Welcome to the May www.accordionusa.news. May is an amazing month for the accordion everywhere! Don’t forget to attend or view the many online and live celebrations of WAD (World Accordion Day) happening on or about May 6.
Visit the WAD site created by Harley Jones, Public Relations for Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA) to celebrate the accordion’s versatility, importance and influence all over the world.
Enjoy reading about the accordion events that are taking place in May and on through the summer months. This month features accordion festivals, concerts, album releases and more. Join in the celebration of World Accordion Day!
We celebrate and honor our beloved instruments and accordionists around the world who chose to showcase their musical talents by playing the accordion. How about you? It is never too late to learn an instrument… the accordion!
Our first World Accordion Day was held on 6th May 2009, marking the 180th birthday of the accordion – 6 May 1829, the date the accordion patent was filed.
On May 6, 1829, Cyrill Demian (1772–1849) an organ and piano maker of Armenian origin, accompanied by his two sons Karl and Guido, filed a patent in Vienna, Austria for the accordion.
Consign: No. 1433 listed a new type of instrument consisting of a small box with “feathers of metal plates and bellows fixed to it” making it easy to carry and play. The new instrument was seven to nine inches long, three-and-a-half wide, and two inches high. The bellows were fixed above the box with five claves fixed below.
The makers claimed it was possible to perform marches, arias, melodies, even by an amateur of music with little practice, and to play the loveliest and most pleasant chords of three, four and five voices with little practice. The patent was approved a short time later on May 23, 1829.
Since 2009, World Accordion Day has been very successful, generating a lot of positive publicity for the accordion. Every association, group, orchestra, performer and teacher, is asked to actively support this event by encouraging national and local accordion activities to happen in their country on this day or the weekend either side of World Accordion Day if that should be more convenient.
Please join us for this annual celebration, as accordionists from around the world pay homage to our wonderful instrument. This global event will serve as an exciting means of bringing us together in our efforts to promote and elevate the awareness and status of the accordion!
Read articles this month about accordion organizations and individuals who have scheduled concerts/events to honor WAD World Accordion Day.
Send comments and ideas to Ritabelll@aol.com. How did you celebrate?
Rita Barnea Davidson
Editor
