[ The following letter/essay was submitted to the
now defunct ACCORD magazine in 1979. Frankly, I cannot remember if
it was ever published but it seems that the sentiments I had expressed
back then are still somewhat apparent today, albeit in a transformed way.
Please review the article and then my more recent comments at the conclusion
and see if you feel the accordion's "condition" has remained the same as
in 1979 or if it has either improved or permutated since then. ]
Previous letters and articles in ACCORD magazine have
presented the accordion as approaching its nirvana steadily in the "legitimate"
musical world. To a certain extent, this is true, and indeed our
instrument's popularity in "serious" music circles is somewhat more expansive
than it had been previously. However, all is NOT well with the accordion.
It has been made apparent to me in recent months that
the accordion is currently (more than ever) faced with a life-threatening
disease, which imperatively should be brought to the attention of ACCORD
Magazine's readers, so that they may help keep the disease in check to
prevent its further spread. What is this malignancy? Simply
put, it is APATHY, a wide-spread lack of support for the accordion and
its performers on every level of the industry, from accordion performers
themselves to the presidents of major accordion manufacturing companies.
Last year [1978], the Ohio Arts Council allocated me a
rather large fellowship grant to "further legitimize the reputation of
the accordion" via an LP recording which would include only my own compositions
for the instrument. After reviewing compositions and other supporting
materials, the Ohio Arts Council (who had previously been totally unaware
of the musical potential of the accordion) deemed my efforts worthy enough
to allocate its largest grant allotment. What I discovered about
the accordion world during the pursuit of this project was extremely disheartening.
It should be understood that there are no feelings of resentment or bitterness
on my part, for my project is rearing completion in spite of the following
information. Rather, it is hoped that a revelation of some very real
problems will help enlighten ACCORD's readers enough to spur them to action
to save our instrument.
The first task of my project was to solicit the support
of a record company, who would be willing to produce and market the completed
album of compositions. The more prominent "classical" record companies
were understandably very cautious about marketing a classical accordion
album, which represented a financial risk to them, since the bulk of their
record purchasers are unaware of the relatively recent advances of the
instrument. However, one well-known record company, Orion Records
of Los Angeles, had already taken a chance on a recent accordion album,
PANDORASBOX, by James Nightingale. Mr. Nightingale's recording is
one of the most sensitive displays of contemporary art music for the accordion
that this writer has ever heard - a feat which has never before (to the
best of my knowledge) been precedented in the United States.
Consequently, I too approached Orion Records about potentially
marketing the new album I was trying to get off the ground with the Ohio
Arts Council grant. Here is Orion's reply from one of their executives,
Giveon Corfield:
"Before commenting on the
virtues of [your] project, I would have to hear a cassette of the music
you had in mind. PANDORASBOX turned out to be a disappointment.
It is technically and artistically brilliant, but the market for records
is severely depressed at the moment, and I guess this kind of material
has a very limited following."
So the cassette was sent. Herewith the reply:
"Quite frankly, with all
due respect to the technical excellence of the performances - I don't see
anyone except accordionists (all 25 of them) buying such a record.
As I wrote to you, PANDORASBOX was a big disappointment for us. We
just can't afford to issue records that don't sell."
Unfortunately the metaphorical door was not only slammed
in my face, but also in yours, the whole accordion public. The two
key statements "...this kind of material has a very limited following,"
and "We just can't afford to issue records that don't sell," indicate that
hardly anyone amongst us was willing to support Mr. Nightingale's achievement
simply by purchasing his album. The very same myriad numbers of accordionists
who have been complaining for years that "no colleges will recognize us,"
or that "no orchestras will give us a chance," are the very same people
willing to suffocate the entire accordion movement by their lack of support.
In my humble opinion, many of the available classical
accordionists (avant garde and traditionally minded alike) should have
obligatorily purchased Mr. Nightingale's album (or any other album like
it). Why? Not only because it is an important achievement that
opened a door but also because no other musical community besides the accordion
community has the potential of boosting the sales of such an album so that
doors may consequently be kept open. There must be more that 25 of
us out there, as Mr. Cornfield of Orion Records so facetiously mentions!
