September 2012 Newsletter

Our extravaganza is just around the corner. Events are at 9350 - 82 street. (SEESA - South East Edmonton Seniors Centre)September 28, 29 and 30. TIX On the Square for tickets 780 420 1757 or phone 780 468 4788 to reserve tickets. For info call 780 929 8836

Check out our Website: www.edmontonaccordion.com

Friday Cabaret  7:30 pm Tickets $10.00 Come with your family and friends and relax to an evening of music, dance and fun.Kick back and relax to the varied entertainment on the stage, meet and greet with the members of the Edmonton Accordion club and explore the accordion trade show. Look through our photo albums and check out the past members and events of the Edmonton Accordion Society.

Saturday Daytime Daytime Admission $6.00

Competitions- (9:00 am – noon) Trade show & crafts -check out the gear

Open Stage- All kinds of players – all kinds of fun! The Open Stage swings into action with a new performer every 15 minutes. Children, seniors, duets, impromptu groups, professionals and amateurs “strut their stuff” in this non-stop musical show. This year the audience may be able to vote on their favorite act! Show off your skills?  Play on the “Open Stage.”  Sign up at the festival auditorium – Saturday at SEESA.

Workshops (1:00 – 4:00) $5.00 fee (Children are free)Geared for accordion students, Anthony Roland will focus on basic information all serious players should have. Following this will be another workshop that appeals to the arrangers among us.

Saturday Night Concert 7:30 pm Admission $20.00 Starring: Corky Bennett and the award winning accordionist/vocalist duo Anthony Rolando and Valerie Vacco. Advance tickets recommended.

Sunday Daytime Daytime Admission $6.00Pancake Breakfast (9:00 – 11:00) $5.00

Competitions 9:00 am  Trade Show & crafts  Open Championship

Accordion Band Showcase

ACCORDION TRADE SHOW!  Do you have a used accordion to sell?  Are you looking for a used accordion?  An Edmonton Accordion Society member can help you with an appraisal of your instrument and we'll display it for sale all weekend.  For maximum exposure, it's best to bring your accordion on Friday, September 28th.  A nominal commission of 10% to a maximum of $100.00 is payable to The Edmonton Accordion Society if your instrument is sold. For more information on Accordion Extravaganza, see our website www.edmontonaccordion.com. 

Accordions around townDid any of you have the opportunity to attend the Edmonton Folk Festival? There were so many groups that had accordion players. It was just wonderful. A number of accordion players have been busy promoting the accordion around town. During Capital Ex, Nick Fedchyshyn played at nine different pancake breakfasts. Paul Kobasiuk has been playing at the Ukranian Village. “Of One Accord Accordion Orchestra” played at Ronald McDonald house this summer.

Kimberley UpdateA number of Edmonton Accordionists did well at the KIOTAC competitions. Congratulations to Dennis Bourdon, Kristin Owerko, George Jaegli, Ola Kawa, Tony Kawa, Jordan Rody, and Paul Kobasiuk. You can enjoy a video of Austin Kawa playing on the platzl at http://kiotac.ca/2012-video-austin-kawa/

Photo - Tony Kawa and Ola Kawa in Kimberley

July 2012

Buttons  and  Keys,  Free  Bass  and  

Basetti,  Bayan  and….  What?Michael  Bridge  -­‐  August  19,  2012

June  McNeil  wrote  to  me  several  days  ago  asking  if  I  would  submit  an  article  describing  the  various  types  of  accordion  I  play,  for  publication  in  the  EAS  newsletter.  Once  I  began  writing,  I  did  not  feel  right  about  only  including  a  physical  description,  and  omitting  the  reasons  and  stories,  as  I  know  them,  which  explain  the  quirks  of  our  instrument.  Though  I  tried  to  be  concise,  it  turned  into  a  bit  of  a  novella.  Thank  you  June,  for  this  wonderful  idea.  It  has  been  an  opportunity  for  me  to  try  to  piece  together  everything  I  have  heard.

