northwest accordion news - nwasnews.com · northwest accordion news ... letting the portatos out of...

NORTHWEST ACCORDIONNEWS

Rain on the River Dick Myking, Closet Accordionist Letting the Portatos out of the Bag 62nd Trophee Mondiale de l’Accordeon (Spokane, WA!)LIAC 2012, AAA Festival 2012, ATG Festival, and more!

VOL. 22 NO. 1Northwest Accordion Society Spring Quarter 2012

Northwest Accordion News

Spring Quarter 2012 1

Is your membership renewal due? Check your mailing label. A membership application/renewal form is included on the last page. Send your renewals or change of address to:

Northwest Accordion Society 5102 NE 121st Ave. #12Vancouver, WA 98682

NORTHWEST ACCORDION SOCIETY

The Northwest Accordion News is a quarterly newsletter published by the Northwest Accordion Society for and by its members. The purpose of the NWAS News is to unite the membership by providing news of its members, and articles that instruct, encourage, and promote the playing of the accordion.

NWAS PUBLICATION PRIORITIES♦ Advertising♦ Original Compositions♦ News from Our Members♦ Instructive/Technical Articles♦ Summaries from Regional Socials and Events♦ Coming Events

Articles will be printed if received prior to the publishing deadline. Should space be an issue, articles will be printed in the order in which they are submitted. All decisions regarding publication will be made by the editors of the NWAS News.

To submit articles for publication, mail them to the Vancouver, WA address listed. It is preferred that articles be submitted via e-mail as attached WORD documents or on a disc. Typed, paper copy needs to be dark and clear to allow scanning and to minimize errors.

Photographs sent for publication will be returned if they are accompanied with a SASE of correct size and adequate postage. Photographs may be sent electronically or on disc.

To reprint articles or photographs from magazines and newspapers, written permission from the publisher is required. Please submit the necessary “permission to print” with material sent.

Views in the articles and information printed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Northwest Accordion Society or its advertisers.

Inquiries, questions, suggestions, etc.Contact Doris Osgood, 3224 B St.,

Forest Grove, OR 97116. (503) 357-0417. E-mail: [email protected]

NWAS News DeadlinesFebruary 1, May 1, August 1, November 1

Northwest Accordion News StaffDoris Osgood............................................(503) 357-0417 [email protected] Ames .............................................(360) 254-5245 [email protected] Halverson (Advertising) ..............(503) 484-5064 [email protected]

NW Accordion Society Offi cers Bonnie Birch, President/Treasurer ................................. (206) 622-4786Doris Osgood, Vice President/Communications ............. (503) 357-0417Judith Ames, Secretary/Technology ............................... (360) 254-5245

Advisory BoardRick Hatley, ..................................................................... (253) 288-0442Dick Myking .................................................................... (253) 537-0136Birgit Ages ...................................................................... (206) 368-9720Cooksie (Kaserzon) Kramer ........................................... (425) 828-9104

Membership:Doris Osgood.................................................................. (503) 357-0417 [email protected] Ames ................................................................... (360) 254-5245 [email protected]

Mail letters & articles to:Northwest Accordion Society

5102 NE 121st Ave. #12, Vancouver, WA 98682

Or e-mail to: [email protected]

ADVERTISINGFull page $110.00Half page $55.00Quarter $30.00Business card $10.00

Prices are PER ISSUE. US Funds

Photo-ready Advertising (with accompanying check) for this publication may be sent to:Northwest Accordion Society

6453 SE Nathan Ct., Hillsboro, OR 97123or e-mail [email protected]


spring Quarter 20122

Letter from the Editors

Greetings!

Here in Vancouver, WA, we had a mild winter. Now Spring is defi nitely coming! I have snow drops blooming and other fl owers poking up through the ground.

Once again, this will be an issue packed with information and great music! There are many events coming up this year - regular ones (like Leavenworth and Kimberley) and new ones! When you attend these events, keep your camera handy and use it - then send us your pictures and reports! Remember, this is YOUR publication!

Do you like COLOR? You may now request to have your NWAS News sent to you as a PDF. Many of the pictures are in color!

Speaking of color, add some color to the sounds around you this spring by sharing your music with others!Judith ([email protected])

Quarterly UpdateTable of Contents2 Letter from the Editors2 Quarterly Update3 Michael Bridge, Composer4 Rain on the River9 Dick Myking Closet Accordionist 11 LIAC 2012 Don't Miss It!!13 Patricia Bartell, An American Teacher15 Tango Volcado16 AAA 2012 Festival in July 16 Bursaries Offered17 Tacoma Accordion Socials18 Understanding The Basses20 Left Hand Registers21 It’s Time to Prepare for Leavenworth21 Seattle Accordion Social25 By the Way – 27 Cory Pesaturo Performs on TV and in Concerts31 Trio Voronezh Presents Concerts33 Confederation Mondiale de l’Accordeon36 About the Seattle Accordion Club36 Letting ‘The Portatos’ Out of the Bag37 Coupe Mondiale in Victoria 201337 In Remembrance38 World Accordion Day Will Be Here In May38 In Remembrance39 Welcome New Members40 Accordion Events Calendar42 Entertainers in the Northwest43 The ATG Annual Festival

Dear Members,There is a near feverish pace in the preparation

for accordion activities in the Pacifi c Northwest. Win-ter feels to be fi nished with us and work is stepping up for the music festivals and competitions coming soon.

As I write, the Day of the Accordion is a week away. The Seattle Center is under renovation. Rather than move to a remote location on Center property or cancel the event, the Day of the Accordion will be at the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue. The food court area has a stage and the management wants music from noon to 9:30 PM! There will be space for free lessons that have become so popular. Special thanks to the members of the Tacoma Accordion Club for making the lessons and rising star stage happen. They work often out of public view; we appreciate them very much.

It was such a shock to receive the news of the passing of Joe Smiell. I have chosen not to repeat the different messages I’ve gotten regarding his last days. I’m not certain of their accuracy. We do know that he died very shortly after being diagnosed with a grave illness. As I refl ected on my own experiences with Joe I was struck by his passion for making music on the accordion. His handwritten exercises written in two part harmony were beautiful. I loved playing “Phrasing Exercise #11.” When my duet partner and I played it we renamed it – depending on the event. It could be “Spring Waltz”, “Autumn Delight”…whatever fi t; it’s lovely! I’m sure that Joe heard the parts in his head. He would write as fast as his hand could move; he’d whip out melodies, exercises, and interesting harmonies as needed to demonstrate his lessons and to provide additional practice for students. He was a musical genius and will be missed.

Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration is coming soon. We’re excited about the plans for the concerts and workshops. There are some changes in the age divisions in the “variety” competition category. Please note the changes listed in this issue. Also the LIAC Committee is going forward with a bursary pro-gram for competitors age 18 and younger. Require-ments for bursary awards are also listed in this issue. Our desire was to encourage all young players and bursaries will apply to all competitors aside from the prizes after adjudication. Complete information may be found at the offi cial web site www.accordioncele-bration.org. You may also check www.nwasnews.com. Note Bonnie’s article about performance opportunities in Leavenworth. We have need for volunteers and for donations for the bursary program. Please support the event as much as you are able.



Michael Bridge, ComposerIn his own words

Michael Bridge placed fourth at the 2011 CIA Junior Coupe Mondiale, in China, the most re-spected accordion competition in the world. He won the Canadian Digital Accordion Champion-ships and went on to represent Canada interna-tionally, winning fourth place in Rome. He made his orchestral debut performing live with the Boston Pops for the hit NPR radio show, “From the Top”.

He currently studies at the University of Toronto under the world-renowned pedagogue, Joseph Macerollo. Though only 18, his musical travels have led him to China, Croatia, France, Italy, and all over Canada and the United States.

As a composer, he has produced two albums of his own compositions in various folk and Latin styles and will release his next album in May, merging classical, pop, jazz, and folk music.

The composition presented in this issue of the NWAS News comes from his fi rst album, and has earned the praise of many accordionists, having been performed at several competitions, and winning the AAA Elsie M. Bennet Award for Composition in 2011.

The Pacifi c Northwest will be the host for a pres-tigious international competition in October. Under the leadership of Patricia Bartell, the Trophy Mondiale will take place for the fi rst time in the United States. The competition will take place in Spokane in October. Pa-tricia is working to raise money and expects to attract competitors from all over the world. This looks to be a “once in a lifetime” experience for many of us. Note the information about the Trophy Mondiale in this is-sue. Expect Patricia to provide more detail in the next issues of the NWAS News.

Providing original compositions for accordion has been a unique element in our magazine. We are thrilled that the young Canadian accordionist, Michael Bridge, has shared his composition entitled “Rain on the River.” He has played this piece competitively and has also recorded it. We are grateful for his generous gift to the Northwest Accordion Society. As always, our Ron Ostromecki engraved and formatted the mu-sic for publication. Thanks to him too.

This issue is packed with information about the coming summer’s activities. Note the advertisements as well. In fact I have to tell you that one accordion was to be listed for sale but was sold when I shared the specifi cs with a player that had contacted me for a lead on an instrument. Little did I know the lead would bring about a sale so quickly. The custom travel case listed in our last issue has been sold. Advertising in the Northwest Accordion News brings results! Support our faithful advertisers and their goods and services as you can.

It’s time to make your reservations and plan to participate in as many activities as you can. The op-portunities for learning and for making contact with other players are endless. Those contacts are impor-tant. We all need the encouragement and support to “make music” as Joe Smiell charged us to do.Doris [email protected]

Dear NWAS,Thank you for your continued efforts in producing such as fi ne newsletter publication for NWAS. It is always enjoyable!Lois Yale, Bow, WA

Keep up the good work. Thank you!Mario Tacca, Crompond, NY

It is a pleasure to be able to renew my membership once again. I so much enjoy the Northwest Accordion News. Each time it comes, I read it cover to cover, try

the musical examples. I save it and refer back to it over and over. And the Northwest Accordion News is only one of the wonderful things you do. Keep up the good work.David Miles, Seattle, WA



= 184

7

13

19

26

Rain on the RiverWaltz

Michael J. Bridge

©2008 All rights reserved.

For ConcertFor Dance =172

M

MM

MM 7

7

M M M M M

7M M

M 7

Used with Permission of Michael J. Bridge

M

Engraving by R. R. Ostromecki

M M



32

38 1.

2.

To Coda

44

50

56 1. 2.

62

Rain on the River pg 2

MM 7

7M

M M M M7

To Next StrainM

M mM M

M 7 mM

M M M M 7M M

M M M M M



68

74

80

87

94

( )99


77

M M M

M M7

7 M 7

m7 M m M M

7 7m M m

7 7

M 7m

7 M m

M 7



( )104

110

116

121

D.S. al Coda

Coda

126

rit. a tempo

130


7m M m

Loco

7 M

M MM M M M

77

M M

MM M

7M

M M M 7

Mallargando

MM 7

M



AAccordion Heroes Presents A New Concept For Accordion Accordion Heroes honors the Accordion Artists, Teachers, Craftsmen, Family and Friends who have enriched our lives by sharing the gift of music. It also celebrates our American Tradition by preserving the music, heritage, and

pedagogy of America’s Accordion Culture What is Accordion Heroes? The goal of Accordion Heroes is to encourage increased integration of the accordion into the musical culture of the America’s by embracing the instrument’s versatility and diversity. To this end, Accordion Heroes hosted activities specifically designed to enhance the capabilities of those with a professional interest or personal passion for the accordion, including the enthusiast, professional, accordion club & organization, teacher, and the industry that supports them. Accordion Heroes is not a club or organization. It does not solicit membership and does not sponsor competitions. It was not created to compete with any existing club or organization. Instead, Accordion Heroes represents a valuable resource to both the individual and established organizations. Accordion Heroes in based on a new interactive format. Hear some of the accordion’s greatest artists perform, but also learn how they met challenges and achieved success. It is all part of something being called ‘interactive immersion’. Accordion Heroes goal is also to highlight our upcoming young accordion talent “Young Artist Showcase” who will one day become our new “accordion heroes”. And finally, Accordion Heroes events will be fun, introducing some of the craziest and over-the-top events imaginable! What is Accordion Heroes 2012?

