12
Page 1 The REED BLOCK October 2007 Harold Estok, Founder ALSI and The Reed Block THE REED BLOCK c/o Helen Estok Schoell P.O. Box 151357 San Diego, CA 92175 October 2007 “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park

“Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 1

The REED BLOCK October 2007

Harold Estok, Founder

ALSI and The Reed Block

THE REED BLOCK

c/o Helen Estok Schoell

P.O. Box 151357

San Diego, CA 92175

October 2007

“Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America”

Next meeting

In

Balboa Park

Page 2: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 2

The REED BLOCK October 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS

President’s Message ................................................... 3

Credits ....................................................................... 3

Accordion Instructors ................................................. 3

Happiness at ALSI ..................................................... 4

Al Jacob’s Showcase .................................................. 5 - 6

Member Appearances................................................. 6

Galla-Rini Camp Echoes ............................................ 7

Upcoming Events & Important Dates.......................... 8

Playing Around .......................................................... 8

Birthdays and Anniversaries ....................................... 9

Polka Dots ................................................................. 9

Slight Lines................................................................ 9

Piano Accordion History ............................................ 10

Heritage Day Flyer..................................................... 11

October Fest Flyer...................................................... 12

Subscriptions for the calendar year, January to December, $25.00 U.S.A., $26 Canada, $27.00 for International

Send check or money order payable to The REED BLOCK to: Helen Estok Schoell, at P.O. Box 151357

San Diego, CA 92175. The REED BLOCK is published once each month for delivery prior to the next meeting

(Meeting are the second Sunday of each month). Your input to the REED BLOCK is invited and should be submit-

ted to Helen Estok Schoell or Bob Page.

DISCLAIMER: Unless otherwise indicated, all articles were written by the Editor. Unless so stated, no article is to

be construed as an endorsement. Articles not written by the Editor may contain comments that do not necessarily

reflect the views of the Editor. If you disagree with anything in the REED BLOCK, please let us know in writing.

SPECIAL NOTICE TO RECORDING ARTISTS: If you have an audio/video tape cassette you would like re-

viewed and written up in The REED BLOCK, please send us a professional copy and a short biography of the artist;

include names, date and places. Please include the price of the item including shipping and handling. If you want

the package returned after the review please include return postage with the package.

CUT-OFF DATE: All contributors to The REED BLOCK please note: all material is due two weeks before the

next meeting, accordingly the due date for the November 2007 issue is October 29, 2007. This includes all items

such as articles, upcoming events, playing around, accordion workshops and ensemble schedules. Please make sure

your material is received, in writing or email, no later than that date. Please submit your input to Helen Estok

Schoell or Bob Page at [email protected]. Thank you for your cooperation.

MEETINGS: The club normally meets at 1:00 — 4:00 P.M. on the second Sunday of each month at the Mt Miguel

Covenant Village, 325 Kempton Ave, Spring Valley, CA

(Next Meeting: Sunday, October 14, 2007 in Balboa Park for OctoberFest at 11 am to 4:30 pm)

ALSI Website: www.accordion-club-sandiego.org

ALSI STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:

ALSI is San Diego’s forum for appreciating and

performing accordion music,

including the MIDI electronic accordion

—-

We welcome members who enjoy listening to or

playing accordion music.

—-

We have an accordion ensemble group, monthly

meetings, local concerts featuring local and

internationally famous performers, an annual

picnic and a monthly newsletter.

PRESIDENT: Kjell Holmes (858) 453-5486

PRESIDENTS EMERITI: Harold Estok (Founder); Ron Griffin

EDITOR / SECRETARY: Helen Estok Schoell, (619) 584-4970

ENSEMBLE DIRECTOR: Vicki Eriqat (619) 563-5586

TREASURER: Vicki Eriqat (619) 563-5586

REED BLOCK/WEBSITE PRODUCTION: Bob Page (760) 451-3641

LIBRARIAN:

REED BLOCK SUBSCRIPTION RATES AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Page 3: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 3

The REED BLOCK October 2007

by Helen E. Schoell

Russell Camp and Merle Williams had

everything set up for our ALSI meeting.

