ALL ABOARD – Final Call For Accordion Cruise

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Accordion, Accordion Ensemble

Honors Accordion Cruise Details (Click here)

Hi Accordion Bloggers,

I normally do not infringe on your privacy – but this is the FINAL CALL for the Accordion Cruise. We have space for 10 to 15 more accordionists and also looking for a drummer!

Aug 7th is the final “cabin rate” guarantee date – though you can still catch specials after that date and the Registration Cut off date is Sept 15. The parts are being distributed NOW!

Sun. Nov. 6 to Sun Nov 13 (USA – VOTE EARLY!) 7 – Day cruise – Royal Caribbean – Liberty of the Seas – Port – Galveston TX – Itinerary – Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

Registration Form and Cruise Group Booking Information:
https://shelialee.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/honors-accordion-ensemble-cruise/

Be part of a FIRST – First International Accordion Orchestra under the direction of Stas Venglevski – to perform on a Cruise Ship!! We will rehearse on the AT SEA days and be free to explore the ports on port days. The General Orchestra will be performing ON BOARD for over 4300 passengers and the Chamber Orchestra will be performing in Downtown Houston on the Return Sunday evening with Stas Venglevski in Concert.

Please plan to join the FUN! (And escape all the USA Election Hype!)

The planned program:

General Orchestra

1. Classical Ouverture – Joerg Draeger
2. Memory – Andrew Lloyd Webber
3. Giro d’Italia – Medley
4. La Plaza De Toros – Luigi Rattaggi
5. Pasadena – Jacob de Haan
6. Irish Dream – Kurt Gaeble
7. Beautiful Waltz – Stas Venglevski
8. Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison (My arrangement)
9. The Lion Sleeps Tonight – Solomon Linda (My Arrangement)
10. Big Chuich Tarantella – Stas Venglevski

Chamber Orchestra

1. Concerto a-moll – Josef Bodin de Boismortier
2. Neuveville 25 – Sophie Valceschini
3. Contradiction – Sophie Valceschini
4. Russische Fantasi – Joerg Draeger

Thanks – See you On Board – Shelia Lee

Tinikling – Philippine Bamboo Dance

Tags

Accordion, Accordion Duets, Accordion Sheetmusic, Accordion Solos

Tinikling – Accordion Solo/Duet

I have had more fun with this song – and even as an ensemble. Purchase 2 bamboo sticks you are in business. Get a few members of your accordion band to watch a few videos and then they can PLAY THE BAMBOO while you invite the audience to participate.

Be ready for a Cardio – Workout!!! This is more fun than Jump Rope!

This is a Pietro Diero Jr arrangement.

• Tinikling1stpg1
• Tinikling1stpg2
• Tinikling1stpg3
• Tinikling2ndpg1
• Tinikling2ndpg2
• Tinikling2ndpg3

About the Song:

Tinikling is a traditional Philippine dance which originated during the Spanish colonial era. The dance involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles in a dance. It is traditionally danced to rondalla music, a sort of serenade played by an ensemble of stringed instruments which originated in Spain during the Middle Ages.

The dance originated in Leyte, an island in the Visayas in the central Philippines. It imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird’s legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles.

New Posts in May 2016

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Accordion, Accordion Duet, Accordion Sheetmusic, Accordion Solos

See what You missed if you don’t Subscribe!!!

In May – I was really busy working on the arrangements for the ATG Prep Orchestra, planning the Accordion Cruise for this coming November, working hard on the Certificate Program Levels, and the Bi-Monthly LIVE lessons that went LIVE MAY 2, 2016. 8 PM Central Daylight Savings Standard US time. (Session 1B – Live Monday June 6 – 8 pm)

Here are the songs that were posted in May:

1. All I Have to Do is Dream (1958) Solo/Ensemble
2. Camptown Twist Ensemble
3. Chicagoland Twirl Page 2 (Polka by Yakovic)
   1. Chicagoland Twirl Page 1
4. Saltarella Tarantella
   1. Saltarella in G (written for Diatonic Accordion)
5. Ballad of the Green Berets (Solo/Duet)
6. A Teenager in Love BH – (Sight Reading from Live Lesson)
7. The Old Piano Roll Blues – arr. by Bob Butchart
8. Madame Butterfly selection (furnished by Alan Sissons)
9. L’Ultima Parola Tango (furnished by Alan Sissons)
10. Arrangements by Dunday
    1. Piano Man
    2. Yesterday
    3. Pearly Shells
    4. Tiny Bubbles
    5. Aloha ‘Oe
    6. I Love Paris
11. There’s Something About That Name
12. Macarena
13. Hukilau

A Review from April:

• I Walk the Line
• Happy Days Theme (Quartet)

Live Videos of Some of the Ensemble Arrangements on this site performed by The Norwich Accordion Band in England:

• Hey Jude
• Oh, Pretty Woman
• The Rose

Live Videos of Some of the Solo Arrangements on this site performed by Dr. Alan Sissons (please send me your videos and I will feature them too!)

