Walker
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Fascinating ATG interview with Mirco Patarini on the future of the accordion.
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The Future of the Accordion World: Livestream Interview with Mirco Patarini
- Thread starter Walker
- Start date
AccordionJustice
Active member
I confess this is one of my favorite subjects. I love to hear from accordionists the world over on how to popularize our instrument. Super excited to dive into this great find!
Thanks for the great share Walker. It was a really interesting discussion at the end with the Americans repeatedly coming back to Mirco on the issue of education of the young, both affordability instruments and teaching resources. They hit the nail on the head!
His answers didn't set the room on fire, tending towards public state subsidy of projects as has happened in some European countries in the past: clearly cloud cuckoo land in US and UK contexts. The answer in the UK (and US) is don't wait for the state to pay because you'll be waiting for ever or it'll be short term, and instead seek out compelling proposals for Trusts and Foundations. There is a lot of potential support there if the ask is convincing.
His answers didn't set the room on fire, tending towards public state subsidy of projects as has happened in some European countries in the past: clearly cloud cuckoo land in US and UK contexts. The answer in the UK (and US) is don't wait for the state to pay because you'll be waiting for ever or it'll be short term, and instead seek out compelling proposals for Trusts and Foundations. There is a lot of potential support there if the ask is convincing.
Walker
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I thought there were a number of interesting points in the video. Probably the most important was addressed by saundersbp - about how to make accordions available. They are simply too expensive.
However, I also didn't realise that in the USA the accordion is not studied at university level - perhaps this explains why in the classical sphere sadly America may not be reaching it's full potential these days and Europe by contrast is surging ahead. I was quite impressed there were around 40 universities to study accordion in Italy alone.
Regarding accordion design, Mr. Patarini is stepping away from the ideal of accordion standardisation, with an interesting concept - the complexity and variation of the instrument means the likes of Yamaha will refrain from stepping onto the scene and take over the whole industry. Standardisation = levelling down of quality & monopoly. Interesting idea...
Accordion weight; difficult to make instruments lighter - you can't remove the wood etc. Also, the investment required for new technologies makes carbon fibre prohibitive for accordion makers. But some companies are already doing it, like Bugari and Beltuna etc.
That's just a few of the themes...
However, I also didn't realise that in the USA the accordion is not studied at university level - perhaps this explains why in the classical sphere sadly America may not be reaching it's full potential these days and Europe by contrast is surging ahead. I was quite impressed there were around 40 universities to study accordion in Italy alone.
Regarding accordion design, Mr. Patarini is stepping away from the ideal of accordion standardisation, with an interesting concept - the complexity and variation of the instrument means the likes of Yamaha will refrain from stepping onto the scene and take over the whole industry. Standardisation = levelling down of quality & monopoly. Interesting idea...
Accordion weight; difficult to make instruments lighter - you can't remove the wood etc. Also, the investment required for new technologies makes carbon fibre prohibitive for accordion makers. But some companies are already doing it, like Bugari and Beltuna etc.
That's just a few of the themes...
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Neil Thornock
Member
Even in university settings here accordion is mostly fodder for jokes and little else. The concept of classical accordion, even to university music faculty, is almost nonexistent.
Walker
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Thanks @Neil Thornock, for the insight. Poor old Palmer & Hughes - all that work for naught...
In Scotland, classical accordion is still slowly developing. The instrument is mainly a traditional/folk one, at least that was always my experience of the accordion. But I never thought any less of the accordion as a folk/traditional instrument - it's my 'thing', even if I do occasionally try out tunes using a free bass accordion.
It's funny, I had almost forgotten that there was a time when the accordion was not taken seriously, until you mentioned it. I remember now.
In Scotland, classical accordion is still slowly developing. The instrument is mainly a traditional/folk one, at least that was always my experience of the accordion. But I never thought any less of the accordion as a folk/traditional instrument - it's my 'thing', even if I do occasionally try out tunes using a free bass accordion.
It's funny, I had almost forgotten that there was a time when the accordion was not taken seriously, until you mentioned it. I remember now.
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Ventura
Been here for ages!
university level does require an upward push, like C. Pez basically forcing the issue when
he was in school
and we had an accordion based u level student in Baltimore awhile back..
this semester coming a young girl is bringing her big ol' black Hohner with her
to Unniv of Maryland College Park campus.. her brother fixed it up for her and she took to it !
and i am loaning her a smaller look-alike LM Hohner for backpacking around campus
plus occasional assistance as needed
many of you, who play and casually repair and know value can't resist picking up bargains
and getting them up to snuff.. but why let them languish ? some of us just give them
away any time we run across to a young person who shows interest ands talent..
maybe upward pressure won't change the world of accordion, but it helps
keep it alive
he was in school
and we had an accordion based u level student in Baltimore awhile back..
this semester coming a young girl is bringing her big ol' black Hohner with her
to Unniv of Maryland College Park campus.. her brother fixed it up for her and she took to it !
and i am loaning her a smaller look-alike LM Hohner for backpacking around campus
plus occasional assistance as needed
many of you, who play and casually repair and know value can't resist picking up bargains
and getting them up to snuff.. but why let them languish ? some of us just give them
away any time we run across to a young person who shows interest ands talent..
maybe upward pressure won't change the world of accordion, but it helps
keep it alive
Turkey's don't vote for Christmas!
I've found the ideal accordion for teaching children from scratch was produced a few decades ago: 4 row CBA on both sides with a decent compass of notes. We've picked up a pile of these second hand by Bugari, Pigini and Weltmiester for work (mainly in Germany) and they are built like battleships to survive the rough and tumble of little hands. The mechanics are simple, 1 key to 1 pallet. It's a shame they don't make them anymore and instead their children's instruments have such few notes to make them useless after a year or so of learning and completely astronomical price tags.
I would have thought these sort of older instruments could be produced in China, even if the reeds were made elsewhere. There's a parallel with Suzuki school Melodicas where the basic model is produced in China but the reed plate in Japan. The quality, durability and affordability is excellent as a classroom instrument.
At the other end of the scale as Walker says the Glasgow Conservatoire accordion programme is world leading, as is the one at the Royal Academy in London.
I've found the ideal accordion for teaching children from scratch was produced a few decades ago: 4 row CBA on both sides with a decent compass of notes. We've picked up a pile of these second hand by Bugari, Pigini and Weltmiester for work (mainly in Germany) and they are built like battleships to survive the rough and tumble of little hands. The mechanics are simple, 1 key to 1 pallet. It's a shame they don't make them anymore and instead their children's instruments have such few notes to make them useless after a year or so of learning and completely astronomical price tags.
I would have thought these sort of older instruments could be produced in China, even if the reeds were made elsewhere. There's a parallel with Suzuki school Melodicas where the basic model is produced in China but the reed plate in Japan. The quality, durability and affordability is excellent as a classroom instrument.
At the other end of the scale as Walker says the Glasgow Conservatoire accordion programme is world leading, as is the one at the Royal Academy in London.
Walker
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I believe at the Glasgow Conservatoire there is both a traditional music programme for accordion and a classical keyboard programme for accordion too. It would be good to see a few more conservatoires in Scotland, but it's a solid foundation to start with... From little acorns mighty oaks grow...
I forgot about the folk music course at Leeds Conservatoire. They don't do accordion but students can study Melodion.
