Online: Shirley Johnson and Laura Niland are proud to announce the first workshop series of an exciting lineup for the 2022 Not Just Oompah Workshop and Concert Series. First, the “Music of Albania” will be presented by Raif Hyseni, followed by the “Music of Eugene Ettore ” presented by Rita Davidson Barnea. Cost for attending both of the workshops is $75 for accordionists and both presentations will be held on ZOOM with workshop materials delivered in PDF form to registered participants.

Download flyer: 2022FlyerBarnea.pdf
Payment and registration information is on the website at www.notjustoompah.org

Please note that we have changed the dates for the Not Just Oompah Workshop and Concert with Raif Hyseni to these new dates:
Raif  Hyseni Workshop :  May 19, 2022 @ 7-9:30 PM Central Time on Zoom
Raif  Hyseni Concert:  May 20, 2022 @ 7:30-8:30 PM Central Time on Zoom
Rita Barnea Workshop:   April 27, 2022 @ 7:00-9:30 PM Rita Davidson Barnea remains the same date and time.
We will be extended enrollment for these workshops until May 17, 2022.  Price remains the same: $75 for whole package.  All workshops and concerts are recorded for later viewing.   check the website for registration/payment : www.NotJustOompah.org

Raif Hyseni hails from The Republic of Kosova, which has a large Albanian majority. He grew up in the town of Mitrovicë, where he studied accordion at the music school. During high school he performed in amateur ensembles, folk bands, and orchestras, and even toured in Germany, Austria and throughout the Former Yugoslavia. Before moving to Tiranë in 1992, Raif was a well-known radio and television performer in Kosova’s capital city, Prishtinë, performing with well-known singers, and where he performed with the legendary violinist Isak Mucolli. While attending college during the evenings in Prishtinë he worked as a high school music teacher in the afternoons.

Rita Davidson Barnea filled glasses of water to create a musical scale and tapped out little songs with a spoon at the age of 4!! Her parents took her to Major Music in Irvington, New Jersey where Eugene Ettore became her accordion teacher at the age of 9. Rita loved the minute she was given her first little red accordion, and to this day, not a day goes by that she is either playing, listening to, writing about the accordion. After years of instruction and playing in bands, she performed in many venues with the Sano Symphony conducted by Eugene Ettore. Rita also learned to play the piano and the violin.

Auditioning on the accordion for the University of Connecticut music department, she was a piano major in music education. For over 30 years she taught Pre-K to Grade 5 vocal and special education music in the West Orange, NJ public schools using the accordion every day to accompany her students. On beautiful, warm days, she took her classes and accordion outside to teach lessons. Ms. Barnea is an AAA Governing Board member.

For 14 years she has been and still is the National Editor of www.accordionusa.com covering accordion events, artists, concerts, etc. which take place on the North American continent. Rita welcomes accordion news, photos, and information for the USA News. Email her at: ritabelll@aol.com

She presents workshops and concerts on Klezmer music as well as on the “Life and Music of Eugene Ettore”, ”The Use of the Accordion in the Teaching of Music in School”, and “How to Organize a Children’s Birthday Party” centered around the use of the accordion. She has performed in recitals, concerts, workshops, and at accordion festivals throughout the US. Rita is the creator and curator of the Eugene Ettore Memorial Website, which contains photos, articles, and other valuable information at: Eugene Ettore.

Free Download the “Music of Eugene Ettore ” mp3 album at: http://www.musicforaccordion.com/eTracks/inform/davidson/index.htm

Eugene Ettore began to study the accordion at age 5 with his father, Antonio, a Vaudeville accordionist. Truly a Renaissance man with varied interests, Eugene always excelled in any subject that he devoted himself to. He specialized in composing original accordion compositions, as well as arranging music for concert solo and ensemble accordion groups, organ, and guitar (pop and standard tunes.) Mr. Ettore has to his credit over 300 published and unpublished copyrighted works of all types. He was the author of method books for the accordion, French horn, recorder, and melodica, and the Chief Editor and Arranger for Pietro Deiro Publications from 1955 to 1965.

Eugene was President and Vice President of the American Accordionists Association (AAA), and awarded as an “Outstanding Composer and Arranger” of that organization, as well as Vice President of the Accordion Teachers Association of New Jersey. He was recipient of ASCAP Standard Pane Awards for 1964 and 1965 and listed in 1955 in “Who’s Who in the East”. For more information about Eugene Ettore’s vast achievements and accomplished life and career, please visit
http://www.accordions.com/memorials/mem/ettore_eugene/

We look forward to seeing you at the ZOOM presentations from both Raif Hyseni and Rita Barnea. Join us for an exciting new year with Not Just Oompah.

Download flyer: 2022FlyerBarnea.pdf

For more information and workshop Payment/ Registration check the website www.notjustoompah.org