Video: “Doin’ Just Fine” Behind the Scenes

Alicia Jo Straka recently released her new CD, “Doin’ Just Fine”. Alicia shares, “This video is a “behind the scenes” compilation from the production of my album, “Doin’ Just Fine”. Thank you again to everyone who donated and made my first original album possible! For lyrics, links to various streaming platforms, and to purchase a hard copy or a digital download of my CD, please visit my website: www.aliciajostraka.com/doinjustfine”

Alicia shares some thoughts about several of the selections on the CD, “Doin’ Just Fine”: I wrote this song in July of 2019, two years before my album project. The lyrics came to me during a difficult time when I had a sudden onset of intense anxiety, and was constantly feeling unlike my normal self. It was musically inspired by the theme song from the movie “Monster’s Inc”. I’ve always loved how cheerful that tune is, and wanted to create my own version to help lift my spirits when I’m feeling overwhelmed or down. This song served as the launchpad for the rest of the album, and was rounded out with a French verse in 2021.

“Swing for Schmitt”: This swing tune was inspired by one of my favorite gypsy jazz tunes, “Tchavolo Swing” composed by Dorado Schmitt. I wanted to embody the style and feel of a gypsy jazz swing tune, while keeping the melody fairly simple to allow space for ornamentation and improvisation.


“L’automne”: The music for this tune came to me first, and then my husband Sam added the English lyrics, and Hélène helped me translate those into a poetic French verse. The melody and harmony had a melancholy sound, so we leaned into the somber theme of lost love and remembrance.


“Bring it Home”: This song is very special to my husband and I, as the lyrics of this song were directly inspired by our honeymoon in Paris. All of the places we mention are real locations we visited to eat, hear music, and observe the sights. For example, the lyrics “go find the light, up all the flights, and touch the sky” refers to the Eiffel Tower, and “38 riv” is a jazz club, located in the Marais neighborhood, where we went to a show.


“Printemps”: This song began as an improvisation on the piano. I loved the simple, yet rich, harmonies that provided a blank canvas for improvising melodically. As I played around, this song reminded me more and more of paintings from the Impressionism era, which led me to Hugo Wolf’s poem “Printemps”. His stanzas had a natural fit with the musical form, and the meaning of The Poem encapsulated what I felt the music portrayed.


“Musette au Paris”: I have loved playing French musettes on the accordion since I was a little girl. The unique harmonies, melodic intricacies, nuance, and fast tempos all contributed to my fascination with the genre. I’ve written a few pieces in the French musette style before to this one, but I wanted to write something fresh for the album. I leaned into my love of fast triplets, unexpected harmonies, and that “je ne sais quoi” element to French music that makes you feel like you need a coffee and croissant.


“As Long as I’m with You”: This is the last song I wrote for the album, and it is extra special to me. I wrote both the music and lyrics for this piece on my own, and dedicated it as a love song to my husband Sam. I was sitting by a window in the Colorado mountains watching the snow fall, and wrote the song in one sitting. The music came to me first, which was inspired by the feel of “With a wink and a smile” by Harry Connick Jr. and the harmonies from “Out of Nowhere” by Johnny Green. My favorite line of the song is, “your sweet melodies that color everyday”, as Sam actually sings silly made-up songs throughout the day.  I’ve been making up weird songs and singing about what I’m doing since I was young, but I never thought I’d find someone who would join in with me!”


Alicia Jo Straka (previously Alicia Baker) will be a featured performer at LIAC, Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration, Leavenworth, Washington, June 22 -25, 2023. She will perform at Festhalle – Friday – June 23, 2023 from 8:10 PM to 9:PM. She also will present a workshop, “The Art of the Musette With Alicia Jo Straka” TBD Grange/Upper. Join Alicia Jo Straka, accordion expert and French music lover, for a one-hour workshop on the form, techniques, and “je ne said quois” nuance of French musette. Come away with repertoire recommendations, practice tips, and a finer ear for this beautiful music genre.

Alicia Jo Straka is a professional accordionist, singer, pianist, and composer from Portland, OR, currently residing in Denver, CO. Excerpts from LIAC website: Throughout her career, Alicia has won multiple International accordion competitions, worked as an artist for the prestigious Roland Corporation, sung leading operatic roles, and has performed at many notable venues including Carnegie Weill Hall and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Thanks to her love of academia, Alicia has earned 3 Bachelor of arts degrees from Oregon State University; piano performance, vocal performance, and choral music education, in addition to a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from University of Colorado Boulder – all of which were funded by full-ride scholarships.

Versatility has always been a point of pride, which is highlighted through her diverse repertoire; jazz, Parisienne, pop, funk, opera, polka, and techno; to name a few. Alicia currently spends her time performing, teaching private students, composing and arranging. Most recently, she crowd-funded, recorded, and designed her new album called “Doin’ Just Fine”, which features original music composed in the French jazz genre.

Alicia Jo Straka is a very gifted musician on accordion, piano, and vocals. Her style is versatile and covers many genres. I recommend ordering her album which showcases her numerous talents. It will be an entertaining and unique experience.

For further information: aliciajostraka@gmail.com