2012 is Accordion Hero’s first National event that will honor accordion legends Dick Contino, the worlds most acknowledged accordion super-star, and

Anthony Galla-Rini, one of the accordion’s all-time greatest artists, educators and musical visionaries. This will be Dick’s first East Coast performance in many years and participants will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to

experience the artistry of Galla-Rini first-hand through several individuals who studied, performed with him, and at times even lived with him. The

event will also feature Artist Workshops and Showcases, Teacher Workshops, Band Performance, Accordion Lectures, and other events for the enthusiast.



Dick Myking Closet Accordionist By Dorene J. Fox

Dick Myking is a well-known accordionist in the Pacifi c Northwest, but did you know that for thirty-two years he hid his accordion in his closet. These closet years were busy ones for Dick and his sweetheart, Marlene, who

became Mrs. Myking, and were spent raising their family of four children. In addition he and Marlene were school teachers.

At the age of six, Dick began his musical career on a twelve-bass Hohner accordion. Dick owes a debt of gratitude to his two teachers, Mrs. Young and Mrs. Parmalee, both of whom patiently instructed him for six years in the fundamentals of the accordion. Without this instruction, he would not have advanced to where he today promoting the joy of the accordion, and for this he is very grateful to his teachers.

At the age of thirteen he was inspired by seventeen-year-old accordionist, Dick Contino. Dick Contino still is performing and is an inspiration to audiences everywhere. Dick Myking continued playing his accordion throughout high school and college and taught several children from 1962-1963. When he met Marleen, his accordion went into the closet. Thirty-two years later he pulled it out of the closet, resumed playing and began lessons with Ken Olendorf. Dick currently teaches eighteen students including myself. He is both teacher and mentor, and I am grateful for his support and patience. Dick is passing on a lifetime of learning and the joy of the accordion to a new and upcoming generation.

In addition Dick served as past President of the Northwest Accordion Society and founded the Tacoma Accordion Social in 1998 - which is currently thriving today. Trinity Lutheran Church provides a fellowship hall for the monthly social. As a way of saying thank you to Pacifi c Lutheran, Dick gathers accomplished accordionists for their annual spaghetti feed to entertain them creating a very festive occasion.

Any accordion event from California to North Dakota to Washington, usually fi nds Dick there. He participates in the Day of the Accordion, an annual event in Seattle introducing new people and children to the accordion. He plays at the Puyallup fair every year and organizes players and set ups an accordion booth for this event. Dick is willing to play anytime especially for the Sons of Norway and local rest homes. All this because Dick pulled his accordion out of the closet. Thank you, Dick.



LIAC 2012 Don't Miss It!!By Bonnie Birch

As I work on another Leavenworth International Ac-cordion Celebration (LIAC), I get more enthusiastic as to how great it will be this year. The dates are June 14 – 16, 2012. This will be LIAC number nineteen and the third year the Northwest Accordion Society has produced the festival. Our fi rst two years were very successful and we will continue to fi ne-tune events to make LIAC 2012 the best yet. Our offi cial website is the place to go for the latest information. It is: www.accordioncelebration.org .Here are some of the highlights for 2012:New: Roland Regional Competition - this is an inde-pendent event managed by Roland but will be held concurrently with LIAC. Roland is preparing a docu-ment outlining all the details. Basically, it is open to all accordion players. They may play their own accordion and any selection they wish to play. The winner will go to the national competition in Los Angeles. The winner of this competition will go to the international competi-tion in Italy.When available, we will place a link on our website pointing to the details on the Roland website.Concerts: Our fabulous concerts are described on the website. Briefl y, Thursday will feature renown concert artist Jelena Milojevic from Victoria, BC. Jelena was to perform last year but had to cancel due to a serious automobile accident. Also on the program will be a fun event called the Button Box Bonanza. Friday will feature Mike and Marjorie Aman from Denver Colorado. They are owners of the Monarch Accordion Company and a very popular virtuoso duo. Following their program will be the Victoria Accor-dion Orchestra , performing popular tunes to perfec-tion. We will start the Saturday concert with a lively event called the Great International Palooza. Fol-lowing this, we are very fortunate to have Jorgen and Lena Sundeqvist from Norway. They are tremendous concert artists and having them on the West Coast is a rare treat.Competition: Doris Osgood and Rod Miller are working together to fi ne-tune the competition and add more incentives to encourage young people's partici-pation. Doris will have an article in this issue which will also be posted on the website explaining more details. I would like to remind you that for those who do not want to compete, we have the Evaluation cat-egory which is very much like having a private lesson for only $15. Players should seriously consider doing this.

Workshops: All of our concert artists have outstand-ing workshops planned. There will also be some free workshops. The workshops have been immensely popular and are becoming a main attraction at LIAC.Gazebo: Doris will be signing up performers at the gazebo starting in April. This is a great LIAC attraction in which Northwest Accordion Society players perform for the town and tourists of Leavenworth.Grange: The Grange venue is relatively new to LIAC but I don't think we could do without it now. This is where we hold workshops, free accordion lessons, sheet music sales, a performing stage which is free to the public, and whatever else comes up.Jam Sessions: Andreas Keller has the ever-popular spontaneous jam session. It has been described as "magic". We will also be having a jam session at King Ludwig's with the LIAC jam band. We will play danceable music so people can take advantage of the dance fl oor. Bonnie will have a free workshop on Thursday where we can practice playing together but you don't have to attend the workshop to play in the jam band.Volunteering; Frank Bruckner is our new volunteer chairman who will handle the important job of organiz-ing our volunteers at LIAC. Our volunteers have been tremendous and they say it is a lot of fun as well. Frank will have an article in the magazine and on the website with more details.Vendors: Come to LIAC for a great selection of new and used accordions and a place to learn what goes into making an accordion. Midi accordions are also available. Our accordion vendors this year will be Tempo Trend, Lou Traverso, Petosa Accordions, Ro-land, and Monarch Accordions.We would like to hear from you. Please email your suggestions to the committee and we will strive to use this information to enhance LIAC. This is an event produced by accordion players for fellow accordion players and accordion friends. Your support is so im-portant as an attendee, volunteer, or a donation . We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at LIAC.Most Sincerely,Bonnie Birch LIAC Chairman – [email protected] Berg LIAC Vice Chairman - [email protected] Osgood LIAC Communication - [email protected]



Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration Sponsorswww.accordioncelebration.org

Virtuoso Sponsors - $2,000 or moreNorthwest Accordion Society

Projekt Bayern

Major Sponsors - $500 or more City of Leavenworth

Leavenworth Chamber of CommercePetosa Accordions (Co-Sponsoring Jorgen and Lena Sundeqvist)

Monarch Accordions (Co-Sponsoring Mike and Marjorie AmanRoland Accordions

Tempo Trend Accordions (Co-Sponsoring Jelena Milojevic)

Business Sponsors

Accordion Players, Accordion Clubs, Friends of the AccordionHugo’s Accordion Band

William RitterRichard & Eileen Webber

NWAS Socials of Forest Grove

We truly appreciate all of the sponsors who helped to make LIAC 2011 a great success! Please give patronage to our business sponsors and help us express our appreciation!

Virtuoso sponsors and Major sponsors will receive a prominent position on our website, mag-azine, festival fl yer, and information booths. IN addition, they will be thanked on stage at the Festhalle, grange and gazebo at appropriate times.If you are interested in donating, please send your check (made payable to Northwest Accor-dion Society) to NWAS/LIAC, 5102 NE 121st Ave. Unit 12, Vancouver, WA 98682

You may contribute online using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or your Bank Card. This is processed through PayPal (you do not have to have a Paypal account to do this.) Minimum donation of $10.00 through PayPal.



Patricia Bartell, An American TeacherBy Françoise Jallot of Accordéon & Accordéonistes Magazine

(Reprinted with Permission)Patricia Bartell is an exceptional teacher of the accordion.

As a musician, she listens to the nuances of the music. The sound must go straight to the heart. This is the reason why she is helping create a new method that allows its students to apprehend the music physically and not just intellectual-ly. A direct, playful and natural method called "Simply Music for Accordion."

How and why did you choose the accordion?I started the accordion at the age of eight after seeing my brother start lessons. He played a 12 bass Hohner accordion and I really liked the sound of the instru-ment. My adopted parents didn’t let me start right away on the accordion; they choose the piano for me. After much persistence they conceded and let me start the accordion.

Where did you go to college and what did you study?I graduated from Whitworth University in Spokane, WA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accordion Performance and Music Education K-12 for Choral and Instrumental. After graduating I taught classroom music for two years in a private institution while teach-ing accordion and piano on the side. I later setup my own studio and began teaching accordion and piano full time.

As an American teacher, your schedule is full?Yes, I have a full studio of accordion and piano stu-

dents. I not only teach in the studio but now recently I also teach online lessons via the internet through Skype. There are three accordion groups that I am a part of: The Sapphire Youth Orchestra, the Portato Band and Tango Volcados. When I’m not teaching, I am traveling as a concert performer representing Hohner Accordions and am the USA delegate and ad-judicator for different festivals including the prestigious Le Trophée Mondial de l’Accordéon – C.M.A. of which we will have the honor of hosting here in Spokane, WA in 2012.

Do you have a particular method you use for teaching?Actually, there are two methods I use. One's called Simply Music, the other is Frédéric Deschamps' New Technical Approach. Simply Music was originally created as a piano and keyboard program, and I am licensed to teach it. It's a breakthrough and there's nothing like it in the world. In recent times I've been working alongside the creator of Simply Music, and we are in the process of completing an entirely new teaching pedagogy for accordion. It's a very exciting method and it's perfect for entry-level students.

Was Frédéric Deschamps one of your teachers?I’ve had the honor of being trained under Frederic Deschamps to learn his New Technical Approach for advance students. I met Frederic in 2000 in London but then reconnected during the Coupe Mondiale in Washington D.C. while competing in the Maddalena Belfi ore Entertainment Competition for Female Ac-cordionists. Wanting to improve musically and techni-cally, I sought out Frederic who kindly took me as a student. Not only did my whole concept of pedagogy and technique change, I also developed a new love for the accordion. Frederic truly is one of the world’s most gifted teachers, who encourages, inspires, and enables each player to become a better musician us-ing the accordion as a means of expression.

What does the Simply Music Method consist of?I’m really excited about this program. The results I have experienced with my own students are tremen-dous. In essence, it's a 'playing-based' program and it's completely different from our traditional, 'read-ing-based' methods. And from everything that I've learned, seen and experienced about the program, it really is a breakthrough in music education. Every-body in this program, regardless of whether they're children, teens, adults or seniors, begin playing great-sounding music - immediately - from their very fi rst lessons.

How is this Method different from our traditional methods?



Simply Music is very non-traditional. With traditional lessons, for the most part, we require that students fi rst learn to read music as the means of learning how to play. Unfortunately, the whole ‘read fi rst, play later’ approach is often very slow and frustrating. In contrast, what I've experienced fi rst-hand with Simply Music is that it's an entirely new approach, and stu-dents are playing more quickly, more naturally and far more easily than with traditional programs.

The students must be very excited with such im-mediate results?It’s very exciting to see a total beginner, within 10 lessons or so, playing a fantastic repertoire of blues, classical, contemporary and accompaniment pieces, as well as composing and improvising. It's really amazing! Because the student can learn pieces so quickly, they become the immediate star of the family which brings motivation for not only the student but also the parents.

Can you explain more about Simply Music being a 'playing-based' method? Sure. Just think of it in terms of how we learn to talk. We all talk for years before we learn how to read and spell. It’s the same with this program. Beginning students don’t have to read music initially. The read-ing process is temporarily delayed, and students learn how to look at music in a new way. They learn how to translate pieces of music into physical ‘sentences’ and 'shapes' and 'patterns'. These are simple concepts that unfold directly onto the instrument, yet they have direct application to advanced musicianship as well. One of the obvious major benefi ts is the sheer fact that students get to play fantastic music, immediately.

Another thing we see is that by connecting to the instrument fi rst, students easily and naturally begin to establish a ‘hands-on’ and personal ‘feeling’ for the instrument, which eliminates certain defects because now the quality of sound is obvious, which encourag-es good positioning. All the while they're building their playlist of songs that includes contemporary, classical, blues and jazz styles. They also begin to develop the ability to play chords and modern accompaniments.