They both are so dedicated and also a cou-

ple of pleasant helpful souls.

Yours truly started things rolling in the

kitchen by making coffee, getting our eat-

ing and drinking paraphernalia ready.

Sally Scheinok offered her help in the

kitchen. What an efficient helper, she ar-

ranged food and dessert trays and placed

them out on the patio tables. Later she

cleared the tables and put things away.

Sally always has a cheerful, sweet way

about her and she made our chores so much

easier that day.

Thanks to our members you are always

so thoughtful and generous in bringing de-

licious foods to share our sincere apprecia-

tion to everyone. God Bless You All.

by Kjell Holmes

There is no doubt in

my mind about Al

Jacob’s September

Showcase. It was the

best showcase Al has

ever done, if not the

best showcase in recent

club times. He did a

splendid job of playing

popular selections from many countries

close to the Mediterranean Sea and other

neighboring countries. What a virtuoso.

Al was so relaxed, well practiced, and

played the music as if he was part of it. He

even had a member or two dancing in the

back of the room to his music. I heard

every note that Al played. Thank you Al for

giving us such a great showcase concert.

And also thank you for being such a great

supporter of our ALSI Club.

As everyone knows, OKTOBOR FEST

is live this time of year. And all of our ac-

cordion players are loaded with playing for

various Fall Fests, especially OKTOBER

FEST.

On Sunday October 14

th

our entire

group of accordion players will be at Bal-

boa Park, playing Oktober Fest music. The

Music will be going on from 11:00 AM till

4:30 PM. It will be taking place in the Cas-

cade Area of the Park, at the East end of the

Prado and West of the large fountain. Hope

to see you all there.

After this event, we will all be planning

for Heritage Day Event on Sunday Novem-

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

CREDITS

Gordon Kohl

Chula Vista, CA

619-427-4344

Gloria Ensign

Spring Valley, CA

619-465-0543

Lou Fanucchi

San Diego, CA

619-948-3774

Al Jacobs

Santee, CA

619-562-6701

Tom Baxter

San Diego, CA

619-239-7967

Tiina Zein

Ramona, CA

760-787-1525

John Cesinger

Carlsbad, CA

760-431-6393

ACCORDION INSTRUCTORS

ber 11

th

at Mount Miguel Covanant Village.

Hope to see you in Balboa Park!

(Live Music Touches the Heart!)

Page 4: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 4

The REED BLOCK October 2007

HAPPINESS AT ALSI

by Sharon Marotte

Our Mystery Player for the day was

Margarita Romero. She had a great pro-

gram of songs to play for us as well as a pi-

ano solo, Los Ojos de Pepa. Thank you,

Margarita, for a good start to the day!! Al

Jacobs also played the piano for us as we

entered Bailey Hall. He is a great pianist

also!! A man of many talents. Bob Page

was the cafeteria player, Kjell Holmes and

Jerry Odling played for the residents at

Crider #1 & #2. Kjell Holmes was also

the MC for the day.

Our first player of the day was Marga-

rita Romero, she was a busy gal! She

played her pretty red accordion. She is a

student of Gordon Kohl’s and has really

improved. Her selections were Danube

Waves, Amapola and I Will Wait For You.

Russell Camp was up next. He thanked

everyone that donated accordions for his

trip to Guatemala. 3 12-bass accordions

are used by 60 kids, 9 accordions are there.

The kids love to sing so Russell played

some of their songs: Te Exaltare & A Tisoa

la Gloria (medley). Also Cristoes la Pena –

al Senor – Rey – de Reyes (medley).

Elke Ertle played her first song from

memory, Mademoiselle De Paris and did a

very good job! It is great to hear a German

girl play all of these French tunes. The last

two songs were, Muss I Denn (Wooden

Heart) and The Student of Paris. We

missed Burch playing along with his up-

right bass, but Elke did just fine.

