Accordionists Attempt Comeback In Cocoa
By Space Coast Daily // April 23, 2012
Musical revival
BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – Somewhere Judy Tenuta and “Weird Al” Yankovick are smiling.
The two comedic entertainers believe that the accordion still has relevance in popular music, although many today have never seen an accordion up close, let alone heard its rich, melodic and organ-like tones.
But a free concert featuring accordion music this weekend in Cocoa will change all that for anyone who attends.
Once popular throughout America, accordions have faded somewhat from the musical scene as the use of electric guitars and electronic music gained a following in the 1960s.
Box-Shaped
For those who don’t know, the accordion is a box-shaped instrument similar to a bellows.
It does not have a reed and is played by compressing or expanding the bellows while pressing keys, causing air to flow across strips of brass or steel that vibrate to produce sounds.
Accordionists seldom need other musicians to accompany them and the tone and quality of the instrument is robust and clear.
The first accordion is thought to have created in Germany in the early 1800s, although some earlier versions have been found.
Brevard Chapter of the Central Florida Accordion Club
Both Tenuta and Yankovick play the accordion as part of their comedic routines, but the instrument is enjoying as mini-revival of sorts as bands and artists such as Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band, Bruce Hornsby and John Mellencamp have incorporated the accordion into their music.
Other musical genres such as Tejano and polka use the accordion extensively.
Here in Brevard County, a number of people who play the accordion have formed the Brevard Chapter of the Central Florida Accordion Club and the group presents an accordion social program on the last Sunday of every month.
At 1:30 p.m. this Sunday, the chapter will offer a program of accordion music to the public at then Cocoa Elks Lodge #1532 at 315 Florida Avenue in Cocoa.
Music fans will be able to listen to a concert of all skill levels of the accordion, from beginner to expert, in various music styles.
The Central Florida Accordion Club is dedicated to promoting the visibility and value of the accordion as a multi-cultural musical instrument in Central Florida.
For information call 321-799-2267.