As an aside, while on the subject of accordion albums,
it still amazes me to this day how few accordionists have never owned or
even heard of the ground-breaking recordings by Mogens Ellegaard, produced
by Hohner, which contain both contemporary and traditional repertoire.
At any rate, continued pursuit of my own project led me
to more surprises. The afore-mentioned apathy and lack of support
in the general accordion community was also visible at the top of the food
chain as well. After approaching the world's largest and most popular
accordion manufacturer, M. Hohner, Inc. (who also publishes music and produces
accordion recordings), about marketing my intended recording, a flat "no"
ensued. Here was their response:
Dear Mr. Natoli,
Today we received your letter of
July 23, 1979 and the tape with recording samples.
We are concentrating on the sale
of musical instruments and have ceased to distribute any sales of records.
Therefore, we do not intend to bring out a particular record for free bass
accordions.
Enclosed we are returning the material
which you have sent us.
Sincerely,
Frank Hohner
What kind of thinking can be more regressive than this?
This company's sales of instruments thrives on the efforts of recording
artists who will inspire individuals to purchase the types of instruments
they sell through the widespread availability of recordings showcasing
their instruments. If the major accordion publishers and manufacturers
will not support the accordion, it is no wonder why the lack of support
exists today in the accordion community's ranks as well.
We simply cannot expect any musical faction to embrace
our instrument, when there is no strength and support from within.
Help eradicate the current apathy. The only way to increase our presence
and recognition is by obligatory support of new recordings, new magazines,
upcoming concerts, new sheet music, or competitions and conventions, because
each of these efforts represents a company or publisher who is open-minded
enough to open a door and give the accordion a chance - as in the case
of Orion Records. Let's keep that door open with our support, so
that we may all walk through!
OTHER PERSPECTIVES:
By Joe Natoli 12/5/98
Fast forward to 1998 from the time this article was written
by an idealistic and unrealistic young man who basically saw the world
from a very narrowly focused set of glasses. Also, I must now put
the shoe on the other foot as an accordion music publisher and view the
business world from that perspective as well...a very healthy and eye-opening
experience, I can assure you. However, most of my views about the
apathy in the accordion world still remain intact, but now for different
reasons and with different examples.
First, let me state that as a music publisher, I can no
longer hold the general accordion enthusiast responsible for the "doors
being shut" in the above examples from 1979. There are wide varieties
of tastes in the real world and to idealistically expect the general public
out there to appreciate and purchase a completely contemporary album like
PANDORASBOX was and extremely Utopian expectation on my part. The
pure numbers of the matter exist in the following observation - if one
is a nationally or globally known composer or performer, then yes, it is
acceptable to produce a recording of all contemporary and avant-garde selections,.
because there is enough of an audience out there that can support the sales
of such an endeavor. However, if that type of popularity does
not yet exist for the composer or performer, then the artist is most likely
going to be more successful by first appealing to a wider range of tastes
and recording selections that are more accessible. Such an admission
is not a "sell-out" or self-optimization. It just means that since
music is a relatively social art form, speaking artistically to the widest
spectrum of tastes is the best and only way to get the exposure and social
acceptance our instrument needs.
Another major consideration in 1998 however is the new
technology that now makes it possible for anyone to be a publisher and/or
a CD producer. In 1979, one had to depend on mainstream music publishers
and/or record labels to get themselves into print or on record. Not
true anymore. The computer, and the peripheral technology that has
developed along with it (especially over the last 5 years) has really leveled
the playing field and made it possible for anyone to publish "engraved"
music and digitally record CDs right out of their living rooms or basements.
In 1979, such endeavors would have easily cost in the hundreds of thousands,
but currently can be had for no more than $3,000. Also, there is
another major difference between 1979 and 1998 that I have not mentioned
yet. In 1979, the American economy was suffering from a major recession,
which would have contributed to the cautiousness and concern of some of
the companies that responded negatively to me in my article to ACCORD Magazine
above. The financial picture in 1998 is much different, since the
US is experiencing one of the best financial environments in the last 40
years. Couple that financial perspective with the new tastes of the
listening public (who are bored with the mainstream music releases and
heading for alternative types of music), and it is clear to see why more
companies today are a increasingly willing to take more "risks" than they
were in 1979. The output of accordionists today seems to support that concept
since there are more outstanding accordion CDs being released today (representing
all musical styles) than at any point I can remember in my lifetime.
