The Accordion in the year 2000 and 2023

[John M]

An organ player does not have control of the bellows. "Squeeze" is the heart and soul of the instrument.

On an 8X, the bellows takes the place of the expression pedal on an organ. The 8X bellows has a larger volume range than my Hammond B3. The volume on my 8X will go from a whisper (actually Off) to an ear piercing maximum with the Bose L1 PRO8. The B3 goes from a minimum volume to a maximum.
The portability of the 8X with the special B3 tonewheel mode is a great feature -- no 400 lb. organ to move with organ dollies that requires two very strong guys.

 

[dak]

On an 8X, the bellows takes the place of the expression pedal on an organ. The 8X bellows has a larger volume range than my Hammond B3. The volume on my 8X will go from a whisper (actually Off) to an ear piercing maximum with the Bose L1 PRO8. The B3 goes from a minimum volume to a maximum.
The portability of the 8X with the special B3 tonewheel mode is a great feature -- no 400 lb. organ to move with organ dollies that requires two very strong guys.

Opening and closing vents is not the same as direct pressure control. A harmonium is more expressive than an organ and still much less expressive than an accordion. You don't get to do the equivalent of bellow shakes or hard accents with a pedal.

 

[saundersbp]

A harmonium is more expressive than an organ and still much less expressive than an accordion.

That's untrue. It might be true to say it has superior dynamic control within a phrase. Expression is something entirely different: its about conveying feeling/emotion in music and instruments with fixed dynamics such as the harpsichord or organ (once stops are set) have no trouble being deeply expressive.

The scale of this expression can be profound and on an epic scale:

 

[Walker]

It's not an either/or universe, it's a big universe.

I agree OB... the accordion is many things to many people. To me alone it is many things... it can be a "musette" instrument for traditional dance music or a more compact "violin" tuned instrument for Celtic & folk music. It can be a contemporary free bass instrument for new music inspired by folklore. To me it is an instrument inextricably linked to the land and people of my country. However, to many people my description may seem bizarre and unrecognisable...​

 

[losthobos]

ChatGPT informed me that, "Remember, that making the accordion relevant to the younger generation involves breaking down stereotypes, embracing innovation, and being open to new approaches. By demonstrating the accordion's adaptability and its potential in contemporary music, you can help young people see it as a dynamic and exciting instrument."
Agree/Disagree?

Are you doing anything to facilitate getting the younger generation interested in playing the accordion?

ps ..I copied this from elsewhere

 

[Walker]

That's untrue. It might be true to say it has superior dynamic control within a phrase. Expression is something entirely different: its about conveying feeling/emotion in music and instruments with fixed dynamics such as the harpsichord or organ (once stops are set) have no trouble being deeply expressive.

The scale of this expression can be profound and on an epic scale:

Wow that's awesome music. Contemporary, moody, dramatic...

 

[dak]

ChatGPT informed me that, "Remember, that making the accordion relevant to the younger generation involves breaking down stereotypes, embracing innovation, and being open to new approaches. By demonstrating the accordion's adaptability and its potential in contemporary music, you can help young people see it as a dynamic and exciting instrument."
Agree/Disagree?

Appears like ChatGPT is well on its way to deliver executive talk points. But that's just buzzphrases. You could replace "the accordion" with "carpentry", "poetry" or "model trains", change about two other words in order to match the respective genre, and be just as insightful.

The main thing is that accordions are fun. I know people who have no problems doing two hours of "typical" accordion music off the bat and having fun with the audience. Not something I can do myself, really. My kind of music is more of the "oh, one can do that, too?" kind, and there are way better people to make that point. It strikes people as weird that I cannot rattle off typical accordion tunes. And it strikes me as weird that when I open up my instrument and show its peculiarities that the seasoned players look in awe not as much because of the peculiarities of my instrument but because the inside of any accordion is a novel and strange sight to them.

Different people, different strokes. In the end, I don't think I could do better in promoting the instrument by focusing on promoting the instrument instead of having fun with it.

 

[Tom]

ChatGPT informed me that, "Remember, that making the accordion relevant to the younger generation involves breaking down stereotypes, embracing innovation, and being open to new approaches. By demonstrating the accordion's adaptability and its potential in contemporary music, you can help young people see it as a dynamic and exciting instrument."
Agree/Disagree?

Are you doing anything to facilitate getting the younger generation interested in playing the accordion?

ps ..I copied this from elsewhere

I would say I agree, and am doing my part by performing outside, in public, and inviting conversations with old fa*ts and youth alike.

