An entry · Work · Life
Accordionist
A whole band folded into a box, breathing in and out under a pair of hands.
From curious to committed
Your first steps.
A first visit can be enough. It can also be the beginning.
Meet the craft
A teacher can start you on a small button or piano accordion, with a simple tune within the first few sessions.
Explore experiences →Give it another afternoon
Notice what you want to come back to. Ask the teacher what regular practice would look like, and what support you would need.
Keep a note for next time →See the working day
Music schools in many countries teach classical and folk accordion, technique, and repertoire to a high level.
Explore ways into the work →These are starting points. A workshop is not a professional qualification. Entry requirements and recognised training depend on the work and the country.
Before you walk in
A few things worth asking the host before you book.
- Is this session suitable for someone who has never tried it?
- What should I bring, wear or prepare?
- What is included, and are there any extra costs?
- Can you accommodate my access needs?
- What could I try next if I enjoy it?
Teach this craft? Share what beginners ask you →
Work it
Do the work.
Jobs, apprenticeships, and training that put a person in the room.
Places to begin
- Association
American Accordionists' Association
Membership in the American Accordionists' Association
United States
Become a member of the American Accordionists' Association and join a national network of performers, teachers, and accordion lovers.
- Association
Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes (CIA)
Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes
International
The international accordion federation, a member of the International Music Council and a UNESCO partner, that unites national accordion bodies and runs the annual Coupe Mondiale world championships.
Ways in
- Course
Formal accordion study
Music schools in many countries teach classical and folk accordion, technique, and repertoire to a high level.
- Route in
Folk and trad sessions
Many accordionists learn within a living folk tradition, playing at sessions and dances and picking up tunes by ear.
- Route in
Busking and function work
Street playing and function gigs at weddings and festivals are a common way to build a repertoire and earn from the instrument.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasLive it
Live the hour.
Experiences, classes, and places where the presence is the whole point.
Places to begin
- Community
San Francisco Accordion Club
Monthly meeting of the San Francisco Accordion Club
Millbrae, California · Third Sunday of most months
Bring your accordion to the San Francisco Accordion Club's monthly gathering and play, listen, and swap tunes with fellow squeezebox fans.
- Festival
Cotati Accordion Festival
Cotati Accordion Festival
Cotati, California · August
Spend a summer weekend in wine country surrounded by squeezebox music, polka and zydeco dancing, and a jam tent open to every player.
- Community
Savoy Music Center
Saturday morning Cajun jam at Savoy Music Center
Eunice, Louisiana · Saturdays 9am to noon
Pull up a chair or bring your accordion to master builder Marc Savoy's free Saturday house party jam of traditional Cajun music.
Ways in
- Class
Beginner accordion lessons
A teacher can start you on a small button or piano accordion, with a simple tune within the first few sessions.
- Gathering
Folk session or dance
Trad music sessions and folk dances are warm, welcoming places to hear the accordion doing what it loves.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasWhy the human is the point
The accordion is a small orchestra you wear, melody under the right hand, chords and bass under the left, and its breath supplied by the bellows the player squeezes. It has soundtracked street corners and dance halls from Paris to Buenos Aires to the villages of every continent, always where people gather. The accordionist coordinates two keyboards and the push and pull of air, shaping the volume and swell with the whole body. It is an instrument of celebration and of longing, and a good player can turn a quiet square into a party in a single tune. Drop a coin, stay a minute, and you are part of a scene that has repeated happily for a hundred years. There is a person in there making a room feel less alone.
Kept nearby