But let's get back to the point of this article, and continue
exploring whether or not apathy exists in the accordion world. It
is my contention today, with 20 years of hindsight and after having developed
a bigger picture perspective of the accordion universe, that the apathy
actually developed and exists in very specific areas of accordion society,
none of which include the general accordion enthusiast public, to which
I had previously alluded in my first article 20 years ago. Actually
the responsibility of apathy seems to remain with three areas of accordion
society:
The major accordion associations and their competitions
The major US accordion personalities
The major accordion manufacturers and publishers
Let's explore each of these entities and my supporting reasons
for each of them.
The major accordion associations and their competitions
The American Accordionists' Association (AAA) and the
Accordion Teacher's Guild (ATG) had been the two of the major competitions
in the US, while the Coupe Mondiale was the major world competition for
the serious accordionist. Each of those organizations at one time
had an incredible following and member list, such that the competitions
were always well-attended and the competition field itself was quite intense
and worthwhile. But these associations had reached their peaks in
the 1960s and started to diminish by the mid-70s in membership and quality
of competitors until its current rather disappointing state. In fact,
having attended the ATG competition in Chicago last summer (after not having
attended a competition in 20 years) was an extremely disappointing experience
for me. There were no players at the virtuoso level, such that a
competitor could not even be sent to the Coupe Mondiale. And if I
am not mistaken, the same lack of competition had also occurred at the
AAA convention in New Orleans just a week earlier. Likewise, it is
becoming quite clear that the Coupe Mondiale competition is headed in the
same direction.
What could possibly be the reason for this apparent decay
wihin these organizations? The best way to arrive at the answer is
to ask yourself, "What is the major difference between these accordion
competitions and the major piano competitions, for example?" The
artists who win the major piano competitions (like the Van Cliburn), know
that if they should happen to beat the world-class competition all around
them, there are most likely going to be fruitful recording contracts and
other promotional prizes besides the trophy that signifies their victory.
Therefore, musicians are motivated and mobilized into desiring and winning
those competitions, since there will be obvious benefits and a rewarding
career as a direct result.
Unfortunately, it is only in recent history that the AAA
has elected to try some promotional tactics for their winners (I believe
it is called "Select A Star"), but unfortunately it is too little, too
late. The apathy has already set in, because performers have historically
known that they will be dedicating a year of their lives to practicing
and polishing their pieces, with no apparent tangible success (other than
a trophy) to reward their efforts. Is it no wonder therefore that
the membership and the level of the contestants have diminished? .
Even more curious is the fact that the Coupe Mondiale has never pursued
any types of promotional arrangements for its winners, which is especially
sad, since they would most likely have better networking and contacts in
countries where the accordion is more respected than in the US.
In my estimation, each of these organizations missed their
golden opportunities to keep interest in the accordion alive by promoting
winners, when their membership was at its peak and money was really flowing.
The formula would have been quite simple. Arrange for at least one
recording contract with a major label and arrange a good manager (with
a proven track record) for the winners so that touring and concert performances
could be established. Neither one of these approaches would have
"broken the banks" of these organizations and would have been easily
achievable. There were literally dozens of world class artists that
could have had wonderful careers if they had only been given this push
and assistance, but now have become accountants, engineers, teachers, or
who knows what because those opportunities were missed...and the rest is
history.
The major accordion personalities
Charles Magnante, Anthony Galla-Rini, Dick Contino, Myron
Floren, Lawrence Welk, and a handful of other famous accordionists who
had national and international recognition had an obligation to use their
names and influence to help establish other developing artists. However,
each of these magnates were very concerned with their own careers to the
point that they simply did not focus attention on anyone outside of their
own immediate goals. If that is not a recipe for apathy, nothing
is.