The  Piano  Accordion

Most  Canadians  and  Americans  are  not  aware  that  the  piano  accordion  was  initially  a  marketing  gimmick  for  North  America,  and  is  quite  different  from  the  original  accordion.  Around  the  turn  of  the  20th  century,  Italian-­‐American  businessmen  (Guido  and  Pietro  Deiro  come  to  mind)  noticed  that  everybody  had  pianos  in  their  parlors,  and  therefore  endeavored  to  popularize  the  piano  accordion  because  it  was  familiar  and  appealing.  Who  wouldn’t  want  a  “portable  piano?”  It  also  eliminated  the  need  to  accommodate  different  ranges  and  systems  from  the  onslaught  of  European  instruments  brought  over  by  immigrants.  The  piano  accordion  was  made  known  to  literally  millions  of  people  through  the  Deiro  brothers’  Vaudeville  performances  and  music  publications.  They  were  aggressive  marketers;  if  you  search  Guido  Deiro  on  YouTube,  you  will  ]ind  several  videos  that  deliberately  introduce  him  as  “World’s  Foremost  Piano  Accordionist.”  Galla-­‐Rini  acknowledged  Pietro  Deiro  to  be  a  great  businessman  (and,  according  to  Mario  Mosti,  a  copyright  thief),  but  much  less  of  a  musician.  According  to  Henry  Doktorski’s  book,  The  

Brothers  Diero  and  Their  Accordions,  all  of  Pietro’s  classical  compositions  (such  as  Trieste  and  Tranquillo  Overtures)  were  written  by  the  well-­‐known  ghostwriters  Alfred  d’Auberge  and  Henri  Klickmann.  However,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  Deiro  brothers,  as  businessmen,  did  more  than  anyone  else  to  kick-­‐start  the  popularity  of  the  accordion  in  North  America.  Finally  by  the  1930s,  the  accordion  was  becoming  less  controlled  by  business  people  and  more  directed  by  serious  musicians.

I  grew  up  in  Canada,  70  years  later,  naturally  studying  on  piano  accordion.  In  2007,  when  I  went  to  Washington  D.C.  to  watch  the  CIA  World  Cup  of  accordion,  I  was  surprised  to  see  most  international  virtuosi  performing  on  button  accordions.  Before  we  got  back  to  Calgary,  my  teacher,  Beverley  Fess,  and  I  agreed  that  I  was  going  to  make  the  switch  to  buttons.  Though  I  now  play  classical  music  almost  exclusively  on  chromatic  accordion,  I  still  love  and  actively  perform  on  my  ]irst  instrument.  Both  systems  have  their  merits.  Speci]ically,  I  ]ind  that  jazz  improvisation  involving  chords  and  any  type  of  glissandi  still  comes  to  me  more  naturally  on  a  piano  keyboard.  However,  any  type  of  arpeggio  is,  comparatively,  ridiculously  easy  on  chromatic.  We  will  talk  more  about  this.

Chromatic  Accordion  -­‐  Right  Hand

The  chromatic  accordion  (less  commonly  called  a  button  accordion,  so  as  not  to  confuse  it  with  a  diatonic  button  box,  which  is  very  different)  has  three,  four,  or  ]ive  rows  of  buttons  on  the  right  hand.  On  any  instrument,  all  the  notes  of  the  chromatic  scale  are  contained  within  the  three  outermost  rows;  the  fourth  and  ]ifth  row  (if  present)  are  duplicates  of  other  rows,  which  facilitates  ]ingering.  The  two  main  variations  are  C-­‐system,  where  C  is  located  on  the  outside  row  and  the  buttons  zigzag  from  the  outside  toward  to  grill,  and  B-­‐system  where  B  is  on  the  outside  row  (and  C  has  moved  to  the  third  row.)  The  easiest  scale  to  play  is  the  chromatic  scale—the  ]ingering  is  1  2  3  1  2  3,  etc.  This,  however,  is  not  the  actual  reason  for  the  instrument’s  name.  Technically,  chromatic  is  the  antonym  to  diatonic,  and  actually  means  “an  instrument  where  the  push  and  pull  of  the  bellows  produces  the  same  tone.”  By  that  de]inition,  piano  accordions  are  also  chromatic  instruments.  However,  we  have  come  to  use  the  word  chromatic  to  describe  non-­‐diatonic  button  accordions—I  just  thought  I  would  mention  this  for  interest’s  sake.

