Building Opportunities for Accordionists

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BENEFITS OF NAAC MEMBERSHIP1. You'll be able to participate in our member's only programs.Initial programs like our Recording Opportunities program are free but require NAAC membership. Join today to get access to our future programs.2. You’ll have a voice in the opportunities that we build.You’ll be among the first to participate in our polls, questionnaires, requests for project ideas, and to be able to tell us what you need, and get involved in working to build those opportunities.3. Who can benefit from becoming a member of NAAC?- Anyone who loves the accordion
- Gigging or professional accordionists
- Hobbyists and beginners
- Accordion teachers and educators
- Accordion dealers, technicians, manufacturers, et al.
- Composers and arrangers of accordion musicOf course your donation is always welcomed

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Meet Up Recap from 3-29-17Published: April 2, 2017Register now for the next meetup on May 7, 2017 7p Eastern/4p Pacific.Last week on Wednesday March 29 at 8:30 EST we hosted the first NAAC online meet up. We had 39 members in attendance and the meeting was scheduled for an hour and a half. Our primary objective was to hear member ideas regarding our performance opportunities and education projects.Meeting Synopsis1. After a brief meet and greet I led the discussion regarding performance opportunities.Online and virtual performance opportunities were brought up by a few different members and ideas included:online streaming concert series
virtual accordion orchestras
online mini concerts
virtual music festivalsOther topics covered were:creating lending libraries of instruments
libraries of orchestrations to help facilitate smaller accordion ensembles2. Next on the agenda was the NAAC education program. This dialogue was facilitated by President Dallas Vietty.Perspectives presented by our members included:the need for quality teachers
teacher training programs
quality teaching curriculum
getting accordions into university music programs
looking outside of our current musical circles to find more casual accordion players
creating an online education video series as well creating a qualified list of accordion educators3. Our final point of order was to ask our members what they want for our organization and for the North American accordion community as a whole.Our members voiced a desire for an increased availability of instruments:grant proposals
for all of our events to have an educational perspective
to make greater efforts to diversify our community by including Mexican and Canadian accordionists in our programs and activities
This meeting was such an energizing and exciting experience and I would greatly encourage members who want a chance to share their ideas and perspectives to attend our next online meetup.Register now for the next meetup on May 7, 2017 7p Eastern/4p Pacific.Sincerely,-Gabe Hall-Rodrigues NAAC Secretary

NAAC YouTube Channel is UP!Published: March 1, 2017Just last weekend I uploaded the first round of member videos to the NAAC YouTube channel. All of the videos the NAAC received have been awesome but what really excited me was the diversity of the submissions.We have solo performances, group performances, jazz, bajo sexto, classical, original music and so much more still to come. Being a part of an organization that features so many different styles of music on my favorite instrument is such a honor.If you haven't checked out the channel yet please do, and please like, comment, and subscribe!-Gabe Hall-Rodrigues, NAAC Secretary

Watch and listen to NPR Bethlehem Interview with NAAC President Dallas Vietty 2/21/17Published: February 28, 2017Update: this video has been removed by the video owner (NAAC did not own nor post the video).Thanks to the power of social media (by that I mean someone saw my Twitter posts), I was invited by Dina Hall to come speak about the NAAC on her radio show.The radio show is called 'Live from Godfrey Daniels' and is on the Bethlehem, PA public radio station WDIY.I invited my friend and musical colleague Mike Lorenz to come play and speak with me.We had a blast. I'm grateful to Dina, Mike and WDIY for the opportunity.- Dallas Vietty, NAAC President

We are the newest accordion organization in North America!Published: January 24, 2017Welcome to the website of the North American Accordion Collaborative.We are an accordion organization born in the age of the internet. We are legally headquartered in Philadelphia, but we see ourselves as truly North American organization.We are launching with four programs (recording opportunities, education, instrument drives and international initiative). Check the programs page for more details.Our goal is to work together with YOU to learn what opportunities accordionists need, and to work together to build them.We hope that you'll consider becoming a member, its free!We look forward to getting to know you,Board members: Dallas, Karen, Charlie, Frank & Gabe

