NEWSLETTER OF THE

July 2018

VISIT OUR WEBSITE at SVASociety.org and visit us on Facebook Watch Pam’s Videos of SVAS meetings on YouTube at: accordionpam

SVAS Next Meeting: Sunday , August 5 at Harry’s Hofbrau

There IS a Jam Band session in Aug. Vic and Barbara Corsiglia will lead the session from ap-proximately 1:15 until 1:50. Then it is open mike from 2:00 to 2:30. Contact Pam for a time slot. Pick at least one piece, get it/them ready, and let a very sympathetic audience listen. Nothing to lose!

Il Duetto Musica is a delightful mix of Opera & Popular Italian Street Songs featuring the talents of soprano Gloria Mendieta Gazave and accordionist Paul Aebersold. Enjoy a nostalgic tribute to the charm of Italy as you listen to such favorites as Arrivaderci Roma and Puccini classics from La Bohéme and other great operas. Gloria & Paul take you on a Gondola ride through Venice with romantic songs, lively music, and colorful costumes for an evening of musical treasures. Gloria Mendieta Gazave is a classically trained so-prano from San Francisco, CA with a background in Musical Theater. She was selected to sing for Pope John-Paul II. Ms. Gazave sings in Italian, French, German, and Spanish. Paul Aebersold realized his love for music as a child listening to his mother play the accordion. He has performed for several years on the East Coast. Mr. Aebersold was honored to perform for the French

Embassy in Washington D.C. He has recently moved to Redwood City and is enjoying his collaboration of Italian Street Songs and Opera arias with soprano Gloria Mendieta Gazave.

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Did you miss a meeting performance? You can view some of it on YouTube. To view Pam’s Videos from past meetings: Go to youtube.com, type in “accordionpam” in the search field

(next to the magnifying glass on top) for videos from the club .

President’s Message Summer is definitely upon us, and we started it off with a Big Bang! Nothing like Mike Marotta's "Monterey International" group to get everyone's "juices flowin". And it was great to see and hear Rudy Pivk playing us some fabulous music on his beautiful Hohner Gola accordion. A beauti-ful combination! And a lot more! See Marybarbara's write-up. And Marybarbara, it was nice to see you looking so well!! A special thanks to Pam Kawashima for all of her hard work scheduling our performers. This is a MAJOR job--time consuming and often frustrating! AND, she is also our Web-Meister and keeps our web-site humming! And this includes being the videographer of our performers! Pam is a most important member of our organization, and her work is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU, PAM! Did you notice that Steve Hansen (the Bass-player) had his right foot in a soft cast? (He injured it

helping a neighbor) Well, Steve says that this situation turned into a learning experience for him and allowed him to add some versatility to his musicality. He usually played his cymbals with his right foot. This injury forced him to learn to play with his left foot. This in turn allowed him to add some additional options, in that he could use his left hand tapping the cymbals, and still have his right hand free to use the bow! Innovative! Steve is a much sought-after addition to many music groups! And, our very own Scott Stanfield was invited by Mike Marotta to play his drums/bongos during a latin number! And, he did extremely well! Way to go, Scott! We have a new Mascot: his name (a compilation of suggestions submitted by the audience) is "Little Harry (Hairy!) MORGANI"! Harry was donated to the SVAS by Barbara Winter. Thanks, Barbara, and thanks to all the folks who submitted suggestions for his new name! Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Lucille Basso, who died recently. Lucille was a long-time regu-lar attendee at our concerts, and we shall miss her. We are also aware that several of our members are struggling with vari-ous health challenges. We sincerely wish them well, and rapid healing! We are looking for a "Tex-Mex" accordion player/combo. Anyone have any suggestions? My "Parting Shot" for this month is this: Have you ever seen yourself playing your instrument on video? When I was a training coordinator, both Military and civilian, we video-taped instructors' rehearsals and deliveries, followed by critiques. Well, I recently had the Frustrating (!) experience of seeing myself playing a selection on YouTube (Thanks, Pam!!) BAD! So, if you have the opportunity to video-tape yourself playing, do so. You might learn a thing or two!! That's all for now. Please stay safe and well. We hope to see you next month! Bill, President Again.

Bill Tapogna

Marybarbara was our Reporter for this month. You can read her report starting on page 4. Marybarbara is very organized when it comes to the report. You can see how she set up her

“home office” with laptop and mobile desk to capture the report. Lou and Karen Buonomo ran the admis-

sions desk at the meeting. Lou is also one of the stalwart crew who set up the room and sound system before the meeting starts.

