Squeezebox Circle Vancouver - Gigs, Resources, Links, & Accordion Noir Festival

Accordion Noir Festival

Coming right at you: click here for more information about the upcoming September 2010 incarnation of the Accordion Noir Fest.

The 2009 3-day festival (September 10-12 2009) was a HUGE success. Todd Wong posted photos from the Thursday night Squeezebox Circle event and Friday night at Cafe Montmartre. (Thanks, Todd!) And Alan posted video clips of the Saturday accordion parade down Commercial Drive and of the Squeezebox Circle Accordion Orchestra accompanying Geoff Berner on stage at the Saturday concert. (Thanks, Alan!)

But squeezebox playing happens all year round - After the September festival, keep your eyes peeled for Accordion Noir's ongoing Pleasing Squeezing series of performances - with events posted on squeezeboxcircle.org.

More about the Squeezebox Circle: It's "an informal gathering of accordions and their players from around the Vancouver region. Some play, some watch, some bring snacks. No experience necessary, punk-rockers and polkas welcome.

Set up a lesson, learn a lick, share a song, plan the squeezebox revolution (it is at Spartacus Books after all.)" Check out the link for homework: tunes we played at past sessions or hope to play at upcoming ones.

The circles are hosted by Bruce Triggs and Rowan Lipkovits, co-hosts of Vancouver Coop Radio (CFRO)'s Accordion Noir radio show (every Wednesday, 10 - 11 pm on CFRO 102.7 FM or anytime online at http://accordionnoir.org).

Get on the Squeezebox Circle email list by contacting Rowan.

	Resources: Where (and how) to buy an accordion (in and around Vancouver) Accordions for sale on Vancouver Craigslist (note - many people misspell 'accordion' in these ads - also check Accordian and Accordeon or even Acordian or Acordion - sigh!) List of accordion manufacturers and brand names Highlife World Music on Commercial Drive always has a couple of accordions in the window How much is this accordion worth (and why that's a hard question to answer!) Rickey Mann- Accordion (and piano) repairs and sales: 604.270.2708 Petosa Accordions- in nearby Seattle, WA. Pretty Complete Guide to Squeezeboxes: online book with chapters on 'Choosing an accordion', 'About Buying Old Accordions' and more Franco Rizzo, the Sultan of Squeeze: accordion cleaning and minor repairs, buy/sell accordions: 604-951-9562
	Info about playing and maintaining accordions Accordion Basics - a series of YouTube clips Free online accordion lessons Accordion Playing for Beginners - 6 part video lesson series, including how to read accordion sheet music Accordion Radio - UK online radio station: accordion music 24 hours a day Accordion Repairs Made Easy - 80 page printed guide published in 1956, $24.95 Print your own Accordion Revolution stickers onto label paper! Accordeon accordion simulator with versions for iPhone, Ipad, or iPod Touch - search iTunes App Store for other accordion-learning apps for piano accordion, chromatic button accordion, and button box - such as the Piano Accordio Pro for iPad - watch this YouTube clip to see it in action! Accordion Trainer: learn the left-hand buttons with this (Windows-only) computer game Bass range chart: see the bass buttons for standard (Stradella system) accordions - 12, 24, 32, 48, 60, 72, 96, and 120 bass accordions. Here's the equivalent chart for the treble keyboard side and one to decipher the symbols on the treble registers Big Nick's Cajun Button Box lessons Alan's article: Working with jazz charts on the accordion. For more sophisticated options, see: Hans Palm's Chord Combining article and the Stradella Bass Combining chart (how to combine buttons to get fancy chords). Debra Peters (formerly from here, now in Austin) offers 3 volumes of DVD lessons: The ABCs of Piano Accordion Basics Dave Evans teaches how to do the bellows shake How it's made - Science Channel video clip (5 minutes) How To Play Accordion.net - tips from Enzo Giribaldi How to be an accordion player by Geoff Berner: Introduction online How to Maximize the Life of Your Accordion: Accordion Apocalypse Inside an accordion Let's Polka blog about new accordion-learning books: http://www.letspolka.com/2009/07/learning-to-play-accordion/ Pretty Complete Guide to Squeezeboxes: online book, with chapters including 'Repairs & Maintenance', 'Care and Feeding Your Squeezebox', and more Links- Vancouver and area: Accordion Noir radio show - donate to CFRO (put 'for Accordion Noir' in the comments) Accordion Noir Festival - annual best of accordion in Vancouver Accordions for sale on Vancouver Craigslist Accordion players wanted or Accordionists seeking other musicians on Vancouver Craigslist Accordion Street Parade video from the 2009 Accordion Noir Festival Geoff Berner & the Squeezebox Circle Accordion Orchestra live at the 2009 Accordion Noir Festival Camosun College (Victoria) will be offering two-year jazz and classical accordion diploma programs, starting September 2010. Deadline for applications - May 31 Accordion repairs: Rickey Mann- 604.270.2708 The Quintessential Jack Velker: article remembering this Vancouver keyboard and accordion player Franco Rizzo, the Sultan of Squeeze: accordion cleaning and minor repairs, buy/sell accordions: 604-951-9562 Squeezebox Circle Facebook Group Tempo Trend Accordions (Victoria) Repairs, etc: Vahnik Musical Instrument Repair - North Van, by appointment: 604-980-6960 Vancouver Coop Radio (CFRO) - donate to CFRO (put 'for Accordion Noir' in the comments) Victoria (BC) Accordion Club - club meets on the first Sunday of every month at 2 pm at the Victoria Edelweiss Club (108 Niagara Street) Western Swing Music Society Links- everywhere else: Accordion Apocalypse Online Store - plus a nice article about them and an August 2010 (front page!) piece from the San Francisco Chronicle Accordion Apocalypse circle (San Francisco) mini-documentary featuring Skylar Fell and Duckmandu Accordion Association of Calgary Accordions Canada - Toronto store since 1960 AccordionLinks.com Accordion Museum at Alex & Bell Accordions, New York City Accordions Worldwide: Weekly accordion news from around the world about accordions and other related bellows driven instruments. Accordionist.org: The Online Accordionist Community is a great place to meet other accordionists, accordion teachers, and repairers. Share practice techniques and repair tips; news of concerts, recordings and competitions; music files and sheet music for accordion. Borsini Accordions - Factory Direct Sales, Service, & Tuning The Button Box- Massachusetts accordion and concertina store Bay-area accordionist Henri Ducharme offers accordion sheet music arrangements of punk classics and more Gabbanelli Accordions - premium handmade accordions, made in family-run shop in Houston, Texas, and shipped world-wide Infinite Accordion - multi-genre Internet radio station playing non-stop accordion music John's Accordion Service - Windsor, Ontario K&K Accordion miking system- order it locally from Bone Rattle Music on Commercial Drive KRVS- Louisiana Cajun public radio Let's Polka- accordion directory website; events, listings, and more Liberty Bellows in Philadelphia has video demos of a variety of accordions for sale - see and hear different types of accordions played Main Squeeze shop in New York City. Music Prevents Delinquency - you better believe it! From a 1959 book of accordion lessons for beginners. Petosa Accordions- in nearby Seattle, WA. Read this newspaper article about their history. Quebec Accordion Museum & Carrefour Mondial de l'Accordeon Savoy Music Center - for Louisiana cajun accordions Smythe's Accordion Center - Oakland California Virtual Accordion Museum - images and info on many models (mostly Hohners), often with sound samples WWOZ- New Orleans Jazz & Heritage community radio Contact: To add your event, band, or other resource to this website - or for more information, email Alan

Vancouver Squeezebox Circle