It's Friday night and I'm about to pull my concertina out to play and I was wondering.... what do you love most about music in general, and playing the concertina in particular?

The first part is easy: music has always been a big part of my life; if's always been there. No matter what else is happening in my life, the music is always there to share it.

The second part not so easy; I confess I took up the concertina as a spur of the moment thing, but was hooked immediately. I love the sound, the portability (a big change from something like the harp) and I just love to play, to be lost in the music and the concertina together. Not something easily explained, but I think most of you will know what I mean.

Anyone else care to share?

[Ok, ok, I admit, I just finished watching "Mr Holland's Opus", but hey, that movie does have a point ]

Cheers
Morgana

I just don't know. (I'm not trying to be funny.)

About music...well, I love the flexibility of it...the elusiveness...the way it can swoop and fly and stutter and jump and flow...and when you're "with it" and the people you're playing with are too, there's a directness to it, you aren't thinking or trying, you're doing...and when you hear that it goes straight to your spine and makes all your little hairs stand on end, because it's amazing that mere humans can achieve such a simple, direct, beautiful thing.

About concertina -- I'm just a beginner, but I like two aspects of its personality in particular. First of all, I like a bouncy, rough & tumble, sea-shanty type accompaniment with all sorts of pokes and bursts and skittery jumps and grunts. Secondly, I like a smooth, swelling, simple & elegant singing style with subtle ornamentation and simple lines, sometimes overlapping, sometimes singular, but slippery and smooth throughout.

Music in general -- for me, music is a way to express myself in a more...elusive way than I do with words (I'm a writer). Sometimes I don't *want* to be 100% understood, or even 90% understood, but there are things I want to express all the same. Music is the language I use -- either in choice of what I'm listening to or in playing.

Again, music in general is very much tied in with my spirituality. Among other things, when I'm playing music, that is my meditation -- I am totally in the here and now and nothing else has room to intrude. 'Cause if I start thinking about something other than the tune, I'll screw up!

Concertina -- I grew up around them. I'm developing a new passion for Irish music in addition to my love of English folk. For me, the concertina is 10 times easier than say, the guitar or the pennywhistle (don't ASK how I finally managed to play the lowest D on my Generation D the other night. It's really gross. But it worked). I also love the portability compared to, say, a PA, or even a guitar.

And there's just something about having the music itself between your hands that is very, very appealing.

And here's a *really* strange reason of why the concertina: I like how they smell.

Izzat before or after they've had beer spilled on them?

You want me to describe in words how I feel about music?

.... 'Scuse me, but I'm going to go play a few tunes.

Before. I'm a cider drinker myself, can't STAND beer!

Hi Rhomylly,
Regards to anpother Cider Drinker.
Come to join me in the Basque Country, let``s go tyo a Cider Cellear and let``s make Music.

Music, I jon Jim, let's play.

Life would be poor without Music.

Concertina : The Coincertina makes me meet a lot of crzy people.

Well,. as you say, size, portability, shape, etc. but what makes me love it each day more, is the fact, that I am finding new melodies and tunes in the box.
Incredible how many can find place in such a small bocx.
I go to squeeze. Bye for now !
Joachim

When the world seems a bit miserable.
A little play on my concertina and it`s all a bit brighter.
Al

Music is the "outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace". Or, it's a great way to meet girls. Either way it works well.

Concertina? I started with harmonicas, little 10-hole diatonics, then worked into the deep toned chromatics and was just knocked out by the rich, reedy sound of squeezeboxes in general, and the sweet, singing voice of the concertina in particular.

Hearing Neil Young perform "After the Gold Rush" on a little, wheezy foot pump reed organ finally drove me over the edge, and I went and ordered a 20-b anglo from HMT the next day.

Hi All,

I love music because it moves me and excites me and joins me with other people without having to say a word. My job is talking, nice to interact without words sometimes.

The director's job in my dept. just came open unexpectedly and I decided not to try for it because I want to delve deeper into music. So I guess that means music is very important to me. Or a great excuse not to spend 80 hours at work.

The concertina is soooo much more portable than the hammer dulcimer and dulcimer stand and hammers and tuners and .....

I heard someone play one in concert at a folk festival and had to have one. Who knew that decision would lead to making friends all over the world.

Helen

AND I JUST GOT MY EDGLEY 24 BUTTON CONCERTINA, HEE HEE HEE

That's funny, that's exactly how I got hooked on the hammered dulcimer.

And the didgeridoo.

And the concertina.

And Northumbrian smallpipes.

And Cornish double pipes.

etc.