There  are  two  schools  of  ]ingering  on  chromatic  accordion.  Initially,  the  thumb  was  never  used,  because  it  was  thought  to  be  sluggish  compared  to  the  other  ]ingers.  However,  that  idea  has  been  almost  entirely  replaced  by  the  notion,  “If  you  have  ]ive  ]ingers,  use  them  all.”  In  Russia,  many  B-­‐system  players  still  use  a  four  ]inger  system,  however  this  is  because  B-­‐system  actually  does  lend  itself  to  a  particular  slope  of  the  hand  that  makes  using  the  thumb  less  necessary.  Because  of  the  mystical  chromatic  keyboard,  the  overwhelming  view  in  North  American  is  that  the  chromatic  accordion  is  faster,  which  is  false.  (The  grass  is  always  greener  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence…)  Scale-­like  passages  can  be  played  just  as  fast  on  both  systems,  with  proper  training  and  hand  relaxation.  The  only  advantage  chromatic  players  possess  is  the  ability  to  play  pitches  that  are  further  apart  with  greater  ease,  because  they  are  physically  closer.  This  makes  large  jumps  and  arpeggios  more  manageable.  Also,  double  scales  (two  scales  with  one  hand)  are  much  easier  because  of  lucky  anomalies  in  the  keyboard  layout.  Because  of  these  facts,  I  know  a  lot  of  piano  

accordionists  who  feel  that  they  have  an  inferior  instrument  and  can’t  compete  on  par.  This  might  be  true  with  classical  pieces  that  demand  large  jumps  and  a  big  hand.  But  in  any  other  style  of  music,  I  maintain  that  both  systems  can  play  at  lightning  speed  and  with  amazing  accuracy.  The  piano  accordion  is  a  wonderful  instrument  and  I  will  never  stop  playing  it.  North  American  Instruments

Let’s  step  back  a  bit.  For  the  ]irst  half  of  the  20th  century,  the  USA  and  Canada  were  a  huge  part  of  the  developing  accordion  world.  Nearly  all  new  cross-­‐style  repertoire  and  demand  for  innovative  instruments  took  place  on  this  continent.  Perhaps  the  best-­‐known  ]igure  for  technical  advancement  of  the  accordion  was  another  familiar  name,  Anthony  Galla-­‐Rini.  He  made  two  important  technical  contributions  that  are  now  worldwide  standards.  First,  he  was  a  huge  advocate  with  accordion  manufacturers  to  remove  the  5th  (note)  from  all  7th  chords  in  Stradella  bass,  thus  making  it  possible  to  play  augmented  chords.  (Did  you  know  your  stradella  bass  accordion  does  that?  It  also  plays  major  7th,  minor  7th,  major  9th,  minor  ]lat  9th,  and  augmented  sixth  chords.)  Second,  Galla-­‐Rini  enforced  the  realization  of  absolute  pitch.  What’s  that?  It  is  the  idea  that  accordionists  should  differentiate  between  multiple  octaves  of  bass  notes  on  the  left  hand,  and  always  play  at  the  correct  octave  indicated  on  the  music—not  an  easy  task  with  Stradella  bass.  He  had  special  accordions  built  for  himself  and  many  of  his  students  with  over  20  switches  on  the  left  hand—repetitions  of  a  few  registers  over  and  over  again.  As  such,  register  changes  were  convenient  and  could  actually  be  part  of  the  ]ingering  (something  I  highly  recommend  doing  anyways,  regardless  of  you  instrument.)  Then,  Titano  began  to  distribute  Quint  system  free  bass  instruments,  eliminating  all  the  register  changes,  and  we  were  off  to  the  races  with  a  new  era.

Free  Bass

There  are  three  main  free  bass  systems:  Basetti,  Bayan,  and  Quint.  Free  bass  means  that  the  left  hand  side  of  the  instrument  has  a  multi-­‐octave  range  and  can  play  individual  notes  in  all  of  these  octaves.  Unlike  Stradella  bass,  free  bass  enables  the  performer  to  play  multi-­‐octave  scales,  chords  in  any  inversion,  and  melody  with  the  left  hand  far  more  easily  than  on  Stradella.  One  hundred  and  eighty-­‐bass  instruments  (like  the  Hohner  Gola,  Morino,  and  Giulietti  Super)  were  in  North  America  as  far  back  as  the  1950s.  The  free  bass  notes  are  contained  in  three  extra  rows  between  the  Stradella  bass  and  the  bellows.  Convertor  basses  look  exactly  like  a  standard  120  instrument.  However,  the  M,  m,  7,  and  o  chord  rows  can  be  transformed  into  individual  notes  at  the  push  of  a  switch.  Also,  Giulietti  produced  a  few  rare  free-­‐bass-­‐only  models.