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In our fast-paced Silicon Valley world where an ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) ex-istence is the expected norm, not the exception, how do we step back and try to relax and rejuvenate our own lives? Can we even find the time to do this? Summertime, especially in northern California, can offer us the perfect opportunity!

The first Sunday of each month offers us a perfect opportunity to take time away from our desks, not to mention our electronic devices, and to feel the healing effects of great music and moments of cama-raderie from fellow lovers of accordion music. Which brings me to the naked ladies! Also known as Amaryllis belladona, they are wild lilies, whose strikingly pink blossoms with leafless stalks seem to pop out of nowhere along California roadsides during the summer months. Although there were no naked ladies at our July 8 meeting there was plenty to surprise and delight us. Take this past Sunday for example.

Sue Douglas kicked us off with a medley of summertime songs including Featherlight Waltz (a tune she composed herself), You are my Sunshine, Red, Red Robin, and Mexican Hat Dance which naturally reminded me of Mexican jumping beans. Speaking of beans. . .

Plant a bean seed and it will almost certainly grow and pro-duce a generous harvest. Don Savant’s performance treat-ed us to a generous and healthy dose of easy listening jazzy numbers. Doesn’t Don have his own unique style of synco-pation and rhythmic chordal accompaniments, all charac-teristics of great jazz? His rendition of Nature Boy fit right into the summer gar-den theme. We paid no attention to Don when he played Do Nothing Til You Hear from Me. Our assembled crowd then broke into appreciative applause. Luckily we haven’t had much Stormy Weather but we all agreed that indeed we live in a Wonderful World.

It is indeed a wonderful world, espe-cially when Sunday Sev-en entertains us with their well rehearsed numbers. Opening up with several German tunes we quickly moved to the Alpine region of Switzerland with, what else, Alpine Polka! Now you might think that at such high elevation gardens would be difficult to cultivate. Au contraire! Carrots are a particular favorite of Swiss gardeners. Although United States gardening conditions may be very different from the Swiss Alps, we both share the same national pride and the ideology of love and devotion to home-land. America the Beautiful, featured a lovely solo by recorder player, Gloria Tapogna. Of course, July wouldn’t be complete at Harry’s without God Bless America and the tunes included in the Armed Forces Medley. As most backyard gardeners know it doesn’t get any better than eating fresh veggies out of your own backyard garden. . . except possibly when you’re in the audience at Harry’s Hofbrau on a beautiful summer Sunday afternoon.

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Go to FACEBOOK to make comments and upload your photos.

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Silicon Valley Accordion Society: Dues are due

Thank you to our members who have renewed their memberships already. There is still time to renew your membership this month, so if you haven’t sent in your check, this is a good time to take a few minutes and send us your membership

We do not talk in a monotone – but rather with changes in pitch, speed, and volume. Our music should be the same! Rudy Pivk, is well aware and has mastered the skill of combining right hand technique and bellows. Playing a selection of well known jazz and pop songs that included the bolero mambo, Sway and Rocco Granata’s signature song, Marina, Rudi’s skill demonstrated that our hands play the notes and the bellows give them shape. Rudi finished his set with the ever-popular, Jalisco.

We were treated to an unex-pected bonus when Diane Salmon, played her 19 pound green sparkly Serenellini accordion that orig-inally belonged to Mike Marotta senior. Diane was a student of Mike Marotta several years ago and recently returned to studying with Mike. They played duets featuring The Woodpecker Song, Domino and Chitarra Romana. Then it was break time and the raffle.

Always ensuring us a bountiful harvest of beautiful music at just the perfect time to fully enjoy it Mike Ma-rotta (accordionist), Dave Dally (violinist) and Steve Hanson (string bassist) and Oracio Aiello (tenor) were our featured performers. Among their international garden offerings were musical selections from France (La Vie en Rose, L'hymne à L'amour, Non Je Ne Regrette Rien). A baker by trade, the incomparable, operatically talented tenor, Oracio Aiello, brought us La Marseillaise, the national anthem of France. C’est magnifique, Oracio! Our international garden was sprinkled with songs from around the world. You Raise Me Up com-posed by the Irish-Norwegian duo, Secret Garden, again featured Oracio. We weren’t far from Kensington Gar-dens, England when we heard several Beatles’ hits. Spanish heat and gypsy passion were brought to the stage with Habanero, from Bizet’s opera, Carmen. From Spain a selection of Espana Waltzes. Our tour du monde continued with Volare, Delilah and the famous Neapolitan tune Funiculì, Funicula (with Scott Stanfield invited to provide bongo accompaniment!). The group closed out their performance with Sabre Dance, a movement in the final act of Aram Khachaturian's ballet “Gayane”. We could almost feel the sabres whishing by us. What skill and talent! You can hear more from these talented musicians on Thursday evenings at Lugano’s Swiss Bistro located at located 3670 The Barnyard, Carmel-By-The-Sea.

