Have you ever noticed how many accordions surface in antique/junk stores? Hundreds. Their beauty is displayed on various mahogany made delicate furniture along with doilies and hand painted porcelain plates and vases like a bookend or knick knack of some sort. They are beautifully made instruments of some type of 'mother of pearlish' type material...usually a unique vibrant color...and generally, they are completely in tact (which I feel is from under use)...and they always have a sign on them that reads: DO NOT TOUCH OR PLAY, VERY FRAGILE $475
Now I think the accordion sellers of the world have got to loosen up a bit. How many people have ever bought any type of something that made music (i.e. instrument, radio, stereo, jam box) and they didn't want to give it a test drive? Maybe if the accordion sellers of the world let the John Q. Publics pump the darn thing...fill a retail establishment with their very unique husky and organy sound...we all might begin to relish the thought of playing...and more importantly owning an accordion.
When someone plays an accordion...we all know it's an accordion. No one stammers and says, "oh I know what that is...hmmmm, it's in the wind family....they play it at carnivals with little monkeys doing tricks....it's worn like a backpack, but on the front"....NO, when you hear the unique sound of an accordion...you say, "WHO'S PLAYING THE ACCORDION?"
Accordion musicians must be very few and far between. In fact, the only time I've ever heard one myself was at a Carnival, and coincidentally a monkey was jumping around next to the owner. We have got to stand up for the preservation of the accordion. I think they are beautiful....completely under appreciated....musically unique and more than a bookend.
Have you ever noticed how many accordions surface in antique/junk stores? Hundreds. Their beauty is displayed on various mahogany made delicate furniture along with doilies and hand painted porcelain plates and vases like a bookend or knick knack of some sort. They are beautifully made instruments of some type of 'mother of pearlish' type material...usually a unique vibrant color...and generally, they are completely in tact (which I feel is from under use)...and they always have a sign on them that reads: DO NOT TOUCH OR PLAY, VERY FRAGILE $475
Now I think the accordion sellers of the world have got to loosen up a bit. How many people have ever bought any type of something that made music (i.e. instrument, radio, stereo, jam box) and they didn't want to give it a test drive? Maybe if the accordion sellers of the world let the John Q. Publics pump the darn thing...fill a retail establishment with their very unique husky and organy sound...we all might begin to relish the thought of playing...and more importantly owning an accordion.
When someone plays an accordion...we all know it's an accordion. No one stammers and says, "oh I know what that is...hmmmm, it's in the wind family....they play it at carnivals with little monkeys doing tricks....it's worn like a backpack, but on the front"....NO, when you hear the unique sound of an accordion...you say, "WHO'S PLAYING THE ACCORDION?"
Accordion musicians must be very few and far between. In fact, the only time I've ever heard one myself was at a Carnival, and coincidentally a monkey was jumping around next to the owner. We have got to stand up for the preservation of the accordion. I think they are beautiful....completely under appreciated....musically unique and more than a bookend.
3 comments:
My Mom plays an accordian!! She has a beautiful black one...she used to play You Are My Sunshine and my doggie Pepper would just howl and howl!! I'd just clap and sing along.
Thanks for sharing this great memory!!!
Leslie
I agree, the accordian is a unique and beautiful thing. I remember when I was a kid, a long, long, time ago, the accordian was often played at street carnivals, on the back of trucks in parades, and it was always such a happy sound. Someone, somewhere in my past used to play it, and I remember trying to have a go, but of course, could not even hold it, much less play it.
Thank you for a trip down memory lane.
That, my friend, was some good comedic writing. I cackled so loud that my Alexa had to know what was so funny (it was the truth about what we all think when we hear an accordion). Fabulous!
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