I started playing accordion around 1988
when I found a pretty little squeeze box in a pawn shop window.
It was calling my name, and the price was right. When I started
my cajun band, the Crawdad Wranglers, I couldn't find a local
accordion player for the band. so I decided to learn a bunch of
cajun twosteps and zydeco tunes. After a while I became a pretty
good player and started looking around for other sources of accordion
information.
I discovered the Squeeze-In,
which is a small weekend gathering of accordion, concertina, and
other squeezebox enthusiasts. It has been going for several years
now, and I've attended 3 or 4 times. This event will supply you
with more information about bellows powered reed instruments than
any other I've ever heard of.
It takes place in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains in Western
Massachusetts at Bucksteep Manor on 350 acres of trees and rolling
hills. Accommodations range from tenting in a field, through rustic
cabins, to a private room in the Inn itself. A meal plan is optional,
the food is good, and the Inn has 3 lounges, a bar, a hot tub,
a barn for performances and dances, and lots of spaces for jamming.
Special features include: a museum of "Curious and Bizarre
Squeezeboxes," (I spent many hours there), a saturday night
contra dance and concert (all participants invited to take part),
and workshops in many topics including ethnic accordion styles,
squeezebox repair, instrument lore, videos of accordion related
events, and many opportunities for hobnobbing with other enthusiasts.
I particularly enjoyed a video documentary on a high tech concertina
making factory in Great Britain. Any participants can schedule
and give a workshop on a topic of their own choosing during the
weekend, and the official staff does likewise.
This event usually takes place in the middle of September and
is sponsored by an accordion and concertina shop called the Button Box,
which is a good source for instruments, repairs, supplies, music,
etc. For more information contact: The Button Box, 9 East Pleasant
Street, Amherst, MA 01002 USA, 413-549-0171
This review by Ryan J Thomson copyright © 1997