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NORTHWEST ACCORDIONNEWS

Italo American Mazurka Gary Blair in Castelfi dardo 62nd Trophee Mondiale 2012 To teach is to touch a life forever Launching of New Accordion Teaching Method VOL. 22 NO. 4Northwest Accordion Society Winter Quarter 2012

CONGRATULATIONS SAM THOMAS

1ST PLACE WINNER

Senior Variety Sam Thomas plays petosa exclusively. . .

Northwest Accordion News

Winter 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]

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for this publication may be sent to:Northwest Accordion Society

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


Winter Quarter 20122

Letter from the Editors

Greetings!Have you ever thought about the amount of

work and volunteer hours that are put into an event? Everything from the local socials to a production like Trophee Mondiale requires dedication and effort from a LOT of people. We truly appreciate the volunteers who help out with these events. More are coming up - now is your opportunity to be a part of these rewarding activities (Day of the Accordion, Leavenworth, etc.) Read the articles and contact the organizers. It is very worthwhile!

Make this your New Year’s resolution - to be a part of the TEAMS! (You can help with donations, too.)

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!Judith Ames([email protected])

Quarterly UpdateTable of Contents2 Letter from the Editors2 Quarterly Update3 Letters to the Editor3 Congratulations, Patricia Bartell4 Italo American Mazurka 7 Music review: Trophée Mondial opens in Spokane with fl air 9 62nd Trophee Mondial 2012 10 Can the Simply Music Piano program revitalize the world of accordion?12 ‘The Classical Tradition’, 13 The 65th Coupe Mondiale14 The 2012 Trophée Mondial 19 Gary Blair in Castelfi dardo20 By the Way 22 To teach is to touch a life forever.23 Remembering Robert Troxel24 Keeping up with Cory Pesaturo25 Improvising Chords (Part 2 of 4)26 Thomas stars at accordion competition26 Bartell is the force behind this week’s international accordion fest29 A View From the Wings31 Forest Grove’s Autumn Social33 Seattle Accordion Social 35 Tacoma Accordion Social36 LIAC 201336 Will arrive before you know it!36 June 20 - 23, 201336 By Bonnie Birch38 NWAS Socials in Seattle38 Accordionist receives an award from outgoing Juneau Alaska Mayor38 Welcome New Members40 Accordion Events Calendar42 Entertainers in the Northwest

Dear Members,My life has been a bit unusual since July and I

feel like I missed the summer entirely. Autumn here in Forest Grove has been glorious. That made up for lost time.

I wish to thank you all for your prayers, cards, emails, and phone calls these last months. My breast cancer treatment has moved along on schedule. I’ve had surgeries and have fi nished radiation. Now I’m on to the next leg of the treatment, oral medication. It has meant a lot to me to have the support from all of you during this experience. It’s a stressful, emotional journey, but I’m moving forward. Thanks.

We all congratulate Patricia Bartell and her team in Spokane for a successful international accordion competition. Patricia shared that the fund-raising goal was met and that she was able to pay the bills! Those of us involved with the Leavenworth celebration know that kind of relief. The international community praised all aspects of the Trophee Mondial in Spokane. Patricia gave it some “American” charm and attention to detail that the contestants and jurors had not experienced at previous competitions. We are proud of her accomplishment. Our pride goes even further. Sam Thomas, the only American competitor to place, placed fi rst in the senior variety division. Sam also hails from the Inland Empire. Kudos all around.

By the time you receive this publication, the Day of the Accordion will be only two months away. Note that DOTA will be at the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue again. As you may know, the Seattle Center is under renovation and the Center House is not available to us this year. It is possible that DOTA will return there in 2014. Details are not fi rm about the performers and schedule as I write. Check the NWAS web site by February 1 for that information. As we noted last year, the Crossroads Mall brought an entirely different audience than the Center. After last year’s experience, the venue can be used more effectively. DOTA is always a good time.

The Northwest Accordion Society will put on the Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration again in Leavenworth, Washington June 20 – 23, 2013. Bonnie Birch is working with potential performers. The “short list” has great entertainers. The issue is their schedules and our budget! Scheduling is the larger issue. As mentioned in this publication, begin checking the offi cial LIAC web site after January 1 for updates and information. That will be posted as confi rmation is made. www.accordioncelebration.org

Another international competition is scheduled for the region in the summer, 2013. The 66th Coupe



Mondiale will be held in Victoria, British Columbia. Having TWO international competitions on the continent within only a few months is incredible. 2013 looks to be a great year for the accordion.

In this issue we are pleased to provide an original composition by the late Frank Marocco. Frank had been very generous with his music over the years and had provided a number of compositions for the Northwest Accordion News. Though Frank had authorized the use of some remaining pieces, we are especially thankful that his wife, Ann, has also given her permission for our publishing the music.

The Mesa Accordion Event is coming soon. No longer referred to as the Frank Marocco Event, Dan Grauman is organizing this as a special tribute/memorial to Frank. The “campers” will determine the destiny of the desert accordion camp during their stay. Frank had arranged long ago for Stas Venglevski to assume the teaching and musical leadership of the camp in the event of his inability to fulfi ll his role. Frank trusted only Stas with that responsibility. With the publishing of Frank’s mazurka, we also honor Frank too.

For those in the Seattle area, note the schedule and planned entertainment for the monthly socials. The sites will bounce from the West Seattle Senior Center to the Swedish Cultural Club. The specifi cs are in this publication; join the group when you can.

As this year ends, we thank our regular contributors and our faithful advertisers. Colleen Halverson has worked diligently for us to ensure that we have the advertising support that keeps this publication in the black. Our computer expert, Judith Ames spends long hours managing our membership roster and formatting the publication each quarter – after her “day job”. Ron Ostromecki provides beautifully engraved music; we are so grateful that he shares his skill with us. The Northwest Accordion News is published by a small volunteer staff; the hours that the three of us log are considerable. We are gratifi ed that this magazine style newsletter is highly regarded for its quality. We thank you all for your encouragement and support.

I didn’t mean to drone on and on. George Will once wrote that he was sorry for writing a long letter; he didn’t have time to write a short one! There’s my excuse. I wish you all a joyful holiday season, lots of LIVE accordion music, and good health in 2013. The coming year is fi lled with great events. Mark your calendars today. Let’s keep the accordion in the public’s view and enjoy the experience as we do – for the love of the accordion.Doris [email protected]

Letters to the Editor

Dear NWAS,Thank you so much for the wonderful magazine!

It is full of information and I keep reading it over and over again.Paula Wallenius, Woodinville, WA

Dear NWAS,Thank you for all your hard work in keeping this

publication going.Cheryl McGinley, Tonasket, WA

Dear NWAS Editors,You are truly amazing! How can you top the qual-

ity of this publication time after time is beyond belief! Thanks so much. Doris, you and Judith form a team that just can’t be beat!

I am enclosing a check for my renewal. As one of the few that still needs a “hard” copy. I have to mention that I save every issue.Randall A. Tron, Sumner, WA(Editors note: We truly appreciate your comments and support. People can receive the hard copy, PDF or both.)

5 Valley Accordion Club with Guest Performer Walter Grob from Auburn, CA playing at the County Fair in

Hamilton, MT. August 2012

Congratulations, Patricia Bartell

All of us in the Northwest Accordion Society con-gratulate you and your team for putting on a “world class” international accordion competition. The fund raising efforts, master planning, and unique details ensured the success that was apparent to all who could attend. Many described the experience as “one in a lifetime”. The international community of accordionists and jurors also noted the quality and the uniqueness of the competition. Congratulations; well done.



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Music review: Trophée Mondial opens in Spokane with fl air

By Larry Lapidus, Spokane WashingtonOctober 25, 2012

For the past sixty-one years, students and teachers of the accordion have come together for the Trophée Mondial (“World Cup”) de l’Accordeon, a competition extending over several days in which contestants are judged for their excellence in various categories of performance: classical, variety, and now digital. These meetings have taken place all over the world, but never until this year in the United States. Thanks largely to the inspirational leadership of Patricia Bartell, head of Able to Play Studio, and a brilliant performer in her own right, representatives from Chile, Kazakhstan, Canada, Russia, China, Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand, Europe and The United States have converged on Spokane Washington for the sixty-second competition for the Trophée Mondial.

A gala concert celebrating the opening of the com-petition was offered Monday night at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. As befi t the occasion, the musical portion of the program was preceded by greetings to the international attendants by Mayor David Condon and Hannah White, constituent relations liaison of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers, and by a gracious welcome from the President of the Confédération Mondiale de l’Accordéon, Frédéric Deschamps.

Following a trooping of the colors by the US Ma-rine Corps color guard and the singing of the National Anthem, soprano Marsha Schlangen led the audience in our unoffi cial anthem, Irving Berlin’s God Bless Amer-ica. Then, accompanied by the Spokane Symphony, conducted by Music Director Eckart Preu, Spokane’s Kinderchor (dir. Sharon Smith) performed a song entitled Here in This Land written especially for the occasion by Kasia Haroldsen and very sensitively arranged by Wil-liam Berry. Kinderchor sang with beautiful tone, splendid diction and great energy, providing an inspiring transition to the musical performances that followed.

The entire house was lit up by the brilliance of Pietro Adragno, a former winner of the Trophee Mondiale. In the hands (and arms) of a mediocre café accordionist, the pieces he programmed, Oczy Czarne (“Dark Eyes”) and Tico Tico would be tired war horses. Ignited by his barely believable virtuosity and dynamic stage presence, they transmitted an electric current through the audi-ence, bringing us to our feet shouting, and reminding us of what the competition is all about: the cultivation and promotion of great talent, so that it can provide joy to audiences all over the world.

Accompanied by the strings of the Spokane Sym-phony, again under Preu’s direction, the current holder

of the Trophée Mondial, New Zealand accordionist Grayson Masefi eld performed Picasso’s Guernica by Gorka Hermosa. The piece effectively represents the violence and terror of that famous painting, and amply demonstrates the communicative power of the instru-ment in the hands of a master. Masefi eld is not only a most impressive artist, but also a generous and sup-portive one, since he has traveled from New Zealand to serve as a judge at the competition.

The audience spent the remainder of the evening swaying to the music of Tango Volcado, a tango salon orchestra comprised of Patricia Bartell, accordion, Tana Bland, violin, Kendall Feeney, piano, and Eugene Jablonsky, string bass and guitar. All the members are seasoned professionals with followings here and abroad, who play marvelously together, without sacrifi cing the individual sonorities and energies that make each a real artist. The group performed eight celebrated tangos by the likes of Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla, each of which raised the listeners’ pitch of enthusiasm another notch. It must be said, however, that, without any appar-ent effort to become so, Bartell emerged as primus inter pares, by virtue of her hypnotically beautiful tone, and the endless variety of voicing and phrasing she was able to achieve on an instrument that is famous for neither.

The Trophée Mondial runs through Saturday morn-ing at The Bing Theater. Passes for an entire day are available through TicketMaster for only $7.00. Young people who are able to attend may fi nd their lives changed as a result.

Reprinted with permission from the Spokane Spokesman-Review

Emil Haroldson and Grayson Masefi eld at the Trophee Mondial



Mesa Accordion Event (MAE)

The Mesa Accordion Event (formerly Frank Marocco Accordion Event) brings together 50-60

accordionists of all levels from the US, Canada and beyond for 4 days of making beautiful

music. Activities at this gathering, which is housed at the beautiful Arizona Golf Resort,

include daily rehearsals of the orchestra, conducted by world renowned bayanist, composer,

arranger and conductor, Stas Venglevski, culminating in a concert. There are also workshops

and planned evening activities, plus individual and group playing, jamming and more. The

MAE is open only to registered participants, but the final concert is open to the public.