So it's not rote learning?It's defi nitely not rote learning. It's also not 'learning by ear', although that does happen naturally as a by-product of being in the program. This is more about creating a new relationship with the instrument and learning how to relate to music in a new way. The entire Simply Music process is tactile, experiential and multi-sensory, and students are being fully ab-sorbed into a musical experience physically, visually and aurally. Then, when they have a solid base and

have built a repertoire of 30, 40 or 50 pieces, covering a broad range of musical styles, they are then intro-duced to Simply Music’s unique approach to reading music. As you can imagine, having the ability to play so well gives them a powerful foundation for learning the more formal aspects of music education.

How does Simply Music's Teacher Training pro-gram work?We're working closely with Hohner Inc. in USA and with Hohner Germany to set-up training and licens-ing procedures for anyone interested in teaching the program. What's really great about the Teacher Train-ing Program is that not only do teachers explore an entirely new way of teaching, but they're also provided with training on how to acquire students, how to set up a teaching studio, how to manage the day-to-day administration, how to manage the parent-student-teacher dynamics. Teachers are provided with mar-keting materials and support, personalized websites, ongoing training and support, monthly conference calls, workshops, symposiums etc. Teachers also immediately become a part of worldwide communica-tion systems that allows all teachers the opportunity to gain from the collective experience of Simply Music's international teacher body. I've only touched on a few things here, and there is still so much more that is of-fered. Personally, I have never seen anything like this. It's unique.

When will Simply Music be on the market?Well, for piano and keyboard, it's been taught interna-tionally for the last 10 years or so. We are expecting that by April 2012, the accordion version should be available. All in all, this is very exciting for the future of the accordion, for its relevance in contemporary culture and for the opportunity to create a new, broad-scale appeal.

What inspires you to keep pursuing excellence in music?The fi rst fi ve years of my life were spent in an orphan-age in Bolivia, South America. I was not expected to live because of a severe case of polio and tonsillitis and against all odds my life was spared. I was later adopted and grew up in a hard situation with seven-teen other children. It seemed like the accordion was all I had and there were those that saw my potential and encouraged me to pursue music through those hard years. I discovered I had a purpose in life and a destiny and that my life was not an accident. Many of us go through abuse, have broken lives but we all have a purpose in life and we must pursue it. When I see the potential in my students, I want to help and encourage them to reach their best and this inspires me to keep pursuing excellence and engaging in



activities that restore hope and give people a purpose for living.

Could you tell me how music has changed your life?Music is a big part of my life. When I was young, it was what gave me motivation for living. As a student in college, it helped pay my bills. Now as a teacher, I enjoy imparting the love of music to my students. Music is a way to communicate without words.

Could you describe the sound of the accordion?The sound of the accordion can be quite varied de-pending on the tuning of the reeds and the speed of the tremolo. Because it is such a versatile instrument, many qualities of sound can be achieved. The sound can be sweet and light or deep and rich and every-thing in-between.

What style of music do you listen the most?I enjoy many styles of music. As I travel globally, I am exposed to the vastness of styles. Every country is using the same 12 tones yet the variety of stylesproduced is unique and individual.More information about Patricia Bartell, her studio and her activities can be viewed at www.abletoplay.net

Tango VolcadoBy Tana Bland

If you haven’t heard of Tango Volcado, it would be a good time to get to know us!

We are a quartet of talented and established musicians who work and teach in and around the Spokane area.

Our beautiful and talented Patricia Bartell wows on the accordion and adds grace and musicality to the Tangos and Milongas we perform. Kendall Fee-ney adds fi ery style with her amazing piano skills and Eugene Jablonsky gives just the right amount of cool upright bass and guitar foundation we require to bring a polished and exciting performance to our audiences. I think I’ll leave your impression of what the violinist Tana Bland, (that’s me), adds to the group when you attend our concert in March!

We would love to see all of the NWAS readers at our concert on:When? Friday, March 16th 2012Who? Tango Volcado and The Red Hot KoshersWhere? The Bing Crosby Theatre, in Spokane, WAWhat Time? 7:30 p.m.Cost? $15.00 per ticket $10.00 student/seniors with I.D.

Be ready for your senses to be enticed with such selections as La Cumparsita, Adios Nonino, Chardash and more.

If you would like to hear us please like us on our facebook page, Tango Volcado. You may also visit Patricia Bartell’s website, abletoplay.net.

Simply Music Students in Spokane, WA



AAA 2012 Festival in July Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

By Rita Davidson

The American Accordionists’ Association will present their 2012 AAA Festival from July 11-15th, 2012 at the Sheraton City Center Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.

Plan next summer around the festival’s exciting days of workshops, exhibits, cabaret, luncheon con-cert, gala concert, and Festival Orchestra.

Photo on left: Guest Artist and Conductor, world renowned Stas Venglevski

The AAA is proud to announce its 2nd Annual Youth Involvement Program which was very success-ful at the 2011 Festival. Come and see young accordi-onists play jazz with other young instrumentalists. The Youth “Jazz” Program will again be spearheaded by Eddie Monteiro, chaired by Marilyn O’Neil. A group of very talented young people from our 2011 Festival in Charleston will be featured on our concert programs. Come meet the future stars of the accordion world!

And new this year will be a Junior Orchestra for those youngsters who have never participated in an orchestra or ensemble or who may be “not quite ready” to participate in the Festival Orchestra. This will be a fun way to “get ready”! Mary Tokarski will conduct. Mary has had many years of experience teaching young students how to become better accor-dionists and musicians. Please refer to the June 2011 www.accordionusa.com news for background informa-tion on the youth program.

Virtuoso accordionist Stas Venglevski will be the Guest Artist and Guest Conductor of the Festival

Orchestra. He delights all with his friendly and humor-ous manner, educating and entertaining at the same time. Truly a unique experience you will want to see and hear.

This year the Festival Orchestra will feature Mary Tokarski as soloist. Vladimir Mollov and Mary Tokar-ski will also be featured as “two soloists”. Dr. Robert Young McMahan will be joined by prominent saxo-phonist Dr. Paul Cohen in a premiere of McMahan’s new composition for accordion and saxophone.

Vladimir Mollov, virtuoso accordionist, will perform solos and also duets with his wife, renowned violinist, Annie Mollova. Gabe Hall-Rodrigues and Frank Petrilli will perform solos and duets at concerts at the Festi-val. Please refer to the San Francisco Accordion Club article in this issue for their biographies.

Please refer to the AAA Website and the USA news for updates on the festival. For further informa-tion: [email protected]

Bursaries Offered

The Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration committee is excited to announce that bursaries will be available for young competitors for the fi rst time this year! We have long desired to make this offer and feel it can be done in 2012. The term, “bursary”, is more widely used in Can-ada; for those in the United States the “bursary” likened to a scholarship. To receive a bursary amounting to $100 a young person must:

*be age 18 or under (on or before June 14)*participate in one individual competition cat-

egory*submit a handwritten letter stating their

goals, interest, and plans for studying and playing the accordion plus their reason for qualifying for the cash gift

* Submissions will be addressed to the Leav-enworth International Accordion Celebration Com-mittee in care of: (Canadian entries) Rod Miller 3675 Anderson Road Kelowna, BC V1X 7V8 (250-807-2083 [email protected]) and (U.S. entries) Doris Osgood 3224 B Street Forest Grove, OR 97116 (503-357-0417 [email protected]). Letters must be post marked no later than May 31, 2012.



Tacoma Accordion SocialsBy Eloise Adair

NovemberThursday the 10th of November was a beautiful

clear day and the evening when we had our meeting had a big full moon. We had 50 in attendance and our fi rst player was a new player Bill Seiple playing "Blue Bird Waltz", "Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes" and "Marine Corps Hymn". Our next performer was Bob Westlund. He played "Roragen Waltz", "Die Blande Matros" and "Bonneyville Waltz". Wilbur Wybanga was up next and he played "My Father", "Bernice Waltz" and "Yellow Bird". Michael Barbarossa our young accordionist played "Glow Worm", "Basaglieri Polka" and "Grand Old Medley" by George Cohan. Michael is improving as he did a bellow shake and did an excellent job.

Dick Myking played background music when we had our break and enjoy very good desserts. Louis Traversa played "A Medley of Polkas AI's Polka Medley", "Dal Solei", "Pennsylvania Polka" and "El Serie". Then Diane Crews sang "People Will Say We're In Love". David Emter played his diatonic accordion. He played "Echo Waltz", "Top of the Hill", "EI Rio Drive" and "Evening Waltz". Dick Myking was our last player. He played "Styrmans Waltz", "Balen I Karlstad", "I Don't Know Why", "Five Foot Two" and "Bubbles".

December Our December meeting was early this month - on

the 8th. We had 50 in attendance. Our fi rst performers were Jim Leonhard and Edith Barrett. They played "Silver Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "Let it Snow" and

"Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". Dorene Fox was up next and she had a little special thing. It was a little wooden Santa with an accordion and he played "Jingle Bells". Then Dorene picked up her accordion and played "0 Come, 0 Come Emmanuel", "Christmas In Killarney" and "The Christmas Song".

Phil Cappetto played some Christmas music for us, "0 Christmas Tree", "We Three Kings" and "Jingle Bells". Ray Reusch

picked some nice Christmas songs, "Away in a Manger", "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Jolly Old St. Nick". Lynn Swanson did a very good job playing "Cafe Accordion", "Let it be Me'" 'Dance of the Flutes" and "What are you doing on New Years".

Rick Hatley was wearing a Santa hat and it played "Jingle Bells". Then he picked up his accordion and played "Silent Night", "Pretty Paper", "Pastorale" and "Chipmunk Song". Dennis Perry was up next playing "I Need a Little Christmas Now", "0 Come, 0 Come Emmanuel", "0 Come Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Walkin' in My Winter Underwear" and he sang the words by Stan Boreson. Next up was our singer Diane Crews singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

Dick Myking was up next playing Scandinavian songs, "Lordags Valsen", "Johann Pa Snippen" and "Wiggin' Polka". David Emter was next playing his chromatic accordion. He played "Zuru's Waltz", "Polka Motion" and "0 Holy Night". Our last performer was Tom Demski. He played "Jingle Bells" [at warp speed],"White Christmas" and a Medley of "Beautiful America" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic". We had such a good program that each performer received a loaf of Julekaka.

JanuaryWe had 43 attending our January social but not

many brought their accordions. Randall Tron our MC decided to play fi rst. He played "Old Piano Roll Blues" and a medley "Blown in the Wind", "Michael Row the Boat" "Puff the Magic Dragon" "Red Red Robin", "White Sport Coat" and "Pink Carnation".

We were lucky to have a professional guest artist with us for the evening so someone loaned him an accordion and he played "Summertime in Venice" "Voinciana" "Accordion Boogie" "AI de La”, "Tea for Two" "Let's Dance the Polka" "Volare" Blue Spanish Eyes", "Satin Doll", "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White", "Moonlight Serenade" and "I Don't Know Why".

Diane Crews sang "Baby I'm Yours". Then David Emter played "Chime Bells", "Golden Star" and "Prune Song" on his chromatic accordions. We were glad Dick Myking brought his accordion and played "Minot Medley #1", "Amazing Grace", "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", "Joan Pa Snippen", "My Wild Irish Rose”, "Crazy Arms”, "Red Wing" "It is No Secret" and "God Bless America".



We are one of the principle people in selling the new “Virtual Roland

Reedless” AccordionsPlease visit our web site, www.

castiglioneaccordions.comClick on Roland and then look and listen to the Audio-Visual

demonstration of the instrument.

Importers and ExportersFeaturing Castiglione, Beltuna,

Scandalli, Guerrini, Excelsior, Dallapé, Tyrolean and more

All types of accordions - piano, diatonic, chromatic button

New and Used - MIDI and ElectronicsBuy - Sell - Trade - Repair - Tune

[email protected]://www.castiglioneaccordions.com

Phone: (586) 755-6050Fax (586) 755-6339

Castiglione Accordions

Left Hand Registers

The Galla-Rini register chart is his recommendation

for accordion bass registers written in

his own hand



It’s Time to Prepare for Leavenworth

In May, scheduling will begin for public performances at the gazebo and grange in Leavenworth during the International Accordi-on Celebration. Since we have received sup-port and funding from Projekt Byron, present-ing music at the gazebo which promotes the Bavarian quality of the town is part of our com-mitment to them. Prepare audience friendly music for your performances downtown.

