who’s the author

In 1955, Toni Charuhas’ book The Accordion predicted a bright road ahead for her favourite instrument.  It never came.  Instead the accordion became the Most Uncool Instrument In North America.  It lost any connection to past legitimacy or glory, and “Stomach Steinways” slept in thrift shops or in dusty grandparents’ closets for the next fifty years.

I'm not sure what this has to do with the accordion, but the kids are something else I spend quite a bit of time on. They're studying accordion, so that's related.

I’m a Youngster (only 42!), and I got into accordions after growing up with rock and roll and other strange music.  Inspired by that background I co-host the weekly Accordion Noir show on Co-op Radio in Vancouver, BC, Canada.  I’m now working on a book-project about accordion history and the current squeezebox resurgence in North America.  It’s at a carefully organized 60,000 words so far – I’m telling people to expect it in 2013.

As I’m pulling things together, this site will let me share bits and pieces I come upon as I sift through the lost accordions of history.  It’s an improvement from sending “finds” to just the few friends I used to inundate with accordion trivia.  Now you can share in the take too.

Much of this will be re-postings and links to others’ stuff, hopefully it’ll be nice to gather it all together.  I want to thank Chris at Let’s Polka, and Ivan at Squeezyboy for inspiration.