• Dream a Little Dream of Me
• He
• Summertime

Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration

Collection of Music for playing in the Gazebo

Leavenworth Gazebo Music 2016

Tags

Accordion, Accordion Duets, Accordion Sheetmusic, Accordion Solos

PDF’s for Leavenworth Gazebo Music

We have people from our Accordion Club here in the Houston, TX area – that Travel all the way to Washington to attend this Accordion Celebration. They also have a competition for all ages!

Check it out: http://www.accordioncelebration.org/

They have greatly increased the number of songs they have included in their Gazebo Music collection. Here is a list of the songs for this year:

Leavenworth Gig Book 2016

1. Ach! Du Leiber Augustin
2. Alle Vogel sind schon da
3. Basaglieri Polka
4. Bella Mia
5. Beer Barrel Polka (Key of G)
6. Bury Me Not (DUET)
7. Can-Can (Gallop from Orpheus) (DUET)
8. Chicken Dance
9. Country Garden (DUET)
10. Die Musica
11. Edelweiss
12. Entertainer, The
13. Freut Euch Des Lebens
14. Give Me My Heart Back
15. God Bless America (DUET)
16. Greet Them At Home
17. Happy Wanderer
18. Hasselbysteppen
19. Hejsan Grabbar
20. It’s a Small World (DUET)
21. Joan Pa Snippen
22. Just Because
23. La Golondrina (DUET)
24. Life in the Finnish Woods
25. Lili Marlene
26. Pa Stattern
27. Put Your Arms Around Me
28. Red Raven Polka
29. Redwing
30. Saturday Waltz
31. Scotland the Brave (DUET)
32. Snow Waltz
33. Sunrise, Sunset
34. Trink, Bruderlein Trink
35. Waltzing Matilda (DUET)
36. Westphalia Waltz
37. When It’s Springtime in the Rockies
38. Wooden Heart
39. Worried Man Blues (DUET)

 

Arrangements by Dundy

Tags

Accordion, Accordion Duets, Accordion Ensemble, Accordion Sheetmusic, Accordion Solos

Dundy Aipoalani has arranged some level 2 & 3 Solos!!

Thank you Dundy – these are great arrangements. He has a Roland Fr8x – so some even have the settings on the top of the song!!!

Please enjoy. This was really nice of him to share his arrangements

• The colored notes in the print out – remind you of the key signature!!
• AND if you have a difficult time with his bass styles – just play straight basses using his cues.
• The dotted curved lines in the bass line are just to remind the player that the chord will remain the same for the rest of the measure.

• Yesterday – Beatles 1965 (Solo/Duet/Trio) Solo level 3 – Duet Level 2.5
  • The melody is written in two part harmony. Separate these for 1st & 2nd (instant duet) – then add a bass player on the bass line – and you have a trio!
• Piano man 2 verses with lyrics – Billy Joel 1973 – Solo Level 4
  
  • the bass style is: Hold the bass – then tap each chord and release the bass when you have played the 2nd chord. The Intro is a KILLER – but the other runs can be done!
• I Love Paris arr. Dundy – Solo Level 2.5
  • the bass style is: no holding of bass under the chord – just hold it longer
• Aloha ‘Oe – Farewell to Thee Solo level 2.5
  • the bass style is: Play the bass – hold it down and ADD the CHORD then release them together
• Pearly Shells – Solo Level 3.5
  • the bass style is: Play the bass on the count then add the chord and re-hit the bass on the and of 2 or 4.
• Tiny Bubbles – Don Ho 1966 Solo Level 2.5
  • This has a really cool bouncy bass line!!!

Dundy also has many more and some great Christmas Music – I will post later.

All I Have to do is Dream – Solo/Ensemble

Tags

Accordion, Accordion Ensemble, Accordion Sheetmusic, Accordion Solos

By the Everly Brothers – 1958

I vote this song into the 1960’s!!!! I still get requests for this song – even today!!! It is ranked No. 142 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

• All I Have to do is Dream_Acc_1_with_basses (Solo)
• All I Have to do is Dream_Acc_1
• All I Have to do is Dream_Acc_2
• All I Have to do is Dream_Acc_3
• All I Have to do is Dream_Acc_4
• All I Have to do is Dream_Bass_Acc_treble_clef

This was sent to me by Dr Alan Sissons. Sorry there is no score.

About the Song:

“All I Have to Do Is Dream” is a popular song made famous by the Everly Brothers, written by the husband and wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and published in 1958. It was named one of the “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll” by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2004.

