The month of June is filled with so many celebrations, parades and holidays, it’s a wonder that anyone can focus on school or work with so much going on.
We celebrate holidays like Flag Day and Father’s Day in June. We celebrate school graduation milestones this month (College! High school! Kindergarten!). Special events and activities take place in June to celebrate Juneteenth and Pride Month.
It seems like we are adding new holidays every year. Did you know that the month of June includes Go Barefoot Day (June 1), Hug your Cat Day (June 4), Hot Air Balloon Day (June 5), Pigeon Appreciation Day (June 13), and World Juggler’s Day (June 20)?
There are several month-long June celebrations including National Iced Tea Month, Great Outdoors Month, Dairy Month, and Effective Communications Month. One unusual item on the month-long June celebration list surprised me – June is National Accordion Awareness Month! (Curious choice of words – wouldn’t National Accordion Appreciation Month sound more inviting?)
When was the last time you saw someone playing the accordion? That is exactly the reason that this national designation was established in 1989 to introduce the accordion to a broader audience.
While associated primarily with polka music, historically popular in Eastern and Central Europe, the accordion has been played by musicians around the world in a variety of musical styles including folk, jazz, blues, zydeco, Tejano and Klezmer. The accordion is used in traditional Latin American music in Argentina (tango), Colombia (vallenato) and Brazil (forró). The accordion sound is an integral part of German Oompah bands (think Oktoberfest celebrations). Jewish folk music uses the expressive tones of the accordion in traditional Klezmer bands.
The accordion lends its high-energy dance music vibe to traditional folk music genres here in the U.S., as well. In Louisiana, a melting pot of French, Spanish and African cultures, accordions are used in both Cajun and Zydeco dance music. The accordion plays an important role in the Mexican-American musical genre of Tejano popularized in Texas and the Southwest.
A challenging instrument to learn and master, an accordion requires multi-tasking and physical strength. Holding this cumbersome instrument that can weigh up to 30 pounds, supported by chest and shoulder straps, requires upper body strength and dexterity. An accordion musician uses the right hand to play a piano-style keyboard or buttons for the complex melodies while the left hand plays a separate set of buttons for the bass lines and chords on the opposite side of the instrument. The musician needs to actively push and pull the bellows (central part of the instrument) to create air pressure for the sound and volume – all at the same time!
American TV viewers welcomed accordion music into their living rooms with the popularity of the Lawrence Welk Show in the 1960s. Viewers could tap their toes and dance to the lively polkas and waltzes enjoyed around the world. Polka music is happy music with a lively combination of accordion, clarinet, alto saxophone and trumpet.
Based on personal experience, you cannot sit still when polka music is playing! I used to put on my Polka CD by Jimmy Sturr (“Polka Your Troubles Away”) on Saturday mornings to put some “extra pep in my step” when cleaning my house!
Over the years, the accordion has found its way into popular music including songs by The Who, Talking Heads, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Elton John, Billy Joel, Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons, and Weird Al Yankovic.
Kim Kovach will be teaching six-week sessions of Creative Writing for adults starting July 7–9. Please visit her website at kimkovachwrites.com.
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