Here  is  the  breakdown  of  each  system:  in  Quint  free  bass,  the  M  and  m  chord  rows  transform  into  Stradella  bass  1  octave  higher  than  the  fundamental  rows.  The  7th  and  o  rows  do  likewise,  adding  a  third  octave.  You  have  six  rows  of  Stradella  bass,  in  groups  of  two  rows.  In  North  America,  Titano  ]irst  dominated  the  converter  market  with  (to  my  knowledge)  exclusively  Quint  system.  Unfortunately,  it  has  now  become  unpopular  with  most  international  artists  (aside  from  2009  world  champion  Grayson  Mace]ield)  and  is  now  rarely  taught  at  the  conservatory  level.  Aside  from  musical  politics,  I  can  think  of  two  

reasons  why  this  happened.  First,  99.9%  of  converter  accordions  are  “tuned  to  C”  (common  terminology  meaning  that  the  lowest  sounding  reed  is  C).  Conversely,  nearly  all  Basetti  or  Bayan  instruments  are  tuned  to  low  E  (a  minor  sixth  below),  making  them  sound  hugely  powerful  in  comparison.  Quint  system  builders  were  never  able  extend  the  range  to  E  because  it  would  have  required  the  player  to  transfer  octaves  (by  moving  the  hand  into  the  next  set  of  rows)  at  a  different  point  in  the  scale,  therefore  requiring  a  completely  new  and  foreign  ]ingering.  Before  we  can  get  to  the  second  reason,  let’s  talk  about  the  other  systems.

In  Basetti  and  Bayan  free  bass,  low  notes  and  high  notes  lie  at  opposite  ends  of  the  button  board.  In  fact,  the  only  noteworthy  difference  is  the  direction  of  low  to  high  notes.  Basetti  houses  the  lowest  notes  at  the  top  of  the  keyboard,  near  the  air  button,  while  bayan  is  the  opposite.  Because  these  systems  grew  popular  in  many  different  parts  of  the  world,  many  names  were  invented.  “Basetti”  could  also  be  called  “Italian  free  bass”  or  “C-­‐system  free  bass”.  “Bayan  system  free  bass”,  “Russian  system  free  bass”  and  “B  system  free  bass”  all  mean  exactly  the  same  thing.  (However,  “Finish  system”  and,  rarely,  “Danish  system”  do  refer  to  different  button  layouts.)  To  be  honest,  although  the  button  layouts  on  these  systems  do  vary  slightly,  the  hand  technique  required  to  play  them  is  completely  transferable.

Recognized  pioneers  of  free-­‐bass  in  North  America  were,  among  many  others,  William  Cosby,  Tito  Giudotti,  and  Stephen  Dominco.  In  Russia,  the  two  most  recognized  teachers  are  Viacheslav  Semionov  and  Friedrich  Lips  (both  also  composer/arrangers  of  some  amazing  accordion  music)  at  the  G’nesin  Academy  in  Moscow.  In  Serbia  and  Croatia,  there  are  thousands  of  conservatory  free-­‐bass  students—who,  interestingly,  play  almost  exclusively  Pigini.  In  Finland,  Mika  Vayrynen  and  Matti  Rantanen  are  well-­‐known  players  are  teachers,  Kimmo  Mattila  hosts  the  Primus  Ikalinen,  a  televised  international  competition,  and  the  CIA  (Confederation  International  des  Accordéonists,  the  largest  international  accordion  organization)  houses  its  archives  of  almost  every  free  bass  piece  that  has  ever  been  performed  at  an  international  competition.  In  France,  André  Astier  and  Joe  Baseli  published  still-­‐popular  method  books,  and  now  Frederique  Deschamps,  the  “trainer  of  world  champions”,  and  Jaques  Mornet  have  their  own  world-­‐famous  (though  small  and  competitive)  accordion  academies  for  both  free  bass  and  entertainment  music.  The  same  is  true  in  Germany,  with  Sephan  Hussong,  revered  interpreter  of  Bach  on  accordion.  In  Canada,  we  have  our  very  own  claim  to  fame  with  contemporary  accordionist  Joseph  Macerollo  (UofT)  and  two  excellent  accordion  schools:  Toronto  and  Victoria.  Free  bass  is  not  only  used  in  classical  music,  borderline-­‐pop  music  ensembles  like  Motion  Trio  (Poland),  Bayan  Mix  (Russia),  and  Zoltan  Orotz  (Hungary)  use  it  frequently.  Peter  Soave  (France/USA)  and  Julian  Labro  (USA)  have  both  inspired  me  to  pursue  free  bass  improvisation.  In  Brazil  and  Mexico,  the  accordion  is  a  frequently  used  instrument  in  pop  music.  The  list  goes  on  for  5  pages.  Finally,  in  China,  did  you  know  that  there  are  over  one  hundred  thousand  accordion  students  right  now?  I  often  laugh  when  someone  asks  me  if  the  accordion  is  popular.  I  say,  “Everywhere  but  here!”  However,  that’s  not  quite  true.  The  accordion  is  making  a  comeback  in  North  America—there  is  no  question  about  that.  This  year,  we  experienced  some  great  losses  with  the  passing  of  jazz  greats  Art  Van  Damme  and  Frank  Morocco.  However,  for  every  great  accordionist  we  lose,  I  hear  10  kids  that  promise  to  become  wonderful  musicians.  This  leads  me  to  the  last  category  of  instrument  that  I  play.

