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| National
Accordion Association Richardson, (Dallas area), Texas It's Party Time - Bring Your Accordion! - March 2008 photos courtesy of Bruce Lawrie, NAA Member |
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| The
21st annual National
Accordion Convention "Let's Have a Party" was definitely that!
With the resurgence of accordion popularity in the United States, a national
committee was formed to develop a convention that addressed those needs.
The general format was announced, and a "call for presenters"
was sent to accordionists on the national e-mail list (over 2000 addresses).
A large number of accordionists responded and forwarded proposals to the
committee. After a lengthy selection process, a comprehensive convention
program was developed. While this procedure is time consuming, the resulting
convention was very successful and a lot of fun. Never a Dull Moment! For the first time in our history, the three different days had three different emphases. Thursday focused on training accordionists to perform folk music and to perform for folk dances. Friday concentrated more on band performers, and Saturday was more of a traditional accordion convention. Special guest to the dance programs included the 2007 Texas Wurstfest dance contest winners and members of the Multi-Ethnic Cultural Arts Association (MECAtx.org). All these winners were dressed in beautiful costumes. |
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Some
of the enthusiastic attendees at the National Accordion Association Event
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Comfort Zones - Gone-gone! For 2008, the NAA President (Norman Seaton) requested that all presenters "step out of their comfort zone and do something different." As a result, many new presenters made their way to the front of the show this year. New names that came to the forefront include Shelia Lee (Galveston, Texas), Catie Offerman and Terry Cavanagh (Central Texas), Vivant! (Kansas City area), Danny Jerabek (Wisconsin), Sylvia Marie (California), Carol Widder (Arkansas), Wesley Kucera (Texas), Albreski's Youth Program, Accordion All-Stars, and Brave Combo (Texas). We must never forget those who traditionally lead convention activities and worked again this year to assure that the convention had a well-balanced program. Yes, the traditional presenters also "stepped out of their comfort zones." Again, the 2008 convention was all about teamwork, the wave of the future! 2008 "Way-out" Events! While several of these individuals and groups are new to the NAA, they are well known in their respective areas. Newsworthy new events included Debra Peters' folk music accordion band, Dee Langley's rock 'n roll accordion orchestra, and the Accordion All Stars. NAA charter member Carl Finch (Brave Combo) assembled a combo of younger accordion players and performed during the Friday night event. Their performance included music never heard before on accordions. Approximately 100 people stood in front of the stage for nearly an hour watching Carl Finch, Terry Cavanagh, Ginny Mac, Patrick Harison, Wes Kucera, and Danny Jerabek perform. During the same evening, Fourth Generation Band performed. The name Fourth Generation was selected because most of the musicians are 4th general players in family bands. Yes, Wesley's daughter was involved in the band, so the tradition is headed toward the 5th generation! Vivant! The Saturday evening concert ended with the amazing musical production of Vivant! Both newcomers and veteran conventioneers simply could not comprehend the high-level musicianship and caliber of this fantastic musical group. Talk about a "wow" factor, Vivant! has it. |
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MECA
Stars and Stripes Band from Killeen, Texas
Jairo Baquero (accordion) from Okalahoma City was recruited on site to play for the opening ceremony with this band. A fine young musician, Jairo did a superb job! |
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Vivant!
from Kansas City
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NAA
President Norman Seaton with wife Sharon
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Tony
Lovello in Concert
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