Off to College!

[RYLUNDO]

I am getting closer and closer to my move in date for College. I will be attending Wartburg College. I will be making the move from Columbus, Nebraska to Waverly, Iowa. I began playing in March once I got my accordion and have made consistent progress learning new songs. Within these past couple months, I have made very good progress when it comes to networking with local accordion players. I have meet so many people that have been excited I am learning and willing to help me. I have now participated in 4 different accordion jams, all of which were a lot of fun. I have finally been meeting people willing to help that play the same instrument as me, the heligonka button accordion, but my issue is I am leaving soon. I am completely unsure how the style of music will compare and if I will be able to find people willing to help, because I would love to keep playing throughout college. It has become one of my major hobbies so I do not want to give it up. My preferred genre is Czech polkas and waltzes. Does anyone know how my experience might differ from living in Iowa? Are there polka bands common in Iowa like they are in Nebraska? In Nebraska the common accordion key is BbEbAb, is that the preferred key in Iowa? I understand these questions are very region specific, but I would really appreciate feedback if anyone has suggestions. Thank you.

 

[Walker]

The thing about heligonka in Iowa is... if you play it they will come.

 

[RYLUNDO]

I sure hope so!

 

[Tom]

There are definitely polka bands to be found in Iowa! How the situation differs from Nebraska I can’t say, but good luck and have fun!

 

[Thomas N]

The added bonus is that you'll have plenty of time to study since you won't have to worry about women.

 

[Ventura]

there are any number of ways to look at this.. heading off to
college.. being in that scene..

how "true" to your calling do you need to be ?
how much would you like to be able to fit in
and be valued by your schoolmates ?
broad minded peers will appreciate anything
you do if you do it well and with dedication, but
how many people will actually feel more than a
passing interest in a limited genre of music from the past
and an instrument that, while it has the market cornered for
"Kawaii" in Iowa, is not something you could take to a Corn roast.

being in the middle of a modern scene, even a regular accordion
will need to work pretty hard to win them over.. would it be possible
for you to branch out and also get handy with a standard accordion too
(one that can play anything in any key anytime melody or live backing trax)
for the others to sing along to and incorporate into the fun and the scene ?

could the Hlavchek even on it's best day pull off a popular video game melody
and WoW them ? would you even want to carry around such a nice box in
a backpack all over campus (while an old Accordiana 120 bass will gladly
hang over your shoulder and even shrug off a few raindrops) to be able
to play at a moment notice on the green for a half dozen giggling girls ?

so i am saying it's maybe not just a matter of how you fit YOUR preference and
hopes to play a lot and make connection so much as what would be
practical and possible and help you make friends and have lots of
space/opportunities to play/practice/grow ?

food for thought

 

[RYLUNDO]

The instrument itself can play just about every genre of music, not saying it would be easy. There are all sorts of videos on like of video game soundtracks being played on diatonic accordions. I couldn't care less that it's not a popular instrument, I just want to be able to continue through college. I could try to broaden to more popular genres just to not annoy people.

I've never really wanted to learn any other instrument, even just a regular accordion. I have one at home but I have never felt any sort of interest toward learning it. I'm not sure why.

I'm not too worried about making friends in college. I plan on being in various other activities I don't think I will be trying to use my accordion as a friend making tool, I might scare them off.

The added bonus is that you'll have plenty of time to study since you won't have to worry about women.

You probably aren't wrong!

 

[Thomas N]

The instrument itself can play just about every genre of music, not saying it would be easy. There are all sorts of videos on like of video game soundtracks being played on diatonic accordions. I couldn't care less that it's not a popular instrument, I just want to be able to continue through college. I could try to broaden to more popular genres just to not annoy people.

I've never really wanted to learn any other instrument, even just a regular accordion. I have one at home but I have never felt any sort of interest toward learning it. I'm not sure why.

I'm not too worried about making friends in college. I plan on being in various other activities I don't think I will be trying to use my accordion as a friend making tool, I might scare them off.


You probably aren't wrong!

Hah! Just a joke. I obviously play accordion as well. Although when I was younger.....there could be some truth to that statement!

 

[RYLUNDO]

The moving process went pretty smoothly. I have also found where the practice rooms are located to continue playing. I have used the practice rooms once now and it feels weird. Everything went well, it just felt odd playing in a small room with nothing but a mirror.

 

[craigd]

Good luck, though I bet it's a long time ago for most of us on this forum, our memories of the first days of college are probably still pretty clear and significant (for me it was the '80s not the '60s so maybe that helps with the clarity. Here's a link to a pretty hip duo that play an accordion similar to yours I believe. Austrian, but just shows you can do some pretty cool stuff with the instrument outside of the tradition.

