Randy Stein

Brilliant!

https://schoolofmusicaltraditions.square.site/product/introduction-to-the-concertina-with-randy-stein-and-jim-besser/130

If you're looking for a session of ITM, I believe the James Joyce Pub in Baltimore has sessions twice a month on the first and third Tuesday.

Where in MD are you located

I would look for Balfolk tunes: Scottish a Virmoux. Mazurka Motorway, La Sonsonette, La Petite Bateaux to name just a few. Most may be found on YouTube and the ABCs in thesessions.org.

There is a show here in the states called Stonehouse staring Matthew Macfadyen. Three episodes in all. The third episode has Morse Dancers with about 3 seconds of musicians including a man playing the concertina.

Teaching someone to play chords (this includes double stops) and droning on the EC can be overwhelming for some. One way to approach this is to take a fun simple tune, like Blaydon Races, and first learn to play just the melody line. Then slowly add in the double stops, then 3 note chords, and finally the droning. For those who read music I've attached both versions. This is a great session tune and once one plays it with confidence you can begin to add your own touches as well. Blaydon races.pdf BLAYDON Races with chords.pdf

Well, I can answer this based on my experience. The concertina is visually interesting and easily moved and manipulated. It is compact so even if you have multiple instruments, they travel easily. I was already performing as an acrobat and looking to develop my own solo act. I wanted to use music in my act. I picked up a cheap 30 button honer EC in a pawn shop. I could do a flip off my partners shoulders while playing the concertina. That I fell in love with the instrument enough to invest my time into it was a gift. Plus one doesn't get as hurt playing the EC, in most cases.

I used to perform a 45 minute musical acrobatic clown show back in the 1970s and 80s. It had lots of flips and handstands and total craziness. I was asked to be part of a Chanukah Spiel at my synagogue with a request to play my EC as part of some comedic musical act. Here is my performance sans handstands and flips. https://youtu.be/z6TnaGczg9c

"Coquette" is a 1928 fox trot jazz standard. It was composed by Johnny Green and Carmen Lombardo, with lyrics by Gus Kahn. My bandmate and guitarist par excellence, Buco (pronounced Bootso), lives here in the DC Metro area. Willie is in Germany and Bill resides in Portugal. They originally recorded this classic standard as a Bossa Nova with vocals and then Buco asked me to give it some color with the EC. I used Soundtrap software to do my track. I believe Buco used GarageBand to do the mixing. Ain't technology swell. https://youtu.be/89X7ijHMKlg

Additional information in this wonderful article by Alan Atlas https://www.concertinajournal.org/brief-notes/a-text-critical-problem-in-richard-blagroves-morceaux-no-3/

This particular composition was archived as part of the Boris Matusewitch Collection. Pretty cool. Morceaux (Richard Blagrove).pdf

Boris Matueswitch arranged about a dozen or so Christmas carols. I have one of his handwritten manuscripts which have notated using Musescore to make it a little more readable. Students find it easier to learn when playing a piece of music they are familiar with. Being able to sing a piece helps learn. For example, almost everyone knows Silent Night. In the Key of C, the chording isn't too difficult to learn. Attached are two versions of the carol. One simpler version is the melody line with some double stops and a simple C chord. The other is the Matueswitch arrangement. Other of his carol arrangements offer lessons in use of drones and playing in octaves. Enjoy! And Happy Holidays. SILENT NIGHT 2 versions.pdf

I sat and arranged this tune that was requested for an upcoming gig. Fun time working on this one.

Brilliant