Interview with Kayla Allen Lescure of the International Accordion Initiative!Published: January 23, 2017The International Accordion Initiative (IAI) is on of our most exciting programs. As we begin our process, I thought the membership of NAAC would get energized and excited about this program by learning a little bit more about the plans and concepts behind.Kayla Allen Lescure is the founder and chair of the program. Below is a short digital interview I conducted with her to help you all get to know more about what is in store in the future!1. What are the unfulfilled need(s) that exist for accordionists (yourself included) that the IAI program will meet?[Kayla] We need more opportunities to participate in workshops from various artists and teachers, as well as the possibility to witness great performances that can be a rich source of inspiration. The IAI exists to heighten the awareness of accordion - both within and outside of the accordion communities now across the U.S., and to cultivate an exchange with the incredible musicians in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as other countries (Brazil, Ukraine, Russia). We want to import the talent and technique emerging from these countries. Our goal is to reach out to musicians and non musicians - people who aren't aware of the vast possibilities of this instrument. Most music lovers are crazy about the accordion. We'd like to place artists in music festivals that aren't affiliated with the accordion - as one way of creating awareness. Eventually, the idea is to create a stronger infrastructure on our home turf, getting the accordion into more schools and in the hands of children, so that the awareness can expand into the future with our younger generations.2. What will your initial programs with the IAI look like?[Kayla] The focus is to create a welcoming environment for guest teachers and artists from abroad. From that awareness we will eventually build a strong, communicative network amongst us all in order to develop and implement regular workshops and performances. Youth outreach is so important, but we need to create a stronger infrastructure in cities that have small or no accordion communities, and build on existing infrastructures for the places that do, in order to harness the support needed for these kinds of programs. Obviously any kind of program will need funding - so the idea is to seek out resources through cultural exchange organizations, consulates for whichever country an artist might be from, corporate sponsorships, etc.3. What are the cities/regions you are targeting right now for the program to begin?[Kayla] I'm reaching out to existing accordion organizations and regional associations across the U.S. I live in Los Angeles so I'll certainly start here. And the great news is, of the international accordionists I've spoken to, they all WANT to come to the U.S. and are completely open to traveling here. I grew up in Louisiana and there is already an accordion culture there, specifically in south Louisiana - even though Cajun and Zydeco are stylistically so different, it's a culture that's open to all music and it makes sense to bring international artists there. Nashville is a great target, because of its strong community of professional musicians. Those are a few ideas, but as I said, we're happy to work with any organization or association in the U.S. that has the desire to bring in a guest artist/teacher.4. Is there anything you are allowed to tell us about the contacts and prospects you’ve made so far?[Kayla] Christophe Lampidecchia who recently won the Gus Viseur award for his recent album "Douce Joie" is working with the director/producer for UN music, Robin diMaggio. We are in the process of finding funding to get him to Los Angeles to record and perform. Other contacts are under wraps for the moment, until we are able to confirm certain arrangements, but very exciting.5. What inspired you to start the IAI?[Kayla] Seeing the amount of talent in Europe and everything the artists, both established and up-and-coming, have to offer. I recently participated in a workshop at the Centre National et International de Music et d'Accordeon in France. Jacques Mornet is a giant amongst pedagogues in Europe with a focus on musicality above all. He has taught in Russia and China for years and students in those countries vie for grants every year to come and study with him in Auvergne. The teachers on his staff are outstanding. They're passionate and demanding, with a very high standard and a strong methodology. We can borrow from them in the best way. The students he's trained are regularly competing in international competitions and are highly gifted. They have so much to offer. I'm also inspired by seeing beautiful performances from artists like Richard Galliano and Christophe Lampidecchia, who won the Prix Gus Viseur last year for his latest album.6. Is there anything else that you would like the North American accordion community to know about what is going on with IAI?[Kayla] For the moment it's all about support and communication. The IAI is also open to any suggestions - we are here to act as a liaison between the U.S. and the international accordion community and to facilitate the interaction between the two.

Our events are currently finished for this season. Please join as a free member for updates on future events.

OUR MISSIONThe North American Accordion Collaborative is a non-profit organization that helps accordionists of varied interests by identifying their specific needs and by building opportunities to meet those needs.

Educational Outreach

Create opportunities for instruments, information, and coaching to populations interested in learning accordion skills.- Youth Populations
- College Populations
- Adult Populations
- Accordion & Music Educator
- Specific Cultural Populations
-- Ethnic populations
-- Immigrant populations

International Accordion Initiative

The accordion has a rich and varied history in Europe and around the world. The International Accordion Initiative (IAI) creates a liaison between the U.S. and other nations, drawing on the wealth of resources from other established accordion cultures, in order to build educational and performance opportunities in North America.By facilitating performances, demonstrations, workshops and master classes given by artists and teachers from abroad, the IAI will develop opportunities for accordionists in North America.

Accordion Access Program

NAAC will provide students, educators and programs access to accordions. To obtain the accordions needed, NAAC will work with collaborators to implement Instrument Drives.Collaboration on Instrument DrivesThe NAAC has identified the need to provide accordions both for instruction and for practice to students interested in learning how to play the accordion. To fulfill this need, the NAAC will locate potential collaborators in various geographic areas willing to assist in publicizing and jointly coordinating drives to collect used accordions from donors in the local community who have accordions they no longer play, and to evaluate those instruments for suitable condition for student use. Additionally, the NAAC will collaborate with accordion teachers and school music programs to loan or, as appropriate, to give the instruments to accordion students. With each drive, the NAAC will evaluate the process to better establish means to provide accordions to those wanting to learn how to play the instrument.

NAAC Recording Program

In an effort to promote accordion music and create performance opportunities for members, the NAAC proposes to provide a platform for compiling recordings of members music and to make these available through existing on-line music distribution sites. The initial platform will be a NAAC member Youtube channel.The Youtube channel will be an informal means of compiling members performances. Submissions to the channel will be curated and must feature performances of NAAC members. Performances may be either solo or ensemble pieces and all musical genres are encouraged. The only musical requirement is that the piece must feature a member playing the accordion. NAAC forums will provide opportunities for members to collaborate as well as explore new music, gear, and recording techniques.

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For questions, inquiries, support, membership or any other matters please send an email to our official email address:
contact @ thenaac.org