We have long turned to music and gardens for sanctuary from the frenzy and tumult that surrounds us. But, as we well know, both live music and summer gardens stand as restorative, nourishing, necessary havens. Talk to me to hear more about summer gardens! Happy and safe summer to you! BTW - Congrats to Sunday Seven who have been invited to play the Star Spangled Banner at the opening of the Saturday, August 18 San Jose Giants game (the Junior team for the SF Giants.) They will also play Take Me

ACCORDION CLUB MEETING SCHEDULES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Accordion Club of the Redwoods (ACR) meets on the third Monday of every other month beginning in February 2017. Herman & Sons Hall, 860 Western Avenue, Petaluma CA 94952. Contact: (707) 795-4060. Golden State Accordion Club (GSAC) has three divisions: The Napa Valley Chapter meets the second Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM, Runway Restaurant, 2044 Airport Rd, Napa, CA 94558. Contact George Bachich for more information, (707) 738-5276. The Humboldt Club meets on the third Tuesday, 7:00 PM., Humboldt Swiss Club, 5403 Tompkins Hill Road, Loleta, CA 95551. The Sacramento Club meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm at the Elks Lodge No.6,6446 Riverside Blvd, Sacrament,CA.. Contact for all the GSAC: Carole Enneking (707) 864-2359. Good Time Accordion Club (GTAC) meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 PM, Escalon Community Center, 1055 Escalon Ave., Escalon, CA 95320. Contact Ed Sciarini (209) 545-3603. Northern California Accordion Society (NCAS) meets on the first Wednesday of the month 6:30 PM 6365 Douglas Blvd., Lutheran Church Social Hall, Granite Bay, CA 95746. San Francisco Accordion Club (SFAC) meets on the third Sunday of the month 2:00 PM . Chetcuti Community Room, Civic Center Plaza, 450 Poplar Ave., Milbrae, CA 94030 ; Contact Lynn Ewing 650-453-3391. Silicon Valley Accordion Society (SVAS) meets on the first Sunday of the month, 1:00 PM at Harry’s Hofbrau, 390 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, CA 95129. (between Kiely Blvd. and Stevens Creek Blvd. Contact: Bill Topogna (408) 984-5290.

♫ Who’s Playing??? ♫

William DeMichelis - Music with an accent, 408-375-0001, accordionist.sanjose@comcast.net Reno DiBono - plays the second Friday of each month at Montavalle in Scotts Valley, dancing to the Blue Moon Trio. Joe Domitrowich/AlpinersUSA - see www.alpinersusa.com or www.capricious-accordion.com or call 408-255-1259 Happy Days Band - Schedule Concerts with Ken Caple (408) 892-2760 Due Zighi Baci - Schedule Performances with Sheri Mignano at sherimignano@gmail.com Ernie Beran - Plays at the Tyrolean Inn Restaurant in Ben Lomond, CA every Saturday 6:00-9:00 pm Sunday 7 Band - Plays every first Friday of the month in Los Altos in front of Le Boulanger bakery on Main and Second in the down town area. Schedule Concerts with Bob Stanfield (650) 888-3701 Mike Zampiceni - Plays at O Sole Mio restaurant, Millbrae, 6:00-8:30 on Sundays. Also from April - Oct at the Tee Nee Thai restaurant, San Jose, on Friday nights. Gloria Gazave and Paul Aebersold, “Il Duetto Musica” - schedule performances with Paul Aebersold, at mazurkaman@yahoo.com

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ACCORDION TEACHERS:

Peter Di Bono: San Francisco (415) 699-8674

Lynn Ewing: San Carlos (650) 867-2633 ewinglynn@gmail.com Lou Jacklich: San Lorenzo (510) 317-9510 Marian Kelly: Cupertino (650) 954-3711 Mike Zampiceni: Sunnyvale and Hayward (408) 569-2579 Mikezamp.com Ernie Beran: Aptos, (831) 238-4961 reeds@baymoon.com