The Ballad of the Green Berets – Solo/Duet

Tags

Accordion, Accordion Duet, Accordion Sheetmusic, Accordion Solos

The Ballad of the Green Berets – Barry Sadler & Robin Moore – 1966

I had a request for an accordion arrangement for this – and I went ahead and created a duet part as well.

The song has a strong military style drum line – so I tried to emulate this with the various bass styles. If you have difficulty with the bass drone – then simply play C, G7 or F bass instead (see the same chord structure pattern in the chorus)

ALSO – some of the “fanfare” chords from the 2nd part can be added when you play it as a solo!

I am adding this to the Playlist with the Patriotic Songs!!!

Ballad of the Green Berets Duet

About the Song:

“The Ballad of the Green Berets” is a patriotic song in the ballad style about the Green Berets, an elite special force in the U.S. Army. It is one of the very few songs of the 1960s to cast the military in a positive light and in 1966 it became a major hit, reaching No. 1 for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and four weeks on Cashbox. Ultimately, the song was named Billboard’s #1 single for the year 1966. It was also a crossover smash, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart and No. 2 on Billboard’s Country survey.

The song was written by Robin Moore and Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler, while the latter was recuperating from a leg wound suffered as a medic in the Vietnam War. Moore also wrote a book, The Green Berets, about the force. The tune itself is borrowed from the traditional American folk song “The Butcher Boy”.

The lyrics were written in honor of Green Beret James Gabriel, Jr., the first native Hawaiian who died in Vietnam, who was executed by the Viet Cong while on a training mission on April 8, 1962. One verse was written in honor of Gabriel, but it never made it into the final version.

Sadler debuted the song on television on January 30, 1966 on The Ed Sullivan Show.

 

ATG – 76th Annual Accordion Festival

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Accordion, Accordion Ensemble, Accordion Sheetmusic

ATG Prep Group

http://www.accordions.com/atg/

Please plan to attend this year! AND take part with the Prep Group. There is nothing MORE FUN than to grab your accordion friends – and play together.

I am writing these arrangements especially for the ATG (Accordion Teacher’s Guild) in July 2016 in Chicago – where I will be conducting and teaching these arrangements! They are calling this the “Prep Group” – where they are encouraging the beginner to advanced intermediate accordionists with little or no experience playing with any kind of ensembles to have the opportunity to play with a group!!! AND this is for those of you that feel you are not GOOD ENOUGH to perform with the Festival Orchestra.

There is NO OBLIGATION to perform – this is only a rehearsal group! We will rehearse for 2 hours on Thursday and 2 hours on Friday. (I don’t believe you will miss any other workshops!)

• Lollipop – The Chordettes 1958 (Thurs)
• Surfin’ USA (Trio) – Beach Boys 1963 (Thurs)
• Hey Jude – Beatles 1968 (Thurs-Fri)
• Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond 1969 (Fri)
• The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel 1964 (Fri)

If it is RED – then the link is live to the parts. I will have the rest available within the next few weeks. Please select the HARDEST part you will have time to learn and PLEASE KEEP the same part for all the songs. If you play at the Palmer Hughes BK 4 or higher level – please select the parts with left hand (4th). I will only ask a few of you to actually play left hand! Surfin’ USA is only a Trio – so those that selected 3rd parts – please take 1st on this one and those that selected 4th parts please take 3rd on this one.

AND if these parts still look too hard to you – I am working to create 1 part for each that is REAL EASY – with NO 8th notes! – SOOO – email me (slee@shelialee.com) and I will send you those special parts! slee@shelialee.com I want EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE!

AND remember – this could be your first time ever playing with a group – I PROMISE to make it FUN and you WILL LEARN A LOT! So do your best to learn the notes and review the practice tips at each link – and I will pull the rest together!!

You will pay a $5 fee for this music (on the ATG Registration Form) – This $5 will be my only compensation. The ATG Board is afraid this is NEW and no one will participate. Let’s please prove them wrong – sign up and download the music!!!

I will see you in Chicago!!

Theme to Happy Days (Quartet)

Tags

Accordion, Accordion Ensemble, Accordion Sheetmusic

Happy Days TV Show – 1975

I posted this as a Trio last year – under a lesson and I think NO ONE KNOWS it was there!!!  SO here it is on it’s own page and I turned it into a Quartet. AND I wrote the SAME bass line on all the parts. You can decide which section is to play the basses (only one section needed) AND SEEING the basses – really does help with the counting even if you do not play the basses!!

ALSO – this July 2016 – In Chicago – at the ATG CONVENTION – I will be conducting a PREP GROUP. This is designed for those accordionists that don’t feel they can play good enough to be in the Convention Orchestra or have no experience with group playing.