In May you will be able to check the web site: www.nwasnews.com for the gazebo and grange schedules. You cannot sign up on line; you can see what opportunities are avail-able. The competition/workshop schedules will be posted on the celebration web site: www.accordioncelebration.org After you refer-ence those sites, contact Doris Osgood for times that would fi t your schedule. Doris will schedule the performers and the roster will be updated on line regularly. To sign up for per-formance contact: [email protected] , 503-357-0417

An army of volunteers will be needed. Contact Frank Bruchner or Bonnie Birch to indicate the times you’d be available to work. “Frank Bruchner” <[email protected]>;”Bonnie Birch” <[email protected]>; Make contact with Frank in May also.

The parade will be at 12:40 PM on Sat-urday during the celebration. Rod Miller has listed titles on the celebration web site of music likely used during the parade. Most will be in the key of C (Edelweiss is in G). Prepare tunes like: Happy Wanderer, Du Du, Wooden Heart, Edelweiss, Beer Barrel, and Lilli Mar-lene. Come to the Festhalle about 15 minutes before parade time for a brief rehearsal and marching orders. Everyone is welcome to join in.

Remember to check the web site for up-dates. The schedules are subject to change. Mark your calendars and make your reserva-tions today – June 14 – 17, 2012 – for the love of the accordion.

Seattle Accordion SocialBy Marjorie Rombauer

November 14, 2011The November Social was held at the Gypsy

Trader Cafe as a tribute to Ken Olendorf, whose recent death saddened the accordion community. Barbara Olendorf was in the audience with their son Brian and grandchildren. All the performers were outstanding.

Jim Tobler began the program with one of Bar-bara’s favorites, Por una Cadez, followed by two sam-bas. Then he played an unusual Scott Joplin number, “Solace,” with a left hand bass that sounded like a tango. In answer to a special request, he played his lovely arrangement of Leroy Anderson’s “Serenata.” He concluded with the popular Autobahn polka.

Paul Fedorowitz next remembered Barbara and Ken as a couple and played three sentimental songs, sung by Penelope Donado, with John Giuliani ac-

company-ing and soloing on the bass. The songs: “I Only Miss Him When I Think of Him,” “It’s Easy

to Remember (But So Hard to Forget),” and a Portu-guese song, Triste, meaning sadness, sorrow of the kind one feels when separated from a beloved one. Penelope has a beautiful voice and sings from the heart. Paul and John continued with “Night and Day,” “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” and “There Will Never Be Another You.”

Mul Allen Sanders remembered Ken as a “tre-mendous musician and friend.” When Murl was on the threshold of going pro, he was told that he “must hear” Ken. Murl then played a varied program, “So Lucky to Be Loving You,” “Rickets” (minor Irish dance music with a light-hearted interlude, going faster and faster), “Samba on Preludia” and “Baby, You Heard It From Me.”

Bonnie Birch, Nick Heiting, and John Giuliani played next. Bonnie remem-



bered Ken as a teacher. She had heard him play in an orchestra and consulted him when she wanted to do something different on the accordion – play for ball room dancing. The fi rst number played, “Witchcraft,” was a fox trot that she worked on with Ken. Then they played a slow waltz; an American tango, “Hernando’s Hideaway,” and an Italian number, Los Sorélla (the sister). Then she played another number that she had worked on with Ken, an interesting medley that begins with an Irish dance and leads into “Danny Boy,” with an interlude of bagpipe music and then back to “Dan-ny Boy.” Murl joined the three for a jazzy version of “It Had Better Be Tonight,” and the four concluded with a jam session, playing “Chatanooga Choo Choo” and segueing into “Take the A Train,” with each contribut-ing exciting solos.

December 10, 2011

This eve-ning at the West Seattle Senior Center featured our traditional Christmas pro-gram. It also was dedicated to Ken Olendorf.

(The Petosa’s with Barbara Olendorf. and son Brian)David Locke began the evening with a medley of

Christmas songs, from “The Chipmunk Song,” through “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” to “Let It Snow,” (Did David invite that Janu-ary blizzard??) He then played some tricky num-bers, “Queen of Musettes” and a Polish polka, Doud-lebska, with John Giuliani

joining him on the bass. David concluded with more Christmas songs, “I Saw Santa Kissing Santa Claus” and a jazzy version of “Jingle Bell Rock.”

Next was the new duo, Einar Tapio and Marchette Dubois. They played an international program, begin-ning with the

had a lot of variety, from march-like to delicate. Totally entertaining.

Birgit and Phil also played an international program, beginning with the English song, “I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In.” Then they played the Dutch Christmas song, ze Kins kommt the Stomboat, which tells the story of the arrival of the steam boat that brings the Dutch Santa Claus to Amsterdam to receive the keys to the city. Next was the Scandina-vian number for the dance around the Christmas tree, Pa Logen Sinter Nissen. Then an American song for their Finnish friends, “Silver Bells,” which became a sing-along. They concluded with a waltz, Aku Valssi, for which Phil played his recorder, which has a clear, cheerful sound. For previous numbers, he sang or played the concertina or mandolin. Birgit , of course, played her accordion with her usual aplomb.

Then a special guest arrived – Lyle Schaefer. He said he hadn’t been practicing for a time, but he played up a storm. He began with American Christmas music, “Blue Christ-mas” and “Winter Wonderland” and “Rocking ‘round the Christmas Tree,” with the Schaefer

Brothers’ signature polka, Achtung Los, squeezed in among them. Then a Swiss waltz and more American Christmas music, “Chestnuts Roasting on the Fire,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

Then a special group of guests arrived: Jamie Maschler with her accordion and her tango group, including John Shir on accordion, Jean Sandler on violin, and a wonderful clarinetist (whose name I failed to get), together with dancers Tony Aioc and Pam MacRae.

Petosa Model AM 1100 ESM for sale$9000 OBO

Top of the line artist model in perfect condition. Hand made reeds. Includes two inter-changeable

sets of treble reeds for musette or dry tuning, stereo pickups and cable, mute, extra front grill.

19½” keyboard. Made in 1978. Contact Gerson, 503-260-9851

[email protected]



signature song for the Norwegian Christmas (a paso doble with a German title). Then an Italian waltz and a Norwegian rheinlander “(schottische). They con-cluded with Gypsy music, what Einar called “Russian Tambourine.” It had a lot of variety, from march-like to delicate. Totally entertaining.

Birgit and Phil also played an international program, beginning with the English song, “I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In.” Then they played the Dutch Christmas song, ze Kins kommt the Stomboat, which tells the story of the arrival of the steam boat that brings the Dutch Santa Claus to Amsterdam to receive the keys to the city. Next was the Scandina-vian number for the dance around the Christmas tree, Pa Logen Sinter Nissen. Then an American song for their Finnish friends, “Silver Bells,” which became a sing-along. They concluded with a waltz, Aku Valssi, for which Phil played his recorder, which has a clear, cheerful sound. For previous numbers, he sang or played the concertina or mandolin. Birgit , of course, played her accordion with her usual aplomb.

Then a special guest arrived – Lyle Schaefer. He said he hadn’t been practicing for a time, but he played up a storm. He began with Ameri-can Christmas music, “Blue Christmas” and “Winter Won-derland” and “Rocking ‘round the Christmas Tree,” with the Schaefer Brothers’ signature polka, Achtung Los, squeezed in among them. Then a Swiss waltz and more American Christmas music, “Chest-nuts Roasting on the Fire,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

Then a special group of guests arrived: Jamie Maschler with her accordion and her tango group, including John Shir on accordion, Jean Sandler on violin, and a wonderful clarinetist (whose name I failed to get), together with dancers Tony Aioc and Pam MacRae.

They began with the classic tango, El Choclo. The clarinetist had a prominent part in the next num

They began with the classic tango, El Choclo. The clarinetist had a prominent part in the next number, “Romance of Barrio,” and the deep clarinet tones with the vio-lin were particularly beautiful. Then three more tangos, Silueta Portena, a sentimen-tal milonga, and a concluding one that I believe was called “9 de Julio,” the name of a famous avenue in Buenes Aires. Listen-ing to tango music is even more exciting when you can watch the dancers too.

The evening concluded with the traditional group-playing of Christmas music, with Bonnie leading –“Silent Night,” “Silver Bells,” “Jingle Bells” and “Ru-dolph....”

January 9, 2012This Social was again held at the West Seattle

Senior Center. The program began with a lively round of music

from Kory Tideman on his button box, beginning with Limburgia, a number popularized by the Austrian-Belgian player who also popularized the Schneewal-zer. The next number was one his grandfather played, Torador Gubben. Then he played one of his own compositions, “Jack’s Place Polka,” with great bass passages. Next came Magueritte and “Italian Polka.” He concluded with a schottische whose name he could not remember, but I’m glad he remembered the music.



Marjorie Rombauer followed. She began with “Edelweiss Glide,” a concert waltz originally written for the piano. Next, a ballet dance from the opera “Faust.” Then she played three polkas, “French Gaiety” by Waldteufel; a German polka, “Hocus Pocus,” and “Vic-tory Polka,” an American polka written for a Broadway play by Jule Styne in anticipation of the end of World War II.

Birgit and Phil Ages were back again this month with another varied and interesting program. They began with Jenkkah Shottisi (schottische). Next, they played a Swedish number, Min Levens Afton, in a minor key, which is appropriate because it is played on occasions when someone in the community passes away. Phil played his guitar for this number and its deep sounds complimented the high voicing Birgit used on her accordion. Then a humppa, a mixer dance, Heila Karjalasta. Then they played music from Vienna (from a book they found in Germany). The fi rst Vienna number had a bounce, with Phil playing the mandolin and singing (and Birgit singing along sometimes). The second number was a ballad, Da Draussen in der Wachau, which Phil sang. Phil sang the fi nal number, too, “Vienna, City of My Dreams.” The beautiful tone of Birgit’s accordion really came through on this number.

Bonnie Birch and Nick Heiting then played a great (and diffi cult) program, beginning with an Ital-

ian medley, which included La Danza by Rossini and Marechiare, followed by an Italian marzurka called La Gazza. Then they played some popular songs, with Nick singing, “Hello, Dolly,” “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” and one with the lyrics, “Oh my, do I feel high .....” They concluded with one of their classics, “Vanessa,” that ranges from driving to lyrical.

The evening concluded with surprise guests, the Duo Scandinavica, Jim Nelson and Lori Ann Rein-hall. Lori is from Seattle, but Jim comes from Norway. Together, with Jim playing an accordion and Lori signing with a strong, clear voice, they present both traditional and contemporary Norwegian, Swedish and other Scandinavian music. Jim actually grew up in the U.S. Midwest and attended the University of Wash-ington, where he and Lori met, but then he returned to Norway. They were reunited three years ago. Lori is working on translations of the Norwegian and Swed-ish song lyrics to English. With Jim accompanying, Lori sang several of the 26 verses of the amusing Oli Oliyanda, followed by By Jimini, “I Wait Here by My Cold Heart,” and a famous Swedish song based on “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose.” (My apologies if my spelling of the song titles is in error.) They con-cluded with a Norwegian song celebrating the beauty of the Norwegian landscapes (“Today–our day–the best day of our lives.”) Then Jim played two waltzes, Kostervalsen (Swedish) and Vaagaavalsen (Norwe-gian). Theirs was a most enjoyable performance.

Jazz Eastside meets 3rd Tuesday every month 7:30 PM

at Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Bellvue, WA.

Contact Cooksie for Questions at 425-828-9104.



By the Way – From Doris Osgood

Bonnie Birch writes, “Opportunity Knocks”. You never know when a great opportunity will present itself. I attended a concert featuring Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo, two of the most fabulous guitar play-ers you would ever want to hear (look them up on the web). After the concert, I talked to them and asked if they ever played with an accordion player. They have recorded with Julian Labro, the virtuoso accordionist from Detroit. After a nice conversation, I was asked to play a couple tunes with them on Jan. 15th at Seattle’s prestigious performance hall, The Triple Door. After a brief (5 min.) run-through before the performance, we performed “Hungarian Dance No. 5” and “Besame Mucho”. The performance was great, the audience cheered, and I was thinking to myself, “All the prac-tice, studies, hard work, and sacrifi ce was worth it for these special 8 minutes with these musicians”.

There are continued reports on research stating that the brain’s musical pathways remain intact longer, even after speech and short-term memory fade. This has special signifi cance for those who perform for care and rehab centers. Music is becoming part of the therapy for wellness and for improved quality of life. The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function in New York recommends playing songs that were popular when patients were young. Its website, www.imnf.org includes Top 10 lists by era in its “outpatient services” section.

