Presidents Message
Dear Friends,
Summer is almost here and with the longer daylight hours I’m hoping to see more of our members turn out for our monthly meetings.
This month our meeting is on June 15, and we will be having another pasta dinner. By request we have added bread to the menu, so bring your appetite and bring a friend or two for a good meal and some good music afterward. It would be very helpful (and thoughtful) if you could notify me or Art Clark, our Reedwood editor, if you plan on attending the dinner. This is a great aid in enabling the cooks to purchase and prepare the correct amount of food for the dinner and eliminates waste and ensures that there will be plenty to eat for everyone.
Speaking of eating, next month for our July meeting we will meet in our usual meeting room on Saturday, July 18, instead of the third Monday. Make a note of this change on your calendar and remind your friends also. It will be an afternoon meeting from 12 PM to 4 PM and food will once again be Italian sausage with peppers and onions with French roll. This has proven to be a very popular choice in the past. Once again we ask you to bring a friend or two and try to let us know in advance of your plans to attend so that we can plan accordingly. Cost will be $8 per person. There will be accordion music, of course, and space for dancing. Even those of you who don’t enjoy night time driving can come to this one as you can be home long before dark.
If our club is to remain healthy, we must have the support of our members when we plan special functions. It takes a lot of hard work by our volunteers in order to staff these events. Even if you are unable to volunteer to work at these events, you can show your support and gratitude to these members by supporting their efforts.
The board is planning some exciting accordion events in the coming year, and we will tell you all about them as we progress in the planning stages. We are also working toward closer ties with our sister clubs. Hopefully some of you have made plans to attend the San Francisco Accordion Club Gala celebrating the 25th anniversary of the rebirth of their club.
A big thank you to our scholarship students, (teacher Marjorie Konrad) who played for us last month. They did their teacher proud, and I have had many complimentary comments from the members who enjoyed their performances in May.
Once again I would like to remind all of our friends belonging to the Petaluma Hermann Sons Lodge that they are invited and welcome to all of our social events, and we look forward to seeing them attend when they are able to do so.
See you all at the pasta feed.
Tony Mustaro
President
Accordion Club of the Redwoods
Another Pasta Feed
Be sure not to miss our pasta feed at our next meeting June 15. We will start serving at 6:30, and YES we will also be serving bread. The price will be $8.00, which includes the wonderful entertainment that will follow.
Club News
New Members
MICHAEL BRAUD and ANDRE FOURNIER both from Petaluma. Welcome aboard, make sure to attend our meetings and enjoy some GREAT music and camaraderie.
Please keep in your thoughts and prayers our members that are ill or recovering from surgery, especially Harry Cannata and John Pordon.
Thank you from Al Gardi
Next Meeting and Band Practice
The ACR Club will have its next meeting on June 15, 2015, 6:30 PM. Band Practice can be held before dinner if members choose. Contact Xavier.
The meeting for July will be SATURDAY, JULY 18, from 12PM to 4PM — NOT JULY 20.
Folks, have you sent in your membership renewal and payment? The yearly dues are $30 for member and spouse, $20 for individual. Our annual membership runs from May 1 through April 30. The Membership Renewal Form is on Page 6. Please list your e-mail address.
JUNE ENTERTAINMENT
Joey Manfredi – age 9
Joey’s playlist was “Cinderella’s Waltz,” “Tony” and “Cotton Candy.” A great job Joey; come back soon!
Max Van Doorin – age 12
Max plays by “Ear” (an ear player?). Max is shy, but his playing was bold with “Beautiful Brown Eyes,” “Pony Boy,” and “First Waltz.” Great job Max; you and your ears can come back anytime!
Susannah Leon – age 12
Susannah just gets better and better. She gets up 5:30 every school morning to practice her accordion then off to school and after school, baseball. Susannah dazzled us with “Fur Elise,” “The Picnic Waltz” and “Sparkling.” For an encore, she played “Dark Eyes.”
Great job Susannah as always!
My first song was, “Si j’étais resté célibataire” by André Verchurin. (If I Had Stayed Single), followed by “Reine de musette,” (The Queen of Musette) recorded by Yvette Horner. You may enjoy Googling both songs. Sheri Mignano and I then played “Paris dans chaque faubourg,” (In Paris and in Every Neighborhood) by Clair-Jabert. Our second song together was a ‘Whiter Shade of Pale,” based on a Bach aria by a group called “Procal Harem” in the sixties. My sincere thanks to Sheri for being such a great jam partner.
“Paris dans chaque faubourg,” an enchanting waltz that transports listeners to all the favorite neighborhoods in Paris.
Sheri’s French pieces:
“Sous les toits de Paris,” (Under the Roofs of Paris). This was the theme song from the first French talking film in 1927.
“Retour des hirondelles,” (The Return of the Swallows) with lots of fluttery arpeggios. It was a favorite of all the musette players.
George played three beautiful pieces, “Star Dust Melodie,” “What a Difference a Day Makes,” then ending with “Besame Mucho.” George, we need to hear from you more often.
Wow, the thrills just come gushing out of this Guy! Keeping track of what tunes and songs he played was an impossible task. But I tried. He started with “Doll Waltz,” then with “To Think You Chose Me,” “Con Te Partiro” (time to say goodbye), “Mattinata,” “Theme from Titanic,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Ave Maria” (by Shubert), “Cumparsita,” “Diana” (for Diana Santi), “a German drinking song,” “Cabaret,” “Under Paris Skies” (with Sheri Magnano), “Tra Veglia e Sonno,” “Write Myself a Letter,” “All of Me,” and some Russian tune. The hits just kept on coming, what a night!
Anthony Berger in Denver
Our Anthony was in the whole musical of Les Miserables, but only played his accordion in the Master of the House (the pub) scene.
Here is one of him with his accordion headed down to the stage where he performed in Denver in front of 5,000 people! He had a bit part but still, so much fun!