Getting back to the Van Cliburn competition, here is a
remarkable artist who chose not to focus his life only on himself and his
own career, but to establish an environment to develop and nurture new
talent to follow in his footsteps. Liberace is another more commercial
artist who continually promoted other talent. Can any of you remember
even one personality whose career is the direct result from the assistance
(financial or promotional) of some of those famous accordionists mentioned
above? Van Cliburn and Liberace are not alone in their musical philanthropy.
Pick just about any instrument, and you will find more than one competition
and a famous personality who is using his/her name to develop and discover
new talent to follow in their footsteps. Such philanthropy never
occurred with the accordion (at least in the US) and is yet another ingredient
to include in this recipe for apathy and decay of interest in our instrument.
The major accordion manufacturers and publishers
Until five years ago, publishing and recording were two
rather expensive undertakings. However, as I mentioned above, publishing
and recording are more affordable today than ever before, yet we do not
see a large or even noticeable involvement of accordion manufacturers and
publishers promoting commissions, new works, and/or recordings of new or
established artists (not even on their brand of instrument). Accordion
apathy directly affects the bottom lines of accordion manufacturers and
publishers everywhere (note the recent demise of M. Hohner), so at the
very least, these organizations should be fighting off apathy every chance
they get by promoting talent from within their ranks. It just is
not happening and thus the third and final ingredient of this recipe is
thrown in the mix, with the outcome being a very bad-tasting "Apathy
Souffle".
What can we do? What is the recipe for success? A three-part
plan.
As a business person in the corporate world of computers,
I learned long ago not to ever complain to my management about an intolerable
situation, without first coming up with my own resolution to the problem(s)
at hand. Any good manager will tell you the same thing: "Don't just
bring me problems, bring me resolutions as well!" So it would seem
justifiable at this point to discuss some potential resolutions to this
apathy problem.
Firstly, any accordionist or musician who is seeking
university training or is planning a career in music at all, needs to be
seeking out training on the business and financial aspects of the music
industry. The biggest problem in universities especially, is that
they offer a jam-packed schedule for four years of music theory, harmony,
and applied instrument training, but by the time graduation rolls around,
the misfortunate student "doesn't know jack" about how to manage the business
and financial aspects of his/her career! This is a travesty and larger
numbers of universities are finally starting to realize their obligations
in this type of training as a complement to the rest of the degree program.
But don't wait for anyone to train you! If you are not getting any
business management training, then it is your responsibility to seek it
out. In today's world, with the Internet, educational and financial
programs on CD ROMs, and public libraries, there is no reason why anyone
can't acquire the information they need to help them manage and guide their
own careers. In fact, there are several large volumes about "How
To Make It In the Music Business" on sale in book stores as we speak.
Secondly, we need to develop a new breed of competitions,
that will inspire people to study our instrument seriously. Competitions
are not the "be-all/end-all" mechanism to increase popularity of an instrument,
but they do perform a valuable service. They provide a vehicle for
recognizing achievement. Since it is human nature to be goal-oriented,
achievement-oriented, and to crave progress, competitions are a healthy
way to get the best talent working towards some tangible goal. But
that goal can't just be a trophy. There has to be some promise of
a career or promotional reward signifying the pinnacle of such an achievement.
Therefore, the new breed of competitions that will develop are those with
recording and performance contracts as part of the prize. My own
company, JANPressPublications,
is committed to making this happen and currently has plans on the drawing
board to be a contributor in this arena. We hope to become one of
the new philanthropists of the accordion world, using Van Cliburn, Liberace,
and others as role models to help spark renewed interest in our instrument.
We extend to others the invitation to become part of this new paradigm.
Thridly, by its very existence, JANPress
Publications is already providing the very necessary service
of getting into print, all those talented individuals who may not have
had the opportunity to get their music accepted and published by the more
mainstream publishers. Unique, high-quality, readable, responsibly
edited and typeset music is what will become the lifeblood and foundation
of renewed interest for our instrument. Remember that Bach was the
best of his generation, but there were many other composers who were contemporaries
of Bach, that were worth discovering and publishing. In fact, if
it were not for the incredibly persistent efforts of Felix Mendelssohn
re-discovering and tirelessly promoting the music of Bach, his (Bach's)
genius may also have been missed by subsequent generations. We have
the same danger today with the accordion. It is wonderful that many
publishers and distributors carry the music of Magnante and Galla-Rini
ad infinitum in their catalogs, but accordionists and/or the general public
should be made aware that there is so much more to offer and that there
are many "Bach's" out there just waiting to be discovered and given a chance.
