Accordions are making a comeback; Accordion players, teachers and retailers of-course are happy with the development. Once considered cool, the accordion had faded into oblivion, but is surely making a strong comeback.
Why Many Feel the Accordion is Making a Comeback
Here are some of the recent incidents that will verify these claims.
- Recently, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame feted Krist Novoselic, but guess what, it was not for his band Nirvana (its already a popular name) but for the instrument he plays, the accordion.
- Accordion-centric acts like Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire, and The Lumineers win Grammies and top chart spots. Older ones, like Flogging Molly, They Might Be Giants, and Neutral Milk Hotel, now enjoy cherished-cult-icon status.
- In 2009, Carnegie Hall hosted its first solo accordion performance after a gap of…guess how long? After 30 long years.
- In 2011, legendary Danish accordionist Bjarke Mogensen performed at Carnegie Hall.
With experienced accordionists in demand for stage shows and for recording work, retailers selling more accordions, it definitely suggests that the classic accordion is making a strong resurgence in popularity.
Going Back in Time
European immigrants had introduced the instrument (colloquially known as squeezebox) to Americans in the 1800s, but its popularity started to take off shortly before World War I. The accordion was considered very cool at that time.
- Italian immigrant Carlo Petosa founded the Petosa Accordion Company (in 1922) in the basement of his home (the company exists even today).
- By the 1950s, the accordion was likely one of the most studied instruments in the US.
- By 1938, the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA) was founded in New York, and its first president, Pietro Deiro, became fondly known as the “daddy of the accordion”.
- In 1939, the AAA facilitated the first-ever accordion performance at Carnegie Hall (Charles Magnante premiered work at Carnegie on April 18, 1939).
- Then came the downfall…With ‘The Beatles’, the guitar-drums-vocals setup started becoming more popular and remained the pop-culture standard for several decades to come
- Ironically, both Elvis Presley and John Lennon played the accordion, before moving on to the guitar.
- After being popular for several decades, the accordion’s heyday ended in the ‘1960s.
Why is the Accordion Becoming Popular Again
- The good thing about today’s music is that anything goes as long as it sounds good (and at times different). And that has probably brought back the accordion in the limelight. Besides, the waning of major labels’ influence and the availability of music on the Internet has also helped.
- With audiences willing to listen to various kinds of tones/music, musicians have also become braver and have started experimenting, with many willing to step outside of the realm of what pop or rock music is supposed to sound like.
- With the influence of retro increasing in many areas of culture, from fashion to cinema to television, music can’t be far behind and the accordion fits in nicely there.
- Accordion is also perhaps the only instruments that’s basically used in almost every style of music around the world. It has been used a lot in European and American folk music (and heard in acts like Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters and Men).
Buyers of the Accordion are Younger
Petosa, one of the largest retailers of accordions, revealed that even its clientele have shown a wide transformation. At one time, their clients used to be early-century players trained in classical accordion from a young age. Then they started seeing mor of solo accordionists pursuing the classic instrument as a hobby. And now, they see several young players affiliated with musical groups (60 percent of accordion buyers are now under the age of 30, whereas 10 years ago it was only 10 percent.) With increasing demand for accordions, Petosa recently introducing a second, inexpensive line of accordion instruments.
Great for Experienced Accordion Players
Experienced accordionists are more than happy with this new development as they’re becoming increasingly valuable. Besides playing at music festival, they are also being approached for studio work and even to play with a band (besides music lessons of course). And as of now, there are not enough young accordionists who can do these things.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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