TAG 2017 December 6

The December Accordion Party was a blast!

On December 6, 2017, twenty one accordion players and fans came together at The House Restaurant, on Miami Blvd. The party was organized by Keith Sawyer, accordion repairman, and David DiGiuseppe, nationally known accordion player and arranger of music books for Mel Bay.This was so much fun! We’re going to have another one in January or February 2018.

Here are a few photos. We met in a private room at The House called “The Red Room.” In the photos, you can see why–it’s very red. The room has great acoustics! The bar and restaurant are right next door, and a lot of people ate dinner before picking up their accordion.

We started with introductions, going around the circle, and then we mingled for a while and got to know each other (and each other’s accordions!). Then several brave and confident souls played for the group. Here are some photos I took:

Afterwards, David and I brainstormed some ideas for future meetings. Email Keith if you have ideas for the group!

• Inside the accordion: Even longtime players don’t always know what’s inside their instrument. Keith will open up one or two of his accordions, and describe how they work: the various parts, the reeds, reed blocks, and reed sets, and what the mechanisms and switches do.
• Accordion repair basics: Keith will bring some tools and parts, and demonstrate one or two common repairs
• Making an accordion: Different brands are designed very differently. Look inside 3 or 4 accordions, and see the different design decisions made by each manufacturer.
• Master class with David: A group lesson with something special tips that everyone needs to know, experts and beginners both.
• Rehearse and perform a group piece. We’ll bring some arrangements and sheet music.
• History of the piano accordion: Everyone will display their accordion, and we’ll talk about when and where it was made.
• Favorite secrets about being an accordion player: Everyone has little tips they’ve figured out for making playing easier and more fun. shares their little things. We ask them in advance to come with their favorite tips, like:
• Personal stories: A couple of people tell the story of how they were introduced to the accordion, and how they learned to play it.