Having played and drinking cider together with Joachim in the Basque country, I guess I'm one of those crazy people (!?). When Rhomylly joins we could start a Basque squeeze/cider-in .

I suggest that Joachim will then become the president of the BCA: the Basque Concertina Association (or the Basque Cider Association )

Finally a very difficult question for Joachim: were those people already crazy before you met them?? (I partly was.)

Henk

Would that make us "squeezebox inciders"?

Maybe somebody could invent a combination concertina and cider press? Hmm. It would undoubtedly be in "wet" tuning.

Yes Helen...and new Friends over the world.
Alan. Girls ??? You are lucky and probably handsome.
it does not work with in this aspect. Perhaps it would in England !?

Henk : I accept the job. BCA.soubnds good !

Answer to your qustion : Yes I suppose crazy already before playing Concertina and nice persons and helpful too, als before playing the Concertina, but in may iuf not most case, even more once entered into the Concertina World.

Jim : Inciders, yes, the ones not ready to drink cioder here and play the Concertina would be Outciders !

A wet tuned Concertina, which would work at the same time as a cider Press, would be a great way to make our favourite instrumetn widely spread through the Basque Country and some other parts of the world.

Bye, nice, crazy Concertina Plazers and Music Makers in general .and elcome !!
Joachim

Joachim

It worked in Basque country as well. Did'nt we attract some women by playing the concertina on this hill (with a view iver the ocean!) last summer at Zarauz?

I must admit that they were much older than 1000 weeks, but on the other hand we are not so handsome. Anyway the concertina had some effect .

Henk

Yes, Henk, it is true, there came those women.
It must have been you or your Concertina Playimg !!!

After thinking about, I come to the conclusion, there miught be a chance if I practise still more and improve my playing, so I go home and shall train with more motivation than ever before.


..
.

Di you hear this song " Der <Mann am Klavier, den moegen alle Frauen...."
saying the man playing the piano , is to whom all women fall in love.

Do you know any song speaking about the Concertina Player..?

Be carfeul and not play in front of only female audience!!

Joachim

Yes, Joachim! Will this one do? Why My Concertina Sings, which is in the Tune-o-Tron. It is more about after meeting the girl (or boy!) than before, though!
Samantha

Thanks Samantha !

Will try to find it anpother day in the Tune-O-Trone.

But Ireferred m,ore or less to something saying that the Concertina Player is attracting to women as the mentionned Piano Player seems to be.

I remember now another one, I heard song by Harry Bellafonte which says more or less :

Bring down your Concertina and play a wellcome song for me.

Will bring it to Sweden, where I hope to meet you.

Kind regards
Joacjhim

Perhaps we can sing togehter something we may invent for the occasion.

Ah yes, Mark,

And that's also how I got hooked on the hammer dulcimer

And the mountain dulcimer

Penny whistle, a no go, asthma, at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it

And on and on

Helen

Well in the meantime it is Sunday morning. I spent the early morning in an icy cold garden, where I had to pollard some willows at the waterside.
Coming back inside with almost no feeling in my hands I picked up my concertina and you can imagine how my playing was .

Music goes very deep for me. Especially when I play for my own pleasure, it can take me away completely. So after a day's work I have two options to forget about my work:
1. drinking dutch jenever
2. playing concertina
Often I combine 1 and 2 and think that when there was no Dutch jenever, my playing could have been much better. When you reverse this, you can imagine what I could become without a concertina

The first time I saw and heard a concertina was at my first visit to Ireland (1978?) where I attended the "fleadh nua" in Ennis. It is a folk/traditional event that takes several days with a lot of activities: playing in almost all bars in Ennis and even on the streets. One of the central events is a concert in the main oval hall in Ennis (Aos Óg Concert). Sitting rather high I had a nice overview of the oval stage below me. At a given moment the national champion concertina of under 14 years was announced. In the middle of this empty stage a little girl sat down on a chair and placed an instrument on her lap. At the distance were I was, I could hardly see what it was, and then... she started to play.. This tiny box filled the big hall with lovely music. That's when I became fascinated by this instrument.
I still have a tape with a recording of this concert (lucky me!).
BTW: you can listen to the fleadh nua concert of 2002 at http://fleadhnua.ennis.ie/virtual_aosog.htm
The second tune of the first part features nice concertina-playing.
For those who have the opportunity, this years fleadh nua will be at: Ennis County Clare - 24th to 31st May 2004.

Henk

Music moves me. . . body and soul. The concertina just happens to fit with the kind of music that moves me the most.

What I love about the concertina is its portablility. I also play folk harp and it was always a chore traveling with a large instrument in a case. When I travel by plane the concertina fits so well in the overhead bin. It also can handle all of the dance music I love to play as well as slow airs. Other than the whistle, I think the concertina is the most convenient and versatile instrument.

