouTube channel.

 

[EMan]

 

[Jaime_Dergut]

A heck of a lot of music, musicians and genres have suffered under the doctrine of "If it ain't commercial - ignore it."

When success is measured only in monetary terms and popularity dictated by mass advertising and promotion, the good gets stifled under the dross.

I couldn't agree more.

Younger people love the accordion but find it intimidating to learn it. I show them how to everytime they approach to me. It is my pleasure to show them the way of the accordionists!

 

[Tom]

Just one word about accordion populariry:

"Sheryl Crow on roller skates."

 

[Tom]

Here's another example of the demise of the accordion being premature if not overrated:

I was sitting out front playing my Lira for the neighborhood parade. I happened to have my Luiz Gonzaga hat on for proper effect.



It was great! Anyway, on Saturday I went down to the local farmers market to pick up some lettuce and see the sights. My favorite stand had some Brazilian youths. (They come here to the US from March to November to work at the farm.) They are surprised and delighted to be greeted by my "Tudo bom?" I tell them I only know 5 words of Portuguese, including "sanfoneiro." They love forró! I show them this picture I just took. "You know Luiz Gonzaga???? Can you play Asa Branca?" "Of course," says I! Gotta bring my cordeen down there next week. Anyway, it occurs to me I could practice some Portuguese here......

 

[Ventura]

well the Portugese are also famous for their Jazz and Vocal harmonies too,
since you are headed in the Jazz direction, you might like to peer down that
rabbit ho;le too

and of course one of our great contemporary Jazz players is Portugese..
Eddie Montiero

 

[Tom]

Thanks Ventura, I don't really know him but I'm watching his concert from NAA 2022, man, he's got a lot of fingers!

 

[Tom]

Sold 4 accordions this weekend, the last of my restoration projects. Rummage sale, absolutely no advertising. I was shocked by the intetest. Even had one young child almost in tears because all I had left was an unplayable beast. Probably could have sold 4 more. One went to a player, two others as gifts to players, one to a reseller who will undoubtably mark it up for sale soon. Yeah, my prices were "to sell", but wow!

 

[zqd9853572002]

I'll just say this: a Chinese migrant, father of several primary school aged kids, running a very successful recycling business here in Australia, a few years ago, sent all his kids to live with his relatives back in China because he thought our schools and education system here were crap. I had to agree with him!

this is not about accordion, but I agree with you. Actually, in the big city, lots of rich people or who has extraordinary ability, they choose to stay in China, not go other western developed countries, as lots of things in there are really sucks, including not limited to medical system, education, service, traffic, online things. Also, for the child education, after immigrate to western country, most of Chinese children feel the school is too easy here, some students' grade are bad so they cannot go to the tier 1 or 2 university in China, but after immigration, it is easy for them to go to famous university. Not want to offence, but it is the truth based on my experience.

 

[Dingo40]

Not want to offence, but it is the truth based on my experience.

My impressions entirely also!
No offence taken at all: that's just a fact of life. (Thought many won't believe it.)
The western "education system " has morphed into the "Western Child Minding System", thereby enabling both parents to hold a job.
And my wife, my cousin and I. all three, worked in the system for 40+ years each, so we're under no illusions!
Thanks, zqd

 

[Javthedog]

I worked in a "British" school in Europe back in the 80s........ when a family arrived (as ex-pat workers) from the UK, the kids were assessed and usually found to be 2 years behind age-for-age....... so 12 yr olds went in with the 10 yr group. Things have only got worse in UK and I taught in high school in 2000s - One teacher in the Maths dept had a degree in Maths, 1 did not have Maths A level........ 1 had an engineering background and the unofficial line was that there was no point in trying to reach long multiplication..... depressing, so let's get back to accordionating!

 

[OuijaBoard]

Down south in southern Texas or Mexico, TexMex still rules, and good accordionists provoke the young ladies to the Elvis-like frenzies and regularly even today fill 50,000 person arenas!

Good TexMex accordionists are young ladies these days, and the more the better.

 

[JerryPH]

Good TexMex accordionists are young ladies these days, and the more the better.

In general, there is a big influx of ladies (mostly really good looking!) in all regions of the accordion styles, and I think that each alone is going to do more for the accordion than 10 virtuosos for the image of the accordion!

 

[JerryPH]

@Dingo40 - No, I will NOT shave my legs for you!!

 

[OuijaBoard]

And ageless TexMex ladies. A good friend of mine played bajo sexto on the mid-1990s Rounder recording by La Reina Eva Ibarra, and the legend continues.

Eva Ybarra Squeezes Out The Accordion Competition

Conjunto music has deep roots in Texas. The style knowns as Texas-Mexican conjunto came from a culture of Mexican working-class musicians who adopted the accordion from German settlers in northern Mexico in the 19th century and turned the Germans’ traditional polka into something of their own...

www.texasstandard.org

 

[Tom]

Judging from the response I’m getting at the markets this summer, and the reported rise in used prices, accordion ain’t goin’ nowhere!