The Alpenfest is returning to Wallowa County Oregon in September. The Swiss/Bavarian had a 33 year run before the organizers got tired of putting it on and dropped the festival in 2008. But, people have missed it and realized that is was good for their tourism based economy. In the past the Alpenfest took place exclu-sively at and around the century-old Edelweiss Inn, a onetime dance hall and roller rink beside the Mount Howard Tramway near the south shore of Wallowa Lake. September’s revival will include events there and in the towns of Enterprise and Joseph. The event will have music, dancing, blowing the Alpen-horn, Swiss/Bavarian cuisine, handmade bratwurst and mugs of special Bavarian beer crafted by Ter-minal Gravity Brewery in Enterprise. Also there will be yodeling, crafts and a screening of “The Sound of Music”. I can’t think of a more beautiful place to be in early autumn. For information check: oregonalpenfest.blogspot.com or call Wolf @ 541-432-8215. Septem-ber 27 – 30.

Corky Bennett writes that "The Great American

Squeeze Off," scheduled for April, has been removed. The event was cancelled this year due to economic realities. Folks are concerned about travel costs to Reno. Everyone hopes that next year will be different.

On a much more positive note, another larger event has taken priority. Accordion Heroes will be held in Fredericksburg, Virginia on Jun, 20-23. This is an ex-citing, super-sized event honoring the legacies of Dick Contino and Anthony Galla-Rini. It will include scholar-ships for young aspiring artists, national vendors, and interaction with the top pros. This will be the premier accordion event of the eastern USA. All of the details can be found at www.accordionheroes.com.

We are very excited about this event and are hon-ored to have been asked to co-produce the affair. As usual, the lovely and beautiful Monica will be available toll-free at 1-855-266-9847 to take your reservations.

Alicia Baker writes about her October, 2011 con-cert at the Oregon State University: “The symphony performance was really amazing. I performed the 3rd movement of Nikolai Chaikin's Accordion Concerto in B fl at Major. The movement is very exciting with a polka like feeling in the beginning, followed by a beau-tiful waltz melody, and also some diffi cult classical elements and cadenzas. The rehearsals went quite well, but the performance took it up a whole notch. The audience was quite thrilled with it, as I received a standing ovation and an extra bow. I had never played in that large of an auditorium, and there was a very large audience as well. Besides the evening concert to paying customers, I also played for a children's concert where some 600 children fi lled the auditorium to hear my concerto along with a few other numbers. A few children were interviewed after the concert, and one of them mentioned that the accordion was their favorite part of the concert (I'm sorry I couldn't fi nd the direct quote online!). It was so neat to play for such a large audience of children, as I believe they are the ones we need to be getting interested in playing! Overall it was a thrilling experience. I would love to learn the whole concerto, and perform it with other symphonies. Many of the orchestra players commented to me that they really enjoyed playing the music, and that they thought I should be playing the piece with lots of other symphonies. I really had no idea how the performance would be received, and I was so excited that people enjoyed the accordion in this somewhat odd setting! I think there is a recording of my performance; I hope to get my hands on it!

As for the rest of the term, after my performance on October 13, I didn't do much other accordion playing.



The fi nal 7 weeks of term were fi lled with vocal perfor-mance and piano accompaniment. As for the next few months, I'll be doing the NAMM show again this Janu-ary with Roland, which is a real honor. It's huge event with many big music companies, and I'm so excited to get to represent them there. Other than that, I keep the accordion to a minimum during school as my em-phasis in studies is actually on voice and piano. Still, I love all three!”

Memories of Joe Smiell have fi lled my mind recently. After having met him in Leavenworth, I’d assumed that his main instrument was the button box. NOT SO. He was a classically trained musician and played a wind instrument with a symphony for many years. He toured with a Russian bass singer and Russian string ensemble; the group came to Pacifi c University in Forest Grove. I knew Joe was part of the group but thought that he would be playing button box. As it turned out, the curtain opened with the instrumen-talists on stage. Joe was in their midst with a piano accordion. The bass singer, who was a giant of a man totally outfi tted in full length fur coat and hat, came to the stage and began a really wonderful program. What I didn’t know at that moment was that Joe had arranged ALL of the instrumental music and had pro-vided handwritten parts for each of the string players. They did a medley which included “Moscow Nights”; it was especially nice. I asked Joe if I could see his ac-cordion arrangement. He gladly shared. It turned that he was looking only at a lead sheet! All of the great stuff I was hearing was improvisation!

It’s so exciting to know that a presti-gious, international accordion competi-tion will be held in Spokane, Washing-ton in October. Un-der the leadership of Patricia Bartell the Trophy Mon-diale will be held

for the fi rst time in the United States. Patricia has a lot of responsibility and is charged with raising a daunting amount of money for the event. Check www.worldtro-phyaccordion.org Details will be coming soon.

It’s time to begin planning for your summer. The 19th

Leavenworth International Accordion Celebra-tion will be June 14 – 17, 2012. The workshops and concerts are nearly fi nalized; it’s going to be excit-ing. Note the changes and adjustments for this year. There is a slight change to the age requirements for the Variety competition categories. Also the bursary

program for competitors age 18 and younger begins this year. The NWAS is on its own to make the event happen. We need your support and participation more than ever. I hope to see you there for the love of the accordion.

Remember to submit your articles and other informa-tion to our magazine address: NWAS News 5102 NE 121st Ave Unit 12, Vancouver, WA 98682

Check the web site, www.nwasnews.com for current events and updates.

SPRING ACCORDION SOCIAL

FOREST GROVE, OR

Sunday, April 22, 20121:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Forest Grove Senior and Community Center

2037 Douglas StreetForest Grove, OR

Admission: adults $5.00Hosted by Doris Osgood

For the Northwest Accordion Society

Listeners Always Welcome!

You are invited to bring your accordion and your friends to an afternoon of accordion music. We sign in to play and perform in the order in which

we register. Young players are always guaranteed a slot and could change the order. Remember, we have no featured performers and that guests have come for the program. Play 2 of your favor-ite selections or one lengthy piece. There will be a 50/50 drawing benefi ting our scholarship fund,

light refreshments, and visiting. Remember to join us, just for the fun of it! For information contact

Doris Osgood at 503-357-0417. [email protected]

Accordion Socials in Forest Grove are always the 4th Sundays in April and October.



Cory Pesaturo Performs on TV and in Concerts

By Rita Davidson Edited for this publication

Cory Pesa-turo has been very busy performing all over the USA and the world! Fol-lowing are some of the activities he was involved in and will be part of in the year to come.

At the fi nale of the 2011 October Columbus Day Parade Cory Pe-

saturo joined hosts Maria Bartiromo and Joe Piscopo, the Grand Marshal Joe Plumeri, and 2011 American Idol Singer Pia Toscano on the red carpet performing Frank Sinatra’s classic hit “New York, New York”. The performance was broadcast on TV and Cory was also interviewed from the broadcast booth which was an excellent promotion for the accordion.

In January 2012 Cory will perform at the Borsini Exhibit at the 2012 NAMM Show in California, Janu-ary 17-22, 2012. This will be Cory’s 4th appearance at this music trade show.

Cory is presently involved in a Pop Project with violinist Yasmine Azaiez. You can see their amaz-ing performance on Youtube. In this video, you will see and hear Cory, in a very “cool” performance with singer/violinist Yasmine. Very appealing to the young-er crowd and those interested in the latest music on the pop scene.

One of Cory’s newest connections is his associa-tion with world renowned, classical and jazz artist, trumpet player, Wynton Marsalis. Wynton Marsalis is an internationally acclaimed musician, composer, band leader, educator and a leading advocate of American culture. He is the world’s fi rst jazz artist to perform and compose across the full jazz spectrum from its New Orleans roots to bebop to modern jazz. Just like Yo Yo Ma, Wynton likes the accordion, espe-cially the way Cory plays! Stay tuned for future col-laborations between Wynton and Cory!

Cory has won the 2009 Coupe Mondiale Digital Accordion Champion and the acoustic TV Interna-tional Primus Ikaalinen 2011 Accordion Competition.

Cory Pesaturo is a graduate of the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA, where he was the fi rst musician ever to major and graduate in the accordion. Accordion Legend Dick Contino said, “Of all the accordionists I’ve seen over the years, Cory is the one to pass the torch to, the only one who has all the tools to bring the accordion back to its former glory.”

Cory released his new CD, “Zulu Time”, an acoustic trio of big music for a small world. (Boston Trio of World Music). The group performs sparkling arrangements of compositions by Bela Bartok, Gus Viseur, Astor Piazzolla, Hermeto Pascoal, Robert Schumann, Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter, and Michael Brecker. Their repertoire spans genres from Jazz, Musette, Tango, Klezmer, folk music of Bulgaria and Macedonia, Classical, and original compositions.

Its members have performed in Canada, the United States, the U.K., Finland, France, Spain, Italy, South Africa, India, New Zealand, and Japan. Zulu Time has been featured in performances at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI, with acclaimed drummer Bob Guillotti, at the Mendenhall Scholarship concert at the Waldorf School in Lexing-ton, MA, and at the Longy School of Music.

Zulu Time began as a chance meeting outside a Cambridge Coffee House in 2001. Since then, they have cemented a dynamic onstage chemistry with an omnivorous musical appetite that is slightly irreverent but deadly serious. Violinist Gabriel Solomon, Bass-ist Richey Tally, and accordionist Cory Pesaturo are classically trained, improvisationally oriented, and fun addicted. Zulu Time is the only group in Boston to include an amateur meteorologist, race car enthusi-ast, and world champion accordionist – and that’s just Cory! They will release their self-titled debut recording in 2011.

Pesaturo’s extensive resumé includes appear-ances at the White House for President and Mrs. Clinton on 4 different occasions. On one of those occasions, he became the youngest person ever to perform at a State Dinner. He has since performed at 6 events for the Clintons and continues to keep in touch as proved by his 12 letters from the First family. A recent letter of congratulations to Corey by former President Bill Clinton is linked - 2011Clinton. The let-ter is a little inaccurate referring to the International TV Primus Ikalinen competition as a World Champion-ships but is a notable letter for the personal handwrit-ten note to Corey of encouragement and saying “I like your playing.”

Because of his fi rst performance, Cory is fea-tured in Mrs. Clinton’s book “An Invitation to the White



House”. In 2009 alone, Cory performed in 5 different continents, from Italy, to Canada, to New Zealand, to Japan and Tunisia.

At 11, Pesaturo opened at the former Warwick Musical Theater for the ill Myron Floren, and later that year performed at the Sergio Franchi Memorial Concert where he has now performed for 10 consecu-tive years. In July 2002 at age 15, Cory became the youngest ever National Accordion Champion. A win in a concerto competition at the New England Conserva-tory of Music gave Pesaturo the rare opportunity to perform at the 2003 Christmas Pops Concert with the Brockton Symphony Orchestra as a featured solo-ist, where he became the youngest accordionist to ever solo with a symphony orchestra. Cory performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, which this performance can actually be seen on YouTube.

Concerning his Jazz side, Pesaturo recorded two CD’s with saxophone legend George Garzone and his famous band “The Fringe”, and has been performing with them in the Boston and Providence region. It has been said across the globe by various accordion and jazz artists, that Cory is undoubtedly the Best Young Jazz Accordionist in the world, which was put into play when he improvised most of his World Championship performance in Coupe Mondiale competition.

Mr. Pesaturo is also heavily involved with the weather and motor sports worlds as well. From 2005 to 2006, he composed the Offi cial list of records set by the inconceivable record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. He has also written the lists for the 2007 and 2008 Seasons as well. Moreover, he has put out a report and list of the 2009-2010 Winter Season for the United States. Furthermore, his mu-sic is regularly played on Formula 1 broadcasts and he is currently working on a Formula 1 book that he believes will change the way people look upon the sports history and its champions.

For further information: [email protected]

Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration

Update from Doris Osgoodwww.accordioncelebration.org

June 14 – 17, 2012Time is passing so quickly; the International

Accordion Celebration will soon be here! The LIAC Committee is excited about the slate of performers and about the adjustments that have been made in the festival.

