During the weekend of August 10-11, accordionists will gather to take part in the 47th annual Accordion Federation of North America (AFNA) Festival.

Activities will take place at the Radison Hotel at LAX airport, located at 6225 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045

Come enjoy an Evening Concert consisting of Accordion groups, solos, etc. from the 3 day Music Festival/Competition organized by the Accordion Federation of North America, Inc. The concert begins at 6:30pm in the Ballroom (2nd floor) of the Radisson at LAX. The concert is free, but there is a hotel parking fee. Please come and introduce yourself to the people you see performing - we'd love to know more "squeezers".

AFNA history dates back to October 30, 1955 when Anthony Aretta and Andrew Ferraro called a special meeting to discuss the formation of a new accordion organization. There was a great number of subjects discussed and a great deal of work accomplished.

The purpose of this new organization was to stimulate the general public's interest in the accordion and the improvement of teaching methods. Four categories of membership were designed:

• Writers and arrangers
• Music store owners
• Accordion school owners
• Instrument wholesalers

The "Accordion Association of Southern California" (AASC) was chosen as the name for this new group.

The AASC's members included George Howell, Anthony Aretta, Andrew Ferraro, and Peggy Milne; ATG (Accordionists and Teachers Guild) members were Sidney Dawson, PhD., Nik Nevel, Sylvia Prior and Ann Randall.

While the ATG members had experience in structuring the competitions, the AASC members had experience participating and judging in several nationwide competitions.

The very first festival was scheduled for April 21 - 22, 1956 at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium.

As attendance and membership grew to include states other than California, as well as contact with organizations in Mexico and Canada the AASC changed its name to Accordion Federation of North America (AFNA) in 1972.

For further information regarding the AFNA organization and the August Festival, please contact Sandra Martin e-mail: AFNA@Musicion.org or call: 714/447-9163.

This year the United States has entered three contestants representing both the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International (ATG) and the American Accordionists Association (AAA into the annual Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships.

Two contestants who won their respective categories at the recent Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International (ATG) competition and festival in Orlando and the American Accordionists Association (AAA) competition and festival in Minneapolis, Jason Stephen (ATG) and Cory Pesaturo (AAA) will enter the International Competition for Piano Accordion.

Andrea Caruso (ATG) will enter the Junior Coupe Mondiale after winning her event at the ATG competition in Orlando.

Another competitor residing in the United States, Lidia Kaminska will represent her native Poland in the Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships.

This years festival held in Copenhagen, Denmark from October 16-20, 2002, has drawn over 100 contestants in the six categories offered by the Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes (CIA), making it the largest competition ever for the annual Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships.

Gary Dahl has released a new book published by Mel Bay Publications, entitled "15 Louisiana Cajun Classics."

This Cajun book (recording CD is available) transcribed/arranged by Gary Dahl is graded at an Intermediate Level and includes: Le Jig Francais, Chere Te Mon, Port Arthur Blues, J'ai Passe devant ta porte, Two Step D'Amede, Bernadette, Bosco Stomp, La Robe Barree, Basile Breakdown, Grand Tasso, Flames De'enfer.

The book sells for $9.95 plus shipping and for more information, please www.accordions.com/garydahl

You may also preview and purchase the music of Gary Dahl on-line at www.musicforaccordion.com

The Existential Accordion!!

Ooo La La! Let them eat cake! Je suis l'accordion! Pass the sponge cake, please! And....Le Boogie on down to our eighth annual Master Class and Concert Series sponsored by the American Accordionists' Association. Le accordion philosopher and distinguished Lecturer-in-Residence, Dr. William Schimmel will act as Moderator/Curator.

Bring your own beret, but don't take it off! Le Grand Prix will be awarded to the winner who refuses to take it off despite much pressure. The goal of the weekend is to find (within the accordion cultural dimension) moments of philosophy - existential that is! Enjoy, along with your Cafe au Lait, some Fromage Dangereux (William Schimmel), a tango that promises royale overtones.

Dr. Schimmel will also unveil his new book, The Existential Accordion, which contains the essay: Evolution in the Realm of Permanent Transition. Also, pick up a copy of his new method book: Useless Studies. Eminent choreographer, Director and Fitness Expert, Micki Goodman will present a cranial sacral workshop to promote alignment in the subtlest ways, facilitating correct posture, heightened awareness and energy.

And...don't miss Micki's performance of It Is, a vocal/ movement performance work that promises to be a homage to the late great accordionist, Phil Baker (who was also famous for his 1930s Barbasol endorsements).

And...don't miss Paul Stein's Yiddish song collection: It Was, presenting a kind of nostalgia that goes a big (down the path of Genet and Sartre) to the left - Marx - not the brothers. And...of course there'll be a seminar on Jerry Lewis and Mickey Rourke...applied to L'Accordeon - of course.

There will be a Piaf Concerto; performances of AAA commissioned works such as Lamentations by Virgil Thompson and Prelude and Sarabande by George Kleinsinger (Tubby the Tuba) performed by Eero Richmond and/or Robert Young McMahan; a French chanson set by Marni Rice; a Gainsbourg Tribute and ...Gasp! The El Choclo Seminar will make a return after a six-year hiatus playing the classics in an improvisatory manner looking for (in the words of Jaques Derrida) their proper voice - let's hope they find it.

Performance artist/Elvis/Groucho impersonator will deconstruct himself. Rembert Block will play, sing and channel goddesses of the past; a demonstration of Nortech, a Tijuana Brash Technopop giving sampling a new chic. Dragica Banic-Curcic, from former Yugoslavia will demonstrate "The Transferred Harpsichord."