2013 Mesa Accordion Event

DATE: February 14-18, 2013 (registration required)

LOCATION: Arizona Golf Resort, Mesa, AZ

MUSIC DIRECTOR / CONDUCTOR: Stas Venglevski

His artistry, sensitivity, creativity and dazzling technical command, have

brought Stas Venglevski, who stems from the Republic of Moldova, great

acclaim as a virtuoso of the bayan. His repertoire includes original

compositions and a broad range of classical, ethnic, and contemporary

music. He has performed throughout the US and many countries as a

soloist, with duet partners, small groups and symphony orchestras. Stas

has composed and arranged music for, and has conducted accordion

orchestras. He has produced numerous recordings and has published

several books of original compositions. Most recently, Stas was guest

artist and conductor at the American Accordionists’ Association 2012

Festival, which was held in Baltimore, Maryland in July.

MAE Orchestra Concert

Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 7 pm

Arizona Golf Resort, West Ballroom

425 S. Power Rd., Mesa, AZ

Admission - $10

CONTACT: Dan & Joan Grauman, [email protected], 301-662-0203.

AZ Golf Resort Pool 2012 Mesa Accordion Event Orchestra The golf course



62nd Trophee Mondial 2012 – Spokane, Washington, USACompetition Results

Trophée Mondial Senior Classique category: 1st Iosif Purits (Russia) 2nd Alexander Veretennikov (Russia)3rd Laimonas Salijus (Lithuania

Trophée Mondial National Trophée category: 1st Aleksandr Kolomiitcev (Russia)2nd Mo Li (China)3rd Predrag Radisavljevic (Serbia)

Trophée Mondial Junior Classique category: 1st Jiahe Zhang (China)2nd Daniel Viktor Eliasson (Sweden)3rd Zoé Schade Cahen (France)

Trophée Mondial Senior Variété category: 1st Sam Thomas (USA)2nd Aleksandar Kolovski (Macedonia)3rd Liu Zhao (China)

Trophée Mondial Junior Variété category: 1st Matteo Petronio (Italy)2nd José Dias (Portugal) 3rd Jean-Baptiste Baudin (France)

Trophée Mondial Senior Variété Diatonic cat-egory: 1st Marco Leonetti (Italy)2nd Marina Costanzo (Italy)3rd Marco Pomanti (Italy)

Trophée Mondial Digital Diatonic category: 1st Marco Leonetti (Italy)2nd Marco Pomanti (Italy)3rd Stefano De Dominicis (Italy)

Trophée Mondial Junior Variété Diatonic cat-egory: 1st Maryanne Francescon (Brazil)



Can the Simply Music Piano program revitalize the world of accordion?

By Neil MooreExecutive Director and Creator of Simply Music

In October 2012 a historical event occurred. For the fi rst time ever, the prestigious World Accordion Championships, Trophée Mondial, was held in the USA -- in Spokane, Washington. It was a remarkable event, with outstanding performances from competitors who traveled to the USA from all over the world. During the event a presentation took place announcing the launch of a new pedagogy for accordion. The program is Simply Music Accordion, and is a translation and adaptation of Simply Music Piano.

As the creator of that program, I launched Simply Music Piano in January 1998. Since that time, Simply Music has become the world’s largest, playing-based, music-education institution, with Licensed Educators at more than 700 locations throughout the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

In 2010 I was approached by Hohner Corporation, the world’s largest manufacturer of accordions, and asked if it were possible to translate my piano method into a system of learning designed specifi cally for the accordion. I was excited by the opportunity, and honored to participate in the development of a new pedagogy for the instrument. Working in partnership with Hohner, and alongside world-class accordionist Patricia Bartell (who is also a Certifi ed Simply Music Piano teacher), we began the development of Simply Music Accordion. We are now ready to begin training educators to teach the method; and those who successfully complete the training will become Hohner Certifi ed Teachers.

To get more of an understanding of what Simply Music is, let me tell you about its genesis.

The Simply Music story begins with an eight-year-old blind boy. I had been teaching students and

training teachers for years, presenting a program that was based on an alternative approach to reading music. One day I received a phone call and was asked if I would be willing to teach an eight-year-old boy who was blind. I had absolutely no doubt that I could teach him; although at that point in time, I wasn’t sure exactly how. Certainly, however, reading would be out of the question.

As a child, my own background in music began at age seven, and continued with eight years of formal piano instruction. I was blessed with a deep affi nity for music that, according to my mother, was evident even during infancy. With an already-developed ear for music, I began piano lessons merely watching and listening to my teacher as he played the pieces I was to learn. I had the ability to aurally remember the songs in detail and then ‘fi gure them out’ during the week. I also had an idiosyncrasy whereby, whenever I listened to music, I visualized two- and three-dimensional ‘shapes.’ In short, I heard music, but saw sentences, sequences and patterns. Even though describing this may sound obscure, at the time it came easily and perfectly naturally to me.

At my Saturday lessons, I sat at the piano to play, and pretended to read the music. Actually, I couldn’t read music at all, and my playing was based entirely on what I had aurally memorized and turned into shapes and patterns, etc. Fortunately, both my teacher and my mother had the foresight and a faith in my natural affi nity with music to allow me to continue to progress as quickly as I was. By 15 years of age I was playing a comprehensive repertoire, composing my own pieces and developing my own arrangements. Even then I couldn’t read music, and it wasn’t until I was in my 30’s that I actually learned to do so.

So when given the chance to teach Wade--the young, blind boy--I remember making a clear choice--to recreate for him my own experience of learning, using my childhood model as a template.

At fi rst, I began to compose pieces and ‘distill’ them into patterns that would translate directly into his hands and onto the keyboard. When Wade attended lessons, I would simply teach him those patterns. Within a few months he was playing a range of blues, popular and classical pieces. One day, I asked his father if he were happy with his son’s progress. His father responded, “…not only are we happy with his progress, but he’s started to teach his four-year-old sister to play, and she’s blind too!” This simple statement became a turning point in my life.

I found myself compelled to explore what would happen if I were to introduce all young children to



a similar approach – no music reading, no theory – just playing and learning by ‘doing.’ With this in mind, I began to develop more material, creating an approach from the ground up. I introduced the concepts to young children and found they were producing superior results compared to older, more-advanced students. What struck me as remarkable was, from the very beginning, these new students were playing with both hands, simultaneously, easily and musically, and with so much confi dence. Parents began reporting that their children were playing all the time. And students themselves began sharing that practice didn’t feel like practice, that it was fun, and they looked forward to playing the piano.

Fig. 1. An example of the ‘pattern’ used to teach students how to play Beethoven’s Ode to Joy

I became more and more engrossed with the process and subsequently assembled a pilot group of over 120 students of all ages and musical backgrounds. I decided to push the method as far as possible. My commitment was to gain a clear picture of how successfully students could progress with this playing-based approach. The results were stunning and immediate, and consistently so.

From their fi rst lessons, students were playing great-sounding music, and within a few months had built a repertoire of contemporary, classical, blues and accompaniment pieces. They found their experience of the process of learning more refreshing, more inspiring and far more motivating. I came to believe I was dealing with an approach far more powerful than anything I had witnessed or heard of before.

Over time, the achievements of the program became clearer to me. This approach was clearly accessible to the majority of people – children, teenagers, adults and seniors alike. It could be learned more quickly than anything else of which I was aware. It was quickly and easily ‘digestible’ for learners, and they could immediately have the experience of playing great-sounding music. Above all, every student who followed the program learned

to play. This, in itself, was a breakthrough! The extraordinary nature of the program didn’t

stop there. In addition to its accomplishments with learning, it completely redefi ned who was capable of teaching music. Over time I discovered that students who began as total beginners with Simply Music Piano could themselves become successful teachers of the program. The more I thought about the ramifi cations of this, the more I became aware that the opportunities it represented were endless.

Fig. 2. Simply Music teaches beginning students to play Major, minor, Major 7th, Dominant 7th, minor 7th, Augmented, Suspended, Diminished, 6th, 9th, 11th and 13th chords, in every key, using just the three shapes shown above.

Developing the teaching program became a priority, and over time I continued to expand the body of distinctions, processes and concepts. An integral part of this process was composing and arranging a structured and progressive collection of great sounding blues, popular and classical pieces. I wanted the music of this program to sound rich and mature, and be a signifi cant “cut above” the music usually associated with entry-level, piano lessons.

As time went on, it became appropriate to share aspects of the approach with other piano teachers, asking them to introduce the concepts and report on the outcomes. They began achieving the same consistent, rapid results with their students as I had with mine. It was very exciting to see how simply and easily others could duplicate the successes of this program.

Naturally, this resulted in more and more stories surfacing about beginning students who were teaching others. Children were coming to lessons and returning home to teach their parents to play. Likewise, parents were having lessons and returning home to teach their children to play. Home-school families would bring one of their children to lessons, and the child would, in turn, teach the other siblings to play. Parents started reporting how, in the past, they had struggled with their children to get them to practice, but now were struggling to get them away from the piano! Overall, students’ experiences of the learning process and their feelings about themselves were entirely different with this approach compared to anything they experienced in the past.



Fig. 3. Using a simple, fi ve-point language that maps directly onto the hands, keyboard and page, Simply Music students begin effortlessly reading notes four ledger-lines above the treble and below the bass clefs.And so it came to be. The experience of teaching an eight-year-old, blind boy gave me a completely new perspective of all the years of learning music in my own childhood. Ultimately, the culmination has evolved into tens of thousands of hours of program

development, which gave birth to a new piano methodology – the compositions and arrangements, the curriculum itself, the training program and its associated components, the array of support materials and systems, and, most importantly, the context and philosophy behind each and every step.

The last two years have been an amazing journey as we began the process of translating my piano method to an accordion method. This could never have been accomplished were it not for the brilliance, dedication and commitment of Patricia Bartell. Even so, we have been wonderfully delighted to discover how naturally, seamlessly and perfectly the translation has occurred. True to form, our Simply Music Accordion students are progressing in exactly the same manner, and at exactly the same pace as what we have come to expect from our piano students. Now with the opportunity to make this available to both students and teachers of accordion, it is profoundly exciting for me to play a role in what promises to be an entirely new era for accordion.

Find out more about becoming a student or teacher, visit: simplymusicaccordion.com

‘The Classical Tradition’, Arranged Gary Dahl, Published by Mel Bay - USABy Rob Howard

‘“The Classical Tradition’, pub-

lished by Mel Bay, is a new book by Gary Dahl of arrangements for accordion of excerpts of well known classical music. The book is released on October 31st 2012.

The 30 arrangements include: ‘Finlandia’ – Sibelius, ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ – Wagner, ‘La Danza’ – Rossini, ‘Piano Concerto No 2’ – Rachmaninoff, ‘Claire de Lune’ –

Debussy, ‘Hungarian Rhapsody No 2’ – Liszt, ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’ – R. Strauss, ‘The Blue Danube’ – J. Strauss, ‘La Traviata’ – Verdi, ‘Maple Leaf Rag’ – Joplin, ‘Rag in D minor’ – Frosini, and ‘Pilgrims’ Chorus’ – Wag-ner, plus many more.

Gary Dahl is well known as a virtuoso accordion-ist, composer, arranger, recording artist and teacher. He has produced hundreds of individual arrangements available on the MusicForAccordion website and more than a dozen books currently in publication by Mel Bay Publications.

Price: US$24.99For further information email: garydahlmusic@

msn.com



Guerrini Norma Chromatic C Button Ac-cordion For Sale.

$3,000 CdnAs new. Beautiful tone and great dynamic range.

Will suit a serious musician or up-and-coming pro.Price includes hard suitcase and soft-sided travel

bag.More pictures available.

Contact: [email protected]

The 65th Coupe Mondiale

The 65th Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships was held in Spoleto, Italy from August 21-25, 2012.

For the fi rst time China won the Coupe Mondiale category. Chinese contestants have previously won most other Coupe Mondiale categories and winning the top Coupe Mondiale title in 2012 is a major tri-umph for China. Under the leadership of the China Accordion Association President Prof Li Cong , China has accelerated into the top echelon of international accordion competitions culminating in this latest suc-cess.

A count of Coupe Mondiale 1st places showed China, Russia and Serbia all fi rst equal, with two Coupe Mondiale category wins each and Italy with one. A count of 1st, 2nd and 3rd placings by nation is: Russia 8, China 4, Serbia 3, France 2, Italy 2, Portu-gal 1 and Moldavia 1.

