Hi from Tom

[Tom]

Hi everybody,

I'm not new here but I haven't been around for a couple of years. I joined at the beginning and got real busy after a while, starting an accordion club, building an Italian version of this forum, even learning to play a bit!

So, I wanted to say "Hi!" And I'm glad things are going well here! I'll try not to be such a stranger....

Tom

 

[smdc66]

Hi everybody,

Im not new here but I havent been around for a couple of years. I joined at the beginning and got real busy after a while, starting an accordion club, building an Italian version of this forum, even learning to play a bit!

So, I wanted to say Hi! And Im glad things are going well here! Ill try not to be such a stranger....

Tom

Hello again

I d like to hear more about your club & forum (& maybe even join the forum one day (although my italian is not great these days)),

I am still trying to learn to play to a decent standard

I am working on thats amore at the moment to try and add a fun tune/song to my small repertoire

 

[Matt Butcher]

Hi Tom, very good to hear from you. I knew you were someone who got things done but I didn't know you'd been that busy! If you ever had time is be interested to hear about the club and the forum. (I promise you I won't bother your members with inane comments and misappropriating their culture.). Nicely done. All the best for now.

 

[Tom]

Hi Matt and smdc,

The accordion club meets the second Tuesday of every month. We meet at a local bar (pub) and mostly just play tunes together. We've done some Christmas shows, Oktoberfest parades and a few other venues. We have about 6 or 8 people who show up regularly and others who come and go, or just show up once or twice. It's pretty fun!

I taught myself the Italian language and joined fisarmonicaforum.it. It went "belly up" so I bought the domain and started it back up as a phpBB like this one. It's quite a bit smaller and pretty low key but a lot of fun. Feel free to check it out and join if you want!

So Matt, how's that organetto playing going?

 

[Matt Butcher]

The club sounds great, fun is the key, playing out at those events is an added bonus. I bet the general public like hearing it as well, they usually seem to. It takes some energy to get things going though, I'm impressed.

I'll check out the forum (as a lurker).

Yes I'm still as enthusiastic about the organetto as ever and still love that music. I play a couple of tunes from time to time at the various things I go to and while my playing is rough people enjoy the music even if not how I play it. I have come up against time and volume in the last couple of years, some long hours at work + spending a lot of time with my mother in law who was from the Free City of Danzig (as it was then) and most definitely doesn't want me playing tarantellas in her flat! But I learnt the music by ear and because of that I don't seem to forget it. It's a great instrument and a great tradition. I have midi accordion set up at home so if I get a chance I put the headphones on and play something simple. Thanks partly to your influence I am having a go at some simple liscio music at the moment.

Well done for getting so much going with the accordion - do you ever get a chance to play on top of all that? Good luck with it all.

 

[Tom]

Hi again Matt,

I have the same time issues, wouldn't it be nice to be able to play 3 or 4 hours a day? Yes, I play probably 3 or 4 days a week, I've been working through a two volume method book to try to learn to read. I have a friend who I play with a couple times a month who is pretty accomplished so he keeps me going and makes me want to read. I volunteer "music therapy" at an Alzheimers support group so there is another opportunity. "Did we just play this song?" "Don't worry, let's just play it!" I have a small repertoire of tunes I like to play and try to add new ones, I like the traditional Italian waltzes and things. I haven't been playing my organetto much but as summer comes around it will be good to get outside. I probably spend a couple hours a week organizing for the club and forum which I enjoy.

If you lurk on the forum you will see most everything except the "shoutbox" which is members only and the daily fun, but in Italian.

Good luck with your playing and your other stuff, sounds like you're keeping going!