My Super-Thankful Thanksgiving Accordion Story!
A little boy came into the music shop where I work with his piano teacher. He might have been 7 or 8 I guess. He whistled tunelessly as he walked around the store taking in everything (and he was wearing an awesome stripey hat).
A man started to try out an accordion nearby and the boy was instantly captivated by it. His mouth formed an "o" and he tried to stare down the accordion and take in what was happening. I know that look. I used to have it as a kid when I would see musicians play. It was like watching magic happen. He stood right in front of the man and started pressing the bass buttons to see what happened while he played. I was too charmed to stop him, because his eyes had also obtained what I recognized as the glazing over of the eyes when one first falls in love with an instrument. Or a freshly baked chocolate cake. It depends on your tastes.
When the man stopped playing, the boy was amazed that no sound came out when he pressed the buttons again. He said "Why doesn't any sound come out?" And I told him unlike a keyboard it had to breathe and to do that the bellows had to move. He said "WHAT?!?!?" So I got a plastic toy accordion that is see-thru and explained to him about how the keys lifted the valve that lets the air and the sound out. I gave him the toy accordion and he happily ran around playing it, until I sensed my co-workers were starting to squirm.
So he'd played that enough, and he wanted to try the big accordion. I told him it was too big and he protested, so I said "Well, let's play it together then!" So I put it on and played the C-Cmj chord standard patter on the bass and he jammed with me on the treble most excellently! He was just totally making stuff up and it was in key and everything. I said "Kid, you can really jam!" Eat your hearts out Jason Webley and Amanda Palmer! ;)
The little boy was so totally in the moment all the time. He didn't even seem to think about what it was he needed to do, he just did it and assumed it would work. It's what the best musicians I know do. Just go for it.
I said, Ok, I'm gonna switch keys, do you know G?" And he nodded and when I said "G" he pretty much went for it. And then we went back down to C again and he even did pretty much what he did before, then G and on to C etc for a few rounds. It was adorable. He said " I want to learn to play accordion!" as he left with his teacher. Super Awesomeness! I am thankful to help open up that magical world a little to an adventurous young accordion-mind!
This is about the squeezebox; this is about tickling the ivories, caressing the black keys, pumping the bellows, and the dirty dirty people who do it! From a girl who has been described in performance as "hilarious" and "with soul", or "Like channeling Dio".
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Squeezebox Day In Sacramento! December 4th at Luna's Cafe
All Accordion Extravaganza!
My dream of having some all accordion shows in Sacramento begins with a show December 4th at Luna's Cafe at 8 p.m. I have harvested some bay area talents and local flavor for a juicy squeezebox shindig that the likes of Sacramento have never seen!
Julie the Bruce, meeself, opens on banjo-geetar plucking and box-squeezing,
local favorite Richie Lawrence plays with with Katie Thomas; and Tumbleweed TimeMachine from SF, with Skyler Fell (featured in the Accordion Babes Calendar and proprietor of Accordion Apocalypse) and Melody Guzman on the gut-bucket! Show starts on time at 8 pm! Cover is $6!
When: Saturday, 12/4, 8-11pm
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