The beautiful medieval town of Spoleto, located midway between Rome and Ancona complete with Castles, extremely narrow and steep tiny winding cobble stone streets and pathways linking the various squares and alley ways combined with the stunning venue of the Teatro Nuovo “Giancarlo Menotti” and the 17 September Hall at the Spoleto Opera House complete a sloping raked stage, made for an abso-lutely stunning setting for the 2012 Coupe Mondiale.

This year’s Coupe Mondiale was won by Chinese contestant Xiaonan Xu, with two Russian contestants and a Serbian narrowly taking 2nd, 3rd and 4th place. Amazingly, after three rounds of demanding Inter-national competition spread over a week, judged by a panel of nine International adjudicators, the fi nal results saw less than one mark between the top four winners, ranging from 23.06 for 4th Place to 23.45 for 1st place! The results from all categories are:

65th Coupe Mondiale1st. Xiaonan Xu - China 2nd. Vitaly Kondratenko - Russia 3rd. Alexander Veretennikov - Russia

Junior Coupe Mondiale1st. Djordje Davidovic - Serbia 2nd. Tian Jianan - China 3rd. VladimirStupnikov - Russia

Virtuoso Entertainment Music1st. Zhao Liu - China 2nd. Raffaele Crusco - Italy 3rd. Sergey Lobkov - Russia

Junior Virtuoso Entertainment Music1st. Matteo Petronio - Italy 2nd. José Dias - Portugal 3rd. Jean-Baptiste Baudin - France

Masters Coupe Mondiale1st. Dmitrii Kiselev - Russia 2nd. Dino Suljkovic - Serbia 3rd. Klavdiya Tarabrina - Russia

Ensemble Music Competition1st. Esse-Quintet - RussiaK. Evseev & K. Evseeva (Accordion), M. Krylov & D. Chernykh (Balalayka), D. Gogolev (Domra)2nd. Perfect Storm - China Xiaonan Xu (Accordion) and Zujian Shang (Erhu)3rd. Concertino - Moldova E. Negruta, M. Grosu, C. Hioara & V. Leca (Accor-dion/percussion) & A. Hohotov (Bass)

Digital Accordion Competition1st. Petar Maric - Serbia 2nd. Stanislav Malyshev - Russia 3rd. Guillaume Clerget - France



The 2012 Trophée Mondial – Spokane, Washington

From the Opening Ceremony & Concert to the Dance & Celebration, the 2012 Trophée Mondial – World Championships for Accordion, was a huge success in Spokane Washington hosted by the Spokane local orga-nization, “World Trophy Accordion Corporation U.S.A.,” led by Patricia Bartell and her volunteers.

Attracting 48 contestants, 19 Judges and Offi cials from 25 countries, all converging to Spokane for this historic event. The 2012 organizer, Patricia Bartell, worked many long hours on this event wanting to give the international guests a true American experience and give the best possible welcome and hosting on behalf of the United States. Many compliments about the successful organization came from the Candidates, the Jury Members but also the President of the C.M.A., Frédéric Deschamps, whose last words on Facebook as he left Spokane was, “and CONGRATULATIONS to PATRICIA BARTELL who made one of the BEST TROPHÉE MONDIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“There is no way I could have done it without my faithful volunteers who stood and stayed with me to the end. It was a big task especially for me, being a fi rst time Event Organizer, but each volunteer that joined the team caught the vision and worked very hard in every possible way to help. Their willingness, dedication and commitment to me, the event and representing our country was enormous. Each one brought something very special and unique that made the event a memo-rable and rewarding experience. I want to thank each one again who worked so many hours with me to make it such a successful event – even to the extent that all the bills are completely paid!” – Patricia Bartell

Below you can read stories about the Trophée Mondial from some of the volunteers about what they enjoyed, their role in the event, some special memories, etc.

Written by: Henry Musana (volunteer)I am Henry Musana from Uganda East Africa. I was

one of the volunteers at the Trophée Mondial. It was such a privilege to serve on the team of volunteers. At fi rst I did not know what I would be doing and also not knowing the people that I would be working with. But during the last planning meeting before the competitions which I was able to attend on the day I arrived, I liked the people on the team welcomed me kindly.

I felt the team was set to work with different na-tionalities so we started off the week in our areas of assignment. As a team we worked in unity, I am from Africa but there was no difference between me and the

rest of the team. It was a caring team, it felt like I had known every one for a long time.

The day I was chosen to be a door keeper I would say it was one of the challenging days because you had rules to follow as we were doing our jobs. One rule for the door keepers was that you don’t open the door for some one to enter when a competitor was playing, now this was hard for me in the beginning when people would come to my door and they wanted to enter while a competitor was performing. I would want to let them in out of sympathy but my captain was always around to let me know that I was not to let anyone in. Of course I outgrew my sympathy and I think I became the toughest guy around; if you came through the door when I was the one assigned to take the tickets you would agree to that.

All in all I enjoyed every part of the event. I wish it was a month long event, I would volunteer for that long. Thanks to the main organizer Patricia Bartell that invited me for this historical event. And for the volunteer team - I will cherish my orange T-shirt, it will always give me memories of you and our time at Trophée Mondial.Written by: Ann Kienholz Jurcevich (volunteer)

It was an honor and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve on the planning and event committee, and to attend this world-class event! I proofed the program booklet, and prepared name badges for the staff, judges, offi cials and candidates (competitors). I also ushered, worked in the ticket offi ce, and became the “designated photographer” for candidate portraits and fi nal delibera-tions of the Confederation.

The week long event showed me, like the adage, that music truly is “the” international language. We wel-comed candidates, vendors, guests and judges from all over the world, with a variety of English skills; yet, everyone understood the music and appreciated it the same way. The culminating dance and celebration was amazing in that everyone danced with each other and together. The separation among the candidates, judges, new and former world champions was no longer evident. Everyone was happy. I didn’t want it to end! Technology was great—how amazing to be able to take pictures, share them with those from other countries who had equipment that has become global in its application (laptops, social networks, media)—I could share my fi les and USB from my country with those from France—no problem! Our computers interacted seamlessly. And the social networks even have language interpretation features. The live web stream could be viewed all over the world as well.

It was a great success. Our challenges were ad-dressed behind the scenes (to the extent possible), and the event came off with fl ying colors. We had an amazing team, all with the common thread of music appreciation, which brought us together in a very unique way.



Written by: Robynne Snow (volunteer)This was a huge undertaking and frankly, we all at

one time or another thought this would be impossible. It came to fruition only because of Patricia Bartell’s un-wavering enthusiasm for the project, her uncanny ability to fi nd the right person for the job and get them to do it, her generous fi nancial support and, most of all, her welcoming spirit to all who participated and attended.

I was a small part of a team of volunteers that worked hard to organize, raise money, spread the word and schedule the events. During the event we had spe-cifi c jobs and worked long hours. We tried in every way to make sure that those who traveled from afar were warmly welcomed and that no detail was left unattended, no problem unsolved. The Spokane community was very supportive and the venue was just perfect - easy to get from the hotels to the restaurants to the theaters. Patricia’s younger students, many of whom you have seen at Northwest accordion events and who competed and/or performed during the Trophée, made a special effort to be available to everyone. This was really heart-warming - they ran from place to place, they transported people and equipment, they chatted with visitors, they set up stages. They were amazing.

We were all rewarded by our efforts in countless ways. We got to know each other better. We watched the competitors prepare and play and we listened as they talked about where they were from and what their dreams are. We shared meals with the judges, ambas-sadors for great music and for the accordion worldwide. There were tensions and there were tears (this was a competition!) but the overwhelming feeling was that people were excited to be together and to be part of such a supportive community. There were many special moments: the quiet in the hall during the competitions, the gathering around the ipad in the hall to watch the livestream (an enormous thank you Fred Deschamps for the Livestream - archived on deschampschannel.com) for those who were too late to enter the hall, the full halls during the evening concerts AND the evening competitions, watching the Spokane students perform in the competitions, the presentation of the Senior Variety winner trophy to Sam Thomas by Joe Petosa.Written by: Beverly and Lee Smick (volunteer)

I came to the table late, only about a month before the competition was to start. I knew I wanted to help but wasn’t sure of where I could be of the most assistance.

At that meeting, I saw a need for someone to co-ordinate all the volunteers that were needed to cover the many areas required. Being retired, I was grateful to have the time to completely immerse myself in the project. My husband and I met with Patricia to get a very detailed view of what was going to happen and from

that meeting, I made a schedule of what positions and how many volunteers we would need on an event by event basis. We were really blessed by an abundance of people (52) willing to donate their time and talents and the volunteer slots fi lled in easily.

I think the most important part of the volunteer organization came when we assigned positions of “captains” to some of the essential volunteer-intensive areas such as “ticket sales”, “ushers”, “program sales and ticket takers”. This put very informed and capable people in charge of key areas and spread the work load out while maintaining a consistent level of expertise. It also allowed any of the “captains” to slip away and at-tend some of the competitions, knowing things were in good hands.

My husband and I were also serving as a host fam-ily to two of the young musicians and an instructor from Russia. Our mornings were always very hectic, as their big meal of the day was breakfast. My husband Lee and I would prepare a hearty meal before I would leave to be at the theater by 9:30 AM. Since we didn’t speak Russian and they didn’t speak English, we would each grab our computers and log on to “Google translate” every morning and converse that way. Lee shuttled them back and forth between the Bing when they were to compete and to take them shopping, an activity they were most interested in.

We both loved every minute of our time we spend on this event.

Written by: Debra Thrash (volunteer)My story would be that of how hosting a candi-

date from Lithuania made this event extra special. My husband and I had reservations concerning having a stranger in our home, and hosting him while we were trying to do a lot of other volunteer work for the event, but by the time the week was over, not only did we have a great time watching him compete and showing him around town, we feel we truly gained a new “son” in our lives. We are looking forward to getting together with him next August at the Coupe Mondiale and cheering him on in that competition as well. And then who knows? Lithuania, here we come!

Written by: Kasia Haroldsen (volunteer)My name is Kasia Haroldsen and my son Emil is

Patricia Bartell’s student. When Patricia approached me in September 2010 about helping to put together a world accordion competition event, I didn’t have any idea what it would take to create such an event, but I was willing to help. In January 2011 we had our fi rst meeting discuss-ing our ideas and options. There were only few of us in the beginning but by the end of the “journey” there was a much bigger group. It was very interesting to see how



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it all came together. I really enjoyed the process as it was a very educational experience. I made new friends and learned more about world accordion competition.

One of my responsibilities was to fi nd host families for the contestants. There were many wonderful people who were willing to help for which I am very thankful. I hosted two contestants one from Poland and one from Finland. My personal opinion is that when we are willing to serve others we feel happier.

My other task was to write a theme song for the opening ceremony. In one of the group meetings we discussed having a theme song that would be about America, since the event would be held for the fi rst time in America. There were ideas of picking a song that was already written. My suggestion was to create something original that we wouldn’t worry about copyrights. Since I like to write songs and had composed in the past I offered to write a song. The committee chose to allow me to compose a song for the composition. I fi nished composing in early spring. Submitted it to the commit-tee and it was accepted :-) The song titled “Here in This Land” is about my feelings as an immigrant from Poland about America. I made partial arrangements but it was not ready for the Symphony. After contacting other musi-cians who would be interested in arranging this piece I asked William Berry to arrange for the Symphony, since

he used to be a member of the Spokane Symphony. We worked together on some of the parts to create the sound I wanted. He did a great job! It was a great experience for me to write this song and be involved in the entire organization of the competition.

My favorite part of this event was to see how ev-eryone involved was willing to work together. The other part was to hear my song performed by the Spokane Symphony and Kinderchoir (children’s choir) for the fi rst time.