As most know, I have a keen interest in the com-petition piece of the event, particularly for our young competitors. As a way to encourage our younger ac-cordionists, we will offer a bursary program this year. Our resources cannot match Kimberley, but we are building on the two years’ success we’ve had. The bursaries will be $100. each. Note the requirements in this issue.

Additionally, there will be an adjustment in the “Variety” category of the competition. This category is unique to Leavenworth. The performing require-ments will continue: * each competitor has 8 minutes to play without interruption. *Each competitor is re-quired to play one “old time” piece as part of the per-formance. * Each competitor is free to fi ll the remain-ing time with music from other genres. Light Classical music is not played in this category however. There is still a separate category for classical music. There will be fi ve divisions in the “Variety” category. Note the new age qualifi cations:

V – 1 age 68 and overV – 2 age 50 – 67V – 3 age 19 – 49V – 4 age 13 – 18V – 5 age 12 and under

The music festival will still have the elements we’ve come to love. There will be public performanc-es at the gazebo, an opportunity for organized large group performance at the gazebo, “jam” opportuni-ties at the local restaurants, free performances at the grange, and exciting concerts nightly at the festhalle, workshops, and the accordion parade. The regional Roland Virtual accordion competition will also take place during the music festival.

The offi cial accordion celebration web site is be-ing updated as I write. You will fi nd the concert and workshop schedules plus competition requirements and entry forms. www.accordioncelebration.org You will also fi nd a link from the Northwest Accordion Soci-ety web site: www.nwasnews.com

Finally, the accordion celebration is a labor of love – emphasis on labor! We need volunteers at

Frank Marocco7063 Whitaker Ave

Lake BalboaCA 91406

www.frankmarocco.com140 accordion arrangementsIntermediate and Advanced



The Victoria Accordion Club is 10 years old!The Victoria Accordion Club is 10 years old!Come help us celebrate!

**Join us for our specialOktoberfest anniversary celebration**

Saturday,October 13, 2012in beautiful Victoria, BC Canada details on our website:www.victoriaaccordionclub.com

many different work stations over the span of the event. To volunteer during your stay in Leavenworth contact: Frank Bruchner, [email protected] or Bonnie Birch, [email protected] In May we will begin fi lling the schedule for performances at the gazebo. In May contact Doris Osgood to perform: [email protected] 503-357-0417

LIAC requires our time and it also requires our money. As reported in the winter issue, we have the resources to begin the accordion celebration. Costs continue to rise and we desire to make some positive adjustments to our expenditures. Professional sound personnel will be hired for both the festhalle and ga-zebo. The largest new expenditure is for the bursary program.

Donations from the accordion community are needed for the competition segment for our young players. The program is contingent on our ability to raise additional funds for this purpose. As you are able, we are asking for money specifi cally for the competition bursary program. Your cash gifts may be sent to the Northwest Accordion Society (note for Leavenworth/bursary) 5102 NE 121st Ave. Unit 12

Vancouver, WA 98682-6164. Note the availability of the PayPal method noted on the accordion celebra-tion web site.

We thank you all in advance. Our members and friends have rallied to support the accordion celebra-tion and to support our young competitors. We look forward to that continued support all for the love of the accordion.

WANTED!Photos, Articles, Original Music!

When you go to an Accordion Event - take pictures and write about it! You’re not a writer? Write what

you can and we’ll do the editing!

Send to:NWAS, 5102 NE 121st Ave. Unit 12

Vancouver, WA 98682

Or Email: [email protected]



Debbie Grassman’s Country Stitches

Featuring garments styled in Traditional German fl avor

See our booth at Mt. Angel Oktoberfest

Custom orders 503-845-6204

Trio Voronezh Presents ConcertsBy Rita Davidson

Trio Voronezh is presenting a series of concerts in the USA. The group consists of Vladimir Volokhin on domra, Sergei Teleshev on bayan and Valerie Pe-trukhin on double-bass balalaika.

Trio Voronezh’s virtuosity and artistic innovation gives the trio the ability to alter the way audiences ex-perience classical, folk and contemporary repertoire. Discovered playing Bach in a Frankfurt, Germany subway station, Trio Voronezh has since made sev-eral tours of the U.S., and earned audience and criti-cal praise. Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times sums up a performance: “The traditional pieces soon brought the crowd to life, clapping enthusiastically as the rhythms accelerated and Volokhin’s fi ngers fl ew across his domra. Petrukhin, his body moving in sync with his deep bass notes, and Teleshev, magisteri-ally pulling everything together within the lush sounds of his bajan, completed the picture -- three players, alone on a large open stage, fi lling every crevice with their rich, imaginatively conceived music.”

The trio’s diverse repertoire ranges from the works of Bach, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky to Russian folk songs, gypsy dance music, and popular

songs by Gershwin. Their concert material is arranged by the trio’s members and performed entirely from memory. More recently they have added works by As-tor Piazzolla, Alfred Schnittke, and Shostakovich and Strauss.

Classically trained at the Conservatory in Vorone-zh, Russia, the members Valerie Petrukhin, Vladimir Volokhin (National Champion, All-Russian Domra Competition) and Sergei Teleshev, formed the trio in 1993 in their native working-class city of Voronezh. They play traditional Russian folk instruments: a double-bass balalaika (the three-stringed Russian na-tional instrument, with a triangular body made of fi r), a domra (a three-stringed short-necked ancestor of the mandolin), and a bajan (a chromatic-button accordion, with various registers).

The trio made its U.S. debut at the 1996 Oregon Bach Festival (Helmuth Rilling, Artistic Director), be-coming the sleeper-hit of the summer; the musicians were then immediately invited to return. The fi rst U.S. tour began by bringing down the house on American Public Media’s A Prairie Home Companion with Gar-rison Keillor. The trio went on to perform at Houston’s Society for the Performing Arts; the cities of Ann Ar-bor, Chicago, Portland, and St. Louis; and the Univer-sities of Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska, and Los Angeles; as well as Amherst, Dartmouth College, New York’s Rockefeller University, and Stanford.

The trio made its orchestral debut with the Phoe-nix Symphony Orchestra in a highly successful col-laboration with Doc Severinsen. Since the debut the trio has performed throughout the U.S. with major orchestras, to great acclaim. As San Francisco Clas-sical Voice noted of their return to Stanford University, the players of Trio Voronezh have “clear and purpose-ful dynamics, and never faltered for an instant. Their playing shows a clear sense of ‘we’ve done this a million times but we still love it.’”

Future performances include:Feb. 2…....Hampton, VA 7:30PM at American TheaterFeb.14…...Spring Lake Park, MN 7:30PM at North Metro Performing ArtsFeb.16…...Hibbing, MN 8PM at Mesaba Concert As-sociationMarch 10..Reno, NV 8PM at Pioneer Center for Performing Arts, Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, Laura Jackson, conductorMarch 11..Saratoga, CA 3PM at Montalvo Arts CenterSeveral performances are scheduled in Montana April 12-18

For further information: [email protected]© 2012 Accordion USA. All rights reserved. To

comment on these pages, e-mail the webmaster.



The 62nd Trophée Mondial 2012 will be held in Spokane, Washington, USA from October 23-27, 2012. Experience world class accordion music in Spokane, Washington, the fi rst city to host this presti-gious event in the USA. Patricia Bartell (picture right) of Spokane is one of the organizers of this event.

Frédéric Deschamps (lower picture), President of the Confédération Mondiale de l’Accordéon wel-comes all to attend and participate in the 2012 Confé-dération Mondiale de l’Accordéon in Spokane, Wash-ington. With the World Premiere of Web TV “Channel CMA”, it was possible to follow all seven categories of the 2011 Trophée Mondial. More than 140,000 minutes of music were viewed. All those videos of Trophée Mondial 2011 are available in the library of CMA Channel.

Patricia Bartell (upper picture) holds a B.A. in Music Education and Performance. She teaches ac-cordion and piano full time in Spokane Washington and travels worldwide as an adjudicator, professional performer and teacher. She conducts the Spokane Accordion Ensemble, is involved in an Argentine Tango Quartet (Tango Volcado) and is the guest artist for the Hot Club of Spokane – a fantastic swing jazz group. She performs and teaches a wide variety of music. Patricia is the permanent USA delegate (and a

member of the jury) for the international competition of the CMA Trophée Mondial, one of the very important international accordion competitions held annually.

The Executive Committee of the CMA also includes: Raymond Bodell - Vice President, Jacques Mornet - Secretary General, Alexander Se-livanov - Chairman of the Artistic Committee and Anna Bodell - Administrator.

The CMA constantly tries to expand and has made every effort to be global since the re organiza-tion of its Executive Board in 2005. Many new delega-tions have joined the CMA such as Lithuania, New Zealand, Chile, China, among others: the United States - the host of the 2012 Trophée Mondial. This is the fi rst time the Trophée Mondial will be in North America, thanks to the talent and determination of Patricia Bartell and her dedicated team.

To fi nd all the information Rules, Regulations and procedures for registration (Entry Forms), Proposed timetable ,Visa Application information, information on hotels (Accommodation), transportation to get to Spokane (Spokane Travel) and all the necessary con-tacts of the Executive of the CMA are available on the CMA website. Important information: A hosting system “home stay” has been organized for candidates who wish to be accommodated in a family home.

Candidates will therefore pay NO FEES for ac-commodation, food and transport to the place of the contest. Only travel costs to the Trophée Mondial will remain the responsibility of the candidate. Host fami-lies will take the candidates to the various rooms and activities of the competition and will also help them explore the city and surrounding areas at the conve-nience of candidates. For candidates who do not want to be housed in family homes, there is a list of hotels with special rates in the section about accommoda-tions.

For further information: Patricia [email protected]



Letting ‘The Portatos’ Out of the BagArticle Submitted by “Chip” (aka Corrie Sams)

If you were to peek into Able to Play Studio on a Monday night, you would fi nd a group of fun-loving youngsters (ages 12-24) enthusiastically playing their favorite instrument – the accordion. They are known as The Portatos; a musical term which, by the way, happens to sound like potato. Sporting aliases like ‘Curly Fry’, ‘Couch Potato’, and ‘Spud’, they are on a mission to prove that the accordion is not the same stereo-typed instrument that most people think of. To them, the accordion is both modern and cool.

Since the beginning of 2011, The Portatos have been playing together under the direction of renowned accordionist and instructor Patricia Bartell. Past ven-ues include the Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration and the Spokane Fall Folk Festival where they were thrilled to be part of the KPBX live radio broadcast.

Many exciting events are on the horizon for this group of young musicians. They will be competing in both the Leavenworth and Kimberly BC competitions as well as helping to promote the World Trophy Ac-cordion Championships (Trophée Mondial) that will be hosted in Spokane this October 23-27, 2012. Current-ly, The Portatos are preparing for their appearance in the free KPBX Kid’s Concert on April 14th at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane. With costume changes, choreography, and songs from around the world, it may prove to be a show to remember.

You can follow our activities on our Facebook page or our website: www.portatos.com

About the Seattle Accordion ClubBy Bonnie Birch

The Northwest Accordion Society has been holding a once-a-month gathering of accordion players and ac-cordion fans for over 20 years. First hosted by Seattle’s great accordionist, Ken Olendorf (1931 – 2011), the ”club” has continued with the leadership of Jim Tobler and Bonnie Birch and assistance by helpful members. We fi rst met at a European bistro in Burien called the European Connek-tion. We moved in 1999 to the West Seattle Senior Cen-ter (WSSC) which has had a wonderful following of loyal accordion fans. Our programs are always a great pleasure and to attract more fans, we decided to alternate our so-cials with a location in north end Seattle. (Some people feel West Seattle is like going to another state, especially with the challenging Seattle commute).

We are very pleased to announce that we will be hold-ing some of our socials at the beautiful Swedish Cultural Center. We will use the 3rd fl oor room with its large picture windows and beautiful view of Lake Union. There is even a small dance fl oor. Our socials are open to anybody that would like to come. We charge $5 at the door (those under 18 are free).

The Northwest Accordion Society is a non-profi t orga-nization dedicated to promoting the image of the accordion and excellent accordion playing. We use what money we take in to sponsor the Day of the Accordion, the Leaven-worth International Accordion Celebration, our quarterly magazine, and scholarships for young accordion students.