Larry Kaiser is a player that gets better

and better. He plays with a lot of feeling,

good shuffle basses and nice switches. His

songs were A Date With Molley polka,

Brighton Waltz, and Georgia on My Mind.

Many folks were singing along with his

music.

Sharon Marotte played a waltz called

Whispering Waves (1906). It is a waltz

from a book purchased at Galla-Rini accor-

dion camp, Songs from Long Ago. Vicki

says that she was there at the time in

1906...don’t think so!! The next two songs

were When You Wish Upon a Star, and

Boum Musette, a french musette waltz.

Sharon did pretty good with only a few

mistakes!!

Vicki Eriqat, Kari Andrews and

Sharon Marotte played three Scandina-

vian songs that they played at the Scandina-

vian Festival the night before at Ascension

Lutheran Church. The songs were Halsa

dem Darhemma, Metsa Kukkia (Finnish

folk song), and Finn Polka. Good job to all

of us, Uff Da!

The next performer was Vicki Eriqat.

The mike stand was performed by Sharon

Marotte, (in the absence of a real mike

stand). Sharon also sang harmony with

Vicki on the Blue Skirt Waltz. Her next

songs were Over the Rainbow, Wonderful

Copenhagen and You Belong To Me. It

was fun!

Bob Page played beautifully in a nice

jazzy style with sweet bass work. He

played in a easy listening style and used

some mighty big chords. His selections

were Moonglow, On the Sunny Side of the

Street, and The Beauty of Jesus. Bob also

keeps getting better and better.

Last but not least, Joe Di Giacinto,

played 3 songs before the break. He al-

ways has good bass work and nice, flowing

chords and triplets. His songs were Flight

of the Angels, Somewhere My Love and

Serenade in Blue. Great music to end this

part of the meeting. Thanks Joe!

Page 5: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 5

The REED BLOCK October 2007

AL JACOBS SHOWCASE

by Bob Warner

One of the musical traits of Al Jacobs is

that he is all about entertainment. He con-

nects with his audience while standing and

strolling, all the while providing a very

friendly, personal ambience supported by a

prolific repertoire. He is there playing for

YOU. If there is a song that Al does not

know, I don’t know what it is. The basis for

Al’s program today was a tour of some of

the world’s native music.

To begin, Al gave the audience a chance

to choose between South American or

Mediterranean music. With South Ameri-

can winning out, Al began with a rhumba

followed by an Argentinean tango. To this

he added Brazilian melodies and rhythms,

familiar to all, really nice stuff ending with

“THE GIRL FROM IPENEMA”. He prac-

tically conducted a workshop on Latin

rhythms. Al has an interesting keyboard

technique wherein at times he carries mel-

ody with the fifth finger and adds chord

rhythm with the remaining fingers. This

produces a big rhythmic sound.

Pressing on, Al began a “Mediterranean

cruise” with the first stop in Spain. His ren-

dition of the beautiful “GRANADA” was

intense and forceful. Next stop, in Italy we

heard the Neapolitan “COME BACK TO

SORRENTO” followed by what else, an

exciting tarantella. Arriving in Greece, he

began with “NEVER ON SUNDAY” and

added the dance, “ZORBA THE GREEK”,

a song that had all sorts of shifting tempos

and rhythms.

Songs of Israel began with a song honor-

ing the beginning of the New Year. Next, a

rousing performance of “HAVA NAGILA”

had full audience participation. A stop at

Lebanon featured the exotic dance

“MISIRLOU” with its haunting melody

and infectious rhythm. Al then played a

Turkish song that had a very unusual and

difficult rhythm he played with the bass

section. It’s something I have never heard

before. Shifting abruptly to October fest

material he played two of the most popular

beer hall songs, “DU, du, LIEGST MIS IN

HERZEN “ and “IN MUNCHEN STEHT

EIN HOFBRAUHAUS”, finishing with a

Germanic toast (I believe it was “EIN

PROSIT”) consisting of the raising of the

beer while singing the toast.

Our audience was fully engaged by now.