Written by: Margaret Collyer (volunteer)I am an older student of Patricia. It has been a joy

studying with her and having the opportunity to wear the orange volunteer’s shirt for the Trophée Mondial. Whew what a job. I was present when what seemed so long ago, when it was announced, that this event was coming to Spokane. I was excited but couldn’t imagine how it could happen. Patricia and the great team of volunteers worked hours. Meeting after meeting, week after week, and month after month. One fundraiser involved a golf tournament. Only about half of the golfers had actually ever golfed before. My job was to get clubs for them and teach then a little about how to play. To keep cost down I went to second hand stores for clubs. Problem was I went on my motorcycle. It was amazing how many people took cellphone pictures of me driving home with clubs sticking up from my saddlebag. Thank you Patricia for this great experience.Written by: Corrie Sams (volunteer)

The 2012 Trophée Mondial was amazing. I have never had the opportunity to go to an international ac-cordion competition of this level. Being able to listen to candidates from all over the world as they gave their very best to their music, seeing the international jury members, listening to high level music played with skill – it was all wonderful.

In years to come, I think what I will remember about the Trophée Mondial may not be the amazing performances, the winners, or even the grand scale of the event – instead I will look back and remember the individual people I met and worked with. People like the jury member who was so excited to be attending. The members of the CMA who were happy to have their needs for paper and ink met. The volunteers who worked by my side. The sound man at the Bing Crosby Theater, who had never been exposed to such high level accordion music – and his enjoyment of it.

I will also remember watching the three members of The Portatos -- Yevgeniy Nosov, Naomi Harris, and Gabe Soileau -- as they faced their fi rst major interna-tional competition and represented their country with skill and musicality. I am proud of them for it. I am proud of



all the individuals who contributed and worked to bring the Trophée Mondial to pass. Without each individual person, this amazing event might never have been. Written by: Deborah Johnston (volunteer)Working with the team of Trophée Mondial was a great experience. This group of volunteers was extraordinary. The camaraderie, the willingness to volunteer for jobs for which there was no prior experi-ence, attention to detail and excellence and the posi-tive attitude from each member made this event come together for which the compliments continue to roll in from jurists, administrators, candidates and attendees. An event of this magnitude is never accomplished without many hours of planning, hard work, fl exibility, and cooperation. We are proud of the success of this international championship under the able leadership of Patricia Bartell and consider it an honor to have been a part of hosting 25 countries in our city.

Patricia Bartell and CMA General Secretary

Senior Variety Award to Sam Thomas

Trophy Award to Trophee Mondial Classical Winner Josef Purits

Pietro Adragna, Champion from ItalyPatricia Bartell with Volunteers

Dance and Celebration at the Davenport Hotel



Bosnian Judge, Patricia Bartell and Frederic Deschamps

Holden Tubbs and Emil Haroldson performing Wednesday Concert

Patricia Bartell and Gilbert Reyes, Hohner Sponsor

Simply Music Launch

Alexander Bodell (UK) Ann Jurcevich & Pietro Adragna (Italy)

Yevgeniy Nosov Receives Competition Diploma

Sergio Poppa, Canada artist with Patricia

Bartell



Gary Blair in Castelfi dardo

Gary visited this year’s International Accordion Competition in Castelfi dardo, Italy, “the home of the ac-cordion”, as Gary said. With two friends, he visited the Borsini factory where his friend, Seamus, had brought his accordion for a makeover. That included a “respray, tuning, and general tidy up”. As you would expect he had the opportunity to play a few Borsini accordions while he was there.

Paolo Soprani invited the two to play in the town square on the “café” stage and also at another venue in the “quaint town”. Gary said that it was especially great to meet up with many friends from the Accordion world: Frederic Deschamps, Alexander Dmitriev, Giancarlo Caporilli, Cristiano Lui. ALL wonderful musicians, in Gary’s words.

He says that the competitions were “quieter” this year than in the past but still to a great standard. There were many concerts by world renowned artists which were topped off by Gary regarded as an “amazing con-cert by Russian accordionist, Petr Dranga.

Gary concluded his account saying that he hopes to visit Castelfi dardo again in the not too distant future.

Gary with Paolo Soprani Gary with Skyler Fell

Seamus O’Sullivan with Gary

Giancarlo Borsini with Gary



By the Way – From Doris Osgood

CONTRATULATIONS, Sam Thomas. Sam placed fi rst in the Senior Variety division in the international accordion competition, Trophee Mondial. The event was the 62nd in the history of the competition and the fi rst time to have been held in the United States. The competitors were elite, accomplished young accordionists from around the world. Sam is a young man now and many

in the northwest take pride in having followed his musical journey since he was a young boy. His accomplishment was especially sweet since the prestigious competition was held in Spokane, Washington. Sam grew up in the area and had his family, friends, and teacher attending. Master teacher, Ilmar Kuljus was especially joyful in Sam’s winning performances. He and his late wife, Dolly, invested a lot of themselves in his training. The young Sammy Thomas endured diffi cult circumstances and had times of discouragement. Sam Thomas has risen like the Phoenix and we are all thrilled to see that he has. Well done, Sam.

Dan Grauman, coordinator of the Mesa Event writes, “I am attaching the fl yer for the 2013 event, which we had to rename “Mesa Accordion Event” for administrative reasons. Stas was selected by Frank as Assistant Musical Director for his event, because, in Frank’s own words, “If the time ever comes that I cannot continue to direct this event, Stas is the only person I would trust to keep it going”. Obviously, we did not expect that time to come so quickly and suddenly. We will have one very special evening during our 2013 event, when we will celebrate Frank’s life and contributions to the accordion world. This evening is open to registered participants only. The fi nal concert on Sunday, February 17 is open to the public. We will poll our registered participants to see whether they would like to continue this event. Many

will have participated annually since our fi rst camp in 2007, but we realize that the economy, diffi culty of taking accordions on planes, the emergence of new accordion events all over the country, and other factors, make it more and more challenging to keep an event of this type going.

Happy Birthday, Eileen Hagen of Portland, Oregon. Eileen celebrated her 80th year in November and also her 62nd year of teaching. Congratulations!

Just as this publication went to press, NWAS member Louis Traverso called to say that he didn’t have time to revise his ad. Lou has been selling his vast collection of accordions. His wife said that he could only keep 4; Lou turned 88 in November! The reason Lou couldn’t run his last ad was that he’d sold four accordions from the page! If you have a need for a used instrument, contact Lou at: 206-550-7806

New book released of interest to accordionists everywhere. Dr. Lynda Griffi th writes, “ I am pleased to announce that my book Playing Well, Prevention and Biomechanics of Musician Injuries is fi nally fi nished and available online. I hope you will have interest in what I have presented. I launched the book at Accordionists and Teachers Guild this past week and it was very well received. Please take a look at it by clicking on the link below and feel free to forward this to all your accordionist friends, teachers and medical practitioners who treat musician injuries.” Playing Well, Prevention and Biomechanics of Musician InjuriesWith a Focus on Accordionists, Concertinists and Bandoneonistswww.playingwellbook.org

Toby Hanson writes, ”Winter is always a slow time for the polka band which is a very welcome change after Oktoberfest season. I played 28 jobs in seven weeks. Whew! During the winter lull I like to work on recordings. I’m hoping that over this winter I’ll be able to fi nish the recording I started with my band back in 2010 but never got to fi nish because life has a way of popping obstacles up in my way.In other news, I just completed a recording with one of my other groups, the Valse Café Orchestra. It’s a recording of light classical and some jazz. It has seventeen tracks, one of which I wrote, the rest I arranged. I played piano on most of it but I did manage to get the accordion on a couple of the songs including a really great recording of the old tango “Jalousie.” I hope to have copies available for sale sometime in the future. Valse Café is coming to Portland on February 2nd. I know I’ll have some available for sale by then.”



Mark Greathouse and his wife travel regularly and often. While away from their Tigard, OR home they visit Helena’s Czech Republic home area and manage to include other sites. All the while they are away, they perform – just as they do when they are home. Mark recently wrote, “We are back in Prague having just returned from two great experiences (Kenya and Germany). Just yesterday we did a performance in a musical series at the Comeniuszentrum sponsored by the church of the Czech Brethern in the town of Ebersdorf, Germany. We did an hour-long program with great audience enthusiasm. I even played Magnante’s “Czardas” with Helena doing some choreographed dancing in the second half.”

The fi rst gathering of accordion enthusiasts in Idaho was successful. They have decided to meet regularly at a retirement complex in Nampa, ID. Check the listing in this publication for the Gem State Accordion Club. Dianne Lansing of Caldwell, ID is excited particularly since Jack Donahue moved close to Boise. Jack’s an experienced player and has provided inspiration and encouragement to the group. Dianne is still the contact person at [email protected]

Recently Minnesota’s Dan Newton toured the Pacifi c Northwest. He performed at the FolkLife fest in Seattle and then played a series of “home concerts”. I’d never really heard of the idea. It’s an old one – having soirees in one’s home – and for all of those able to participate, the venue was perfect. At the Portland program, many local accordion enthusiasts and other music lovers enjoyed an intimate setting with a master musician. Immediately after leaving Portland, Dan played on the “Prairie Home Companion” as part of the Guy’s All Star Shoe Band.

Bonnie Birch has had a demanding autumn performance schedule. Most of her schedule was for private functions and events where one would not ordinarily see the accordion’s use. She recently played in an international event as part of an orchestra playing “Rhapsody in Blue.” Her part was to represent the Netherlands, complete with authentic costume. The music was fi lmed to go along with a video that was showing while the music was being played.

I shared with many friends the experience I had for my last radiation treatment. The technicians, Robert and Kathy, whom I worked with daily were exceptionally considerate professionals. Robert cued accordion music each day during my treatments. He even downloaded “Spanish Dances” from Jorgen Sundeqvist’s latest CD; I heard that and accordion selections from every genre of music. At my last

Dan Newton Home Concert

Nancy Kaye, Glenda McLean, Dan Newton, Connie Weimer, and Jeanne Olson

session, Robert cued the music as usual. However I heard an orchestra playing “Pomp and Circumstance”. I started laughing… They weren’t fi nished with that. As I got to my feet the background music started. The two of them broke in to a duet singing “Happy Trails to You”. Roy and Dale never did it as well. The accordion had an important role in my 33 radiation treatments; it made an otherwise clinical experience personal. I appreciated it very much.

Remember to submit your articles and other information 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.



To teach is to touch a life forever.By Kathy Seufert

While standing at the podium listening to Marc Wald’s beautiful accordion music and gathering my thoughts before I spoke, my eyes scanned the church, looking for a familiar face. Ah, there was Evelyn Wilson. Her daughter, Alice Currie and I are “best buds”, long time teaching colleagues and seasoned Earl Gray tea drinkers!!!! But my eyes darted back… to the man sit-ting beside her. He “caught” me sizing him up. I had to contain my surprise; remain sedate as I recalled the connection. I KNEW who he was; although after forty plus years; gone was his curly hair and perched on the end of his nose were “grandpa“ glasses. But he didn’t have a clue who I was…. until I started to speak; to honor Crawford Clarke; my “advanced” accordion teacher and founder of the music studio I attended and where I later taught during my high school days… the adept man who took me from Good Night Irene to Gavotte. I saw Evelyn nudge him and whisper “what ever” and it was an OMG moment. Tom’s face broke into his famous “dancing eyes” smile and afterwards he said excitedly, “You’re all grown-up. What happened to your braids and saddle oxfords?” “I hope you still play your accordion; remember what makes you come alive…….”. That was our ONLY and LAST conversation since my childhood although the rest of the story is quite remarkable; includ-ing the “full circle” journey of a beautiful accordion. Here we are back to that “silver web” theory… the one that links people and circumstances in such uncanny ways…

I couldn’t help but remember my fi rst accordion lesson…..3:30 Thursday, January 16, 1958 (smile) ; a

steely gray afternoon…my mother was fretting about being caught in a snow storm as we drove to town… the day my life changed so profoundly. How gentle and kind he was…. telling me I would play a song before the session was over. (“Really! That should impress my Dad,” thinks I. After all a music lesson cost the same as a case of beer… $2.50.. so I better learn something!!)) I recall not saying a word to him for weeks.. other than a “thank you” when I left (or else my mother would give me “what for”; as her theory was good manners never go out of style. Hmm!!). Little did he know I could hardly wait for my next lesson… excited to learn …so one day I could play as well as Uncle Frank. The main attrac-tion, however, was simply staring at his BIG accordion; complete with personalized initials on the grill and fancy “pearl” keys. This little girl was totally mesmerized by the music he made. At that young age I learned that music is what feelings sound like!!!