Is there a musette Americain? Many may ask. We will demonstrate the answer perhaps in the form of new questions, but nonetheless we will answer.

Guests will also include: Elsie M. Bennett, Faithe Deffner, Dr. Carmelo Pino, Frank Busso, Linda Reed, the digital flute of Lee McClure, Michael Schimmel (Age 22/Down Syndrome); Allyssa Lamb will discuss Hip music for kids; Will Holshouser will play spontaneous versions of Urban Cajun, Messian, Chamame, Henri Sauget and Hard Bop; Dr. Schimmel will discuss the Malaguena II philosophy in arts and worship; he'll revisit the Politics of the Third Banana (as well as the First and Second) as well as new prosumers in the accordion cross-cultural society and, of course, the built-in-ironic duality. Famous baritone, Andre Solomon-Glover will also bring his accordion; there'll be new takes on Claire de Lune by Debussy (W.C.), Carnival of the Animals and Faure (4-A), a family that plays together stays together. The K Trio (brother and sisters) give new existential meaning to that old zealot phrase. The great Carmen Carrozza will make a return engagement; the Estonian bassoonist Martin Kuuskman will join Dr. Schimmel; the Housewives are back again intact; Main Squeeze's Walter Kuhr will join double reed with free reed; Godfrey Nelson and Lorraine Nelson-Wolf will give new meaning to the word "Grunge"; Dr. Thomas Massucci will challenge the word "existential"; or Mark Birnbaum will challenge the term, Ragtime and David First and David Stoler will challenge the notion of composer in society.

The weekend will take a new turn with a performance of But You Hope! (W.S.) which features actress Kathleen Goodman - exploring the missed opportunity, the lost moment, the wasted breath and the ability to hope; Rita Davidson will give us a patriotic music lady; Dr. Robert Young McMahan will give a talk on the "novelty" as art form as well as a performance of a new original work. Dr. Schimmel will perform the clandestine music of Princeton University composer, Colby Leider.

Finally, as the berets come off and the Grand Prix is presented, all ideas will be presented again at a cafe/salon reception giving new meaning to the words open ended - no answers, only questions, questions and more questions: "What is this thing called the accordion?" Why do we play at all?"; "Is it love (as in tennis) or love/hate?"; "Is Le Metro a Safe Place of Accordionists?"; "Should Accordionists Promote Safe Sex in Condominiums?"; Does anyone know?

The event will take place at the
Tenri Cultural Institute of New York,
43 West 13th St (Between 5th & 6th Avenues)

Master Classes 3:00 p.m. Concerts 7:00 p.m.
Reservations & Information (212) 876-0827 or the AAA Office (201) 991-2233

NY based accordionist Kevin Friedrich will tour China with the "Musicale" accordion orchestra from Auckland, New Zealand from August 13 - 26, 2002.

Rehearsals have taken place on a 'virtual' level, with a video camera positioned in the orchestra, allowing the perspective of the orchestra and conductor that will be seen when joining up with the orchestra in Hong Kong.

Performing in Putian, Xiamen and Shanghai, the orchestra will also visit Hong Kong and Quanchou.

Those Darn Accordions are on the road and might be appearing at a venue near you!

Those Darn Accordions is San Francisco's accordion-fueled rock 'n' roll band that pumps out quirky, catchy originals chronicling life in the weird lane. The five-piece group fronted by lead singer/squeezebox wizard Paul Rogers and bellows-pumping babes Patty Brady and Suzanne Garramone promises to forever rearrange your understanding of the accordion. Behind the wall of wheeze, drummer Bill Schwartz and bass player Lewis Wallace anchor the band, providing a firm foundation upon which the manic TDA accordionists can layer huge slabs of sonic mayhem. With distortion boxes cranked to 11, the one-of-a-kind band blazes through a variety of musical genres and torches timeless classic rock tunes. You won't believe your ears!

Get on Those Darn Accordions' e-mail list now: tda@thosedarnaccordions.com

AUGUST
1 West Allis, WI Wisconsin State Fair
2 Berwyn, IL Fitzgerald's
3 Wisconsin State Fair
4 Watertown, WI Waterfest
5 Milwaukee, WI Rainbow Summer
8 Bethlehem, PA Musikfest
9 New York, NY The Cutting Room
10 TBD
13 Asbury Park, NJ The Saint
14 TBD
15 TBD
16 Arlington, VA Iota Club & Cafe
17 Rehoboth Beach, DE Dogfish Head Brewery
18 Richmond, VA Poe's Pub
21 Kettering, OH Fraze Pavillion
23 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
24 Akron, OH The Lime Spider
25 Pittsburgh, PA The New Club Café
27 St. Louis, MO Frederick's Music Lounge
28 Kansas City, MO Grand Emporium
29 Lawrence, KS Jazzhaus
31 Denver, CO TBD

For more info, remember to check out our website at www.thosedarnaccordions.com

The Mississippi Arts Commission recently honored Bulgarian accordionist Milen Slavov with a Performing Arts Fellowship in Music Composition from their Arts Industry Program.

Accordionist/composer Slavov will use the grant to create new works, expand and educate audiences, and pursue collaborative efforts with other musicians. The fellowship selection involves evaluation by a panel made up of artists and arts professionals from outside the state of Mississippi.

This shows that the work of Slavov has been recognized on a truly national level. For full details on the announcement e-mail: agency@msaccordion.com