The Value of Playing the Accordion Throughout Life and Into Your Senior Years

October 1st 2024
Rita Barnea

I have always believed that a very special part of life includes being involved in the musical world. A wonderful aspect is having the ability/desire to play an instrument, which, for me, is the accordion! As I prepare the USA News each month (17 years and continuing!), I look for special interest stories related, of course, to the accordion. I was fortunate to randomly come across the amazing musician, Karl Kment.

Central Oregon Daily News, Reporter Eric Lindstrom wrote about Karl Kment “Playing the Accordion at 97 Years Old!” An excerpt:

Karl Kment has been playing the accordion for almost 90 years and still plays daily. Karl has been on a musical journey that’s taken him from night clubs to mess halls, to music classrooms and everywhere in between, settling down in Central Oregon. Kment shared, “When I was about 14 years old, I was already playing in a nightclub called the Kit Kat Club in San Antonio. My dad would drive me to the place and carry my accordion in and when I got ready to play, he’d get out of the way. I think about two or three tunes is all I’d play and that was my job. That was it. It was well-received and I was paid for it, so it was good.”

World War II and four years in the Navy followed, but it didn’t stop Karl from playing his accordion.”I was playing the accordion in mess halls and just for fun for my fellow shipmates. I got kind of known for that. Just before I was discharged from the Navy, they presented me with a brand new Scandalli accordion, which was like, just a wonderful thing,” Kment said.

A family, a music store business, and a real estate career in Hood River would take up the next six decades. The sound of the accordion was there all along the way. At 73, Karl cut his first album, “Potpourri for Accordion.” Karl is a positive example of how the accordion can remain part of one’s entire life.

Karl Kment

Karl Kment
“Potpouri for Accordion” Karl Kment

View the full article about Karl Kment at: https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/in-focus/karl-kment-accordion/article_821faa08-42fa-11ef-b0b4-3bba74aa446f.html#tncms-source=article-nav-prev

I have been a public school music teacher for over 30 years and I believe there is real value in playing the accordion. There are many important benefits from playing any musical instrument and especially, the accordion. There is further strong evidence, that study/playing of the accordion supports longevity, maintenance of brain function, fostering a youthful outlook, multi tasking and more. These topics are discussed in great depth in the articles linked at the end of this article.

During my years as a music teacher, I was always happy that so many children had chosen to study a musical instrument. I noticed their enthusiasm, pride in learning a musical skill, and joy in performing in ensembles. They will certainly appreciate their ability to play music as they get older.

Benefits of music learning are not only educational but also social and physical, since performing in an ensembles/orchestras is something which can be enjoyed at any age. Those of us who grew up during the day of accordion studios have a personal knowledge of all the fun, musical, educational, co-ordination and social benefits. 

Karl Kment
Karl Kment

It’s never too late to get reacquainted with your musical instrument. I have heard many stories of adults now in their 50’s and above who learned the accordion when young, perhaps competing in competitions, playing in accordion ensembles, or just enjoying performing. Then, for a myriad of reasons, the accordion was placed in a closet, and forgotten about for decades until they “rediscovered” their love of the accordion and began to play again. Great decision!!

I have met people who now have a renewed interest in enjoying their accordion. It is truly amazing that the skill set is still there waiting to be revived with some practice. Try it and you will surprise yourself! Consider practicing, taking lessons again, and consider joining a group. Read www.accordionusa.news and you can find out about accordion clubs and associations in your area. You can attend meetings as a spectator or as a player in one of their groups. Need more info? Visit Facebook groups or contact me: Ritabelll@aol.com

The accordion has a rich history of people who actively played into their later years and are very inspirational to us. We have proof that there were and still are many active accordionists in their 80’s and above. For example: Carmen Carrozza, former president of the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA), concertized throughout Europe and was presented with a gold medal in Italy after an outstanding performance at the Teatro di Pavia. One of the high points in Carrozza’s career was a concert in The Town Hall in New York City where he performed all original accordion works by many outstanding American composers including Robert Russell Bennett, Paul Creston, Virgil Thomson and many others. He concertized into his late 70’s before he sadly had a stroke.

Carmen Carrozza

Carmen Carrozza, a legendary USA concert accordion virtuoso, performs for a crowd in Philadelphia USA in 1996. Carmen was a student and prodigy of Pietro Deiro, the “Daddy of the Accordion”. This composition is dedicated to Deiro, by Pietro Frosini, another great contemporary.

Horace Lazzari

Horace Lazzari performs at the 1987 Seattle, WA concert sponsored by the Petosa Accordion Company. The opera “Carmen” was the last thing Bizet ever composed in his short 37 years of life and the composer was very disappointed with its lackluster opening reception. After his death (as usually happens), the Paris musical establishment declared it an operatic masterpiece which has immortalized the great French composer.  It is the one of the most performed operas nowadays and this is the one of only a few accordion arrangements of the “Toreador’s March”. 

Anthony Galla-Rini

Anthony Galla-Rini plays a shortened version of “Clair De Lune” at the 5th Accordion Camp at Silver Lake, Oregon, USA. Special thanks are due to John and Ellen Bonica who had come from New Zealand and filmed this invaluable piece of accordion history. Just listen to the artistic and personal maturity in every note of this great artist who was still performing concerts at 90 years of age and lived to 102 years!

There are many other well known accordionists who are still performing in their 80s and 90s. Examples include Joan Cochran Sommers, Pauline Oliveros, Joe Soprani, Joe Cerrito, Sam Falcetti, Joe Soprani, Joe Cerrito, Frank Busso, Sr., Angelo De Pippo and many more.

Has the playing of the accordion daily been an important contributor to so many accordionists living, being active and performing into their 80s and 90s? Yes, I agree and I certainly feel that not only does playing the accordion contribute greatly to one’s mental, intellectual and emotional well being, but also is an important asset to developing and maintaining physical health/strength. If you play the accordion, you already know the benefits…. lifting the accordion, carrying it, strolling with it on gigs, puling the bellows and more. All of this IS a workout, an enjoyable one indeed! If you are thinking of learning a new instrument, consider the accordion for these benefits.

How has playing the accordion benefitted you in your daily life? Do you know of senior accordionists who are enjoying playing the accordion? I would like to create a dialogue about these ideas. You are welcome to submit your thoughts to me at Ritabelll@aol.com

Here are 2 articles about the rewards of playing the accordion:

  1. Accordion Study Produces Community Benefits
    Written by: Faithe Deffner
    Publication: Accord Magazine, USA. Date written: 1979
  2. Playing the Accordion Benefits Your Brain
    Anita Collins explains how music benefits your brain and, therefore, your entire life. Anita Collins is an award-winning educator, researcher, and writer in the field of brain development and music learning.

If you have a unique idea/story about a senior accordionist, I invite you to submit it to the USA News.

For further information: Ritabelll@aol.com