Digital  Accordion

The  age  of  electronics  in  the  accordion  began  decades  ago,  when  brands  names  like  Zero-­‐Sette  and  Elka-­‐Vox  introduced  instruments  capable  of  generating  synthesized  tones.  In  many  ways,  they  were  the  accordion  industry’s  answer  to  the  hugely  popular  house  Hammond  (and  other)  organs  that  emerged  with  the  Rock  &  Roll  movement,  as  they  produced  organ  and  string  tones  that  could  be  mixed  with  the  acoustic  accordion  sounds.

The  most  important  advancement  for  the  electronic  music  industry  was  the  introduction  of  MIDI  (Musical  Instrument  Digital  Interface).  The  purpose  of  MIDI  is  to  instantaneously  record  and  transmit  information  about  how  a  player  interacts  with  their  instrument,  and  then  to  transmit  this  to  a  sound-­‐generating  module.  For  example,  an  electronic  keyboard  “notices”  and  remembers  when  you  strike  the  key,  how  hard  you  press  it,  and  how  long  you  hold  it.  This  information  is  then  sent  to  a  sound  production  module  (inside  or  outside  the  keyboard),  which  then  generates  a  sound  using  this  information.

In  accordions,  MIDI  information  is  generated  by  small  contacts  that  are  installed  under  the  keyboard  (one  for  every  key).  On  the  left  hand,  special  processing  is  used  so  that  the  contacts  placed  under  the  chords  know  they  must  “play”  three  notes.  Most  accordion  manufacturers  now  offer  the  option  of  installing  MIDI  contacts  on  new  instruments,  which  is  much  cheaper  than  having  them  installed  after  the  fact.  In  North  America,  the  cost  of  installing  MIDI  contacts  into  an  old  instrument  can  approach  $2,000.

Two  pioneers  of  the  all-­‐digital  (reedless)  accordion  were  the  French  artisan  company  Cavagnolo,  and  the  Japanese  mega-­‐corporation  Roland,  now  both  experiencing  their  second  decade  of  popularity.  The  purpose  of  the  reedless  accordion,  according  to  both  companies,  has  never  been  to  replace  the  acoustic  accordion.  Roland,  in  particular,  offers  the  digital  accordion  as  an  alternative  to  the  traditional  acoustic.  It  works  both  ways,  there  are  a  huge  number  of  sounds  and  techniques  that  are  possible  on  both  the  Roland  and  on  the  acoustic  accordions  that  are  just  not  possible  on  the  other.  Just  as  a  person  who  speaks  many  languages  can  communicate  with  more  people,  a  person  who  plays  both  acoustic  and  digital  can  de]initely  play  an  ever-­‐wider  range  of  repertoire.

Roland  V-­‐Accordions  (“virtual”  accordions)  are  unquestionably  the  most  popular,  particularly  in  North  America.  Initially,  I  found  that  accordionists  became  very  divided—they  either  liked  the  Roland  or  they  did  not.  I  believe  that  a  lot  of  traditionalists  (including  myself)  thought  that  the  Roland  was  going  to  marginalize  acoustic  instruments.  This  year,  I  have  been  one  of  the  most  active  Roland  performers  in  North  America—70  concerts  in  the  last  4  months.  I  encourage  everyone  to  try  one.  Personally,  my  least  favourite  accordion  sounds  are  the  default  settings,  which  everyone  hears  when  they  turn  on  the  instrument.  Next  time  you  have  the  chance,  ask  the  Roland  rep  to  switch  to  “Set  #40.”  You  will  have  a  whole  new  experience.  Try  adding  Fingered  Bass  to  the  left  hand,  maybe  a  Guitar  Chord  and  drums  too.