Someone requested a Polish song; Al

quickly complied with a polka and contin-

ued on with “DARK EYES” that was both

played and sung by all. Complying with a

request for “EDELWEISS”, he played a

medley from “THE SOUND OF MUSIC”,

ending with “CLIMB EVERY MOUN-

TAIN” and the theme from “THE SOUND

OF MUSIC”.

It was now request time. The first was

the venerable “BEER BARREL POLKA”

followed by an excellent medley from

“FIDDLER ON THE ROOF”, finishing

with “SUNRISE, SUNSET”. Al then

Page 6: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 6

The REED BLOCK October 2007

ALSI Ensemble – House of Austria

by Sharon Marotte

The ALSI Ensemble was invited to

play for the lawn program of the House of

Austria in Balboa Park on September 23,

2007. It was a beautiful day after a rainy

Saturday. The Ensemble worked on the

music most of the year. The last two re-

hearsals were held at the home of Rena &

Bert Watton, huddled under their patio dur-

ing the rain.

The Ensemble consisted of Kari An-

drews, Erika Baier, Tom Baxter, Vicki

Eriqat, Kjell Holmes, Sharon Marotte, Bob

Page, Phil Rizzo, Rena Watton and Burch

Ertle on the upright bass. We looked good,

the men wore red vests, black pants, white

shirts and black bow ties. The ladies wore

ethnic dresses. We appreciated several

family members and friends that were in

the audience.

We played the National Anthem of

USA and Austria which was sung by

Robert Sokolowsky. What a great voice!

Franz was the MC and welcomed everyone

including the Junior Princess for House of

Austria.

Ted Hill and the Folk Dancers of

Balboa Park danced to several songs which

was colorful and pretty to watch. Their cos-

tumes were colorful and bright. A classical

Strauss waltz was danced by a couple, Bar-

bara Chronowsky and Lucky. This was

beautiful to watch and added another vari-

ety to the program. Lucky is a dance in-

structor at the Pattie Wells Dance Institute

on Morena Blvd.

Erika Baier and Traudl Stangl played

the cow bells along with our Ensemble.

They played Schneewalzer and Edelweiss.

They also sang and yodeled with Das Kuf-

steiner Lied. It has been lots of fun to prac-

tice with Erika and Traudl, the cow bells

and yodels. We have learned some of the

customs of Austria in our practice sessions.

We played the Radetsky March with

Traudl conducting the audience to clap

along. To close out the day, we played

Beer Barrel Polka, Blue Skirt Waltz, Liech-

tensteiner Polka and Wedding of the Winds.

People were invited up to dance, which

many did. It was a great day and a beauti-

ful program.

MEMBER APPEARANCES

Giulietti professional accordion for sale.

Has 4 & 5 sets of handmade reeds & many

switches. Pick-ups also. Asking $4,700

but can negotiate. Call Gene Lloyd at 760-

599-3863 or 619-252-9800.

played a surprise request for “LADY OF

SPAIN” followed by a medley of French

tunes which included “THE RIVER

SEINE” and many more. He finished the

program with two Edith Piaf songs, the

most notable of which was “LA VIEN

ROSE”.

This was one of the best showcases I

have heard Al perform. It was entertain-

ment with a big E. He played with confi-

dence and authority, standing and strolling

throughout. He displayed a great technique

and was in complete control of the instru-

ment. Furthermore, there wasn’t a request

he did not know. Al received a well-

deserved standing ovation for his perform-

ance. I know we will hear from him again.

Page 7: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 7

The REED BLOCK October 2007

GALLA - RINI CAMP ECHOES

Galla-Rini Accordion Camp

by Sharon Marotte

I wrote a short article in the August

REED BLOCK about camp with the note

that another article would appear, so here

we go!

The 18th Galla-Rini Accordion Camp

was held July 22-27, 2007. The campers

from San Diego were Kjell Holmes, Vicki

Eriqat and myself, Sharon Marotte. Vicki

and I drove up together and made a visit to

the Winchester House in San Jose. There is

an interesting story about this house and the

lady of the house. Vicki can tell you all

about it. We also stopped in Gilroy and

bought some garlic items to take back

home. We arrived at camp on Sunday so

we missed the pre-camp party the night be-

fore. Kjell was there and he had a good

time. The other campers came from North-

ern California, Minnesota, Victoria, BC,

Maryland, and Ohio.

