Categories
Accordion, Instrument of the Gods

Happy World Accordion Day!

It’s World Accordion Day today! It’s a relatively new celebration, with the first World Accordion Day having taken place on May 6, 2009.

May 6th celebrates that day in 1829, when a piano and organ maker named Cyrill Demian, along with his sons Karl and Guido, filed the patent for the accordion at the patent office in Vienna.

The first accordion didn’t look that much like today’s accordions, with a small set of keys for the left-hand side, while the right hand’s job was to move the bellows. These, it’s the left hand that does the bellows work.

Demian started production of his accordions soon afterward, and other instrument makers started producing their own, starting in eastern Europe with accordions being made in France, Germany, and Italy shortly after that.

Within a decade, accordions were being produced in tens of thousands, but unlike other instruments, they were considered “low” and were sold mostly to amateur musicians. They were easy to learn and appealed to the sort of musician who played by ear rather than the type who would sight-read music notation.

If you’ve met me, you know that the accordion has the advantage of being loud and producing different tones with the click of a reed switch. It also frees the player to sing along.

The piano accordion — the kind I play — wouldn’t make its appearance until the end of the 1800s. Compared to its predecessors, it’s a beast, with the right hand playing the melody part on a piano keyboard and the left hand squeezing the bellows and playing the bass and chord buttons. As I like to say, “If you can play keyboards, you’re two-thirds of the way to playing the accordion.”

It was on a sunny day in May of 1999 when I first took up the accordion, and since then, it’s paid off ridiculously well. I’ve met a lot of people, gone off on adventures, and even landed a job or two thanks to the accordion. And of course, it’s a machine that turns music into free beer.

I plan to continue bringing it with me wherever I go. Happy World Accordion Day!

The patent

The original accordion patent is a five-page document, which I’ve posted below, along with translations:

Page 1

Here’s the translation of page 1:

Prot: No. 111de 1838.
Priv: Reg: No. 1757.
of 23, May 1829.
|:1 Description, 1 Illustration and 1 Cover 😐

Page 2

Here’s the translation of page 2:

To the highly commendable imperial royal general court chamber
Sent on May 15, 1829. 3 o’clock p.m.
Joseph Rosenfeld
Reggs Präs. Registrant
ad 20023. 1829.
120.
ad 26391
Consig: No. 1433.
Description and Illustration
Demian Cyrill, together with both of his sons Karl and Guido, organ and piano makers, residing at Mariahilferstrasse No. 43 in Vienna, present a new instrument — Accordion — to the authorities. Its appearance essentially consists of a little box with feathers of metal plates and bellows fixed to it, in such a way that it can easily be carried, and therefore traveling visitors to the country will appreciate the instrument.It is possible to perform marches, arias, melodies, even by an amateur of music with little practice, and to play the loveliest and most pleasant chords of 3, 4, 5 etc. voices after instruction.

 

Demian with both of his sons Karl and Guido
Received on May 11, 1829 at 5:30 p.m.
S. 26 / 2. M. Ritter v. . . .[Illegible Manuscript] . . . Director of protocol

Page 3

Here’s the translation of page 3:

Demian Cyrill and both of his sons, Karl and Guido, organ and piano makers, residing at Mariahilferstrasse No. 43 in Vienna, describe the characteristics of their newly invented instrument — called Accordion — this way.
1st In a box 7 to 9 inches long, 3 1/2 inches wide and 2 inches high, feathers of metal plates are fixed, which were known for more than 200 years as Regale, Zungen, Schnarrwerk, in organs.
2nd With bellows fixed to the above box and its 5 claves fixed below, even an amateur of music can play the loveliest and most moving chords of 3, 4 and 5 voices with very little practice.
3rd Each claves or key of this instrument allows two different chords to be heard, as many keys are fixed to it, double as many chords can be heard, pulling the bellows a key gives one chord, while pushing the bellows gives the same key a second chord.
4th As this instrument can be made with 4, 5 and 6 or even more claves, with chords arranged in alphabetical order, many well known arias, melodies and marches, etc. may be performed similar to the harmony of 3, 4 and 5 voices, with satisfaction of all anticipations of delicacy and vastly amazing comfort in increasing and decreasing sound volume.
5th The instrument is of the same size as the attached illustration, with 5 claves and 10 chords, not heavier than 32 to 36 Loth [1 Loth = approx. 16 g, MW], only if there are more chords will it become longer and some Loths heavier, so it is easy and comfortable to carry and should be a welcome invention for travelers, country and parties visiting individuals of both sexes, especially as it can be played without the help of anybody.
Vienna, the 6th of May, 1829 Cyrill Demian
Carl Demian
Guido Demian

Page 4

Here’s the translation of page 4:

With the cover of the bellows, the entire instrument may be doubled, in order to play more chords or more single tones, in this case, keyboard, the bellows remain in the middle, while each hand controls in turn, either the claves or the bellows.The above mentioned duplication of the instrument or adding more chords, would not make anything better to anybody, or give something new, as only the parts would increase, and the instrument more expensive and heavier.

After the present illustration, the instrument costs 12 to 16/M M, the difference in price results in a more elegant or worse-looking appearance.

We think that it is the most excellent innovation, that with one claves, a complete chord can be played.