Personally,  I  love  the  digital  accordion.  For  solo  dancehall  gigs  and  most  outdoor  performances,  it  is  my  instrument  of  choice.  As  there  are  no  microphones,  there  is  no  risk  of  feedback.  Ever.  The  bass  sounds  and  drums  (played  live  with  the  left  hand)  make  the  instrument  sound  like  a  full  band!

My  Prides  and  Joys

Whenever  I  can,  I  travel  armed  with  at  least  three  instruments.  Selina  is  a  Pigini  Bayan  Sirius  with  C-­‐system  chromatic  right  hand  and  Basetti  convertor  free  bass.  She  has  four  reeds  in  the  right  hand  and  seven  in  the  bass.  She  has  a  double  tone  chamber  (also  called  “cassotto”)  on  both  hands,  which  means  that  the  bassoon  and  clarinet  reedblocks  are  further  recessed  inside  the  instrument,  adding  warmth  and  richness  to  the  sound.  One  of  my  greatest  mentors  is  Leo  Niemi,  a  master  accordion  builder,  technician  and  tuner  in  Sudbury,  ON.  We  have  tuned  her  bassoon,  clarinet,  and  piccolo  reeds  to  exactly  A440.  The  concertina  reeds  (clarinet,  out  of  the  tone  chamber)  is  in  tune  on  the  highest  notes  but  slowly  moves  away  to  add  richness  at  the  bottom  end.  She  has  seven  chin  registers,  and  I  am  in  the  process  of  adding  an  eighth.  On  the  left,  she  is  tuned  to  low  E  and  I  have  added  some  extra  Gola  reeds  into  the  bass  section  and  adjusted  the  response.  Selina  was  also  my  ]irst  instrument  who  I  named,  because  she  plays  differently  every  day.  I  am  not  crazy,  but  I  speak  completely  serious  when  I  say  she  is  alive!  This  makes  me  constantly  change  how  I  play  and  forces  the  music  to  never  be  the  same  twice.

Artemis  is  a  Mengascini  piano  accordion.  He  is  a  small,  with  a  reduced  right  hand  range  and  only  96  bases.  That’s  all  I  need.  Also,  he  is  also  completely  black,  aside  from  bright  splashes  of  orange,  yellow,  and  green  on  the  grill,  keys,  and  bellows.  He  has  only  three  reeds  on  the  right  hand,  with  a  nice  musette  tuning,  though  he  still  has  low  E  on  the  left  hand.  Like  Selina,  Artemis  is  100%  electronics-­‐free.  Artemis  is  the  ]irst  German-­‐built  instrument  I  have  owned.  He  is  only  eight  months  old,  but  so  far  I  am  absolutely  satis]ied.

Finally,  The  Roland  is  my  digital  accordion  while  I  mentioned  above.  It  is  a  Roland  FR-­‐7XB,  which  has  ]ive  internal  speakers,  a  7-­‐9  hour  battery  life,  and  weighs  in  at  about  25  pounds.  Unfortunately,  it  hasn’t  been  named  because,  being  a  computer,  it  responds  the  same  every  day—something  that  is  often  very  reassuring  on  high  energy,  loud  gigs.  I  usually  stand  while  playing  The  Roland,  and  have  actually  gotten  into  the  habit  of  playing  it  with  the  bottom  bellows  strap  done  up  at  all  times.  This  is  possible  because  the  digital  accordion  uses  a  lot  less  air  than  an  acoustic,  since  the  air  column  is  only  a  pressure  sensor  and  not  the  power  of  the  instrument.

All  three  of  my  instruments  have  their  place  and  respond  in  a  very  unique  way.  Usually,  I  play  at  least  a  few  minutes  on  all  of  them  every  day.  They  make  a  very  dynamic  trio,  opposite  by  nature.  I  am  proud  to  know  and  to  share  parts  of  the  stories  that  explain  why  these  instruments  are  so  unique  and  special.

