Dallas Accordion Convention

[Alans]

The annual Dallas accordion convention run by their National Accordion Association is coming up at the end of March. I attended about thirteen years ago and it was one of the best experiences of my life. It’s three days and nights jam-packed with many workshops,orchestra playing opportunities and exceptional lunch time and evening concerts. Once again I can’t attend because not living in the U. S. the flight and the expense is too high for me. But hopefully one day I will be able to return. It’s the second accordion festival I’ve attended in the U.S. and it’s the better of the two. Maybe because it’s full of so many Texans-the atmosphere is incredibly welcoming. There is also a room where used accordions are sold and I was told that the prices drop towards the end because the dealers don’t want to have to cart them back home. All of the information is on the NAA web site and the listing of workshops will probably be up there now too. If anyone can get there and you’re very passionate about the accordion then it’s the place to be next month. People,at least when I was there often formed small groups and jammed together. The organizers take their convention very seriously so it’s really a great time. I came home with a huge stack of sheet music and workshop material that was part of the program.

 

[JerryPH]

Huh. When I lived there, I could not find anything accordion in Dallas. I knew of the few Czech festivals in and around the New Braunfels area and the odd conjunto concert. Of course now that I live far away, there is a nice big event.

This early in to 2024, I am still recovering from the Gola purchase, but next year, if it happens, sure, I’d go and check it out… I still have a lot of good friends that I’d like to say hello to in the area as well.

National Accordion Convention Information

 

[Alans]

I believe the convention is around twenty years old but I can’t remember the date now. The year I went I was thrilled to be going to Texas in the winter and they had the worst weather in decades. There seems to be many accordion clubs in Texas-a big community in the very southern part, and Dallas and Houston. It’s the only thing I know about Texas but there were a lot of Texans there and they were very welcoming.
There was a separate group for kids studying Mexican accordion music. I think they were being prepared for a performance as they were wearing costumes.
In Toronto where I live it seems as if now overwhelmingly accordions are being bought by Mexicans and people from South America. I recently spent three months in southern florida and of course it’s overwhelmingly Cuban and South American-but absolutely no accordion activity. I even wrote to the southern Florida accordion club twice and never heard back from them.
I keep hearing about this accordion explosive re-birth but I have no idea where these accordionists are.

 

[JerryPH]

I keep hearing about this accordion explosive re-birth but I have no idea where these accordionists are.

If you build it... they will come... lol

I'm happy to hear about things like the ATG or the Dallas accordion festival, Cotati or... anything... it is ALL good stuff for us!

 

[Alans]

it seems as if the annual Las Vegas Accordion Festival has ended.I had heard was the best one and I really looked forward to attending but it is no more.

 

[JerryPH]

Wasn't the owner of Accordions International in Salt Lake City, Utah the guy that ran it? Has anyone reached out to him to see if there are any plans to bring it back?

 

[Alans]

yes that was him-Paul Pasquale. I heard he lost a great deal running the conventions and he can’t continue,he is also apparently not in the best of Heath. The hotels were 64.00 a night and that included all meals. But the convention fee was quite high. I had heard it was the best convention though.
The AtG convention has announced their performers for this July and it’s just a great line-up. Grayson Masefeld from new zealand one of the top players in the world, Michael Bridge another top player and Nikolay Bine an exceptional jazz accordionist. I wish I could go but it’s just not affordable. There is a video of Grayson playing at last year’s convention and it’s a very beautiful performance.

 

[JerryPH]

Grayson is world class indeed, right up there with Michael Bridge.
If they do it again in 2025, there is a more than good chance I will pop in for a visit.

 

[John M]

I was at the last Las Vegas accordion convention in 2019. It was a great event with many accordionists (Cory Pesaturo, Ginny Mac and more). They entertained in the evening and taught workshops during the day.

I talked to Paul Pasquali yesterday. There will not be another convention with an agenda as large as previous ones. If there is another, he said it would be on a much smaller scale.

