Emily Smith on Tour in Canada and USA

The American Accordionists' Association 70th Anniversary Festival and Competition in takes place on August 13th, from 5pm, at the Holiday Inn, 1900 N. Fort Myer Dr., Arlington, VA (Washington DC).

This year's festival features the highly accomplished accordionist Alexander Poeluev, from Russia, as well as featured guests including Mary Tokarski with pianist Dessie Vaughan, jazz accordionist Joe Cerrito, and guest conductor Dan Desiderio conducting the festival's orchestra and massed band.

This year's festival features the highly accomplished accordionist Alexander Poeluev (Russia) plus featured guests Mary Tokarski with pianist Dessie Vaughan, jazz accordionist Joe Cerrito, and guest conductor Dan Desiderio conducting the festival's orchestra and massed band.

There will be three international competitions with over $12,000 in prizes at stake: the AAA International Piano Accordion Competition, the annual Vivian Vivio Stolaruk International Entertainment Competition for Accordionists, and the Maddalena Belfiore Entertainment Competition for Female Accordionists.

Workshops at this year's festival include:

• Magnante - His Life and Recordings - Ray Oreggia
• Music of the Valtaro Musette - Dominic Karcic and Ray Oreggia
• Master Class with Alex Poeluev
• AAA 70th Anniversary Exhibit - Joan Grauman
• The Accordion In the Symphony Orchestra from Tchaikovsky to the Present - Dr. Robert McMahan

This years Main Squeeze Accordion Festival Lineup included:

• Nicu Helerea
• Italian Dance Village Music (top right)
• Main Squeeze Orchestra
• Raul Jaurena Tango Trio
• Veretski Pass
• Patty Furlong Coolmargot
• Raif Hyseni Orchestra
• Los Mocandos
  
  

• Monday afternoon we begin with Registration from 2-5 PM, including a Welcoming reception. That evening we will have a Las Vegas Style Buffet followed by the Welcome Dinner Concert at 8 PM.
• Tuesday through Thursday – each day begins with a full morning of workshops. At noon we break for lunch and entertainment. Then it’s back to workshops and master classes until 5 PM. At 6:30 each evening, the doors open, Dinner is served at 7 PM, and a fantastic concert follows. Later, more music and dancing are just a few steps away in the after- hours hot spot – Club Concerto.
• Thursday evening is our Grand Finale Concert featuring the International Accordion Orchestra with Prime Rib dinner!

Seven meals, seven concerts, all special events and classes are included, with Single Attendance priced at $465 and Couple Attendance at $795. Evening-Only Options are available - contact us for details! The convention offers a special Room Rate ONLY $59 per night!

Attendees can enjoy the reasonable convention hotel rate of just $59 per night per room if reservations are made before August 29. Reservations can be made by calling 1-888-402-6278 and saying you are with the Accordion Convention (outside the USA +01-702-367-7111).

For more information or to register for the event call 1-800-472-1695 (outside the USA +01 801-486-1695) or visit our website at www.AccordionStars.com where you may make room reservations directly online and also download registration forms.

ACCORDIONS NOW! Festival, a festival co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Accordion Association and Accordion Connection LLC will be held on Saturday, August 2, 2008 from 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM at the Radisson Hotel Manchester, 700 Elm Street, Manchester, NH.

ACCORDIONS NOW! Festival events include:  concerts on chromatic, diatonic, and piano accordions; MIDI and other workshops, Scandi-Dance demonstration, door prizes, vendor displays, accordions for sale, plus open jam session for all registered attendees.    

Concerts and workshops by Tony Lovello, Nils Lundin, Gary Morin, Mary Tokarski, Chad Huval, John Leeman, and the ACCORDIONS NOW! Festival Orchestra conducted by Donna Maria Regis will be interspersed with performances of various styles of music on different types of accordions by Bob Abrams, Joe Maciejowski, Frank Padula & Jerry Tramontozzi, Anita & Bob Siarkowski, Carmen Vitanza, and perhaps a surprise guest or two.  Laurie Widmark, in traditional Swedish dress, will emcee the demonstration by the Scandi-Dancers, while Peter Widmark and Donna Maria Regis join Nils Lundin in accompanying them.

The admission price structure has been simplified to $25/$10 age 12 and under.  To register, please contact Sue Welch toll-free at 1.800.328.5227.

For hotel reservations please contact the Radisson Hotel directly at 1.888.201.1718 or 1.603.625.1000.