Thomas George Peacock ; born March 22, 1939 to Florence and George, began studying the accordion as a young boy also under the tutelage of Crawford Clarke and later taught at this same studio for several years including “young beginners like moi..” It seems every accordion player had a dance band and Tom was no exception. The call of radio broadcasting, however, was simply too strong and so Tom left the accordion “busi-ness” and started another career. Being an announcer on CHUB in small town Nanaimo led to far bigger ven-ues, including a “D J” stint in Santa Barbara, California where son Greg was born.

His velvety, smooth voice brought him and his family back “up the coast” to Seattle and then Vancouver where he was affi liated with Radio Station C-FUN (greatest rock ‘n’ roll on the West Coast).Son Brad was born and brought the family additional joy. Tom later became a main player/owner of “country/western” CKWX for the duration of his career. Although Tom’s life led him down exciting, uncharted paths… rubbing shoulders many times with the rich and famous…he never forgot his roots and his love of accordion music. He liked nothing better than to play at a party or family get-together (after a couple of beers.) Jamming with Diana Krall’s mother, Adela, on piano, always made for great jazz sounds. That’s Why the Lady is a Tramp was Tom’s signature song and absolutely no one could equal him!!!! He also loved to compose jazz; often “ad-libbing” on that same pearl-keyed accordion; just letting it all unfold. A true genius!!!

And now I return to my “guided journey” or “silver web” theory. Penny Vicenti, in her book The Decision, page 644 states, “Coincidence is a powerful force. It runs its apparent untrammeled way, linking people across continents, events across time. Everyone has a particu-



larly striking example of it: A close relative of coincidence is chance ….” which takes me back to the beginning of this story regarding the silver web connecting me and my dear friend Alice. We met “in the trenches” in 1989; both of us teaching in a “high needs” school. I was in Special Education; Alice a gifted classroom teacher. One Monday morning I waltzed into her room to inquire about some students and in the process asked her how she was. Well, she told me!!!! Her shocking reply blind-sided me momentarily but I gained an even deeper respect for this petite gal who I could see would take on “anyone”. No one messed with Alice!!!!! Fast forward to about ten years later… same school…a professional development meeting… one of those team building events. The task was to jot down something “unknown” about yourself and of course, staff members would try to ascertain who the mystery person was!!!!! My meager contribution was that I played accordion!!!! No one guessed and I fi nally whispered to Alice;“ ’Tis me. I am the accordion geek!!!!”

I still remember her look of disbelief. “How can this be??? We’ve known each other for years and you never told me.” My reply was, “You never asked.” She started babbling that her Uncle Tom was a fabulous accordion-ist. Did I know him? OMG!!!!!!!!!!! Her uncle was my fi rst music teacher!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The silver web connecting folks near and far……..

Tom Peacock died April 15, 2006 from heart com-plications. Such a loss… such a young age. The family was stunned. Although an elaborate Celebration of Life took place at the Hollyburn Country Club in Vancouver, Tom wished to have his ashes scattered with those of his late mother, at his (and everyone’s) favorite swimming hole ; the Colliery Dam; a beautiful wooded park down the street from where he grew up in Harewood; now known as the University District. I had very mixed emo-tions when Alice asked me to “squeeze” my accordion at the “event” . My Lord, this isn’t a dance, it’s not a party.. Whatever would I play????? She fi nally agreed to strum guitar with me and selected some favorite songs. It was a rainy, grey We(s)t Coast day. Richard, Alice’s husband, held an umbrella over my head as we concluded with The Beer Barrel Polka. Later, back at Wilson’s, Greg stood up and said the family; including Tom’s long time partner, Carole, had a meeting and decided to give their dad’s prized Titano accordion to ME!!!!!!! They wanted it to be cared for, cherished and played!!!!! That beauti-ful accordion with the pearl keys and fancy initials now is in my music room at home. I have been inducted into the Peacock/Wilson/Currie family; providing Uncle Tom’s accordion comes to every party!! Indeed it has… at Evelyn and Fred’s 60th anniversary and also at her 80th. Greg videoed “Glow Worm” and uploaded it on You Tube. Now I can say Uncle Tom’s accordion and I have “gone viral”. I play it with such reverence and

humbleness. How lovely when husband dear plays and the beautiful music from Uncle Tom’s accordion fl oats up the stairs!! My eyes mist over……….. and I think of some of his favorite things ( as written on the back of his memorial card)……

gin and tonic with cucumber aboard the Sea Jazz beer and Clamato juice week-ends and biking at Whistler walks (saunters) with The Frog The Peacock Open Danielle Peacock getting the Gipper Report Seattle Seahawks Vancouver CanucksFrank Sinatra jazzPalm Springs The Grillpastagardeningmaking CD’s shopping for clothesMulti- talented beyond belief, my fi rst accordion

teacher, molded my “musical career;” laid the founda-tion for my future; made a gangly, shy kid believe she could do just about anything (now they call it building self -esteem). I realized only a few years ago that music really does wash away from the soul the dust of everyday life. Thank you can never express my gratitude to the gift he bestowed upon me. He touched my life forever. He made a difference.

REST IN PEACE

Remembering Robert Troxel

Long time accordionist and Newport, OR resi-dent, Robert E Troxel passed away May 12, 2012 after a lengthy illness. Bob rarely left the Oregon coast. He played and taught there for many years. At his Celebration of Life his fi rst accordion, a 12 bass from 1934 – 35 was on display. Seven of his students entertained the guests and young children belonging to Gina and Anna Capri danced.

The NWAS extends sincere sympathy to Bob’s family and his beloved wife, Rose. They had been married for 46 years.



Keeping up with Cory Pesaturo

Cory Pesaturo, award winning accordionist, continues to dazzle all with his performances. Re-cently he performed with Wynton Marsalis, at Tangle-wood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Wynton Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, teacher, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, United States.

Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classi-cal and jazz music often to young audiences. Marsalis has been awarded nine Grammys in both genres, and a jazz recording of his was the fi rst of its kind to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Cory also performed for the French American Cultural Society in San Francisco on September 8th. As he did last year, Cory will perform on live TV, dur-ing the Columbus Day Parade starting with Gracie Mansion on Tuesday October 2nd, hosted by Mayor Bloomberg. Cory will perform with American Idol Finalist, Elise Testone. On this years’ American Idol, Elise sang “Vienne” by Billy Joel accompanied by an accordionist. Cory will accompany Elise on this song on live TV.

Cory performs with Zulu Time Trio at the New Bridge on the Charles on October 6th at 8 PM. Zulu

Time is a New England based trio committed to put-ting their unique spin on music from around the world. Recent performances in and around Boston have met with great praise, and the trio is happy to announce the release of their fi rst album in June 2011. Zulu Time performs a vast array of repertoire, including folk music from Europe, tangos, French musette, Klezmer, jazz standards, and classical works.

The trio’s colorful arrangements and dazzling per-formances are sure to keep audiences on their toes. Members are: Gabriel Solomon, violin; Richey Tally, bass; Cory Pesaturo, accordion.

Violinist Yasmine Azaiez and Cory will be tak-ing their Duo Improvisation and Pop Music project to France for a 9 day Festival, Grand Suffl et, in Rennes, France. They will also teach improvisation and ear training at a French School as part of the festival. Yasmine is of Tunisian origin and a violinist of inter-national renown. Cory and Yasmine have mixed bow and bellows, jazz, tango and world music.

As evidence, they saw the magic of the duo and the opportunity to create a new project. The Great Bellows has a chance to hear both sides of their talent including electro pop around the accordion, violin and voice, electric capital formula and an acoustic version and world music.



Improvising Chords (Part 2 of 4)By Gary Dahl



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Thomas stars at accordion competitionAdrian Rogers The Spokesman-ReviewNovember 4, 2012

Sam Thomas has traveled far and wide to play his accordion in national and international competitions. To make his mark on accordion history, the 23-year-old had to travel a mile and a half from the apartment he shares with his mother near downtown Spokane to the Bing Crosby Theater. Playing a diversity of music including Joe Spano’s “Chopin’s Nightmare,” Frank Marocco’s jazz piece “Take Ten,” and “a smoke-pot-on -the-beach-drinking-a-margarita type song” called “Rumba Cubani,” Thomas became the fi rst American to place fi rst in the Trophée Mondial in more than 25 years. The competition was held in Spokane, its fi rst U.S. appearance. Thomas won the “senior variety” category, squeaking past Mace-donian Aleksandar Kolovski to claim the $2,000 prize. Russia’s Josif Purits placed fi rst in the “senior clas-sical” category, taking the Trophée Mondial’s biggest prize, $6,000. It was the fi rst time a U.S. accordionist has won his or her category since 1986, competition organizer Patricia Bartell said. It was a re-emergence on the major stage for Thomas, who last competed in a national or international competition when he was 18. As a teen he competed in the American Accordionists’ Association’s national competition four times, winning twice. He also traveled overseas twice to compete in the Coupe Mondiale, another international competition. He and his mother, Pamela Thomas, were used to the road.

Thomas was 11 when he started taking lessons with Ilmar Kuljus, who ran the Accordia-Nova studio in Spokane and taught hundreds of students over 50-plus years. But Kuljus retired soon after Thomas started, sell-ing his studio and moving to Arizona. So Pamela Thomas drove her home schooled son south every spring. The Thomases lived with Kuljus for a month at a time, spend-ing hours a day in lessons. Pamela Thomas – who’d taken some accordion lessons on her own – listened and learned along with her son, and she served as teacher back in Spokane. Then, in 2006, Sam’s father died. He and his mother carried out plans to travel to Norway, for the Coupe Mondiale, but after that Thomas slowed as a competitor. The family had to go to work and pool their resources, Pamela Thomas said. For his part, Sam Thomas works at a downtown Exxon station. And, in his grief, Thomas just didn’t want to compete or perform anymore. When he played, it was begrudgingly. “Not only were we out of money, but it just kind of left me done with that point of view,” he said.

When he learned the Trophée Mondial would take place in Spokane, he decided to take the stage again. Before the fi nal results, Thomas said, he thought he’d

place in the top three, but he wasn’t sure where. He credits the win to the variety in his repertoire, but also his “American style.” “The European bloc kids, they get their variety of pieces, but they all kind of play them the same. They add in the same little riffs,” he said. “Then I get up there and I go from jazz to French tunes to on the beach, with my American style.”

Bartell, the event organizer and a Spokane

Bartell is the force behind this week’s in-ternational accordion fest

Adrian Rogers - The Spokesman-ReviewOctober 21, 2012

Patricia Bartell is a native Bolivian, adopted when she was nearly 5 by parents who took her home to Charlo, Mont., seven miles northeast of the National Bison Range. Her fi rst musical infl uence, when it came to the accordion, was one of her 17 siblings – a big brother who got to play one. She was 8 when her parents gave in and let her take lessons, too. Her second infl uence was that fi rst teacher, a woman who was at least 80 and lived in Missoula, an hour’s drive from Charlo. She visited that woman every month or two until she died, depending on how often her family could make the trip.

That fi rst teacher “didn’t know anything about tech-nique, but she knew how to have fun,” Bartell said. “She taught me how to have fun with my music, and that car-ried me through many, many different things.” You never know where you’ll fi nd your infl uence, said Bartell, 34, an acclaimed accordionist and teacher in Spokane. You

accordion teacher, said Thomas’ category is the competition’s most popu-lar. Each candidate plays two rounds of music of just nine minutes or less each. So they must demonstrate their skill quickly. “I was on the jury panel and al-though I can’t judge for my own country, I watched Sam take the stage, sit down and perform like a champion,” Bartell wrote in an email. “We are all very proud of him. He did USA proud and performed like a true artist.”

