Late News: On December 9, 2014, the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA) honored President Linda Soley Reed for her devoted years from 2004 to 2014 as AAA President.

During her presidency, the AAA sponsored annual festivals, special concerts, competitions, seminars and other events. Among the many highlights of her presidency, the AAA hosted with the Accordionists & Teachers Guild (ATG) the 2007 Coupe Mondiale in Washington DC.

On behalf of the AAA, Mary Tokarski presented Linda Soley Reed with a special gift. Each of the board members present read their personal tributes to her which will be compiled into a book. Linda was very moved by these tributes.

Incoming AAA President Mary Tokarski told the AAA meeting:

“What an honor it is to be chosen to serve as President of a prestigious organization like the American Accordionists’ Association. I am so happy to have this opportunity to serve our members, and promote our beloved instrument for the next two years.

The AAA is like a second “home” to me . . . as a young girl I remember the frequent trips to competitions, concerts and workshops, meeting all the accordion “giants” of the day, and simply “growing up AAA”. As I progressed with my music (in many ways because of my AAA experiences), my plans for my music and my life expanded. All those dreams have now come true for me . . . the last “dream” was someday becoming President of this wonderful association!

We have some very exciting things happening at AAA in 2015. In early October, we will honor my dear friend Carmen Carrozza with a special Memorial Concert, Dinner and Competition. The event will take place at the Doubletree Hilton in Tarrytown, New York – right in Carmen’s home territory.

In conjunction with our annual Festival in July, the inaugural Faithe Deffner Memorial Competition will take place, with awards totaling $25,000! The awards are outstanding, and the qualifications assure that the best accordionists from around the globe will be in attendance.

The AAA Festival is once again being held at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites in historic Alexandria, Virginia from July 8-12, 2015, with workshops, concerts and competitions, each with a special focus and learning opportunity for us all. We hope to see YOU there!

Requirements and information for all the events will be available on the AAA website at www.ameraccord.com.

Again, I am honored to be serving as AAA President for the next term, and look forward to working together with the accordion community to expand and enhance the accordion here in the United States.”

The new slate of officers consists of:
Mary Tokarski -President
Linda Reed -First Vice President
Joe Ciccone -Second Vice President
Frank Busso -Sr. Treasurer
Bob McMahan -Secretary.

For further information: ameraccord1938@gmail.com