Here are the details for 2012:Date/Time: 2nd Monday of the month music: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. - - be there early

West Seattle Senior Center (WSSC)4217 S.W. Oregon Street Seattle, WA 98116 Phone: (206) 932-4044 Contact: John Giuliani (425) 255-2121 Birgit Ages (206) 368-9720 backup: Bonnie Birch (206) 622-4786 Cost: $5

Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 Phone: (206) 283-1090 Contact: Birgit Ages (206) 368-9720backup: Bonnie Birch (206) 622-4786 Laura Gardner (206) 328-6552 Cost: $5

Jan 9 – WSSC Feb 13 – Swedish CCFeb 25 (Sat) - Day of the Accordion at the Crossroads Mall, Bellevue, WAMar 12 – WSSC Apr 9 - Swedish CC May 14 – WSSC June 11 - Swedish CCJune 14 - 17 - Leavenworth International Accordion Cel-ebrationJuly, Aug – off Sept 10 – WSSC Oct 8 – WSSC Nov 12 - Swedish CC Dec 10 -WSSC



Coupe Mondiale in Victoria 2013

Aleksandar Milojevic, president of the Victoria, BC Accordion Society signs contract in Shanghai to host the international

Coupe Mondiale accordion competition in Victoria in 2013.w

The annual event - for both professional and young players - is a world championship, considered the accordion equivalent of the Olympics, Milojevic said. This will be the fi rst time it has been held in Canada.

Milojevic said the Victoria Coupe Mondiale will attract hundreds of the world’s top accordionists, as well as a few thousand spectators travelling from Europe, the U.S., China, Australia and other countries.

Originally, the 2013 Coupe Mondiale was to be hosted by Holland. Milojevic said Dutch organizers ran into fi nancial problems, thus allowing other countries to vie for the honour.

Victoria’s Milojevic, originally from Serbia, competed in the Coupe Mondiale when he was young, later working as a promoter for music, theatre and other arts events. His wife, Jelena Milojevic, is among of the world’s leading female accordionists, having won a 2003 world competition in Italy.

In RemembranceCoral Natta wrote, “I wanted to let you know that my father, Hal Brakebush, passed away October 7, 2011. He was 88 years old. He received your maga-zine and may have even participated in your accor-dion events. His mother purchased his accordion for him when he was a teenager, I believe. He played all his life for family and church functions. He even had a CD made of him playing which, of course, is a treasure to have now. He loved music, played a little piano---boogie base, but mostly he was a composer of songs. He has many CD’s of his work with Studio Bard and has music available on amazon.com and iTunes. The current Portland Magazine, University of Portland from where he graduated has a music issue and Dad’s music was selected for the CD that ac-companies the magazine. My dad’s producer and ar-ranger of his songs, is starting a foundation for young composers to get their music heard. As I get more information, about how people might contribute to that non-profi t, I will let you know. You can contact me at 503 652 1936.”Just before Christmas I received a call from Wilbur Gulbranson of Columbia Falls, MT. December 15 he lost his beloved wife, Jean Gulbranson, after an extended period of illness.

Some of you may know Jim and Ann Taylor from Sutherlin, Oregon. Jim Taylor passed away recently after a brief illness ; he was 84. At one time Jim and Ann performed together Jim played accordion and Ann played banjo. They were members of The Accor-dion Club of Roseburg. They attended Leavenworth and Kimberley accordion events and many events around the country over the years. Jim was sent off at the Roseburg National Cemetery on December 7, 2011 with patriotic songs played by accordionists; Karen Cordell and Lavonne Knapp.The last address I had for Ann Taylor is, 800 S. State Street, #80 Sutherlin, OR 97479.

We just learned of the death of Roy Gasselsdorfer. He died in an automobile accident; a remembrance will be included in our summer issue.

Are you ready for Spring? Start your Spring Cleaning by pulling out the music you haven’t played for a while. The practice and polish a tune or two to play at the upcoming Socials and Accordion Events.

Need some new music? Contact one of our Spon-sors! Or attend one of the events where there will be LOTS of music to purchase (or swap with another accordionist!)

Change of Address?

Please contact NWAS when you have a change of address - email [email protected] or send a note to NWAS, 5102 NE 121st Ave. Unit 12, Vancou-ver, WA 98682



World Accordion Day Will Be Here In MayBy Harley Jones

To performers, accordion orchestra leaders, fes-tival, concert and competition organizers: What are your plans to promote the accordion in your region on World Accordion Day, 6th May 2012?

World Accordion Day is held on 6th May because that is the day the accordion was fi rst patented in 1829 in Vienna. World Accordion Day started in 2009 and everyone is urged to register their World Accordi-on Day activity on the website and send a report (and pictures) after the event.

World Accordion Day is a Confédération Interna-tionale des Accordéonistes (CIA) international pro-motion and CIA President Raymond Bodell said “ALL accordion events celebrating World Accordion Day are welcome. This is a promotion for the accordion in which every accordion enthusiast can participate and help bring the accordion to the attention of the people of their country or region. I particularly ask all major associations and events organizers to plan a special promotion for the weekend of 6th May 2012.”

For further information email: [email protected]

In Remembrance

Photo by Steve Mobia.

Beloved accordionist, composer, conductor and arranger, Joe Smiell, died January 31, 2012, after a brief illness. Joe was widely known for his forte on the button box. He’d adjudicated in Leavenworth as well as conducted workshops there. He brought his Accordion Chamber Ensemble to Leavenworth one year; he’d written and arranged nearly all of the music for their concert. It was reported that he con-ducted his Accordion Chamber Ensemble (ACE) in San Francisco for the last time only one week before his death.

Joe was a talented musician and touched many people with his love for music and his love for the accordion. He will be greatly missed.

The Northwest Accordion Society extends sincere sympathy to family and to his San Francisco area accordion family and the Fontana Button Box Club. Your messages of care and encouragement may be sent in care of: Lynn Ewing, President of the San Francisco Accordion Club (SFAC): [email protected] You may also send your cards in care of Joe’s son: Joseph Smiell 812 Bantry Way Benica, CA 94510



Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration 2012

A Music Festival for the entire family Join us in Leavenworth, Washington

June 14 – 17, 2012For the love of the accordion

Happy Anniversary, Petosa Accordions for 90 Years1922 - 2012

Welcome New Members

Helen Archuletta, Dayton, OHCaleigh Baertlein, Spokane, WAPaul Berlant, Windsor, CARon Griffi n, San Diego, CAMarga Kerr, Pasco, WA Lenni Luzzi, Kirkland, WA Ed Malesich, Butte, MTJohn Martin, Hurst, TXJanet Nicholaus Port Angles WAHelen Purkerson, Saint Helens, OR

Remember, you are welcome to give gift memberships! The membership form is on the last page of this publication.

Is your NWAS membership due for renewal? Check the label on the back page! You can also request a

PDF instead of or in addition to a hard copy!



Accordion Events CalendarBy Doris Osgood

[email protected]

NORTHWEST ACCORDION SOCIETY SOCIALS SEATTLE, WA2nd Monday monthly: March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11 Contact: John Giuliani 425-255-2121 or Birgit Ages 206-368-9720 Back up contact: Bonnie Birch 206-622-4786. Music 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM. *note changes of venue in this issue.

NORTHWEST ACCORDION SOCIETY SOCIALSTACOMA, WA2nd Thursday monthly: April 12, May 10, June 14 Lutheran Church 121st & Park Ave. across from PLU Library 7:00 – 9:30 PM contact: Dick Myking 253-537-0136

NORTHWEST ACCORDION SOCIETY SOCIALSFOREST GROVE, OR4th Sundays April and October. Forest Grove Community Center, 2037 Douglas St. Forest Grove, OR. 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM. Contact: Doris Osgood 503-357-0417. [email protected] April 22 and Oct. 28, 2012

ACCORDION CLUB OF CENTRAL OREGONBEND, OR2ND Saturday Monthly, noon – 2 PM Aspen Ridge Retire-ment Home 1010 NW Purcell Blvd, Bend Members provide entertainment one Sunday monthly also. Contacts: Lil-lian Jones, 541-536-1531 [email protected] or Karl Kment, 541-548-0495 [email protected]

ACCORDION JAM IN SANDYSANDY, OR4th Saturday monthly noon – 4 PM meet at Shorty’s Corner Café 2 miles East of Sandy, OR on Hwy 26. Bring accordi-on, music, stand, and snack to share. Coffee provided. All players welcome. Contact Andy Jorgensen 503-668-3917 or 503-975-2380.

ACCORDION CLUB OF ROSEBURGROSEBURG, OR3rd Monday monthly 6:30, 553 Little Valley Rd. RoseburgPres. Karen Cordell 553 Little Valley Rd. Roseburg, OR 97471 541-784-1911 [email protected]

ACCORDION CLUB OF VANCOUVERVANCOUVER, B.C.www.meetup.com/Accordion-Club-of-Vancouvercontact: Haike Kingma, [email protected]

ACCORDION INTERNATIONAL MUSIC SOCIETYSANTA BARBARA, CA2nd Sunday monthly 1 – 3 PM Vale Verde Retirement The-atre 900 Calle de los Amigos, Santa Barbara, CAAIMS P.O. Box 4511 Santa Barbara, CA 93140Info: Heinz Trick 805-685-2260www.santabarbaraaccordions.com

BROOKINGS ACCORDION CLUBBROOKINGS, OR4th Sat. monthly 2-4 PM, Evergreen Federal S&L, 850

Chetco Ave. Brookings, OR, Pres. Cami Meccia 541-469-807

EASTSIDE JAZZBellevue, WA3rd Tuesday monthly, Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 7:30 PM beginning January 2012. Contact: Cooksie Kramer 425-828-9104

EMERALD VALLEY ACCORDION CLUBEUGENE, OR1st Monday monthly: 7:00 – 9:30 PM Veterans’ Memorial Bldg. 1626 Willamette St. Secretary Linda Gunn 541-726-6330 [email protected] V.P. Lou Marzano Social time 6 PM, business 6:45 PM

FAIRBANKS ACCORDION CLUBFAIRBANKS, AKMondays weekly 6 – 8 PM Pioneers Home, open to all free reed instruments. Contact: Christine Upton 907-457-3392

FIVE VALLEY ACCORDION ASSOCIATION MONTANA 5VAA Jams are 1- 5 Pm Pres. Helen Brady [email protected] 11, Rustic Hut, FlorenceMarch 25, Jokers Wild, MissoulaApril 22, Eagles, HamiltonMay 13, Jokers Wild, MissoulaMay 25 -- 27 Joint Camp out with NW at Long PineMontana – NW Accordion AssociationContact Roger Wagner 406- 862-2436 all NWAA Jams 2 – 6 PMMarch 18, Eagles, KalispellApril 1, Elks, PolsonApril 15, Eagles, KalispellMay 6, Elks, PolsonMay 20, Eagles, KalispellMontana – Great Falls Accordion PlayersJams are 1 PM – 5 PMApril 15 – MooseMay 20 – EaglesJune 10 – ElksJuly 15 - MooseContact Pat Sharp for info: 406-452-4546

HUGO’S ACCORDION BANDMT. VERNON, WA2nd and 4th Monday monthly 6:00- 9:00 PMPres. Duane Stowe 757-4826 [email protected] Peterson Rd., Burlington, WA 98233

HOUSTON BAY AREA ACCORDION CLUBHOUSTON, TX2ND Wednesday monthly 5 – 9 PM Joe Brikha, Pres [email protected] www.bayareaaccordionclub.com

MEDFORD ACCORDION CLUBMEDFORD, OR4th Monday monthly 7 - 9 PM: Central Point Senior Center 123 N. 2nd St, Central Point, OR Jeannette Dewey, Pres. 1029 SE Rogue Dr. Grants Pass, OR 97526 541-471-7455



OKANAGAN ACCORDION CLUBKELOWNA, BCTuesdays weekly Sept. – May, Senior Center on RichterInfo contact: Rod Miller 250-317-9088

ROGUE RIVER ACCORDION CLUBROGUE RIVER, OR1st Wednesday monthly. 7 PM Council Chambers Rogue River City Hall, 133 Broadway St. Rogue River, OR. Pres. Margot Turrell 206 Creekside Grants Pass, OR 97526 541-479-9409 [email protected]

ROSE CITY ACCORDION CLUBPORTLAND, OR3rd Saturday monthly. 1 – 5 PM Milwaukie Public Safety Bldg, SE 32nd & Harrison, Milwaukie, OR.* meeting in September 4th Sat.(Sept. 24) Pres. Steve Knapke 503-612-8381 email: [email protected]