All videos submitted to Roland US for the V-Accordion Festival National Finals’ pre selection process will become the sole property of Roland US and will not be returned.

General guidelines for pre selection and video entries:

• Participants will perform in the Senior Soloist Division. (This is the only division available in the US).
• All persons entering the festival must be 18 years of age or older. (Born before April 1, 1990).
• Performance selection must be no longer than 5 minutes in length and can be from any musical genre; no backing tracks are allowed (this includes SMF, Audio files, CD or MP3 player, etc.).
• For the pre selection process only, the audition can be performed on any acoustic or digital accordion
  (please note the National Finalists must use an FR-7 or FR-7b)
• No vocal performances are to accompany the accordion performance submitted on this video tape.
• A panel of judges (closed to the public) will determine the winners of this event and notify them by August 15th, 2008
  

Finalists’ guidelines for US National Finals in Los Angeles, CA:

• Finalists for the US National Finals in Los Angeles, CA will be selected by Roland Corporation US from submitted video entries.
• Roland Corporation US shall for pay for transportation (to Los Angeles, CA), lodging and food for each finalist and one guest per finalist to be held at the Roland Corporation US headquarters on September 20, 2008.
• All finalists will perform on an FR-7 or FR7b without external module at the National Finals in Los Angeles, CA.
• If the participant does not own an FR-7/b, Roland Corporation US will loan an FR-7/b to the finalist for preparation and performance at the National finals; and shall be returned to Roland after the competition is complete
• One winner will be chosen by a panel of professional judges at the US National Finals in Los Angeles, CA.
• The first prize winner will be awarded an FR-7/b and an all expense paid trip to Rome, Italy to perform at the International Festival on November 7 – 8, 2008.
• The winner must have a valid US Passport prior to November 6, 2008 obtained at the participant’s expense.
  

For further details and competition regulations please go to:

ww.rolandus.com/v-accordion or contact Ron Lankford (Festival Coordinator) at 323-890-3700 extension 2353 or e-mail at Ron.Lankford@rolandus.com.

Please send your video audition and entry form by August 1st, 2008 to:

Roland Corporation US
attn: Virginia Harmon
5100 S. Eastern Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90040-2938

Entry Form: http://www.rolandus.com/whats_new/contests_sweepstakes.aspx

The annual Cotati Accordion Festival will take place from August 23 and 24, 2008. Admission for one day is $17.00 if purchased at the gate, or $15.00 in advance.

Featuring a diverse variety of performers, the scheduled program for the 2008 festival includes:

Saturday;

• 9:45-10:15 - The Golden State Accordion Club (stage one)
• 10:20-10:50 - Amber Lee and the Anomalies (Stage two)
• 10:55-11:25 - The Hurricane (stage one)
• 11:30-12:00 - Hugh Morrison (stage two)
• 12:05-12:45 - Alex Meixner (stage one)
• 12:50-1:05 - The Great Morgani (stage two)
• 1:10-1:55 - Limpopo (stage one)
• 2:00-2:25 - Lady of Spain
• 2:30-3:05 - Simka (stage two)
• 3:10-4:00 - Dick Contino (stage one)
• 4:05-4:20 - The Great Morgani (stage two)
• 4:25-5:15 - Polka Freakout (stage one)
• 5:20-5:30 - Hugh Morrison (stage two)
• 5:35-6:25 - Vagabond Opera (stage one)
• 6:30-8:00 - Brian Jack (right) and the Zydeco Gamblers (stage one)
  

Sunday show:

• 9:45-10:15 - The Golden State Accordion Club (stage one)
• 10:20-10:50 - Tango #9 (stage two)
• 10:55-11:30 - The Internationals
• 11:35-12:15 - Monterey International with guest tenor Oracio Aiello
• 12:20-12:35 - The Great Morgani (stage two)
• 12:40-1:20 - The Georges Lammam Ensemble (stage one)
• 1:25-1:50 - Lady of Spain
• 1:55-2:25 - Joe Domitrowich/Capricious Accordion (stage two)
• 2:30-3:20 - Dick Contino (stage one)
• 3:25-3:40 - The Great Morgani (stage two)
• 3:45-4;30 - Polka Freakout (stage one)
• 4:35-4:45 - Big Lou (stage two)
• 4:50-5:45 - Vagabond Opera (stage one)
• 5:50-6:00 - guest soloist (stage two)
• 6:00-7:00 - Limpopo (stage one)

The Internet is changing the way your customers are searching for services. The days of lugging out a 12 lb. telephone book to find very limited and outdated business information are coming to an end. People are still letting their fingers do the walking, but they're doing it over a computer keyboard. Below are some revealing facts from the Kelsey Group.

