Ken_Coles

What you do is write to Ken off bbs and ask him to reset your password. Wait until he gets back from his business trip late Sunday night so he can do it. He will write you to let you know he did it. Ken (currently in Tucson, Arizona)

Well, I'm three hours away from you but I get as far as Pittsburgh at least once a week (Richard Ashkettle is there also, but we have never actually met face-to-face!). I may not be any farther along than you, but interaction helps everyone involved learn. Drop me a line off bbs. Ken Coles

Definitely the concertina, Helen! Ken

I will miss this year, as I will be in Tucson at a meeting. As a consolation I get to visit Kitt Peak as well as the mirror-making facility there (that's telescope mirrors). Play a tune for me and see you next year! Ken Coles

Thank you for this news. As a relative newcomer (about 10 years) to the free reed scene, I have often wondered about the author of those interesting columns in concertina and squeezebox. Perhaps others here have memories they can add.

I have a baritone anglo model with accordion reeds. It certainly is a fine instrument, as high-quality as any in the accordion-reeded group. Each of these makes (Norman, Geuns, Morse etc.) have variations in tone and set up that are very much a matter of personal taste. If at all possible I would try one (or all of them) when deciding. If you tell us where you are someone may step forward to let you try theirs.

I am terrribly sorry to hear that. Jim was a great organizer, having had many players (all but a few of them beginners the time I attended) at his home for concertina get-togethers. I hope some of the folks in southern California can keep that fire burning. I will remember Jim as a good person as well as a good player of the concertina. Ken Coles

I have just spent a considerable amount of time editing this thread, because there was no other choice besides deleting it, and it does contain information I would like to see on Concertina.net. This is very slow, and I have better things to do. Anyone posting further comments on this thread needs to stick to the topic, and not to characterizations of other persons OR their arguments OR how they state their arguments. Any of those things should be discussed off Concertina.net, using some forum or means of communication of your own, and not this one that Paul and I have maintained with our effort and paid for with funds that Paul provided or collected. I work as a scientist. We have many disagreements, some more vehement than this one, if you can imagine that. Yet we keep it civil and agree when more evidence is needed, or we agree to leave off the topic completely until another time. If you are a part of Concertina.net those are the choices open to you. Ken Coles

Given that probably half the members of concertina.net are secretly hoping to make a great find or a great killing on an overlooked box some day (and sure, I'm one of them!), there are tons of "spotter's guides." And they are inside the heads of those people. If someone cares to assemble one in a form we can all look at, we of course would be happy to post it.

Because, like Mr. Timson, I can rarely resist the temptation to point out something available on a site I help maintain, he can also see (admittedly fewer) photos of HMI here at Ken's HMI visit. A fine enterprise, however you see it.

Steve, Jim Swope in Long Beach might know the players in So. Calif. (he used to, but I've been out of touch with him, formerly he was at jamesrswope AT aol.com). Are you sure you're not thinking of a musette accordion? I associate those more with French music (i.e. 1920s-30s) that our little hexagonal beast. Ken Coles

In the U.S. these are commonly called "button accordions." I'll let my UK friends tell you how the terms work there. While this are not what most of us today call "concertinas," that term has been applied to them at various times and places. For example, in Louisiana 80 to 100 years ago, contemporary witnesses tell that Leadbelly played the "concertina," while photos show him with an instrument that resembles yours. Yours may not be that old, these (the HA-114) are still in production (see the ones on sale at www.buttonbox.com, for example). Yes, the tremolo tuning (see thread on vibrato) of the two middle octave stops is intentional, for the reason you suggest. Hohner also modified these German style instruments for the beginner Cajun player (I started on one) with a "drier" tuning (I'll let others give references for these terms), and painted black. These instruments and their more elaborate brethren are widely known and played by our UK colleagues, who can tell you more about local maintainance and tuition. You might also check www.melodeon.net. You'll have fun playing it! Ken Coles Pennsylvania, USA

The old part of the site (the static pages and old buy and sell) and the Invision forums system keep separate names and passwords. Neither one knows about the other. Not ideal, we know, but a legacy of the way this site has evolved. I found it fairly easy to change my email on both sides when I dumped my old ISP a little over a year ago. More than once I've heard from folks who have lost track of one password or the other. I can manually adjust your settings on Invision/the forums; password, email, whatever, if you can't get it to work (just write me offline). The old side you'll have to check with Paul; he may be able to do that or he'll just suggest you set up a new account on the static side, if it is important to you to have one there.

The article I'm thinking of was indeed EDFSS or CDSS, I'm reasonably certain. I'll dig it out when I'm in Logansport next week. No doubt the others are worth citing; I'm happy to hear suggestions for stuff to put on the resource page, and it's time I reread everything Bob Gaskins has up on his site. (Ken says, looking under the papers on the table for the to-do list).