Copyright 2012. Re-produced with permis-sion of The Spokesman-Review



never know how one thing will lead to another. Take the international accordion championships coming to Spo-kane this week. Forty-eight musicians – each deemed among the best in their countries – will converge on the city to compete for a world title. They’ll be judged by an international jury. That path here, Bartell said, started with her relationship with another Spokane musician, a pianist who taught her a new way to make and hear music. “It’s an interesting thread, how it came to be,” Bartell said. “People infl uence things and sometimes don’t even know it.”‘Catch people with a pulse’

Bartell’s infl uences vary, as do her students in Spokane – those drawn to the accordion by the sounds they heard as they passed her studio door, those who’ve learned that hitting the right keys or buttons at the right time is just the start, those who’ve risen quickly under her tutelage to compete internationally.

But as for this week’s meeting of musicians and judges from around the world, the thread starts with one teacher in particular, Kendall Feeney, a well-known pianist at Eastern Washington University who, in all her years in the music world, had not run into the accordion much. Bartell, who also teaches piano, sought out Feeney a few years ago to learn a way of playing that

can prevent repetitive-stress injuries among students. Feeney taught an intriguing method she’d stumbled across called the Taubman Approach. By focusing on pianists’ tiny movements as they’re playing – alignment of fi ngers, rotations of forearms – the Taubman method can reduce strain. As Bartell learned, it also can help musicians play more expressively. When Bartell decided to enter an accordion competition in Washington, D.C., she and Feeney left behind the piano and switched to Bartell’s main instrument.

Feeney broke down the expression part – the musi-cianship – into the tiniest bites. A piece of music played technically perfectly – each note hit and held as written on the page – but lacking good musicianship is like a grammatically correct conversation held in monotone. “We’re not feeling it, we’re not expressing it, we’re not showing the energy behind it to emphasize certain things,” Bartell said. “It’s not hard to judge, you just know it when you hear it.”

But it can be hard to do. Before studying with Feeney, she said, she’d get it sometimes. But it was almost accidental – she’d get there, but she wasn’t sure how. She remembered a piece she played in college, a W.A. Mozart composition she said she found boring. She played louder where the music said to play louder,

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or softer or slower. “It meant nothing to me,” she said. “But that was before I even knew something could mean something to you.” Until one day it did. She “got a picture,” she said. The piece suddenly reminded her of something, and she was able to interpret it in a certain way, express it as an individual. Still, she didn’t know how to duplicate that for another piece. Feeney gave her tools, Bartell said, to take from piece to piece. “And it was then I understood musicianship,” Bartell said. “She just made everything come alive.” Bartell went to that competition Washington, D.C., where she placed third in the world, and where judges were “stunned,” she said, that anyone from the West Coast could play at that level “as a musician, not just technically.” She met Frédéric Deschamps, a world-class accordionist and president of the organization that runs Trophée Mondial, which led to her study with Deschamps in France.

In France, she asked Deschamps to critique a CD she’d released. He was impressed enough to invite her to serve in the international pool of judges for the Trophée Mondial. She remains the only American on the jury. She invited him to work with her students in Spokane, and during one of his visits, he told Bartell he thought the next Trophée Mondial should take place in Spokane. She agreed to organize it. “He listened to (that CD),” Bartell said. “He says, ‘You know, you have an ear to hear the subtleties of music,’ and he said, ‘This is what we need on the jury.’ He said, ‘Not everybody can hear these subtleties.’ Well, I didn’t, until Kendall opened up that world to me.”

A famous pianist, Artur Schnabel, was quoted in the Chicago Daily News in 1958 as saying, “The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes – ah, that is where the art resides.” With Bartell, Feeney said, she worked on timing and rhythm, “how you catch people with a pulse.” “Somebody can do a brush stroke with the same brush and the same speed and all the same paint, and somebody’s will have nuance and will breathe and have life, and others just won’t,” Feeney said. “It’s about how you time.”‘Encouraging, but also demanding’

Back in the day, Spokane was an accordion town. Ilmar Kuljus, an Estonian immigrant who taught Bartell at Whitworth College, was here to see it. “In 1952, we came to Spokane which, back then, was the hottest accordion town in the country. In those days, I always had 50 or 60 students,” he told The Spokesman-Review upon his retirement in 2006.

While Bartell believes the stigma that’s since grown up around the instrument is fading, especially among a younger generation of musicians, accordion players are still relatively rare. Yet Spokane is sending three of the United States’ fi ve delegates to the Trophée Mondial:

Yevgeniy Nosov, 24; Gabriel Soileau, 16; and Naomi Harris, 12 – all Bartell’s students. They and others get instruction and practice in her studio at Music City on North Monroe Street, crowding in between the piano and the electric fi replace.

As a teacher, Bartell advocates a teaching method called Simply Music, a “playing-based” approach that lets students learn to perform songs quickly, rather than requiring them to learn to read music at the start. She is at the center of an effort to adapt it for beginning ac-cordionists. She also draws on techniques she learned from both Feeney and Deschamps. Among them: a focus on how students move as they’re playing, said Soileau, a high school junior who also plays piano and bass. More so than with other instruments, he said, seemingly unrelated movements in an accordionist’s body affect its sound: “It’s strapped to you. It’s like part of you.” Bartell might tell her students to move their heads very fast when they’re playing fast notes, or to raise their eyebrows, which “makes the whole body lighten up,” Soileau said.

Among Nosov’s competition pieces is one called “Revelation,” written by Sergey Voytenko as an apol-ogy to his own teacher. It’s a plea, Nosov said: Please, take me back. “You have to, in a way, act the piece out,” said Nosov, who also teaches at Bartell’s studio. “It’s a challenge. You have to tap into places where you don’t normally go. If you’re portraying a bad guy, you have to be the bad guy. If you’re this heartbroken student that’s bawling your eyes out, you have to portray that.”

Harris, a seventh-grader, will be the youngest per-son ever to play in the competition. “(Bartell) wants you to do really well, so she pushes you really hard,” she said. “But I like that, how she wants us to do so well that she pushes us and pushes us. And the outcome is that you do well in competitions.” “She’s a very energetic teacher, and very demanding, which would be expect-ed,” Soileau said. “Encouraging, but also demanding.”Stage presence

Hearing Bartell play is not just about hearing, Fee-ney said. “She’s all about giving what she has as a musi-cian and a person through her instrument straight out to the audience,” she said. “First of all, accordionists get to face the audience, unlike pianists. People talk about this totally giving nature of her countenance, and this incredible presence she brings to the stage.”

Bartell will take the stage again Tuesday, during the Trophée Mondial’s opening ceremony. There, too, will be Feeney – they play together in a quartet, Tango Volcado, scheduled to perform along with the Spokane Symphony and world champion accordionist Grayson Masefi eld. Speaking weeks before the event’s start date – but not so many that she didn’t know how many days, exactly,



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she had to pull it all together – Bartell looked forward to that moment, when she would step onto the stage and see her teacher there. It’ll be an honor, she said, to step out with Feeney, whose infl uence she credits so heavily for her own success, and whose infl uence her own stu-dents are feeling, too. “She doesn’t even realize, to this day, how much she plays a part in all this,” Bartell said.

Copyright 2012. Reproduced with permission of The Spokesman-Review

A View From the WingsBy Ken Snider

Like many of Patricia Bartell’s friends and students, I volunteered to help with the “Trophée Mondial.” I didn’t know quite what to expect. Being a student of Patricia’s for the last few years, I know she traveled to some far-off place every year to judge in the event. She would tell us of her experiences, and we thought we had a good idea of what they were. But, like the Grand Canyon, until you’ve seen it with your own eyes, you have no idea how impressive it is.

Just the scale of the thing was amazing. There were candidates and judges from all over the world, including many Russians, Italians, and Chinese. The US fi elded fi ve, there was a Brazilian girl and a charismatic Mexican performer. If that weren’t enough, Pietro Adragno, a recent world champion

from Italy was on hand just to entertain both at evening concerts and in the atrium at River Park Square every day. He is an entertainer, to say the least, look him up on YouTube!

I was lucky to be helping backstage, so I got to meet all of the candidates and be a small part of the proceedings by ushering them on stage. They all seemed so young, even those competing on the senior division. They were polite, concentrated, and most of all terrifyingly good.

The classical competition kicked off the event, and the absolute perfection of almost every candidate was incredible---jaw-dropping, at least in the fi gurative sense. And, most of their programs were 15-20 minutes long. The variety portion of the competition followed, and over the next four days, the 48 or so accordionists appeared in nerve-wracking round after round. All kinds of accordions, all kinds of music, and good crowds really made this an experience that I’ll fondly remember.

Thanks to good organization and much work by all involved, and spear-headed by the inspiring and tireless Patricia Bartell, the fi rst “Trophée Mondial” to be hosted in the United States was a great success. Contestants, judges, staff, audiences and all of the many volunteers attested to the quality of this world-class event.



Forest Grove’s Autumn SocialBy Doris Osgood

Late summer and autumn hasn’t been a “normal” time for me. Changing the date for the social was challenging too. Gary had to work and the community center had activities preventing early set up. How-ever, members of the Tualatin Valley Accordionists swooped in and the set up happened in a fl ash. They were miracle workers and I appreciated them more than ever.

With the social meeting at a different time other things were also different about our autumn event. We had fi rst time players, we had birthdays to celebrate, and we had a guest performer.

We began with our soloists. Jeanne Olson, fi rst time soloist, started the afternoon with “La Sorella”. Ann Thompson, also a fi rst time soloist, played “Ashokan Farwell” and an arrangement of “Night and Day” which she fi rst played in San Diego in 1944! She’d preserved the date on her music to be certain.

Allison Wheel-er from Roseburg, now age 13, played “Life in the Finnish Woods” and was joined by her grand-father, Dick Carlson of Tillamook for a lively schottische called “Hills of Kin-ney”. Allison’s usual duet partner is her sister, Emily. Emily had a soccer game.

We’re happy to report that her team won! Next up was Kathy Grambsch. She played “Hejre Kate” and Eileen Hagen served as her turnist. Kathy also played Galla-Rini’s arrangement of “Fascination”. As was evident in Kathy’s performance, the Maestro used complex and beautiful bass work.

Forest Grove has a very large population of Dutch descendents. Here, there are many “Duyck” families. Jon Dyk was raised in the Netherlands. Jon explained that the “Dyk” families were from the north and “Duyck” families were from the south. Both names are pronounced the same way. Jon played South African folk melodies. Diane Hagen followed with “The Ragamuffi n” and “Bel Viso Polka”.

Next we had Leonard Kosatka playing “12th Street Rag” and TBA (I didn’t catch his title). I was proud that Leonard had one named piece on the sheet this time. Following was Paul Bria playing “Ja-net’s Waltz” and “Across the Plains”.

“Uncle Yascha”, aka Gerson Rob-boy, performed next. He played “Yascha Yascha” complete with hand puppet, and “I Found a Mil-lion Dollar Baby”. Ed Makovsky traveled up from Pleasant Hill to play “Twilight

Time” and “Champagne Polka”. He was followed by Hans Friedrichs who played “Carmel-la” and Lizette.

My friend John Giuliani traveled from Renton to play too. He played “It Had to Be You” and another piece that he titled TBA. Glenda McLean also traveled to play. She played “Callers Waltz” and TBA. Friends, I

have to blame my memory on radiation… I thought I would catch the titles, but I didn’t!

Before breaking for refreshments there were VIP’s to acknowledge. We celebrated Vera Wendel’s 89th birthday. Then we cel-ebrated Eileen Hagen’s coming birthday. She will be 80 November

17; additionally it will commemorate 62 years teaching accordion in Portland.

After the refreshment break and the drawing for



cash and prizes, the Tualatin Valley Accordion-ists played. The ensemble played “Autumn Leaves”, “Beale St. Polka”, “The Nearness of You”, and “Mexi-cali Rose”. Participating members were: Jon Dyk, Glenda McLean, Mickey Eaton, Dick Carlson, Al-lison Wheeler, Rosalee Sherman, Colleen Halver-son, Nancy Kaye, Connie Weimer, Ann Thompson, Jeanne Olson, Jack Jones, Pamelajean Myers, Paul Bria, Wil Knoop, Vera Wendel, Geoff Levear, and Doris Osgood.