• 74% of US households use the Internet as an information source when shopping.
• Approximately 45% of searches had a buying intent.
• The percentage of respondents who used yellow page directories decreased from 75% to 62%.

(If you have a printed yellow page ad, it is time to consider buying a smaller ad and shifting your marketing dollars to the Internet.) The off-line Yellow Pages see the writing on the wall and are scrambling to transfer their business model to the Internet.

Businesses can no longer ignore these facts. If you want to be successful, you must have a presence where your customers are searching. Being found on the Internet is vital to the future of your business.
 

The annual Galla-Rini Accordion Camp takes place from July 27th to August 1st, at the Dominican University, 50 Acacia Ave, San Rafael, California.

The late Anthony Galla-Rini (pictured right) was truly a legend of the music world devoted to the serious and classical study of the accordion. He produced hundreds of original works and arrangements, published his own tutorial method books, and in 1941, composed his first accordion concerto which he performed with the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra.

A recognized virtuoso, Galla-Rini toured the world, giving concerts and solo recitals, and played on numerous movie soundtracks such as ‘High Noon’ and ‘Laura’.

At the annual Galla-Rini Accordion Camp, attendees perform in the ensemble conducted by the camp Musical Director Joe Smiell. In addition, Ester Lanting served as guest conductor for two selections. Music performed in this popular ensemble ranged from classical, light classical, American Musicals and more. Emphasis at the camp is on learning to play musically, and learning to play in an ensemble, a different experience from performing solo.

Renowned Los Angeles composer Leonard (Lenny) Stack's new composition Film Noir: City of Night will be a feature World Premiere at the upcoming CIA Coupe Mondiale to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from 21st - 26th October. The work will be performed by the World Accordion Orchestra II under the direction of the World Accordion Orchestra founder Joan C. Sommers. (pictured right are Joan C. Sommers and Leonard Stack after their success World Premiere Performance of 'Lest We Forget' at the 60th Coupe Mondiale in Alexandria, VA last year.

Leonard (Lenny) Stack, a native of Los Angeles, is a highly successful composer, arranger, musical director and conductor. He won an Emmy for arranging and an Emmy nomination as musical director for his work in television specials. He is a member of ASCAP and the Television Academy and holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition. Artists such as Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick have recorded his songs and his musical scores have been used in many feature films and movies made for TV. The lengthy list of Leonard Stack's publications includes classical compositions for various ensembles as well as his Big Band Jazz originals; all have been performed frequently.

Stack's first accordion orchestra composition Lest We Forget, for the highly successful World Accordion Orchestra I was commissioned by the UMKC Accordion Orchestra especially for the 2007 60th Anniversary CIA Coupe Mondiale performance in Alexandria, VA on August 18, 2007.

This World Accordion Orchestra II will feature three works:

• Springtime Symphony - Graham Romani
  I Movement: conducted by Elaine Beecham
  II Movement: conducted by Ronnie Brown
  III Movement: conducted by Brian Laurie
  IV Movement: conducted by Elaine Beecham
   
  
• 2. Film Noir: City of Night - Leonard (Lenny) Stack (World Premiere)
  conducted by the organizer of the inaugural World Accordion Orchestra
  Joan C. Sommers (USA)
   
• 3. A Scottish March Selection - Traditional, arranged by Graham Laurie
  conducted by Graham Laurie
   
  

Players in the orchestra will include all members of the CIA Executive Committees, many of the NAO Executive, CIA international delegates, the Colchester Accordion Orchestra (under the direction of Elaine Beecham), the Graham Laurie Paisley Orchestra, the Brian Laurie Academy Orchestra and the Dutch Accordion Project Orchestra to make the performance a really grand event.

All accordionists attending the Coupe Mondiale are invited to join the World Accordion Orchestra II to be part of this exciting musical event (minimum playing level is approximately Grade 5).

To register please visit: http://www.coupemondiale.org/2008/sc_world_orchestra.htm

PAWNSHOP ACCORDIONS, the latest play from Jonathan Wallace, will be presented as part of The New York International Fringe Festival (Fringe NYC). Aaron Gonzalez will direct.  Performances will be at the Theatre at 45 Bleecker Street, and will begin on August 9th and will continue through August 16th.

