The past year sure has been a difficult one in so many ways. Isolation is no fun, and that is an understatement! If not for our “new” technical conveniences, such as Skype, Zoom, FaceTime and WhatsApp, just to mention a few, so much of what we can accomplish with relative ease would have been impossible.

Each week, Harley Jones, founder and administrator of Accordions Worldwide, calls me on WhatsApp from his home in New Zealand. I sit in my house in Colorado. We chat — as though we are sitting across the table from one another — about stuff, as friends do, and then we get to work. Harley has put 25 of my 29 feature articles, that I have written as Historian for the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA), on the AAA website (AAAArchival Information). Harley not only puts up the articles, he also creates PDFs that can be downloaded, and he finds and uploads videos that correspond to my articles. I am so delighted to know that folks will be able to research historical events in the American accordion world, learn about the people who made a difference, and simply enjoy hearing about life with the relatively new and totally mesmerizing musical instrument: the accordion. Thank you, Harley!!

My passion for the AAA history has been fueled by my research on the amazing people who founded our organization and worked tirelessly to improve the instrument and its music, those who followed and tweaked and perfected the instruments and created excellent instructional materials, and those whose love for the accordion “drew in” so many musicians and enthusiasts, like myself. I loved many of these hard working folks, and wanted to “give back” for all they had given me. The history of the AAA is a rich and fascinating one. I hope you enjoy my articles! All articles at: AAAArchival Information

I am still writing for the AAA, so please keep checking the website for updates. As of today, these are the articles you can visit and download: AAAArchival Information

1. The formation of the AAA, including a video of a workshop I gave on the subject at the AAA Festival, Princeton, NJ 2017.
2. Documenting the AAA history, including several photos.
3. AAA logos and promotional materials spanning 80 years
4. Life in the accordion schools from 1950s to the late 1970s
5. Article on AAA founders Joe Biviano and Charles Magnante and their lifetime commitment to the AAA

Feature articles on various musicians and teachers:

6. Manny Bobenrieth
7. Frank Busso, Sr.
8. Joe Cerrito
9. Lou Coppola and Joan Cochran Sommers: first US representatives at Coupe Mondiale, 1955, and still going strong 60 years later.
10. Article on the life of Lou Coppola
11. Lou Coppola’s Lifetime Achievement Award, with videos
12. Lou Coppola’s obituary
13. Beverly Roberts Curnow: World’s Fair Accordion Queen and Coupe Mondiale champion
14. Guy Klucevsek and Cody McSherry: a heartwarming story of coincidences
15. Guy Klucevsek: “An experience of a lifetime”
16. Guy Klucevsek publishes a delightful new book and CD of his compositions: “Vignettes”. Includes videos.
17. The life of Frank Marocco
18. AAA’s guest conductor for 2017: Dr. William Morse. Includes videos of the AAA festival orchestra under his baton.
19. Washington, DC’s own Joyce Palmer. Don’t miss this one!!
20. Dr. Carmelo Pino
21. Joan Cochran Sommers
22. Linda Soley Reed and Mary Tokarski
23. Gabe Hall-Rodrigues and Jamie Maschler, “Creosote”
24. “And all because of a bumper sticker”: amazing story of how two accordionists, JoAnn Pankow and Art Piel, met and changed each other’s lives
25. Memories of “Mama Stella” Allison, my duet partner, with video

Happy, healthy holidays to all!! I hope to see you when the world is a safe place to gather once again!