I displayed my poster boards in the

Creekside room where we had our practices

and evening parties. I have six years of

camp activities on these poster boards and

lots of folks enjoyed looking at them. They

include camps at San Luis Rey Mission

Oceanside, USD and last year at Domini-

can University in San Rafael.

Vicki and I roomed together and found

the accommodations to be great. The food

was pretty good, better than having to cook

and wash dishes ourselves! We played sev-

eral songs as a duet for “recital

night” (Tuesday) and for “party

night” (Wednesday). We also played with

the San Francisco Fun Band. Lots of fun.

Vicki was the MC for both of these nights

and did a good job. She kept the program

going and got folks up dancing and singing

along. As usual, we all posed for a camp

picture which has been a tradition always.

We attended practice sessions in the

morning and workshops after lunch. Many

times we attended sectional rehearsals as

well. The “French Quarter” was the gather-

ing place at night after events were over.

This was in someone’s front room of their

cabin, with lots of snacks, beer and wine

and of course, an accordion was passed

around to everyone to play. Lots of merri-

ment until the wee hours.

Concert night was Thursday evening in

Angelico Hall on campus. The ACE En-

semble from San Francisco played three

numbers, plus a quartet played before the

intermission. We had eight numbers to per-

form, seven were led by Joe Smiell, mostly

composed by Joe and one number by An-

thony Galla-Rini. Bernard Metais con-

ducted us in the French Defile March,

Regiment de Sambre-et-Meuse (1879).

Vicki played Part 1 and I had Part 3 so we

were seated in the front row! First time for

me, I prefer the back of the group.

Friday morning was a time to say good

bye to our accordion friends, lots of hugs

and well wishes. Vicki dropped me off at

my daughter’s home

in San Jose. I spent the weekend with

Krista, her husband and my 3 year old

granddaughter, Terilyn. I flew back to San

Diego Sunday and picked my accordion up

at Vicki’s on the way home.

We had such a great time, playing music

with our accordion friends, new and old. I

do wish everyone could enjoy accordion

camp at least once in their lifetime. It is a

wonderful experience.

Page 8: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 8

The REED BLOCK October 2007

ACCORDION WORKSHOP

October 15. As always on the third Monday of

the month, Gordon will hold his monthly work-

shop starting at 6 pm. Like last month it will be

held at Mangia Italiano on 3rd Ave at 248 3rd

Ave. Chula Vista. A very nice restaurant with

good food. We will continue with the first 103

measures of William Tell Overture, Ethnic music,

including Polish, Slovac, Scandinavian, and Ba-

varian. Music styles. Also theory and musical im-

provising..

Cost: $22 and $12 for non-student guest.

For further information, call Gordon Kohl at

619-427-4344.

OCTOBER FEST IN BALBOA PARK

October 14 is a day to set aside and join ALSI

performers for a fun day in Balboa Park. The fes-

tivities will be held from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

HERITAGE DAY MEETING:

November 11. Make plans to attend the annual

Heritage Day celebration this next month.

.

August 12 Concert: Tony Lovello

September 9 Showcase: Al Jacobs.

October 14 Appearance: October Fest in

Balboa Park.

November 11 Meeting: Heritage Day.

December 9 Meeting: To Be Announced.

Members and non-members would like to know who’s playing where and when. Please share your upcoming

events as to date, time and location of public appearances. Please submit these, in writing, complying with

the cut-off date, to Helen Estok Schoell at P.O. Box 151357 San Diego, CA 92175 or Bob Page at webmas-

[email protected].

JOE DI GIACINTO:

Thursday & Saturday nights, (6 – 9 pm), Bell’Agio Restaurant, Santo Rd and Clairemont Mesa Blvd in

Tierrasanta, (858) 268 -8984.