PAWNSHOP ACCORDIONS tells the story of a cynical EMT, a mute accordionist, a sinister Albanian, and a prophetic schizophrenic struggle to protect one another. This latest play from Jonathan Wallace is a hallucinatory drama of community and violence in New York's netherworld. Professional accordionist and clown Gina Samardge will play Zaida, the mute accordionist, and will perform live accordion music during the play, including traditional Eastern European and klezmer songs and original compositions.

The cast for PAWNSHOP ACCORDIONS includes Tim Cain, Henry Caplan, Brian D. Coats, David Tawal, Gina Samardge, and Shpend Xani. The design team will be Miguel Angel Valderrama (Lighting), Michael Hetzer (Sets), and Ren Ladassor (Costumes).

Director Aaron Gonzalez's previous credits include Save My Brother and Saving Carmella for Howling Moon Cab Company, and The New Quixote at the Lincoln Center Institute. He is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts, along with the designers Ren Ladassor and Michael Hetzer.

Jonathan Wallace has had several plays produced in New York City and the Hamptons. Full-length plays include Shapeshifter, The Shadow-Pier, Waves and Beaches and The Turtle Tattoo. His short plays have been performed at The Flea Theatre, The Lark Theatre, The Stephen Talkhouse (Amagansett, NY), the Civic Center in Valdez, Alaska, John Drew Theatre in East Hampton, 13th Street Repertory, and outdoors in Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Avenue B Gardens. Wallace's short play, Rockettes, is included in a 2007 anthology edited by Roger Ellis, published by Meriwether.  Wallace lives in Amagansett, NY with his playwright wife, Meri, and their elderly box turtle, Berryman.

Accordionist Gina Samardge has been performing and teaching music in NYC since her arrival in 2002. An Ohio native, she grew up in the local theaters, singing and dancing in numerous productions. After college and a short stint in Cleveland, OH, she spent nearly a year traveling around the world to such places as Germany, Japan, Thailand, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Upon her return to the States, she began working in schools and before long was teaching music in a rural school in Central Ohio. It wasn't long before she felt the need to finally venture out East to the city that stole her heart when she was 16.

Since Gina has moved to New York she has performed with VOICE Theatre, The Soon-To-Be-World-Famous Female Clown Troupe, Main Squeeze Orchestra and numerous other short films and theatrical productions.

Gina currently teaches for the Brooklyn Queens Conservatory of Music and directs the Children's Chorus there. She also leads her own sing-a-longs at various locations in Brooklyn and has started her own toddler music and movement classes, Musical Stew.

PAWNSHOP ACCORDIONS will play the following schedule at the 'Theatre' at 45 Bleecker Street, New York City:

• Saturday - August 9 @ 2:15 pm
• Sunday - August 10 @ 5:15 pm
• Wednesday - August 13 @ 7:15 pm
• Thursday - August 14 @ 3:15 pm
• Saturday - August 16 @ 9:30 pm
  

Tickets will be $15.00 for all performances.  Tickets may be purchased by calling 866-468-7619, or online at www.fringenyc.org

For more information about the play, please visit www.howlingmooncabcompany.com

 
Trio Amore is present traditional Italian music and opera for the public's enjoyment. The trio features the voices of soprano Maria Fassio Pignati, tenor Peter Girardot, and accompanist Ron Borelli on accordion and keyboard.

For further information e-mail: administration@sfiac.org

Uncovering the Beauty in Accordion - A Musician's Request-Based Workshop with accordion virtuoso Mario Pedone will take place on  Wednesday August 27, 2008 from   5:00 - 9:00 pm.  The workshop participant fee will be $60.00 with a $40.00 ticket price for observers. 

This intimate 3 hour Request-Based Workshop is uniquely customized to registrants' requests. When participants register, they will be asked about their desired learning objectives. A list of participant learning objectives will be compiled and forwarded to Mario, who will prepare a special workshop covering the topics that address the learning objectives on the registration list. At the conclusion of the 3-hour workshop, Mario will offer a 1-hour performance of beautiful music featuring his unique style. This promises to be a beautiful evening, offering new musical insights and new friends.

Mario's expertise as a musician and mastery of the accordion will be valuable to anyone studying the accordion. His unique style as a performance artist who aspires only to create and present beautiful music will also be of interest to other musicians who do not play the accordion, but who would like to learn unique insights about the instrument while watching Mario work with accordionists and their unique challenges. Non-accordionist participants will glean insights that will be beneficial when they work with accordionists in ensemble settings.