Pushed Bellows
[image]Outline and inside view of the Accordion

[image]

The present illustration is actual size, in which the instrument weighs little, not more than a pound, — but if it needs to have some more chords it will always be around 3/4 inches with 2 chords . . . [Illegible Manuscript]g h d f# c# are metal plates with feathers fixed below, respond to pulling the bellows; a c e g d plates with feathers fixed above, respond to pushing the bellows, so if a claves is pressed one chord responds to pulling, another chord to pushing, the bellows. The instrument is held with the left hand in such a way that the claves are below, and the 4 fingers can play on the claves as they wish. The right hand moves the bellows, not upwards, but sideways, and moving the bellows faster or softer result in the expression of piano through crescendo to forte.
Cyrill, Carl und Guido Demian

Page 5

Here’s the translation of page 5:

[Illegible Manuscript] . . . view of claves and valves, on the bottom which can be pushed exactly over the leathered strips a b c d e f, closing the inside wind chamber, so the expansion and penetration of the wind can only happen through the opened valves.

 

Categories
Accordion, Instrument of the Gods Florida It Happened to Me Music

Last Sunday’s accordion gig in Bonita Springs

It’s been over a year since I’ve played with Tom Hood’s band, the Tropical Sons. 2024 was an unusually busy year for me, with a month-long trip to Asia, then getting laid off and having to kick my side hustle consultancy into my main gig (which is still ongoing), followed by other things ranging from my mom’s 80th birthday to hurricanes.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a text from Tom, asking how I was, and if I’d like to make the drive down to Bonita Springs to play a gig as part of their first annual World Ukulele Day. I’m not a uke player, but Tom is, and as the bandleader and President of the Tampa Bay Ukulele Society, he’s “ukulele” enough for the rest of the band to count.

Since neither Anitra nor I had been to Bonita Springs before, and my cut of the gig money would easily cover gas and a nice dinner, she joined me last Sunday for the two-and-a-half hour drive to the Shangri-La Springs hotel, where the gig was to take place.

Following the Code of the Good Bandmate, I arrived an hour ahead of the gig with my gear — accordions, microphone, mic stand, amplifier, assorted audio and power cords — at the ready. I got set up quickly, and there was plenty of time to get a nice brunch at their restaurant, Harvest & Wisdom, before the gig…

…but alas, a mix-up in the kitchen left us waiting for breakfast for 45 minutes. By the time they got things straightened out, it was time for me to hit the stage. I quickly had a little bit of my food before our first number.

Anitra explained what happened to the staff at the restaurant, and to their credit, they “comped” us as an apology for making us wait unreasonably long and causing me to miss out before the performance. They put my breakfast in a take-out box (see the pic above), and I managed to tuck into it during the break after our first set.

Delay aside, it was really good. I had the key lime pancakes with a side of sausage patties (see above), and they were buttery with a cake-y texture and downright delicious.

Anitra had a macadamia/coconut waffle (see above) that was also tasty. Both were keto-friendly and gluten-free, which was great, since we like to share food, and one of us has a wheat allergy.

Mild annoyance of our delayed breakfast aside, I’d gladly eat at Harvest & Wisdom again — their menu is interesting, and their food is really good!

As for the gig, it went well. Despite not having played with the band — Tom Hood on vocals, ukulele, and harmonica, Dave Helm on bass and vocals — we easily meshed together, sounded good, and had a lot of fun.

I’ve already been invited to join the Tropical Sons for Tampa Bay Ukulele Days 2025, which happens on the weekend of March 21 – 23.

Here are some photos and video from the gig:

My thanks to Anitra for taking the photos and video!

Categories
Accordion, Instrument of the Gods It Happened to Me

Feel free to interpret this photo

Tap to view at full size.

I was helping out at the “Speed Networking Lounge” at the Synapse Summit conference earlier today, where they divided the room into areas where people could go to discuss different topics, which were marked by balloons. I was in the “Artificial Intelligence” area, and after the speed networking session ended, they let me take the balloon, which I tied to my accordion.

The balloon’s been attached to the accordion all day, and the accordion’s been with me wherever I’ve gone all day, including the Rollin’ Mullet pub in my neighborhood. That’s when I noticed I had an opportunity to take an “art” photo — hence the image above.

Feel free to assign whatever meaning or symbolism works for you to the photo.

Categories
Accordion, Instrument of the Gods

My proposal for the next “superb owl”

I’ll call the event by its real name, but the NFL sues bloggers who use it. But wouldn’t it be a great halftime show?

Categories
Accordion, Instrument of the Gods It Happened to Me

Photos from 2023 #1: Tell your kids this was Daft Punk

Here’s a photo from the Auth0 by Okta company offsite in Cancun back in March.

I need to break out the electroluminescent wire glasses more often.

Categories
Accordion, Instrument of the Gods It Happened to Me Music Tampa Bay

[Update] Tonight’s gig at JolliMons Island is canceled

It would’ve been the band’s last official gig of 2023 for Tom Hood and the Tropical Sons — which includes yours truly on accordion and keyboards — but the venue, Jollimon’s Island, while covered with a roof, is pretty much an outdoor one, and it’s just going to be too cold tonight.

Under warmer circumstances, we’re the house band at JolliMon’s Tuesday “Raw Talent Nights,” where the stage is open to musicians who want to join in on the open mic fun. If you’re in the Clearwater area, come on down (temperature permitting) and enjoy some great live music!

Categories
Accordion, Instrument of the Gods It Happened to Me Music Tampa Bay

Join me, Tom Hood and the Tropical Sons at JolliMons Island this Tuesday!

Tap to view at full size.

After a summer hiatus, Tom Hood and the Tropical Sons (of which I am a member) are playing gigs again — this time on the third Tuesday of the month at Jollimons Island in Clearwater from 6 to 9 p.m.

We’re part of their Tuesday “Raw Talent Nights,” where the stage is open to musicians who want to join in on the open mic fun.

If you’re down Clearwater way, join us, whether you want to hop onstage and play, or sit back and enjoy the music!