Update on chatgpt: It is improving. I asked a few general questions and it replied pretty well. You can try it yourself. I asked it today for some good accordionist to listen to and it did come back with kind of what I expected. I excuse it for coming up with someone like Astor P because I did not explicitly specify “living.” Paola Conte was kind of a surprise, but I guess much of his music is played by accordionists.

Anyway, chat reports that the 10 best accordionists are:

1. Richard Galliano
2. Martynas Levickis
3. Guy Klucevsek
4. Kimmo Pohjonen
5. Julien Labro
6. Sharon Shannon
7. Pietro Roffi
8. Geir Draugsvoll
9. Hanzhi Wang
10. Cory Pesaturo

I will admit that I have not heard of some of these. You may get a different list.

I asked about myself as an accordionist and got:

“As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, I don't have information about Tom being widely recognized as an accordionist. It's possible that he may be a musician or artist who has gained recognition since then. To get the most accurate and up-to-date information, I recommend checking recent sources or Tom’a official website or social media profiles if available.”

Same for Paul Debra, Jerry, Ventura, and Jackson Parodi. I guess we’re not well known!

I asked about which accordionists are liked by the young people. Unfortunately, spell check interpreted “liked” by “divorced”. Not sure how that happened…. Anyway:

“It's not common for the preferences or opinions of young people to lead to the divorce of accordionists or any other musicians.”

Whew, what a relief!

As far as who the youth like:


“As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, it's challenging to pinpoint a specific accordionist universally liked by young people, as musical preferences can vary widely. However, some contemporary artists who incorporate accordion into their music and have a following across different age groups include:

1. Alexandra Palace: An accordionist known for covering popular songs and sharing them on social media platforms.
2. Dermot Kennedy: While primarily a singer-songwriter, his use of accordion in some songs might appeal to a younger audience.
3. Goran Bregović: Known for his work in Balkan music and film soundtracks, his lively and diverse compositions might resonate with younger listeners.

Hmmmm, Alexandra Palace? Challenging to pinpoint a specific accordionist universally liked by young people. Well, probably true about any instrument or genre. Drilling down a bit, and rephrasing, chatgpt eventually settles on:

1. Ksenija Sidorova (Latvia): Known for her virtuoso classical accordion performances, appealing to a diverse audience.
2. Martynas Levickis (Lithuania): A versatile accordionist blending classical and contemporary styles, with popularity in Europe.
3. Domi Emorine (France): Recognized for her accordion skills, particularly in the French music scene.
4. Sharon Shannon (Ireland): Renowned for her contributions to traditional Irish music, attracting a diverse audience.
5. Alex Meixner (United States): Known for his energetic performances, incorporating various genres, including polka and rock.

Well, I have never heard of Martynas, but according to his website,

Hailed by the UK’s Independent newspaper as “amazingly talented… the man who is single-handedly reinventing the accordion.”​

Pretty bold statement! I always thought that was Cory Pesaturo. Anyway, enough for now. Bottom line, just like text to image ai, chatgpt is improving, but still has a way to go. I pity the poor high school report writer that relies on it…..

 

[KillTheAlarm]

1. Richard Galliano
2. Martynas Levickis
3. Guy Klucevsek
4. Kimmo Pohjonen
5. Julien Labro
6. Sharon Shannon
7. Pietro Roffi
8. Geir Draugsvoll
9. Hanzhi Wang
10. Cory Pesaturo

I love this list! I mean, it's somewhat accurate.

• Richard Galliano IS the king of accordion (surprised other jazz accordionists NOT mentioned, like Frank Marocco)
• Martynas Levickis, yes! One of the most famous musicians (not just accordionists) of Lithuania, who rose to fame after winning 1st Coupe Mondiale, and then 1st place at the Lithuanian Talent show, and then scoring a record deal with Lady Gaga's producer. Since then he's been with Decca, and still is I think
• Kimmo Pohjonen is my absolute favorite - no one comes close to original stuff he did with accordion; his documentary was jaw-dropping. Wish I was born earlier to see him live.
• Pietro Roffi, Geir Draugsvoll, Hanzhi Wang - heard their names, but heard them only once or twice.
• Cory Pesaturo should be higher! He made TED talks, keeps appearing in random high-profile places, even appears on modern music education Youtube (with Nahre Sol) and made a movie soundtrack - to list a few!

Afraid I don't know other people, but wow, I'm glad you can discover great accordion through ChatGPT