Mario has recorded more than 800 songs spanning over 60 CDs, all of them his own arrangements, and in his own recording studio. He is also a composer of beautiful music, inspired by his Italian and Venezuelan roots. He produces sheet music of musical arrangements of popular songs, technical studies, and his own compositions. His background includes working with orchestras and ensembles, and he helps musicians record CDs.

The workshop will take place in a private residence in Victoria, BC, Canada and will be followed by a one hour performance. 

For more information, please contact: iqbrite@shaw.ca or phone (250) 721-1101 or visit: http://members.shaw.ca/iqbrite/index.html

In celebration of the one-year anniversary of the release of "A Spy In Tortuga", Jeff Lisenby's jazz accordion CD, Silver Nitrate Music is offering a half price discount on purchases of two or more CDs through Jeff's website! That's $6.49 per CD, folks. And free shipping!

So if you've been wanting a copy for yourself or a jazz-loving friend, this is the time to get it! It's not too early to start thinking about holiday gifts. Click here to purchase now: http://cdbaby.com/cd/lisenbyj
photo of Jeff Lisenby by Dan Brown

If a CD just won't satisfy your need for jazz accordion music, don't worry. You can hear Jeff live across the globe:

• SATURDAY, AUGUST 9TH
  7:00 - 10:00 pm
  TPAC Gala @ Tennessee Performing Arts Center
  With the Jeff Lisenby Quintet, his group of A-list session players
• FRIDAY, AUGUST 15TH
  6:30 - 9:30 pm
  Wild Ginger Restaurant, Franklin TN
  With the Walter Hartman Trio
• SUNDAY, AUGUST 31ST
  6:30 - 9:30 pm
  Wild Ginger Restaurant, Franklin TN
  With the Walter Hartman Trio
• FRIDAY & SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH & 6TH
  Penticton Jazz Festival - Penticton BC, Canada
  With the Jerry Krahn Quartet
• SEPTEMBER, 2008
  Mediterranean Tour - Greece, Turkey, Italy
  Aboard the NCL Jade and Celebrity Summit
• SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, 2008
  6:30-10:30 pm
  kool 103 oldies show
  Jackson Civic Center, Jackson TN
  with Billy Joe Royal, Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods, Roy Head, and
  more
  

For more information, please visit www.jefflisenby.com

 
He even controlled their social lives when not performing in the orchestra. Radioland, a fan magazine, reported that the orchestra had a committee of five girls who settled all 'backstage disputes'. This included dating. The article stated: "Whenever a girl wants to go out, she goes to the committee and says, "I want a date with Mr. So-and-so." They ask her who the man is, what he does, and for references. If he passes muster, she gets her date. But if the committee feels that it would hurt the orchestra for a member to be seen with that man, the engagement doesn't materialize!

One of the features of the Phil Spitalny orchestra was "'Evelyn and her Magic Violin". Phil's radio show was called the "Hour of Charm" and the Mistress of Ceremonies was Arlene Francis. Phil had a decent enough Radio and Dance orchestra when he started, but this "all girl" orchestra never went any place, being billed more of just a novelty of the times. In time, Phil married his 'magic violinist' and retired to Miami Beach where he spent his retirement years as a music critic for a local Miami newspaper. He passed away in 1970.

The University of Miami offers two academic awards in his honor, The Evelyn and Phil Spitalny Music Achievement Award and The Evelyn and Phil Spitalny Scholarship.

Show Cast members included Camille, Kim and Dan and their daughters Camille and Cerissa Christian along with April Christine, Mathew Mattney, Travis Lantz and Sott Sartain.

In the extremely competitive Show Biz environment, the overall costs of production prove prohibitive for most shows to continue on a lengthy engagement. Most of the 136 shows in Branson suffer the same obstacles with even the mid size ones are averaging $500,000 a year in marketing campaigns and hefty ticket company commissions necessary to push and secure ticket sales. This combined with venue rental and staff costs have proven challenging for many shows.

Kim and Dan and their family and fellow cast members realized their dream of producing a full time accordion show by establishing their production in Branson, and now hope to take their show on the road, as well as to venues such as cruise ships and resorts.

Showing their diversity in the entertainment industry, Kim and Dan recently appeared on the popular TV Show 'America's Got Talent', (left) and even though their performance was not appreciated by the panel of judges, their efforts show their continual desire to popularize the accordion in the entertainment industry.

Anyone interested in hosting the popular Music Makes the World Go Round show, should contact Kim and Dan at: kdchristian@adelphia.net