Celebrity Interview with Christopher Gorton the September 18th winner of the Roland U.S. V-Accordion Festival held in conjunction with the 4th Roland International V-Accordion® Festival.
The event was hosted at the Roland U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. Roland Corporation.
The winner of the senior division is Christopher Gorton of Providence, RI. Christopher won a Roland V-Accordion FR-7X and will go on to represent the U.S. at the fourth international V-Accordion Festival in Rome, Italy on October 16, 2010.
Q. We will start at the beginning. Where were you born?
A. Providence, Rhode Island. I am 25 years old.
Q. What are your most vivid memories from your childhood?
A.I remember competing in the accordion competitions beginning at age 7. I remember winning my first trophies. Of course, I liked sports and bike riding. My mom would lock me in my room to practice at least 1-2 hours a day. She would make sure I practiced. My grandmother would time my breaks with an egg timer. Every time I stopped, she would add up the minutes and I had to make it up. So a one hour practice could be two or more.
Q. Why is it that you began to play the accordion?
My music teacher, Bob Paolo, would recruit students from the local Catholic schools. A flyer was sent home asking “Do you want to learn music? “It didn’t say anything about the accordion. My mom thought it was about the piano or violin but it was about the accordion. She said “Why don’t you try the accordion?” And I did and enjoyed winning competitions at ages 7, 8, and 9. I won first place all three years and moved up to the higher levels. From the beginning I was always winning and I became more interested as I was recognized for having a talent for the accordion.
Q. Who were your music teachers?
Bob Paolo was my only music teacher and I still study with him. He helped me get ready for the AAA Competition where I won the Carmen Carrozza Division.
Q. Have you any other family and are they musicians?
A. I have an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother. I am the only one and the first one who plays an instrument. My parents didn’t and neither did my siblings. Later my parents made my brother take accordion lessons. Then my parents began accordion lessons. We all studied with Bob Paolo. I have a photo of the four of us with our accordions in the local newpaper!
Q. At what age did you begin to learn the accordion?
A. I was seven years old.
Q. Do you play any other instruments and if so, what?
I do not play any other instruments. The reason is that I want to completely master the accordion. It is an instrument which requires much practice and study.
Q. What is your education?
A. I went to Classical High School in Providence, one of the best high schools in the state. After high school, I worked in the restaurant business for a few years. Then I went to the Community College of Rhode Island where I got my Associates Degree in Business. Right now I am going to Rhode Island College where I am a senior working toward my Bachelors Degree in Computer Information Systems which is a growing field.
Q. Do you have any favorite pieces of music?
Yes, I am a big fan of Classical Music. I play Jazz, Italian, a little bit of everything.I like all kinds of music but my favorite is more specifically, the Baroque period. I like Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel. My favorite composer is Vivaldi. I am actually learning his “Four Seasons” now. I found a transcription for bayan accordion which I am adapting to my accordion. I am playing “Winter” and “Summer” right now. I would like to learn the entire “Four Seasons”. I enjoy playing Classical Music, working on interpretation and always finding a richness there.
Q. Have you ever played in an orchestra or an ensemble?
A. Yes, in December 2009, I performed Vivaldi’s “Winter” with the Brockton Symphony Orchestra in Massachusetts conducted by Dr. Emilian Badea. It was a major event for me. I also performed it with the AAA Festival Accordion Orchestra in July 2010 in Harrlsburg.
Q.Have you done any composing?
No, not yet. One day I would like to compose a contemporary piece of music. I will need training but I would like to get into composing in the future. I am a big fan of the compositions for bayan
Q. How long do you usually practice?
A. I practice 5 or 6 hours a day when I am preparing for competitions. Now that I am getting ready for the Roland competition, I practice 5-6 hours a day. Steve Albini, Roland USA, worked with me this week to help me get ready for the Roland competition. He has been a phenomenal help to me. He showed me how to use the Roland and it sounds great. There is so much the Roland can do. It is an amazing instrument. I am very lucky that Steve was able to come to Providence to help me. It is a really cool and versatile instrument.
Q. Do you have any special practice routines?
A. Every day I play all the major scales with different touches. Arpeggios, Stretching exercises. I also try to learn what the Coupe Mondiale contestants do.
Q. Do you have interests apart from music?
I am a big fan of boxing. I have been boxing for 5 years. I would train every day. I also like to fix things. I fix cars, old accordions. I can do accordion repairs.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
Music has become more important than ever for me. I was going to school full time, but now I am busy practicing and getting ready for the Roland competitions. I am practicing and hope to win and go on to the Coupe Mondiale. I am very grateful to the Roland Competition for giving me this wonderful opportunity to represent the USA at the fourth international V-Accordion Festival in Rome, Italy on October 16, 2010. Roland is bringing the accordion back. It is such a cool instrument.
Thank you for agreeing to the interview today. On behalf of www.accordions.comAccordions Worldwide and www.accordionusa.com, I would like to congratulate you on your winning the USA Roland Competition and we wish you good luck in Rome!
Rita Davidson, editor of www.accordionusa.com