Our next performer is a young woman whom many here have watched grow up. She started play-ing accordion at age 6 when her family happened on the competitions in Kimberley one summer while camping. After that she started studying accordion with Eileen Hagen and added the instrument to her training on piano and voice. As a college senior now at Oregon State University, Alicia Baker is becom-ing a fi ne musician and is also a very lovely young woman. Since she represents the Roland Corp, Alicia played her Roland virtual accordion for her program here. She demonstrated her skill with programming and using the various special features along with her skill as an accordionist. For her program she started with Joe Morelli’s “Strip the Triplets”. She had played this in Kimberley as part of her award winning per-formance; Alicia is reigning “Happy Hans” champion 2012!

She continued with an original composition en-titled “Musette Au Fromage Bleu” (aka Blue Cheese Waltz). She followed with “Cumana”, “La Vie En Rose” with her vocal accompaniment, “Tennessee Waltz:” with vocal and Geoff Levear providing the impromptu boom mic… A Dixieland style piece called “Struttin’ with some BBQ”, a Frank Marocco tribute on “Into Somewhere- Out of Nowhere”, a classical styled piece based on Russian folk melodies entitled “Meadow-lands”, “Gitarereas”, “Rhapsody in Blue”, “O Camino Caro” and “O Sole Mio” with vocals, “La Bourasque”, “Skinny’s Polka”, and Eileen Hagen’s arrangement of “Tico Tico”. For her encore she played “Tanzende Finger Polka” (aka Bartender Polka).

Our “different” afternoon turned out to a wonderful time. Knowing that Alicia was coming, all of our per-formers prepared and played well. It was FABULOUS.

The spring social in Forest Grove will resume the 4th Sunday schedule, which is our norm. Plan to be in Forest Grove April 28, 2013. A guest will also be performing; that will be revealed later on. So, join us just for the fun of it.

Geoff Levear provides “boom mic”

Alicia Baker

John Giuliani



Seattle Accordion Social By Marjorie Rombauer

(Socials were not held in July or August)

September 10, 2012 The social was held at the West Seattle Senior

Center this month, organized by John Giuliani. It featured an interesting variety of music, including Latin, Cajun, Old Time, and International.

David Locke began the program in his usual relaxed style, playing six numbers that included “It’s Magic,” “Girl From Ipanema” and a musette that was a work out with lovely harmonies.

Together they played lively Cajun music, with Mark playing a button box, both with obvious enthusiasm and enjoyment. The music was infectious, with dynamic rhythms and tonal variety. It was all new to me and I didn’t get the titles. In the end, Mark switched to the accordion and played a fast and furious number, then a slower and more sentimental number, and fi nally, “Jambalaya.”

Then came the Old Time music of Ted Lunka, playing a button box; Jack Morrison, the 88 year old drumming wonder, and John Giuliani on string bass. They began with a lively polka and then played “The Happy Wanderer” and “Just Because,” with most of us singing along with them. They played two more numbers, including a lovely Slovenian waltz.

Lenny Luzi followed with his Prima Basso Band, playing an extended International program with great verve and enthusiasm. Playing with him were two of his students, Clinton Patterson on acoustic guitar and Stan Johansson on string bass. They began with Italian music, followed by French, Greek, more

A new duo followed – Mark Myking and a violinist named Lucy Reuter.



Italian and more French. Then some numbers I am familiar with: Chanson d’amour, an Edith Piaf number, “Evening in Roma,” “Amore,” and “I Ain’t Got Nobody.” They concluded with Italian music.

In all, a lively and entertaining evening.

October 8, 2012 Again at the West Seattle Senior Center, we

heard lots of good music, beginning with music

from the acrobatic fi ngers of Einar Tapio. He began with lovely adaptations of Fritz Kreisler violin music, Liebesfreud and Schön Rosmarin. Then it was a Russian number, “Festival,” Sprätt-Olson shottis, Sakkijärven (a traditional Finnish Polka) , El Relicario (a paso doble), Yvette Horner’s “Caprice” (a waltz with delicate runs), “The Cuckoo-bird Polka” (like Superman, faster than a speeding bullet), and a waltz, “Dearest Amanda.” Dick Svenson followed on his chromatic accordion, beginning with Oktoberfest music, the Alte Peter waltz and Capri Fischer. He then played and sang his “pancake” songs with new

lyrics, “Roll Out the Pancakes” and “In Heaven There Are No Pancakes.” He concluded with Lokkeren Vals (Callers Waltz).

The Bonnie Birch trio followed, with Bonnie playing the accordion, Nick playing his guitar and Paul playing the tuba. They continued the Oktoberfest and international music

with Nick singing “Beer Here, Beer Here,” seguing into “In Heaven There Is No Beer,” Kufstein waltz (Nick singing in German and yodelling in harmony with Paul), “Merry Widow Waltz,” Strauss’s Radetzky march, Tequilla (shades of the UW Huskies!), an Italian Tarantella, Muss I Denn (with Nick singing in German and then Paul singing in English the “Wooden Heart” lyrics that Elvis Presley sang to that melody), and “Drink, Drink, Drink.”

Birgit and Phil Ages concluded the evening, with Paul again playing the tuba. Beginning with Phil playing a concertina with a clear, bright tone, they played In Munchen Steht Ein Hofbrauhaus and “Roll Out the Barrel,” Phil singing the German words for that melody. Then they played a Swiss number, with Phil yodelling, and “Happy Wanderer.” Phil switched to the mandolin and they played a number with the audience joining Birgit in singing. In the concluding number, Phil picked the melody on his mandolin.



Tacoma Accordion SocialBy Eloise Adair

13 September 2012 We had a very nice sunny day for the 40

people that attended our social. Edith Barrett, Jim Leonhard, Rick Hatley and Dick Myking played a few pieces together while we were getting our program together. Our fi rst performer was Jerry Olson playing “Shine on Harvest Moon”, “Over the Waves” and “Moonglow”. Then we had a duet with Jim Leonhard and Edith Barrett playing “You Are My Sunshine”, “Tinker Polka”, “Return To Me” and “Blue Spanish Eyes” Then Annie Liedtke played her small button box. She did a great job on “Le Tambourim” by Rameau, “Passepied” by Bach and “Menuet” by Bach. Next was Eloise Adair playing “Balen I Karlstad”, “Rookies on Parade” and a polka by Pietro Frosini - “Coquette”.

After our break Dick Svensson played an American Medley but I didn’t get the names, the “Marina” and “Lokkeren”. David Emter was up next playing “Kufstein”, “Until We Meet” and ‘’’’Top of the Hill”. Our last performer was Jon Persson. We had some extra time so he borrowed my accordion and played a French medley - “Pigale, La Seine and All The Things You Are”. And then he played “Kala Shaven’s Waltz” from Sweden. Then he put down the Petosa accordion and picked up his new Roland and he played “Tango La Cumparsita”, “Air on the G String” by Bach and “Phantom of the Opera” a medley.

11 October 2012 We had a good Oktoberfest meeting this month.

The Jammers! Which were Rick Hatley, Dick Myking and Michael Barbarossa played “Basaglerr Polka”, “Bella Mia”. “Beer Barrel Polka”, Edelweiss”, “Fre at Eul Des Leiders” and “Give Me My Heart Back”. Our fi rst performer was Michael Barbarossa playing “Happy Trails”, “By the Light of the Silvery Moon”, “Busy Time Polka”, “Chicken Polka” and “Pennsylvania Polka”. Next Eloise Adair played “Domowina Waltz” and “Liechtensteiner Polka” and “Engelberer Landler”.

Our next accordionist was Dick Myking wearing his lederhosen . He played “Silk Umbrella”, “Lauterbach” and “Heidewitzka, Herr Kapitan”. Then Rick Hatley played “Bergvabuden Sind Vie”, “Schotzenliesl Polka” and “Mehr Wie ein KuB (More than a Kiss). Dennis Perry was next playing “Village Tavern Polka”, “Auf Widersehn”, “In Heaven There is No Beer” and “Sailor”. Next Diane Crews sang for us - “Walkin’ After Midnight” We ran out of players so

Rick Hatley and Michael Barbarossa did a duet. Their fi rst piece was “Blue Skirt Waltz” then “Just Because” followed by “(Hey)The Wiggin Polka”. We had a good attendance - 45.

8 November 2012 Our accordion social tis month only had fi ve

accordionists and one drummer and one volcalist. Mark Myking and Dobrila Marinkovich were the fi rst to perform. They played “Blues de Bosco”, “I’m Commin’ Home” and “Tule ton son ton.” Then Mark’s father Dick Myking played “Kristiania Vals”, “Olanda Toser” and “Frank’s Polka.” Bob Westland was up next playing “Bonnevitle Waltz”, “Sweet Phyllis” and “Patrona Bavaria.” Eloise Adair was up next beginning with “Lordagsvalsen”, “Johan Pa Snippen” and “Livet I Finnskogarna.”

Diane Crews was our vocalist singing “Midnight Blue.” Then David Emter played his little button box beginning with a waltz “Prune Song”, “Barber Polka” and “Peek A Boo Waltz.” We ran out of performers so Mark and Dobrila played again, “Cartpenter Waltz” and “Hey! Mama.” Since we ran out of performers Rick Hatley said we should have a jam session. He handed out books. He, Dick Myking, Mark Myking, Dobila Markinkovich, Bob Westlund, David Emter and Eloise Adair joined the group. We played “Life in the Finish Woods”, “Eldelweiss”, “Snow Waltz”, “Bela Mia”, “Happy Wanderer” and “God Bless America.”

Borsini AccordionExcellent condition.

Treble 4 sets of handmade reeds 11 registers and master

Bass 5 sets of handmade reeds - 7 registers.25 lbs. Keyboard 18 ¾”. Dry tuned.Air tight bellows with stereo pickups.

Comes with soft case.$ 2100.00

Call 503-484-5064



LIAC 2013Will arrive before you know it!

June 20 - 23, 2013By Bonnie Birch

Dear Friends of the Accordion,I don’t know about you but from my perspective,

2012 absolutely fl ew by. Summer is over, Octoberfest season is over, the holidays are upon us, and now it is time for those of us who work on the Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration (LIAC) to begin planning the program, workshops, and taking care of hundreds of details.

I would like to thank all our hardworking volunteers. Without your participation, we could never make the event run as smoothly as it has. Of course, there is always fi ne-tuning required and we try to say, “Well next year, we will work on that problem.”

The important thing to realize is that without your participation by coming to LIAC, there is really no incentive to have this festival. Sure, it is nice to entertain the people who are in the lovely town of Leavenworth. However, that is mainly the job of the Chamber and other organizations based in Leavenworth. The reason the committee works hard to keep LIAC alive is to nurture the love of the accordion and create a vibrant accordion community. This is no small task considering everybody has their own lives and priorities. This is why it is important for you to realize that seeing you at LIAC is very valuable to this event and is your contribution to elevating the status of the accordion in this country.

Those are my thoughts for today.You won’t be disappointed:We have high-quality workshops, concerts from

renowned international artists, a competition, and opportunities for all to perform. For the listener, we have music throughout the day in the Festhalle, Gazebo, and Grange. Prices are very reasonable (plus there are FREE events) and you have the beautiful destination town of Leavenworth to enjoy. Just park your car and walk through town seeing the sights with accordion music and events interspersed throughout. After hours, join the party in one of the restaurants hosting our famous jam sessions.

We would like to hear from you. You may email your comments 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 important 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] Bruchner LIAC Volunteer Chairman - [email protected] Rod Miller LIAC Competition Chairman - [email protected]

For Sale1969 Philharmonic Accordion w/case

7 treble switches+master+mute4 base switches

3/5 sets of hand fi nished reeds

Purchased from Michael Arralde in 2008 for $2250Sounds and plays beautifully

Asking $1900Call Steven for more info 971-237-2913

To see Sam Thomas’ round 1 performance go to:http://www.livestream.com/deschampschannel/video?clipId=pla_3c602d75-42e7-460c-b916-a4212aaf8e41



The planning for Leavenworth 2013 is progress-ing. Coordinating and confi rming schedules takes a while. For certain, Gary Blair of Glasgow, Scotland will be with us. Besides being a great entertainer and master accordionist, Gary has been a fi ne adjudica-tor. Several other accordionists are working with us but the details are not yet fi nal. Hopefully those will be resolved soon. The “short list” of potential entertainers is one to look forward to.

