just got in from playing a show..first one we’ve played in a while. it was a lot of fun! made a little cash, got a boatload of free drinks, a plate of fish-and-chips.. and the accordion was a huge hit! hee hee, i must confess.. i really have found my instrument. i don’t think i could go back to the fiddle now.
‘sides, the ladies love the squeezebox. this becomes more clear every time i play ;)
anyways, we’re playing at the moon and sixpence on 42nd, a block north of sandy, every sunday from 8 till whenever o’clock for the next three weeks. all are invited to come and check it out!
unless i get kicked out of the band first, haha.. more to follow.
well, in the interest of not needlessly speaking ill of people, personality conflicts may be driving me from both of my existing musical endeavors….which i’m actually fine with. i can only view this as a new opportunity to stretch out in interesting new ways..enter into some parts of the music world i haven’t had as much exposure to.
there’s too much exciting stuff out there to be sad about saying (a temporary) goodbye to classical violin and romanian folk music. the balkans have already welcomed me with open arms. my completely awesome accordion teacher, earle, would be happy to join me in polkas (he’s started building my repertoire) and is even showing me the ropes of the greatest sound in the world, blues accordion..
so..who knows what the future will hold. it will be interesting, at the very least.
the Perfect Instrument
I was searching for the right musical thingy for me for a while. I knew I wanted something with strings, but not six strings: too much for me to handle. I knew it had to be bigger than a mandolin, but smaller than a regular guitar. And it needed a specific sound.
One day one of my friends (who played mandolin and tenor guitar) told me about his guitar teacher’s baritone ukelele, which was up for sale.
We set up a meeting and the second I laid eyes on it, I knew I had to have it. The second I strummed the strings for the first time, I knew it was my instrument.
. . . of course, I left in Portland when I moved here, and it’s still somewhere in my old room, and needs new tuning forks. But it’s mine.
i played one of those yesterday. cute instrument. i’ll never be able to play a uke again without thinking of iz.
next on my list of stringed instruments is the balalaika..though the gadulka has a real appeal to me, too.
oh, but you know the accordion has stolen my heart. nothing will ever replace it, only supplant it.
Definitely take up the balalaika! There’s nothing like it in the world.