LOU FANUCCHI:

Tuesday nights, (7:30 -10:00 pm) at The Prado Restaurant (Balboa Park) with Patrick Berrogain and the “Hot

Club of San Diego” Gypsy Jazz. (Featured on JAZZ 88). (Recently released autographed CD’s are available).

Friday & Saturday Oct. 5 (5 -8) & Oct. 6 (4:30 -7:15) at La Mesa OctoberFest.

Saturday Oct. 6 (12 -1) at Pacific Beach Music Fest with MAS GRANDE.

Saturday Oct. 13 (2 -8) at Ocean Beach at San Diego OctoberFest.

Saturday & Sunday Oct. 27 (1:30 -4:30) & Oct. 28 (11:30 -2:30) at LEGOLAND.

KJELL HOLMES:

Fridays, October 7 & November 2 (5 –8 pm) at Lake Cuyamaca Restaurant (760)765 -0700.

HOWARD KANTOROWSKI:

Saturday, Oct. 6 (11 am to 4:15 pm) & Sunday, Oct. 7 (12 noon to 2:15 pm) at La Mesa October Fest.

Saturday, Oct. 13 (10:30 am to 1:30 pm) at Remington Club in Rancho Bernardo, 16916 Hierba Dr. San

Diego, CA.

GORDON KOHL:

Saturday & Sunday October 6 & 7 (11 am to 4 pm) at the Julian Octoberfest.

Saturday October 6 (7 to 11 pm) at the German -American Society.

Sat. Nov. 17 (7 —12 pm) at the German -American Society with the Beginning of Carnival Season Dances.

UPCOMING EVENTS

ALSI SCHEDULE 2007

PLAYING AROUND

October 14 Appearance:

OctoberFest in Balboa Park.

November 11 Meeting:

Heritage Day.

November 22 Mother Goose

Parade.

December 9 Meeting: TBA.

Page 9: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 9

The REED BLOCK October 2007

Best Wishes to those of you born in the

Month of October:

3rd Jane Ford

6th Erika Baier

15th Larry Peterson

17th Barbara Odling

18th Dennis Breuner

19th Gloria Ensign

20th Paula Strong

21st Kathy Stratford

28th Eddie Meadows

May your lives always be happy and filled

with precious times to remember.

For couples married in the

Month of October:

Fred and Miriana Ferino, 7th

Warren and Donna Allred, 28th

SLIGHT LINES

THE POLKA DOTS

This five member group is currently active

within our accordion club and performing in out-

side events throughout the year. They are a group

of five women who love to play the accordion.

They play everything from big band to ethnic.

Members include (left to right); Vicki Eriqat, Rena

Watton, Sharon Marotte, Linda Hibbert, and Kari

Andrews. Included in this group is a realtor, attor-

ney/judge, retired secretary and a school teacher.

Some of the venues they have played are many

retirement homes, American Airlines retirees,

SDSU retirees, Las Vegas International Accordion

Convention, Electronic Convention of 10,000 at

the SD convention Center and many churches.

They have been playing together for about ten

years. If you know of organizations that are look-

ing for an accordion group for special events,

please contact Vicki Eriqat at 619-563-5586 or

Rena Watton at 619-583-6993.

A motorist was going the wrong way on a one

way street, and a cop stopped him and said: “Look

buster, where do you think you’re going?” And

the motorist looked up and said: “Oh, well it’s

okay, officer, I guess I’m too late anyway. I see

everybody’s coming back.”.

Page 10: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 10

The REED BLOCK October 2007

PHONE: (206)632-2700 FAX: (206)632-2733

E-MAIL: [email protected]

INTERNET: www.petosa.com

PIANO ACCORDION HISTORY

Myron Floren

Growing up on

a farm near Roslyn,

South Dakota.,

Myron took up

playing the accor-

dion at age six

when his father

bought him a $10

mail-order accor-

dion. He taught

himself how to

play the instrument, often spending several hours a

day using his own methods of study. Soon he was

performing solo around the community, often at

fairs and social events.