Fund-raising must remain part of the celebra-tion in Leavenworth. While the Northwest Accordion Society has enough in the bank from the past years of successful management to secure the basic pieces of the celebration, the competition piece of the cel-ebration remains one that does not generate income; it depletes the bank account. Keeping the bursary program plus offering prize money and medals is very costly. However, supporting our young players is an investment in the future of the accordion. Begin think-

ing of how you can help fund those things. Any and all gifts are welcome and needed. The accordion com-munity has been very generous in the past and we hope to count on that again in 2013.

After the fi rst of the year, begin checking the of-fi cial LIAC web site for information and updates. The organization for the gazebo performances will remain with at the NWAS web site. The gazebo schedule will not be set up until May 1. Remember those ad-dresses: www.accordioncelebration.org and www.nwasnews.com

Workshops, free public performances, accordion parade, jamming in the restaurants, competitions, and concerts will continue as the focus for our family friendly accordion celebration. Start saving your gas money and set your vacation plans to be with us in Leavenworth, Washington June 20 – 23, 2013, for the love of the accordio n.



Accordionist receives an award from outgoing Juneau Alaska Mayor

From an article on October 9, 2012, in the Juneau Empire of the assembly meeting: “Also at the meeting (mayor) Botelho read out a proclamation declaring the week to be ‘Dale Wygant Appreciation Week’ a tribute to the accordionist and longtime fi xture of the Juneau community.

“This is my last proclamation as mayor” Botelho remarked, “It gives me great pleasure to read the proc-lamation in honor of Dale Wygant.

After being serenaded by a group of kaazoo-playing friends, Wygant received a copy of the proclmation from Botelho who joked, “I’m disappointed Dale didn’t bring his accordion, because the proclamation was for the accordion as well.

NWAS Socials in Seattle

Socials resumed in September after the usual sum-mer break in July and August. The socials will be held at two different venues during the coming year: the Swed-ish Cultural Center and the West Seattle Senior Center. All of the socials are held on the 2nd Monday monthly 7:30 – 9:30 PM. Different people will host each month and special things are planned. Below is a partial listing of the events planned for the year.

November - Scandinavian Music- Hosted by Br enda and Ione Bard (mother and daughter) December -Featuring Lyle Schafer, Jim Tobler and Murl Allen Sanders. Please bring your accordions for a Christmas large-group jam session, led by Bonnie Birch January 2013-Featuring Jamie Maschler performing Latin Music, including a clinic (bring your accordions). Also featuring Laura Gardner.February .2013-Featuring and hosted by Birgit and Phil Ages. Also featuring Kory Tideman, Bonnie Birch Trio and John Giuliani.

December 9 – SCCJanuary 11 – SCCFebruary 11 – WSSCMarch 11 – SCCApril 8 – WSSCMay 13 – SCCJune 10 – WSSCJuly – August – summer breakSeptember 9 - SCCOctober 14 - WSSC

West Seattle Sr. Center-(WSSC) Address- 4217 SW Oregon St. Seattle, WA 98116Swedish Cultural Center-(SCC) (top fl oor w/elevator-3Crowns Room) Address-1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109

Coming Special Events:The Day of the Accordion- Saturday, February 23, 2013 at Crossroads Shopping Center(Mall) 15600 NE 8th St. Bellevue, WA 98008

Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration-June 20 - 23, 2013 in Leavenworth, Washington

Information will be forthcoming about the details for the special events. Seattle Accordion Social Contacts: Birgit Ages (206-947-8393) or John Giuliani (425-255-2121)

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, Vancouver, WA 98682

Welcome New Members

Mia Bush, Hillsboro, ORDave Chelini, Sacramento, CAJonathan E Dyk, Tillamook, ORPaul Garavaglia, Seattle, WABetty Hamilton, Carmichael, CATed Lunka, Federal Way, WARichard Peterson, Port Orchard, WARon Sauro, Elma, WALaVerne Spilter, Visalia, CA

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



Combining the familiar sounds and playing feel of a traditional acoustic accordion with the advantages of a modern digital musical instrument, a Roland® V-Accordion® takes your music to places you’ve never imagined. With a wide selection of standard and diatonic models to choose from and multiple color options, there’s a V-Accordion to fit any style, budget, and playing level. The FR-1x, the newest member of the family, packs the latest V-Accordion technology in a light and compact design with built-in speakers, making it perfect for everyone from pro players in need of a flexible mobile instrument to young students just starting out.

Combinini g ththe ffa imililiar sou dnds andd lplayiing ffe lel off a

A World of New Possibilities

Discover the V-Accordion and explore a world of new creative possibilities at www.RolandUS.com.

MMURL ALLEN SANDERS is pleased to

aannounce his new CD:

““Stories of Lucile” MMurl plays accordion and piano with his band featuring

ssaxophonist extraordinaire, Warren Rand. EEleven songs in jazz/pop style including originals and Murl’s

uunique cover of “Fields oof Gold”..

MMakes a great gift! Buy your copy today!

BBy check only $18.00 by mail (includes shipping and handling)

PP.O. Box 30553, Seattle, WA 98113

CCREDIT CARD PURCHASES avai lable online at CDBaby.com

DDIGITAL DOWNLOADS Available at CDBaby and iTtunes DDon’tt forget to purchase ““MMurl’s Holiday Favorites””,, other CD’s and Accordion Songbook!

Email [email protected] Snail mail P.O. Box 30553 Seattle, WA 98113 Phone 206-781-8196 Website www.murlallensanders.com



Accordion Events CalendarBy Doris Osgood

[email protected]

NORTHWEST ACCORDION SOCIETY SOCIALS SEATTLE, WA2nd Monday monthly: Nov. 12 Swedish CC, Dec. 10 WSSC, Jan. 11, Feb. 11 WSSC, March 11 SCC 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: Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 14, March 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.April 28 and October 27, 2013

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

ACCORDION JAM IN SANDYSANDY, OROn hiatus until further notice.

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 Theatre 900 Calle de los Amigos, Santa Barbara, CA

AIMS 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 PmNov. 11 Jokers Wild, MissoulaDec. 9 Rustic Hut, FlorenceJan 13 Eagles, HamiltonJan. 27 Rustic Hut, FlorenceFeb. 10 Jokers Wild, Missoula Pres. Helen Brady [email protected] – NW Accordion AssociationNov. 18 Eagles, KalispellDec. 2 Elks, PoulsonDec. 16 Eagles, PoulsonContact Roger Wagner 406- 862-2436 all NWAA Jams 2 – 6 PMMontana – Great Falls Accordion PlayersNov. 11 EaglesDec. 16 ElksJan. 20 MooseJams are 1 PM – 5 PMContact Pat Sharp for info: 406-452-4546

GEM STATE ACCORDION CLUBIDAHOSunny Ridge Retirement Center Nampa, ID 3rd Saturday monthly 2 – 4 PM



for information contact: Dianne Lansing [email protected]

HUGO’S ACCORDION BANDMT. VERNON, WA2nd and 4th Monday monthly 2:00 - 4:00 PMPresident, Duane Stowe 16580 Peterson Rd Burlington, WA 98233 360-757-4826 [email protected]

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, Lela Bourne [email protected]

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 Sequim Senior Center 921 E. Hammond St; next meeting January 13 contact: Jeannie Berg- [email protected] 360-683-5620

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 250-477-3098BUTTON BOX CAMPS JULY AND SEPTfor information contact: Joseph Smiell Jr. 812 Bantry Way Benica, CA 94510

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]

DAY OF THE ACCORDIONFebruary 23, 2013 Crossroads Mall Bellevue, WA

RCAC ACCORDION CAMP- SILVER FALLS CONFERENCE CENTER June 9 - 14, 2013 near Sublimity, OR. Camp treasurer: Marlene Meissner 503-463-9909 [email protected]

LEAVENWORTH INTERNATIONAL ACCORDION CELEBRATION June 20- 23, 2013 Leavenworth, WA. www.accordioncelebration.org www.nwasnews.com

KIMBERLEY OLD TIME ACCORDION COMPETITION KIMBERLEY, BCJuly 8 - 13, 2013, www.kiotac.ca 1-888-4KIOTAC or 250-427-7318



VICTORIA ACCORDION FESTIVALVictoria, British Columbia July , 2013www.bcaccordion.ca 1-778-433-8700

FAIRBANKS SUMMER ARTS FESTIVALJuly , 2013 on the campus of U. of Alaska Fairbanks. www.fsaf.org contact 907-474-8869

ACCORDION CELEBRATION – Historic Wallace Wallace, ID August , 2013 www.wallaceIdahoChamber.com

COTATI ACCORDION FESTIVALCotati, CA August , 2013 www.cotatifest.com66TH COUPE MONDIALEAugust 19 – 26, 2013 Victoria, B.C. Canada1st time ever in CanadaALPENFEST Alpenfest Sept. 26 – 29, 2013 Wallowa County, OR, Oregon’s Little Switzerland Enterprise, P.O. Box 301 Joseph, OR 97846 Details: oregonalpenfest.com or 541-432-0209. Cell 541-398-1096

ACCORDION EXTRAVAGANZA EDMONTON, ALBERTA September, 2013www.edmontonaccordion.com

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 BennettWednesdays at Polo Lounge, Fridays w/ 9th St. Band Reno Senior Center, Saturdays at Bavarian Worldwebsite: 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.com

Happy Hans’ Music Hans Rainer, Jr. Dec. 1 Berliner Pub 6 – 10 PM Renton, WADec. 16 Berliner Pub 3 – 7 PM Renton, WADec. 31 German House 8PM – 12:30 AM Seattle, WAFor scheduling information write Hans Rainer, JR



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.

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

HALDEMAN’S OOM-PAH BOYSDer Rheinlander Restaurant Portland, ORWed, Thurs, Sat, Sun. 5 PM – 9 PMContact: Lynn Haldeman 1200 NE 199th Ave. Portland, OR 97230 503-328-6099 [email protected]

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 MeierFor scheduling information write: 38572 Park Ave. Sandy, OR 97055 503-668-7002. Fax 503-668-1058 [email protected]

Andy MirkovichNov. 11 Sequim Accordion Club w/ John GiulianiFull schedule private engagementsMaster Classes by appointment: 425-451-1256

Murl Allen SandersDec. 1 Boxley’s w/Janette West 7 – 10 PM North Bend, WADec. 22 Lakeside Bistro 7:30 – 10:30 PM Seattle, WAwww.LakesideBistroSeattle.comDec. 24 Pacifi c Place Shopping Center 12 – 2 PM Downtown Seattle, WAFull schedule private engagements, regular performances in synagogue and church, composing, and teaching.www.murlallensanders.comFor scheduling information write: [email protected] PO Box 30553 Seattle, WA 98113, 206-781-8196

Lyle Schaefer For scheduling information write: 10523-63rd St. Ct. E. #61, Puyallup, WA 98372, [email protected], 253-848-0778.

Sam’s Variety GemsSam Pecorilla: home 541-847-2282, cell 541-321-9088

Smilin’ ScandinaviansFeb. 3 Swedish Cultural Center pancake breakfast 11:45 AM – 1 PM Seattle, WAFeb. 16 Sons of Norway 8 – 11:30 PM Bothel, WAMay 5 Swedish Cultural Center pancake breakfast 11:45 AM – 1 PM Seattle, WAToby also has regular gigs also with Jangles, a Western Swing band, Cowgirl’s Dream, an Americana band, and 1928, a classic jazz band.For 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 BandDec. 15 Sons of Norway 8 – 11:30 PM Bothel, WAFull schedule in Mesa and Apache Junction, AZNovember - April(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- 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.



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:

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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

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