SEQUIM ACCORDION SOCIALSEQUIM, WA2nd Sunday, Odd numbered months, 1:00 – 4:00 PM Se-quim Senior Center next meeting September 11 contact: Jeannie Berg- [email protected]

SIERRA NEVADA ACCORDIONSRENO, NVJohn Covarelli, Pres. 775-848-3777, [email protected]

SPOKANE ACCORDION ENSEMBLESPOKANE, WA weekly rehearsals 6- 9 PM Eileen Webber, Pres. 509-290-6858 [email protected]

SPOKANE AND INLAND NORTHWEST ACC. CLUBSPOKANE, WA4th Monday monthly, 1520 W. 3rd and Maple in Spokane, at the Global Credit Union Bldg. Exit #280 off I-90. 6 – 9 PM, $3. at the door

TUALATIN VALLEY ACCORDIONISTS FOREST GROVE, OR1st Sat. monthly 10 AM – 1 PM Forest Grove Library Pacifi c Ave. Contact: Paul and Judy Bria 503-591-0504 [email protected]

YUMA ACCORDION CLUBYuma, AZevery Tuesday, November - March at the Yuma Food Bank at 2404 E 24th Street, Yuma, AZPresident, Coreen Bergholm @ [email protected] or Ginger Purdy @ [email protected]

VICTORIA ACCORDION CLUBVICTORIA, B.C. CANADA1st Sunday Monthly 2:30 PM, Victoria Edelweiss Club108 Niagra St., James Bay District Victoria, BCContact: John 250-386-7282 or 250-477-3098

BUTTON BOX CAMPS JULY AND SEPTfor information contact: Joseph Smiell Jr. 812 Bantry Way

Benica, CA 94510

RCAC ACCORDION CAMP- SILVER FALLS CONFER-ENCE CENTER June 10 - 15, 2012 near Sublimity, OR. Camp treasurer: Marlene Meissner 503-463-9909 [email protected]

LEAVENWORTH INTERNATIONAL ACCORDION CEL-EBRATION June 14 - 17, 2012 Leavenworth, WA. www.accordioncelebration.org www.nwasnews.com

KIMBERLEY OLD TIME ACCORDION COMPETITION KIMBERLEY, BCJuly 9 - 14 , 2012, www.kiotac.ca 1-888-4KIOTAC or 250-427-7318

VICTORIA ACCORDION FESTIVALVictoria, British Columbia July , 2011www.bcaccordion.ca 1-778-433-8700

FAIRBANKS SUMMER ARTS FESTIVALJuly 15 - 29, 2012 on the campus of U. of Alaska Fairbanks. www.fsaf.org contact 907-474-8869

ACCORDION CELEBRATION – Historic Wallace Wallace, ID August 10 - 11, 2012 Michael Bridge and Patricia Bartell featured performerswww.wallaceIdahoChamber.com

COTATI ACCORDION FESTIVALCotati, CA August 18 -19 , 2012 Featuring Dick Contino www.cotatifest.com

COUPE MONDIALEAugust 21 – 25, Spoleto, Italy

ACCORDION EXTRAVAGANZA EDMONTON, ALBERTA September, 2012www.edmontonaccordion.com

INTERNATIONAL ACCORDION CONVENTIONLas Vegas, NV, Sept. 24 - 27 2012 Mardi Gras Style at the Gold Coast Hotel, Las VegasUSA: 1-800-472-1695 outside USA: [email protected]

TROPHY MONDIALEOctober 23 – 27, 2012 Spokane, WA Bing Crosby Theatre www.worldtrophyaccordion.org

The Chester Pietka Scholarships are available for young accordionists. Young people ages 18 and under, taking lessons from a recognized teacher, or wishing to do so, may submit a written request for scholarship funds for the purpose of taking lessons. Requests are to be submitted to Doris Osgood, 3224 B St., Forest Grove, OR 97116 or e-mail [email protected].

In addition to giving personal information, students are to share their interest and their goals for playing the accordion. These scholarships are open to the young people within the Pacifi c Northwest, not just the greater Portland area.



Bell & ReedACCORDIONWOODWIND

* * * REPAIRTUNINGSALES

RENTALSINSTRUCTION

* * *www.bellandreed.com

tel (206) 696-9054115 Prefontaine Pl S (401)

Seattle, WA 98104by appointment

Entertainers in the NorthwestSubmit your public performance schedules to Doris Osgood 3224 B St

Forest Grove, OR 97116 [email protected]

Alpiners USA www.alpinerusa.com with Joe Domitrowich

Juan Barco – BandContact: 23091 23rd Ave. W. Brier, WA 98036425-775-8150; cell 206-356-1878

Corky Bennettwebsite: www.corkybennett.comemail: [email protected]

Bonnie BirchWebsite: bonniebirch.com For scheduling information: write 1107 1st Ave. #1003 Seattle, WA 98101. 206-622-4786, email: [email protected]

Chuck BergerAccordion Repair and Public PerformanceFor information call: [email protected]

Charlie BrownContact: [email protected] hm 253-857-6557cell 253-376-5487

Frank CalapristiWinter schedule at King Ludwig’s, Wed, Thurs. Sun. nights; tour groups as needed For scheduling information write PO Box 1057 Leavenworth, WA 98826 [email protected]

Gary DahlFor scheduling information write 509 Valley Ave. NE #5 Puyallup, WA 98372Phone/fax [email protected]; www.accordions.com/garydahl; www.beltuna.com

Tom Demski (Mr. Flash)For scheduling information write: 518 9th St. SW Puyallup, WA 98371 [email protected]

Folk Voice BandFor scheduling: Birgit Ages 206-368-9720 [email protected]; http://folkvoiceband.comHappy Hans’ Music Hans Rainer, Jr. Feb. 25 Day of the AccordionMarch 3 6 – 10 PM Berliner Pub Renton, WAMarch 10 7 – 11 PM Renton VFWMarch 18 6 – 10 PM Berliner Pub Renton, WAMarch 24 8 – 11:30 PM German House SeattleApril 21 7:30 – 11:30 Austria Club Springfest Lakewood Elks, Lakewood, WAApril 28 8 – 11:30 German House Seattle, WAFor scheduling information write Hans Rainer, JR

24613 231st Ave. SE Maple Valley, WA 98038 425-413-6562 [email protected] WWW.HAPPYHANSMUSIC.COM

Little Bohemian BandCheck web site for details.For scheduling contact: Gene Sadowsky 541-990-3109 email:[email protected] www.littlebohemianband.com 802 NW Quarry Rd. Albany, OR 97321

Greg MeierFri - Sat evenings Mt. Angel Sausage Co. Restaurant 105 N. Garfi eld St Mt. Angel, OR Dec. 31 German/American Club Liedertafel Harmonie New Year’s Eve Dinner/Dance 57th/Sandy Blvd Portland, ORFeb. 17 – 18 Wurstfest Mt Angel, ORFor scheduling information write: 38572 Park Ave. Sandy, OR 97055 503-668-7002. Fax 503-668-1058 [email protected]

Andy Mirkovich Full schedule private engagementsMaster Classes by appointment: 425-451-1256

Murl Allen SandersFeb. 25 8:15 PM Day of the AccordionMarch 10 7 – 10 PM Lakeside BistroMarch 15 – 17 National Accordion Convention Dallas, TX http://www.nationalaccordion.org/June 10 – 14 RCAC Accordion Camp Silver Falls, ORFull schedule private engagements, music projects and teaching. For scheduling information write: [email protected] PO Box 30553 Seattle, WA 98113, 206-781-8196

Lyle Schaefer For scheduling information write: 11704 15th Ave. E Edgefi eld, WA 98372 253-927-7760

Sam’s Variety Gems

Sam Pecorilla: home 541-847-2282, cell 541-321-9088

Smilin’ ScandinaviansMay 6 Pancake Breakfast 10:30 – 11:45 AM Swedish Club SeattleMay 19 8 – 11:30 Sons of Norway Bothel WA



FRONTALINI ARTIST FOR SALE

2/5 Reeds, yes 2/5 Reeds, verifi ed by Tom.Master Switch

Clean, good shape and lightweight.Full size keyboard

Asking $1200, will take offer.Linda 253-846-9150 Tacoma area

June 22 8 – 11 PM Folk Dance Swedish Club Seattle, WAFor scheduling information contact: Toby Hanson11123 216th St. E Graham, WA 98338 253-875-8580 [email protected]://smilinscandivanians.com

Dennis SchadduckChina Jade Restaurant 87th & Greenwood Ave. NSeattle Sunday nights.

Joe SzaboFri – Sat. 6:30 – 9:30 PM Nonna Emilia’s RistoranteAloha, ORFor scheduling information: 13484 SW Devonshire Dr. Beaverton, OR 97005 503-641-2313

Syl’s Ya Sure Ya Betcha Band (WA)Syl’s Arizona Dance Band and Polka BandFull schedule in Mesa and Apache Junction, AZ(Jan.- April, Nov. Arizona Schedule, 480-357-2585)For scheduling: Sylvia Jorgensen, WA contact: 253-845-9321, cell [email protected], www.fjordsong.com

SVEA TrioSvea Trio with the accordions. Richard Svensson and Bjarne Jacobsen206-523-3245, [email protected] www.winwins.com/sveatrio/

NW AccordionairesContact: Cooksie Kramer 425-828-9104

Most of our professional players keep their current and updated performance schedules on their web sites. Advance scheduling is diffi cult and often fl uid. Consult the contact information and web addresses for up to date information. Support them when you can.

Accordionist, Rod Miller and Cowboy Bob Band will perform on Monday night during KIOTAC, 2012

The ATG Annual Festival

The Accordionists and Teachers Guild, Interna-tional (ATG) proudly announces that the 2012 ATG Festival will be held from July 25-29, 2012 at the Hyatt Lisle, 1400 Coporetum Drive in Lisle, (Chicago) Illinois. Mark your calendars.

Hotel Telephone: (630) 852-1234 ;Reserva-tions: 1-888-421-1442 (mention the ATG for special convention rate, available until July 8, 2012) Ho-tel includes complimentary Breakfast buffet for all guests, complimentary Wifi in all rooms, Free Parking, transportation to the train offering frequent service to Downtown Chicago and complimentary pickup and drop-off (times to be arranged) to Oh’are or Midway Airports.

Convention Hotel Rates : Single Occupancy $99.00 plus tax; Double Occupancy $109.00 plus tax; Triple Occupancy $114.00 plus tax; Quadruple Occupancy $119.00 plus tax.

Deadline for Summer issue May 1!



Membership ApplicationAll funds in U.S. Currency

Membership Type:

Regular MembershipNorth America U.S. - $20.00Canada - $25 (U.S. Funds)Outside North America$35 (U.S. Funds)

New Membership

Student MembershipAge 18 and UnderU.S. $15/yearCanada $20/year (US funds)

Renewal

Patron Membership$35/year U.S. funds

Gift Membership from:

Name:

(Please Print)

Street Address:

City:

State: Zip: Country:

Telephone: ( )

E-mail Address: (This will be used for INTERNAL to NWAS only and will not be sold or distributed elsewhere)

I would like to receive the _____Electronic version (PDF) _____Hard copy ____Both types

Please mail to: Northwest Accordion Society, 5102 NE 121st Ave. Unit 12, Vancouver, WA 98682. Include SASE (Self Addressed STAMPED Envelope) for membership card

All funds in U.S. Currency

Northwest Accordion Society

5102 NE 121st Ave. Unit 12Vancouver, WA 98682

www.nwasnews.com

Northwest Accordion Society5102 NE 121st Ave., Unit 12Vancouver, WA 98682-6164

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Current MembersYour membership renewal date is specifi ed on the mailing label. Please assist our volunteer staff by sending in your renewal form before that date.

Change of AddressTo avoid delay and extra cost, send address changes to the above address, or email as soon as possible. There is a $5 charge to resend undeliverable issues.

New MembersWe encourage all individuals interested in supporting, playing, and/or promoting the

accordion to become members.

Membership forms are inside the back cover.

NORTHWEST ACCORDION SOCIETY Membership

5102 NE 121st Ave., Unit 12, Vancouver, WA 98682-6164www.nwasnews.com

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDBRB

northwest accordion news - nwasnews.com · northwest accordion news ... letting the portatos out of...

Documents