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Something for the newbies

You can't go far wrong with anything on David Bruce's channel, if you're looking for a peek into a modern composer's mind.
 
Good video, though David Bruce doesn't seem to realize, when discussing the accordion's low range at 4:36, that Michael Ward-Bergeman is playing a bass accordion. Still, the general point is correct.

Note: I actually took the video that Bruce is using at the New Orleans Accordion Festival that Michael and I created.
 
I want one of those cards to show kids the amazing super powers of the accordions.

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Also, I didn't know such bands in Finland playing folk metal with accordions.

I suddenly want to dress up like them.

 
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A set of 'instrument trading cards' would be a really fun way to get kids' attention in an intro-to-music class and to reinforce lessons in a serious orchestration class. I think with a bit of effort you could create three or four scales that you could attach actual numbers to. Range in semitones is an obvious one, where you can have piano organ and accordion way out in front, then clarinet, cello, and french horn, and on down past oboes to recorders and bagpipes. Difference between loudest and softest dynamics could probably be measured too. I am not sure how you'd make a simple quantification for blendiness or for range of expressive techniques.
 
Nice video. Accordion is very appreciated in countries who knows and uses the instrument in their styles (Brazil, Poland, Mexico, Russia...). But if people dont know, they get it as something weird, nostalgic at its best. It shares the same fate with piano and organ in a symphony orchestra, it could be used as solo but not as a part of it (maybe they could call you sometimes as guest) which doesnt get you a long term job there. I m not sure too many rock or pop group uses it (I thought these were special examples and according to country popularity of the accordion or they just wanted to be interesting). Being too much versatile is very useful as solo and in folk music, but I m not sure every music group will like you with these abilities. Accordion is not a classical music instrument originally because its been invented later. Being similar to organ, its been successful in solo works though. Bach for example. But we can still debate that. As I heard, accordion is the hardest to record the sound because every note is sounding from a different place, makes it a 3D sound output with basses especially, sound engineers dont like that much. There are also people hate the accordions buzzy sound although we dont take it like this, thats maybe one of the reasons of digital accordions.
 
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