The Coupe Mondiale in Shenzhen, China

[Tom]

For some reason small classical ensembles, or solo performers find a limited audience in the US, I don't know why. It is there that you would probably find the accordion, hence its non popularity in classical music in the US.

With the exception of jazz, which does not seem to be doing that well, people here want to dance, or be entertained with vocal music. Hence the popularity of hip hop, pop, rock, country, and singer/songwriter over classical.

For this reason, the accordion is most often found in genres like tex/mex, cajun/zydeco, polka/old time, klezmer, etc. where people can get up and dance, and there are most likely vocals.

What you don't see a lot of is solo accordion with vocals. Every other bar has a guitar player on Friday night singing Proud Mary and Mama Tried. The solo or duo accordionist plays those above genres (or the occasional virtuoso who has to play Flight of the Bumblebee and 85 choruses of Carnevale in Venezia) but generally does not sing (unlike the forró accordionists of Brazil, for example). I noticed this right away when I started to play for people and began to try to add vocals. I want to know your experience and thoughts on this.

That said, more power to the Chinese and I hope it works out real well for them.

 

[Deleted member 48]

In my humble opinion, the reason why classical music is more popular in continental Europe, Russia and China, has a lot to do with ... public spending on education.
Eg a network of public music schools and music teachers paid by the government.

In Europe, we have the impression in the USA classical music education or attending classical music concerts is something for the rich and privileged. 

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/17/cuts-to-music-education-funding-classical

In Belgium, unfortunately, its also going the wrong way. In the 1960s-1980s public music school education was free or cheap, in comparison to private music tuition.
Gradually, starting in the 1980s, Belgian governments started to raise the cost for parents and students. 
So we are also seeing this (= music education) becoming a privilege for the rich and privileged.
Sadly, inequality is on the rise in Belgium. And in many parts of the world.

One can not disconnect music education with governance.
Unless you only want private music education for the privileged, like in the old days of the Ancien Régime...

Europe, Russia and China invested a lot of money in public music education and classical music, in the past. 

I think thats what the Chinese CBA player wants to tell us in the interview, and I tend to agree with her.

 

[Tom]

I think you make a good point, Stephen. It seems that the middle or high school orchestra is becoming an endangered species here in the US. This means that very few children can become exposed to classical music beyond what they may hear at home. Youth orchestras and private lessons are very expensive, as is the symphony orchestra.

 

[Deleted member 48]

The worldwide accordions.com website informs us this week about some great events. 
The 35th accordion festival in St-Petersburg, Russia. 
The international accordion festival in Brazil. 

And the passing away at the age of 90 years of a former China accordion associations president. 
Interesting to read the 2006 interview in English with him about the history and development of accordion education from 1949 toch present day China. 
The transition from portable "piano"  to accordion. 
The link to the interview is in the weekly news website. 
The former president mentions the year 1990 as a new start for high quality accordion education, cooperation with local conservatories and universities.