We will be doing some FUN SONGS – and this is the first of them!!!

• Happy Days 1st Solo (Quartet)
• Happy Days 2nd (Quartet)
• Happy Days 3rd (Quartet)
• Happy Days 4th (Quartet)
• Happy Days Quartet Score

So here are some practice hints for the player and the conductor.

1. DO NOT PLAY LEGATO – even on the opening runs – play them “full value” but release after each note and between measures – even practice as a group STOPPING AT EACH MEASURE!!
2. Measure #10 – 1st are to release their note – after the other parts have COMPLETED their 3rd NOTE! (Count 4 is only the other parts)
3. Section #11 – YES – the 1st & 3rd can play Legato – (after they have HEARD it done detached – so they stay together)
4. Section #19 – Mearue #19 & #20 – 1st – WATCH OUT – You will hit SQUARE on the 3rd count! AND all parts are back to NO LEGATO!
5. Section #27 – 1st & 3rds can play Legato (after they have HEARD it done detached – so they stay together) 2nds can smush it all they want!!! You can even encourage them to FAKE some rhythmic patterns on their chords!!
6. Section #19 WILL REPEAT – then you do the D.C. to the Coda
7. Section #35 (CODA) – can be legato again for 1st & 3rds. EXCEPT – the Last 2 measures – every part NEED TO DETACH – almost ACCENT EACH NOTE!

 

Honors Accordion Ensemble Cruise

Tags

Accordion, Accordion Ensemble

Honors Accordion Cruise Sun. Nov. 6 to Sun. Nov. 13, 2016 out of Port Galveston TX. (Houston TX)

Yes – IT IS OFFICIAL!!

We are SO EXCITED to announce that – Stas Venglevski will be the DIRECTOR for this inaugural ALL ORCHESTRA Retreat. Please plan now! Though EVERYONE IS INVITED – we have to cut off the number of Accordionists to 50! The arrangements will accommodate ALL LEVEL ACCORDIONISTS!

DON’T WAIT – Book your cruise cabin direct with Royal Caribbean – 800-465-3595 – Group # 2013714 – “Honors Accordion Cruise” Our Inside & Window Cabin Rates are guaranteed until Aug 7 and ask about 50% discount for 2nd in Balcony cabin! (the posted rates expired already!)

This retreat is designed for the serious accordion ensemble accordionists. We will be learning and performing light POP to Classical material specially arranged by Stas and Shelia Lee – All designed for the final CONCERT ON BOARD the Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas! Here is the selected program and parts are being emailed NOW!

General Orchestra

1. Classical Ouverture – Joerg Draeger
2. Memory – Andrew Lloyd Webber
3. Giro d’Italia – Medley
4. La Plaza De Toros – Luigi Rattaggi
5. Pasadena – Jacob de Haan
6. Irish Dream – Kurt Gaeble
7. Beautiful Waltz – Stas Venglevski
8. Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
9. The Lion Sleeps Tonight – Solomon Linda
10. Big Chuich Tarantella – Stas Venglevski

Chamber Orchestra

1. Concerto a-moll – Josef Bodin de Boismortier
2. Neuveville 25 – Sophie Valceschini
3. Contradiction – Sophie Valceschini
4. Russische Fantasi – Joerg Draeger

We plan rehearsals on AT SEA days and YOU ARE FREE on PORT DAYS!

Royal Caribbean has invited us to perform our final concert ON BOARD the ship! (not part of their Talent Show!)

There is also an additional Concert the Final Sunday Night in Houston featuring Stas in CONCERT! (If you desire to stay over another night in Houston)

A BONUS – Stas is personally inviting accordionists to be part of his CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (that will have their own rehearsal schedule). This group will  stay and perform with him in Houston.

ALSO – each evening – following the last rehearsal – there will be an opportunity to SHOW OFF – so bring your music and plan to perform with your personal ensembles!

Registration opens April 1 – $150 Registration Form (chrg for Accordionist only) – Link to follow

$250 deposit per person ($500 per cabin) – 100% refundable until due date –  will hold your reservation until Aug. 7 when the balance is due. YOU CAN PERSONALLY SELECT YOUR CABIN!! 25 are already booked ! We can use 10 to 12 more accordionists and need a drummer!!

Registration Fee – $150 – pay direct to Honors Accordion. Non-accordionists – NO Charge. Link to Registration Form –2016 Honors Accordion Orchestra Cruise Enrollment Form

If you have any questions – please call Shelia Lee at 281-788-6667 or email her at slee@shelialee.com or go to the website – www.accordionhonors.com

Print This Flyer and give to your Accordion Friends – AccordionCruise2016-4-5NewRates