 

[Dingo40]

I will be attending Wartburg College.

Not Hogwarts, then?
See here:

what is hogwarts college? - Google Search

 

[Giovanni]

Not Hogwarts, then?
See here:

what is hogwarts college? - Google Search

You have indeed led a very sheltered Life !!!!!! a joke don't take it seriously!!
College will change all of that !!!

 

[JKJ]

... I have also found where the practice rooms are located to continue playing. I have used the practice rooms once now and it feels weird. Everything went well, it just felt odd playing in a small room with nothing but a mirror.

When I was in college (late 1960s) the practice rooms in the music department were coveted. I mostly saw piano players (what I used them for) but any instrument was welcome. Note that the rooms are probably not soundproof and the acoustics might be less than optimum, sound bouncing off close, hard walls (if yours are similar to what we had).

 

[OuijaBoard]

-----Here is a link to "Czech Village" in Cedar Rapids, very close to Waverly. Perhaps there are folks there who can get you connected, or can point you to folks you can. Where there is a Czech Village and a Czech heritage, there is hope a Czech diatonic box player or two may be lurking:

https://www.czechvillagecedarrapids.com/about

-----Your timing is impeccable! The annual Czech Goulash Day festival is approaching on September 29! I suggest you take your accordion and win hearts! Note that it features food "and entertainment." Get there when it starts, and chat up the whole entertainment lineup for leads. Be sure to return here and gift us with a write-up and photos from Goulash Day!

Czech festival coincides with 150th anniversary of St. Wenceslaus Church

St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, celebrates its 150th anniversary as it readies for the annual Czech Goulash Day on Sept. 29, 2024. (photo/Cindy Hadish) CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- A popular annual festival featuring Czech food and entertainment returns to St. Wenceslaus Catholic...

homegrowniowan.com

-----Here is a link to the FB page of the Cedar Rapids Accordion Aces. Lots of PA presence there, but you might make helpful leads:

Log in to Facebook

Log in to Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family and people you know.

www.facebook.com

-----The Iowa Accordion Club also seems to be based around Cedar Rapids--They appear to be a PA mob. But they play at Czech Village events, and somebody very well may be able to point you to a heligonka mob. Or at least, a sporting button box player or two!

 

[JKJ]

Not Hogwarts, then?

I saw this just now.

Is this a hint you may secretly be a Harry Potter fan? Should I make a genuine JKJ custom “magic” wand for you?

I’ve made hundreds of these, no two exactly the same…





In fact, I’m scheduled to do a demo next week at the woodturning club in Knoxville to teach how I make these. (this will be the seventh time I’ve done this topic, in TN and some surrounding states, as well as taught the techniques to a number of individual students - good clean fun!)

I use both local and “exotic” woods from around the world. I’m about to make one from wood a friend from (gasp!) Australia brought when he came to visit. (he harvests tropical wood from the north)

JKJ

 

[Dingo40]

Is this a hint you may secretly be a Harry Potter fan?

Just my little joke (Wartburg-Hogwarts)
Nice wood turning!

 

[RYLUNDO]

That is really impressive!

 

[JKJ]

Just my little joke (Wartburg-Hogwarts)

Makes me wonder then if Wartburg College has a sports team called the WartHogs.

Nice wood turning!

Thanks, sir Dingo, et.al.. Woodturning is one of my favorite things.

There's a little town in the mountains near here named Wartburg. No college, but it has a bit Civil War history .

Wartburg, Tennessee - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

When I retire I'd like to move there and open a McWartburgers stand. Wait - I've been retired for almost 20 years...

For many years, every time I drove thru Wartburg it warmed my heart to see the old sign on the town jailhouse: "It Don't Pay To Do Wrong". Sadly, they eventually put up a new sign: "It Doesn't Pay To Do Wrong".

JKJ

 

[RYLUNDO]

Makes me wonder then if Wartburg College has a sports team called the WartHogs.

Lol, it's the Wartburg Knights.

 

[RYLUNDO]

This past weekend I participated in Iowa Duncanfest. It is a three day event of music, dancing, and food. It was a lot of fun. I met a lot of new people that are both happy I'm learning and willing to help. One couple from Montana gave be a book with czech lyrics for some polkas and waltzes so I'll have to try learning those. The first day they had a jam session which was a lot of fun. A video of it was posted on youtube. The song is Blue Skirt Waltz, I did get lost during the song but everyone helped cover where i messed up. Eventually i got back on track