Accordions International produces the Concerto Acoustic/ Digital accordion. In 2019, the latest model just came out. I believe it was the 3rd generation. There was a demonstration of it at the convention. The Acoustic accordion is made in Castelfidardo. Paul is the "Father" of the Concerto Digital electronics. The eletronic portion of the accordion is manufactured in Salt Lake City.

 

[JerryPH]

Accordions International produces the Concerto Acoustic/ Digital accordion.

Hmmm... The Concerto is a variation of the Elkavaox... indeed one may say it is the evolution fo the Elka. it is an acoustic accordion from Pier Maria and uses an external tone generator. They are very nice, I initially looked at them and was leaning that direction before the FR-8X, but the price scared me away, as did the fact that it wasn't as advanced as the 8X, which was less than half the price (1/3rd the price if talking Canadian currency and still tethered to a tone generator... unfortunately that is a concept who's time has come and gone).

The Vegas accordion event was the best in the world, I am told... I am sad to not have been able to attend it pre-Pandemic.

 

[mbaggio65]

Running a convention at that size is a large financial risk. My wife and I organized in previous years the National Accordion Convention (not this year though!). Expenses for the presenters and performers, hotel contingencies, insurance sums up pretty quickly to a large amount of money, which need to be covered by the attendees with their convention fees. The attendees on top pay for their own for flights and travel, hotel, meals and a few other expenses. In today's world, unless you live "around the corner" of the convention you are quickly $ 1,500 - $ 2,000 out of pocket, assuming you bring your spouse. That is a lot of money, as you are either young (not making much money) or either old (and have to pay this from your fixed retirement).

In recent years (even prior to the pandemic) attendance has dropped, so the cost need to be shared to a smaller group, which drives up the cost per person, or the organizer "saves" on the presenters and performers, which means you get less quality for your money. We had many years people flying in from Scotland, German or New Zealand. That sums up quickly.

Long story short, I strongly believe the times for these large national conventions is over - unfortunately. It might be better to focus on smaller, localized events. Just my un-humble opinion.

I always wanted to go to the Las Vegas Convention as I heard so many good things, but I never made it.

Markus

 

[John M]

Hmmm... The Concerto is a variation of the Elkavaox... indeed one may say it is the evolution fo the Elka. it is an acoustic accordion from Pier Maria and uses an external tone generator. . . .

Jerry,
I think your Concerto/Elkavox comparison might be of a Concerto that is one generation back. The one I heard that came out in 2019 was the Concerto DA300.

The attached file has the specs of the DA300. In the "EXPERIENCE" section it describes the independent volume control of an instrument such as a Sax with the bellows and then the volume of other digital voices controlled separately by the expression pedal.

There are other more modern features such as "Bluetooth" and wireless control with a Tablet.
John

 

[JerryPH]

Jerry,
I think your Concerto/Elkavox comparison might be of a Concerto that is one generation back. The one I heard that came out in 2019 was the Concerto DA300.

The attached file has the specs of the DA300. In the "EXPERIENCE" section it describes the independent volume control of an instrument such as a Sax with the bellows and then the volume of other digital voices controlled separately by the expression pedal.

There are other more modern features such as "Bluetooth" and wireless control with a Tablet.
John

I saw that model too, and saw the video of Pesaturo demo-ing it. They all have seperate tone generators and yes he's added some wireless BT aspects, but at the core it is still the same basic concept. For me it's basically 3 things that prevent the Concerto from popularity...
1 - That tone generator, thats a huge piece of equipment to lug around.
2 - No matter what he has, it will always be only ONE accordion, albeit a beautiful one.
3 - The price is astronomical for what it is (we're looking at well over $25,000cdn for me plus taxes!).

Please hear me, I am not saying its not a fine instrument, but compared to an 8X (which can also be made BT compatible, completely wireless AND have your presets changed at the press of a BT pedal or as you change to another song as I have shown in my videos). It's very hard to fight these features and meet that price range. He would likley need to operate at a loss (which would be silly), to get even partially competitive.