As for many others who've contributed to this topic, music takes me away from everything to be absolutely in the present. There are times when I go along to a trio rehearsal after work and I'm thinking "I'm too tired to do this", but when I get there I forget all that, and leave the rehearsal relaxed and energised. Also it is a great reliever of emotional stress - if I'm miserable all I have to do is play (any tune, it doesn't have to be a sad one) and that gives an outlet which makes me feel better.

As to why the concertina , well, my first instrument is the French Horn, but as I live in a place where we still have the occasional informal ceilidh (musical/entertainment house party, either in a private house or the pub) I began to look for a small, party animal of an instrument with more harmonic possibilities. I first lighted on the piano accordion (40 button bass, rather than one of the monster ones) but we didn't really get on. I read a book called "Last night's fun" (highly recommended) and began to wonder about the concertina, and came across a Scholer-type at a small "antiques" fair. I bought it and the rest. as they say, is history. As a wind player and singer, I find the concept of moving the bellows not in accordance with the phrasing intriguing and love the "intuitive" way you can get harmonies so easily on an anglo.
Samantha

As a Folk Dancer/Vintage Dancer, I wanted something that I could pick up and play a tune on. A Waltz, a Polenase, Polka, Schottish, Fox Trot, Two Step. Whatever I needed. The portability and (supposedly) easy to learn nature of the Concertina appealed to me.

Now that I have it . . .

It's a grinde for me to learn, my fingers seem to go wrong so much. But when it works, and music comes out instead of noise, there's nothing like it.

And yeah, I've found a lot of crazy nice people on this forum, too.

Russell Hedges

For me--It's the body buzz I get from playing tunes with others. there is is nothing more satisfying then when the the music clicks and you're in that groove- Ah!!! it's like you're whole body is dancing as you're playing---Steven :

I won't comment on music; why try to pin down what is ineffable by its nature?

But the concertina, who could have predicted?.... I can't remember even why
I bought one if the first place, pure capriciousness.

I never would have guessed I was getting an instrument (the Anglo, for now) so idiosyncratic. How many players have given it up for that reason; I have no idea. But for those who persist, and have the right mentation, who can resist? The peculiarities and idiosyncracies become part of the allure. The logic of the (various) layouts eventually reveals itself. Each subject to debate, assuredly, but why not? Each player/concertina maker has different ideas and styles and essential notes and hand dimensions, but any player can make it work. Right now, when I get home and survey my group of instruments (some older, so newer), the concertina calls by far the loudest, and I think I've only scratched the surface of its capabilities.

Music is the deepest form of expression for me. My survival requirements: breathe, music, eat, sleep. Probably in that order!

I am a singer, I bang on the guitar, play recorder and some whistle, but never found "my instrument" and figured that singing was mostly it.

I came to the concertina through my partner and soul-mate, Byron Smith. He had been playing for my morris team and recording my chorus concerts for several years, when we realized we were meant for each other. He had played both anglo and English concertina, as well as button accordion (AND guitar, AND bass, AND clarinet...).

We had 22 months together. Byron died of a heart attack in my arms on October 5 of last year.

As I worked through the devastation and grief, I found myself missing the sweet sounds of his concertina playing. One day I found myself at the Button Box playing with the wares, and came home with a rented Stagi anglo. I also borrowed a Mayfair english from a friend. I started learning just before the start of 2004.

It has been my lifeline. I have found "my instrument". I spend most of my time with the anglo, because the English has several wheezy reeds, but I seem to have about equal facility. I hope to settle on one soon, to develop some expertise. But I know I'll drift towards the other someday, since I have use for the smooth legato qualities of the English as well as the snappy energy of the anglo.

I'm waiting to see what will happen to Byron's concertinas. His sons are getting ready to decide soon; I don't think they'll want to keep them. I have my fingers crossed...

I hope I haven't injected too much of a serious or sad note to this interesting discussion. But it is how I came to the instrument.

Allison

Allison,

I am so very sorry for your loss.

I hope the concertinas bring you pleasure, solace, and a lot of fun.

You've found a lot of friends on the forum. Enjoy.

Helen

Thanks, Helen- this seems like a good place to hang out!

Allison

Allison,

thanks for sharing such a personal story...I, too, am sorry for your loss.

And I'm very glad that you have the music to help you.

Rhomylly

I knew Byron, from the Squeeze-In and the Dance Flurry. We got along well. I was sorry to read of his passing (I don't remember where I saw it).

My condolences, indeed.