Editors note. Thanks Michael for such an informative article. I love learning more about the accordion.

In memory Ed Kawa was a former president of the Edmonton Accordion Society. Always kind and encouraging, his love of the accordion lives on through his grandchildren. After a busy life working and farming and raising a family, Ed and his wife Monica retired to Edmonton in 1999. Ed’s greatest joy was playing his accordion with his family. Many of our EAS members have enjoyed being entertained by The Kawa family band in Edmonton and Kimberley. Ed was a great promoter of the Edmonton Accordion Society and encouraged many people to play their accordions at our meetings. Ed passed away on August 6, 2012 after

an 18 year battle with prostate cancer.

Austin, Ed and Tony in 2009 at the Edmonton Accordion Extravaganza competitions. Ed was very proud of his grandchildren.

Monica and Ed in 2009 (right)

Ed and Ola Kawa in 2009

In Memory of Bonnie Maio (above lower right) passed away April 7, 2012. Margaret Millers reflections on Bonnie are here. I first met Bonnie 37 years ago, and learned quickly that once she included you in her heart, you were there for good, through thick and thin, through adversity and good, and her heart grew to love every person that she included. Though we lost touch for a few years while we were establishing and raising our families, when we reconnected it was as if we had just seen each other yesterday; of such is the nature of true friendship and love.

Bonnie had many passions in life. First was always her family, her husband and son, and those she adopted into her heart as family. When you needed support Bonnie was there in whatever capacity she could help you, she was there for you. Her love and pride in Francesco has always been so prominent, and she worked diligently to make life better for him and the family.Not many people know she had a teaching degree, and she was a teacher in everything she did, whether it was searching for the meaning of life, undertaking new endeavors like music lessons and miniatures, volunteering, learning Italian, taking on the restaurant business or coaching her friends in the selections of Dim Sum.Bonnie truly was the sister of my heart. She shared everything openly and freely; we shared secrets, dreams, sadnesses, joys, concerns, and laughter. She was a giant full of wisdom and love packed into a powerhouse of prayer. Many of the things she shared, and coached, and encouraged are things worthy of remembrance and reflection. SHE is worthy of remembrance and reflection.

Bonnie was always up for a challenge and never backed down when given one. We still laugh over the incident when she first started music lessons along with Francesco. She had told me she had music lessons when she was seven, and I mistakenly understood that to be she had had seven years of music lessons. So, here she was essentially a beginner and I started her out at the Grade 5 level, by the end of the first year having her play a Grade 9 selection at her first recital. She never corrected my mistake as she accepted all the challenges, and MET them. Her Grade nine recital piece after one year of lessons was masterful and full of virtuosity. When she announced to me that she was wanting to learn accordion, she soon developed a love for the instrument and her passion was put into endless hours of practice. She became an integral part of the "Of One Accord Accordion Orchestra" not only in her musical contributions of talent, but also taking on the role of librarian and treasurer. In everything she did, she gave it her all.

She struggled with lupus for many years but wouldn't let it get her down. She proved to be an example to me of how to live through adversity and come out on the other side a stronger and better person. Though her health began to fail after cataract surgery she still held a positive outlook and energy refusing to give into self pity or fears. When I last spoke to her just days before her passing on into the arms of Jesus, we laughed and shared, whispered secrets into the phone and always told each other how much the other was loved.

Bonnie, I honour you today with every possible word of praise and devotion. I love you my friend, my dearest and special friend and you are and will be missed. Margaret Miller.

A huge thank you to our webmasters pictured below!!We appreciate your time and talent.Visit our website at http://www.edmontonaccordion.com/

August 2012 Edmonton Accordion Society Picnic

We owe Charlie Kapchinski a

huge thank you for organizing our annual summer picnic. We had a beautiful day, good food and some great music.

Acclarion, Canada's premier accordion and clarinet ensemble, charmed the audience at our picnic with their unique arrangements of tangos, popular folk tunes and original compositions. Entertaining banter by accordionist David Carovillano and clarinetist Becky Sajo-Carovillano classical masterpieces, sultry tangos,

popular folk tunes. Music was all on ipads with foot controls for turning the pages. They also have an app for ipads.

Squeezy is an exciting, interactive children’s e-book app for the iPad. This captivating tale features vivid animations and a full musical Score.

http://www.acclarion.ca/

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