tomlaw90

It's the only instrument I've ever found that instead of having to force myself to practice, I have to force myself to stop practicing.

A couple of years ago I was going through an active "searching for the right instrument" phase. I tried a lot of things, but none of them were right. I was in the habit of visiting all the music stores regularly to play with the "toys". One time I went in to a place that had some cheap concertina accordions and concertinas. One which I really liked was a Stagi mini-18 button English. I'd never considered playing a squeezebox, never really even held one. This had something I really liked though. It was the simple, plaintive voice, the way it could be modulated, the orientation towards single melody, but chords could be done when needed. I didn't get it that day, but it gnawed at me all week and the next Saturday I was down there the minute they opened, buying it. I knew it was the right thing when I played it all the rest of the day until darkness. Now that Stagi was a piece of crap (literally, sticky buttons, out of tune, didn't last very long) but it was my first one and I sure had a lot of fun playing it. A few months later I got a Morse Albion. I loved to make up little ditties on it, and some friends accused me of channelling dead Irish sailors or something like that (though really I think I was making more Scottish-ish noises). Anyhow I decided if they thought I was sounding Irish I might just learn the real thing, so that's how I got into Irish music. One more important piece of the story. I picked up a humble Lachenal mahogeny Anglo a couple months after that to "play with" because I felt some kind of duty to understand both sides of the tape. But it was at the NE Squeeze-In last year where I watched and listened a bunch to Frank Edgley that got me really inspired. The very next week I pretty much switched all my energy to the Anglo and haven't really touched the English's since. Now, those were my first concertinas. No doubt there are more in my future (like maybe a nice big fat Dipper in my dreams ) but those are how I started. Tom Lawrence

Someone once told me that turmeric (common Indian spice) has anti-inflamatory properties. I have no idea if this is actually true, though. -Tom Lawrence

Anyone have one of these? My used one didn't have a book :-( http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=4201336767 -Tom Lawrence

For me it's somewhat the reverse. In between playing I squeeze in bits of work, cooking, sleep, etc.

I just got back from Friday Harbor Irish Camp, a 5-day Irish music intensive in the Pacific Northwest. John Williams was in for the Concertina and Accordian classes, and man can he play! He was also showing off his new Dipper Ab/Eb which sounded just lovely. We had about 6 or 7 concertina students of various levels (most camp attendees are fiddlers), and he managed to cater to all levels. I think even the most advanced student had a lot of things to work on leaving the camp. Also, Michaela Cunningham, a hot up-and-coming concertina player from B.C. in the Micheal O'Raighallaigh style put in a cameo. Tom Lawrence

To heap one more bit of advice on the pile If you want to play for dancers, be sure to learn a bit of the dancing yourself. It really helps answer questions like "why do they always want it that way?"

An old concertina handbook I have from about 25 years ago actually recommended sanding down the piece until it was flat again. Not an operation I would be inclined to try myself.

That must make me one of the late teenage boys up the street constantly leaving big black skid marks going up the road.

My mahogeny-ended Lachenal has similar damage. I suspect it is from fingernail impact, but wouldn't be able to prove it. But anyway, its a data point regarding wooden ends. Tom Lawrence

Be aware that EBay's official policy is that any and all transactions completed or merely even offered outside of the EBay system are violations of the terms of use and very likely to be fraudulent. Never accept such an offer.

In my opinion, the right time to buy is any time you 1) find an instrument you really like, and 2) have the money. Half joking, but half serious, too. Tom

While I was practicing last night on my cheap, venerable Lachenal Anglo, something bad happened. My high C# started sounding all the time. The button was getting stuck down and wouldn't come up. So I took off the top expecting to find I had broken a pad or something, but it turns out the spring was broken instead. Metal fatigue, the top part snapped right off. Horrified at the thought of not being able to play for even a Single Minute more, for however long it would take to get a proper repair, I decided to do something quick myself. I noticed that the other springs looked suspiciously like the non-business-end of a safety pin (all hail that miraculous invention 2nd only to duct tape!). So I got myself a safety pin, cut off the business ends, and bent it to look like the other springs, with the latchy bend on top and the one on the bottom to go into the hole on the action board. Much to my surprise it actually worked. The tension on the button is much like the others. Perhaps a little softer, but not as much to be a problem. So my questions are: 1. How long do you think this make-shift repair is going to hold for? 2. Where would I obtain some proper replacement springs (looks like some other ones are also achin' to go to spring-heaven). Thanks, Tom Lawrence

This topic brings to mind Jackie Daly's "Music from Sliabh Luachra", where his foot tapping is clearly audible. And a good thing too... I started to learn Biddy Martin's reel off that, and realized at some point that what I thought were lead-in notes where actually on the first beat. I had the whole tune shifted by a quarter note. Good thing the foot tapping was there to show where things really lined up.

Just becareful not to do too much ulnar deviation, or you'll end up with tendon troubles in the wrist over time (I speak from experience on this one as one who works on computers all day).

There have been attempts -- I remember someone trying to do one in Wash. state that was cancelled. I would love to do one for the Great Lakes region. But it is clear (Rich can correct me if necessary) that lot of logistical work, the right location (quiet, with a range of accomodation from cheap to fancy, and a bar), and a sponsoring business are really needed. So far this combination has not come up elsewhere in the U.S. Ken For anyone who would like to create an event like this, I think you also have to take a lesson from the slow evolution that created the Squeeze-In. It started as an informal music party and grew from there slowly over many years. I don't think you can just create an event. (Or you can, but it is highly likely to fail.) You can start small, and over time, if it "takes" it will grow.

It was my first squeeze-in and I had a total blast! I'll be writing more later, when I'm not at work. I would definitely love a squeeze-in that started Thursday evening, to give 2 full days, especially since I come from the other side of the continent.

Wow, I thought I had a lot with 3: A Morse Albion (#140) A late Wheatstone E1 Standard English (#35507) An anonymous Lachenal Anglo (i.e. no serial number on it) I'll bring the 1st and 3rd to the Squeeze-In... Tom Lawrence

One day a friend was visiting from out of town and I demonstrated to him that the concertina is a very versatile instrument. So here's a picture of me making some concertina-techno (yes, that's a drum machine I'm twiddling).