SVAS BOARD of Directors / Officers

PRESIDENT: BILL TAPOGNA, 408 984-5290

VICE PRESIDENT: LOU BUONOMO, 650 940-1599

SECRETARY: SUE DOUGLAS

TREASURER: BOB STANFIELD , 650 888-3701

PROGRAM SCHEDULE: PAM KAWASHIMA pkawashima@outlook.com

DIRECTORS: SUE DOUGLAS DENNIS JUDD Board Committee Art Maggio Norma Parsons Dick Suidzinski

WEBMASTER: PAM KAWASHIMA pkawashima@outlook.com

NEWSLETTER Editor: SCOTT WILLIAMSON aswy01@gmail.com

NL Reporters: SUE DOUGLAS , MARCIA COULLAHAN, GORGIA SUTHERLAND, MARYBARBARA ZORIO

Coming Events at SVAS: Sunday August 5 , 2017

Meeting : Doors open at 1:00 pm

1:15-1:55 pm Vic & Barbara Jam Band 2:00—2:15 pm Reno Di Bono 2:20—3:00 pm Open Mic - contact Pam 3:00—3:30 pm Break & Raffle Drawing Master of Ceremonies Remarks 3:30—4:30 pm Il Dueto Musica

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September: Nordahl Grieg Leikarring og Spelemannslag,Norwegian Folk Dance group October: Peter Di Bono Trio November: Steve and Mike Trucco December: Joe Domitrowitz

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(Continued from page 5: Society dues now due.)

Platinum: $200 or more. No admission fees for meetings and festivals plus our monthly newsletter. Also free en-try for family members and friends up to 3 adults each month.

Gold: $125 or more. No admission fees for two adults and two free guest passes plus the monthly newsletter.

Regular: $35 or more. Membership for one member and a guest. Requires $5 monthly admission fee per person plus receive our monthly newsletter.

Please renew your membership this month. Our fiscal year is from July 1 to June 30 each year. If you wish to mail in your membership, please provide your name(s), address, phone, email, and indicate if you would like to play your accordion at one of our meetings. Make your check out to SVAS, and mail your membership dues to Silicon Valley Accordion Society, PO Box 1513, Los Altos, CA 94023.

Thank you, in advance, for your support to our club and for helping provide quality entertainment and encourage-ment of accordion music. We do have fun at our meetings! Bob Stanfield, Treasurer & Membership Chair Now the raffle: Bob Stanfield outdid himself (again!) by providing 12 prizes. Dick Z. did a great job sell-ing tickets. The winners included: Arsey, Ray, Robert, Scott, Mike Marrota (Pam picked up a prize for Mike), Norma, our habitual winner Bernie, Marybarbara, Casey and Gloria. Apologies if we’ve lost your name or photo. So many winners, so little time!

From around the accordion world: • We still have discounted tickets available to members for this year’s Cotati Accordion Festival, on August 18

and 19. The discounted price of a one day admission is $15, and $25 for both days. You can read about the event at http://www.cotatifest.com/. Sheri Mignano is the stu-dent stage coordinator—the go-to person for application forms for student scholar-ships. More info at: http://www.cotatifest.com/index.php/11 –schedule-performers?start=12 The forms must be received by July 1st.

• The mystery picture with “ … Break Glass-Save Accordion” is at Bucks Restaurant Silicon Valley in Woodside Village, an upscale hamburger place.

• In the 1960s and 70s, the famous Tour de France bike race was always graced by Yvette Horner, part of the caravan that accompanied the cyclists. Sometimes she played from the roof of a van. She was France’s star accordionist for the entire generation from the 50s to the 90s, and continued recording and playing into this current decade: high-end Paris fashion shows, even the ballet, scores of albums, countless night clubs and concert halls. She passed away last week, and will be missed.

• Just when you’d heard it all for new-style accordions. Nintendo Labo fosters cardboard creations, and holds occasional contests. Recently a solar-powered cardboard accordion won.

https://www.cinemablend.com/games/2451459/nintendo-labo-creators-contest-winners-include-a-solar- powered-switch-accordion

Silicon Valley Accordion Society meetings held first Sunday of each month at Harry's Hofbrau, 390 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, corner of Kiely. Doors open at 1:00, music begins at 1:00 pm. Door fee $5 for members and $ 10.00 for non members, 16 years and under are free. - JOIN THE CLUB - Annual Memberships: Regular $ 35.00, Gold $ 125.00, Platinum $ 200.00

FIRST CLASS POSTAGE ♫

P.O. Box 1513

Los Altos, CA

94023

Newsletter of the