Looks great Bob, you're always over the top. We need folks like you in the too-serious concertina world!

I believe that is likely to be the same article that Doug Creighton showed me and to which I refer on the Hayden resource list. It is indeed a concise summary. I have yet to try playing the system seriously (systematically?) myself. So many instruments, so little time. Ken Coles

John covers a variety of styles in the video, and like all good instructional video, it has a lot in it and will require some study. He shows how many variations one can make on playing along the rows. If you are a beginner it will shed some light on the mysteries, which I suspect was one reason for making it.

You can read some anecdotes (not so much about classes, perhaps) here. Ken Coles

Based on advice from past threads on this topic, I now tell the staff when I place the case on the x-ray, that a musical instrument, a small accordion, is coming through. Sometimes they smile right away. I have never had any problem by saying when they open the case (as they often do), "if you flex the bellows, one of the notes should be sounding." Sometimes they call new staff over to teach them using the x-ray. Only once did I have to play, and it was they guys who were smiling. BTW, it was stories about some ditz who associated the word concertina with barbed wire that caused me to adopt the term accordion. In general they are respectful, careful, and sometimes curious. But I thought you were asking about logistics, not security. As a practical matter, I usually can't keep track of both my laptop computer and a concertina, so I don't usually carry both unless it will be a long trip. All the stories above reinforce why I never fly with my best boxes; my trusty Morse serves me on the road.

If you like fixin' stuff, you are a natural for the fixer-upper Italian that unca is currently advertising. It is all part of the initiation (the Italian-fixing stage. Ever own a Fiat?).

And a few more to add: Most likely to have a spare instrument in his vehicle: Alan (There were several Alans, this is Alan with a camper/caravan full of bouzoukis. I must get one of those caravans, you can fit everything in there) Worth listening to when he makes observations on the concertina scene: Al Ladd (usually he is practicing) Remembers everything he has ever heard about free reeds: Bill McHale (you'd never believe he was just starting on anglo) you get the idea. [Edited names]

So, I am just back from a week away and you all seem to be fine. I don't own a digital camera (spent all the dosh on concertinas long since), but will start the thread (social, so here, rather than pedogogical report, which would go in Teaching and Learning) with a few observations: Concertinist most likely to smile: Greg Jowasias (even or especially, with eyes shut, when playing a tune that he doesn't know yet for the teacher. Me, I suspect I frown!) Reports she wants to take the January 2006 Carribean cruise featuring Irish music: Britt (can I come along?) Didn't even blush when I kissed her on first meeting, which I did because I knew C-netters would have wanted me to do so: Helen C. (she's more multifaceted than her comments might suggest) Amazing to talk to: Michael Reid (great dinner company) Enthusiastic even as he falls asleep: Mike D. (fiddlersgreen, who recruited several people for the geology trip. I never got around to getting out the telescope) Polymath of concertina: Scott C. (caj) Monomath of concertina/olympic concertina-playing muscles: Lisa from Michigan. (Not a member yet, but coming to join us soon I bet. Has just started concertina and is so determined she was practicing 6 hours a day.) No longer a lildog, but now one of the Big Dogs: lildogturpy (Robin B., who is neither little nor a dog. Wowed us, and I suspect some of the pros, by his memory for tunes during sessions) Those who make me wonder why I thought I could play concertina: all the students under age twenty Unfailingly real and realistic approach to learning: Kevin from D.C. Thinks one teacher/class may be enough next year, owing to schedule and playing overload from two classes this year: me Others who may lurk but don't post much here but we saw during the week included Mike Pendergast, Joe Fox, and several folks whose names I don't know. Apologies to anyone I forgot. Fun to spend a week with the varied likes of Fr. Charlie Coen, Professor Gearoid O'hAllmhurain, Michael O'Raghallaigh, and Edel Fox as teachers. I'll let others add the real wisdom. Ken (left the festival a day early to finish moving house!)

I had recently wondered about Mr. Behlen myself, so I appreciate the posts in this thread. Thanks!

Bruce, Yes, we fiinally heard from someone what had happened for you (work is good sometimes too). [everyone else: I will start a new thread for reports elsewhere; I am just back after a blissful week away from the computer...looks like Paul put out the fires in the meantime, good man!] Bruce, you should try emailing Len Rheaume there in Phoenix. He was supposed to have surgery for the big C a month ago and I pray he is OK. If you connect tell him best from me. He knows the scene around there.

What Roger says could describe some American musical traditions in the 20th Century as well (and probably others) if you change a few names and details. But we should stay with English music in this thread and bring that up elsewhere. I just found it striking (as a former radio host/producer myself).