Since the cost of publishing has come down drastically and since the playing
field has been leveled so that just about anyone can start up a publishing
business, JANPress is hoping
to provide the very necessary service of committing these works and these
composers/arrangers to print. Again, we invite others to become a
part of this new paradigm as well.
In summary then, it is this writer's opinion that apathy
for our instrument does seem to persist. But just as the corporate
moguls have proven many times in the 90s, any corporate enterprise can
be saved by trimming the fat and re-engineering internal business processes.
Reviving the accordion will not be much different. We cannot look
at what has always been and continue to accept it for those reasons only.
Renewed vigor and interest for the accordion will only occur by re-thinking
and re-engineering new processes to make it happen. Otherwise, one
day we may all be trying to explain to our grandchildren that the accordion
was much more than a pre-programmed sound patch on a sampling synthesizer,
and then pulling out pictures from the archives to explain the visual appearance
of the now extinct species.
OTHER PERSPECTIVES:
[12/8/98 response from Faithe Deffner to the above two articles in
the
"rec.music.makers.squeezebox" newsgroup]
Friends/Joe,
I did not take personally Joe Natoli's post about what
the organizations are
doing. In fact, I have known Joe since he was a youngster,
and I have the
highest regard for him as a superb musician and a very
intelligent, warm
person.
My post addressed the illusion many of us have and continue
to voice -- that
the organizations, the accordion firms, the publishers,
are some powerful body
masterminding accordion events. Conversely, as individuals
we take no
responsibility for the course of events, nor do
we particularly support (with
voice, physical participation, financial help), those
organizations or firms
which make an industry-oriented effort.
Most of the accordion firms and publishers of the past
no longer exist, having
fallen prey to disinterest and lack of support within
the so-called industry.
Accordion firms cannot meet payrolls with sales of used
accordions made by
part-time entrepeneurs. Legitimate accordion firms reinvest
in the accordion's
future while people who rely on a lucrative day job and
accordion dabbling
after hours, do not put profits back via industry programs.
Publishers of
accordion music have largely gone out of business or
abandoned accordion
compositions because they simply do not have the sales
to stay alive as a
result of fewer students, fewer teachers and ever-growing
use of the copy
machine.
When we blame the so-called industry and associations
for the "state of
(dis)union" (Joe's phrase), we forget that diminishing
student rolls, a change
in family structure, lower educational standards, a plethora
of activities
vying for young people's time, have changed the nature
of accordion study and
ended the days when dedicated teaching giants could earn
a living by imparting
a love for the accordion, for music, and for the principals
of good study and
work habits.
Much has gone awry within the accordion world and within
the world of other
instruments, and within the world in general. Organizations
such as the
American Accordionists' Association are struggling to
meet the challenges of
the rapidly changing accordion/squeezebox community.
But actual results cannot
exceed grass roots ideas, efforts and support.
Again, "organizations are not
more than the cumulative muscle of their members."
At the 1995 AAA Festival in Houston. the Accordion Summit
Meeting found a
common objective through the idea to declare 1996 "The
Year of the Accordion".
A total of $10,000 was spent during the year (funded
by donations from various
accordion organizations) and a great deal of positive
accordion promotion
ensued, the effects of which are still evident. Great
milage on a $10,000
budget spread across a whole year!! This is "cumulative
muscle" in action.
In 1999, the AAA Festival in Nashville plans another Accordion
Summit Meeting.
Will you come and share your ideas, declare yourself
willing to work and
support a cumulative effort, or do you prefer the comfort
of inaction which
will make it possible for you to gripe about what hasn't
be done and how much
better you could have done what was?
-Faithe Deffner