That is why I could not own a Concerto.

Previous Concerto owners (I know of only two so far as Concerto owners are rarer than hen's teeth), have jumped ship and gone from the Concerto to a Roland, likely for the same reasons.

 

[John M]

I saw that model too, and saw the video of Pesaturo demo-ing it. They all have seperate tone generators and yes he's added some wireless BT aspects, but at the core it is still the same basic concept. For me it's basically 3 things that prevent the Concerto from popularity...
1 - That tone generator, thats a huge piece of equipment to lug around.
2 - No matter what he has, it will always be only ONE accordion, albeit a beautiful one.
3 - The price is astronomical for what it is (we're looking at well over $25,000cdn for me plus taxes!).

Please hear me, I am not saying its not a fine instrument, but compared to an 8X (which can also be made BT compatible, completely wireless AND have your presets changed at the press of a BT pedal or as you change to another song as I have shown in my videos). It's very hard to fight these features and meet that price range. He would likley need to operate at a loss (which would be silly), to get even partially competitive.

That is why I could not own a Concerto.

Previous Concerto owners (I know of only two so far as Concerto owners are rarer than hen's teeth), have jumped ship and gone from the Concerto to a Roland, likely for the same reasons.

Thanks for the reply Jerry. It wasn't clear to me from the specs about the tone generator. Some how I thought all the tone generation was inside the Concerto and all you needed was an external power amp & speaker.

I kind of figured there weren't a lot of Concerto's out there. I spoke to a couple of Concerto owner's at the last Vegas convention. They were some of Paul's original customers from the first generation Concerto. They would always buy a new one when it came out. The incentive was that he would give them a good 'trade in" price for being a repeat customer.

 

[Alans]

mbaggio63-as a former head of the NAA convention will you be attending this year? Attending these conventions are very expensive which is why I can’t go. But there are still three national conventions. I have no idea what the attendance is like but if I ever finish suing my sister in-law I’ll be at the next NAA convention for sure.

 

[Alans]

I just went to the NAA website and there are so many workshops I would have liked to attend. Interesting to the discussion above-on the last day of the convention there is a session hosted by Norm Seaton on the future of the conventions. I know Norm has run these conventions for a very long time and he’s not younger than me. Perhaps even this great convention is on its last legs. Everyone running these things are not young. I will really miss it if it has to fold.

 

[John M]

I just went to the NAA website and there are so many workshops I would have liked to attend. Interesting to the discussion above-on the last day of the convention there is a session hosted by Norm Seaton on the future of the conventions. I know Norm has run these conventions for a very long time and he’s not younger than me. Perhaps even this great convention is on its last legs. Everyone running these things are not young. I will really miss it if it has to fold.

It all depends -- whether there is a person that will follow up and take on the responsibility. There are a lot of people involved to pull off an event like this. But there is always that leader that will "spearhead" the event. If he/she isn't there, the event wouldn't happen. It all depends on if there is another person, with the same enthusiasm to take over a task this large for the future.

In our town of Medina, "Medina Hardware" closed a few months back. The original store started in the late 1800's to early 1900's. Father & sons kept this "old time" hardware store going all these years. Rick, the last owner has no one to take over the business, so it is now closed. For me, it is very sad to see it go.

 

[mbaggio65]

mbaggio63-as a former head of the NAA convention will you be attending this year? Attending these conventions are very expensive which is why I can’t go. But there are still three national conventions. I have no idea what the attendance is like but if I ever finish suing my sister in-law I’ll be at the next NAA convention for sure.

Alan, no I will not attend for personal reasons.

 

[JerryPH]

I always wanted to go to the Las Vegas Convention as I heard so many good things, but I never made it.

Me too, it was on my bucket list. I did some calculations, for the one in Ohio, and even if it was $1500-$2000, that is doable, but Canadians are hammered even more. Those 3 days would have cost me over $3800cdn!