He worked his way through Augustana College

in Sioux Falls, South Dakota by working at radio

station KSOO as "The Melody Man" and teaching

accordion all over the area. When he tried to enlist

in the Army when the United States entered World

War II, he was turned down for active duty due to

a damaged heart caused by a bout of rheumatic

fever he had as a child. However, he insisted on

serving his country by joining the USO, perform-

ing in Europe with notable stars such as Lily Pons

and Marlene Dietrich.

After the war, he returned home to South Da-

kota, where he married Berdyne Koerner in 1945.

The couple eventually had five daughters, three

sons-in-law, and seven grandchildren

In 1950, Myron, who was performing with the

music group known as the Buckeye Four, went to

a dance at the Casa Loma Ballroom in St. Louis

Missouri where the Lawrence Welk Orchestra was

playing. When the maestro recognized the accor-

dion virtuoso in the audience, he invited him to

play a number with his band. The number turned

out to be “Lady of Spain”, and from the over-

whelming positive response from the audience,

Lawrence hired Myron to be a permanent member

of his band. "Lady of Spain" also became Floren's

trademark song, and he played it countless times

on the Welk show.

For the next 32 years, Myron would become

one of the most popular members of the band and

the organization itself. It began with the band's

migration to California, along with concert dates

on the road, and exposure to television, first on

local broadcasts from the Aragon Ballroom in

Santa Monica, California and later on the ABC

network in 1955. During the time The Lawrence

Welk Show was on television, Floren was a fea-

tured solo performer and an assistant conductor.

He also took over some of the maestro's announc-

ing duties.

After the show went off the air in the early

1980s, Myron continued to perform on the road,

with as many as 200 dates a year, either as a solo

artist or with other members of the Welk Show

cast. Among the annual events where he headlined

were Wurstfest in New Braunfels; Norsk Hostfest

in Minot, North Dakota; the Strawberry Festival in

Plant City, Florida and PolkaFest at the Welk Re-

sort in Branson, Missouri.

In a 1995 statement, Myron noted, "Over the

years the Welk Show featured Charles Magnante,

Art Van Damme, Bill Palmer, Bill Hughes, Frank

Marocco, Johnny LaPadula, Frank Yankovic and

many others. Whether you appreciated their vari-

ous styles or not doesn't really matter. The show

kept the accordion in front of the public. The show

also popularized the beautiful instrument loved by

accordion aficionados everywhere, and it paved

the way for so many talented young artists who are

well known today - perhaps even famous - because

of opportunities afforded through the efforts of

Lawrence Welk."

On July 23, 2005 Myron Floren died at his

home near Los Angeles, California after a long

battle with cancer. He was a member of the In-

ternational Polka Music Hall of Fame, having been

inducted in 1990.

Page 11: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 11

The REED BLOCK October 2007

ALSI’S

13TH ANNUAL

HERITAGE DAY

Sunday, November 11, 2007

At 12:00—4:30 pm

Bailey Hall Auditorium

Mount Miguel Covenant Village

325 Kempton

Spring Valley, CA

(Food will be served at 1:30 pm outside

Patio adjacent to Auditorium)

$4 for Members

$5 for Non-members

Children accordion players

Under 12 years are FREE.

Let’s all come and help celebrate our

13th Annual Heritage Day.

Enjoy great food and accordion music performed

by a variety of players.

All accordion players are invited and encouraged to play.

Please contact Kjell Holmes at 858-453-5486 to get on the day’s

schedule. Thank you for your support and cooperation!

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 619-584-4970

Page 12: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in … · “Celebrating 100 Years of the Piano Accordion in America” Next meeting In Balboa Park . Page 2 ... Schoell or Bob Page

Page 12

The REED BLOCK October 2007

HAPPY

In Balboa Park

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Accordion Music &

Ethnic Dancing

11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Featuring live accordion music by members of

The Accordion Lovers Society International

Free to the public and the audience is invited to

Join in the fun and dancing.

This event will take place on the prado near the

Natural history museum & the space theater.

For more information, contact Kjell holmes

At (858) 453-5486