Moving to Frederick, MD has been wonderful for us. We are still close to Washington, DC, but up here near the mountains, we are surrounded by a very lovely artsy and musical historic district. One of our popular local restaurants, Brewer’s Alley, hosts a Monday evening “Singer-Songwriter Showcase”. The evening always starts with a 30-minute “pianist’s slot”. This past Monday was a wonderful exception – the evening began with 30 minutes of delightful accordion music, skillfully played by Tom Fabinski from Mt. Airy, MD.

Tom, who began his accordion studies as a young child in the 1950s, started playing a Roland only nine months ago. Listening to him the other night, I was impressed by his facility with the Roland, and the audience was absolutely dazzled! The versatility of the instrument and Tom’s choice (and execution) of melodies thrilled everyone. We enjoyed watching the young members of the audience sit, ignoring the food placed in front of them, simply staring at Tom with beaming smiles and loud cheers at the end of each selection. Lately, Tom has been exploring new accordion music published in Italy.  His favorite composers for the accordion are Italo Salizzato, Marco Aurelio Pisegna and Luciano Fancelli. The music was lovely and perfect for the venue. He will definitely be invited back!

Tom grew up in Detroit and began studying the accordion at age 5 at the “Americana Studio”, one of the four accordion schools that were minutes from his home. There were so many accordion students in the US participating in competitions at that time, it is no wonder that Tom jokingly says, “My biggest formal musical success was being named the second best nine year old accordionist in Michigan by the AAA”. 

Through the years, Tom has played the electric guitar and his accordion in various bands ranging from Motown to wedding bands. He received his Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Temple University, and has worked as an illustrator for years. We chatted after the performance. Like us, Tom was excited to see such enthusiasm in the young members of the audience. He remarked, “When I play in public now, I’m pleased by the reaction of young people.  Whether it’s the diversity of popular culture and the ability to communicate musically across these cultures or simply the recognition of something different, the pleasure and surprise of their positive emotional response to the accordion makes me confident in the enduring legacy of the instrument.”