The Texas Accordion Association is putting together an exciting enhancement for its 2001 Festival.

All accordionists are invited to join the "World Accordion Orchestra" to be directed by Gary Daverne, from Auckland, New Zealand, and....
Follow That Dream... Texas Style!

The orchestra will meet on Saturday March, 3rd, and give its first performance the very next day at the North Texas Irish Festival, which attracts in excess of 10,000 people at any one time in front of the concert stage!

The group will then perform three concerts while on the road in the state of Texas, arriving in the Dallas area to join the Texas Accordion Association Annual Convention in Plano, where they will perform three additional concerts.

Final pricing details are being formulated, and full details will be able to be found at www.accordions.com/taa very soon. Meanwhile, all interested parties should contact TAA President Norman Seaton for details.

Texas Facts and Figures

Texas became the 28th state to join the United States on December 29, 1845.
The capital city of Texas is Austin, named for the Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin. The Texas State Capitol is 313-feet tall and is made of pink granite. It was built in 1888.

Texas is the second-largest state in the United States with 261,914 square miles. Population 20.1 million.

Principal products Manufactured goods include chemical and allied products, petroleum and coal products, food and kindred products and transportation equipment. Farm products include cattle, grain sorghums, cotton lint and seed, wheat, rice and dairy products. Minerals include petroleum, natural gas and natural gas liquids.

The financial industry includes 877 banks with deposits totaling $168.2 billion; 37 savings and loan companies with assets totaling $54.4 billion; and savings banks with assets totaling $7.8 billion. The agriculture industry includes 205,000 farms with a total of 127,100,000 acres.

You can experience all of this first hand, as you 'Follow That Dream, Texas Style', and perform in the World Accordion Orchestra, under the direction of Gary Daverne. Stay tuned for further details.

Gary Dahl, a former commercial pilot and flight instructor, is currently active as an accordionist, composer, arranger, recording artist and educator residing in Puyallup, Washington. He is certified by the American Accordionist's Association and received a BA degree from the University of Washington with a minor in music theory and harmony. Mr. Dahl's students have been consistent winners in National/State competitions and many have achieved professional status.

Gary's publications include: Jazz Accordion Solos, Clifton Chenier The King of Zydeco, French Tangos for Accordion, Tex-Mex Conjunto Classics for Accordion, German Favorites, Polka Favorites, Ragtime Favorites, Divine Hymns and Italian Favorites for Accordion.

In addition, his HARMONY AND CHORD APPLICATIONS COURSE is a 59 page tutorial course that will guide chord memorization using logical sequences.

This is the only effective chord memorization course ever written that uses etudes and practice tunes as it introduces each type of chord. Graduates will enjoy the ability to read a lead sheet, compose their own arrangements and improvise effectively. The average student will become proficient in 6 to 12 months and will experience a dramatic improvement in all areas of musicianship.

For more information, we invite you to visit Gary on-line at www.accordions.com/garydahl where you read reviews by well-known jazz legends Frank Marocco and Art Van Damme, listen to sound files and find information on ordering.
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On Saturday, August 26th, The "K" Trio performed the World premiere of Dr. William Schimmel's "Kosovo: Land of Broken Dreams" at the Tenri Cultural Institute, 575 Broadway, Soho, New York. Attending the premiere was the composer, who has been a life-long friend and colleague of the trio's members. He introduced the performers as he remembered them as youngsters . . . Mary Joan Kasprzyk, Julie Ann Kasprzyk, and Walter Kasprzyk . . . and . . . as they are known today . . . The "K" Trio.

The selection was written expressly for The "K" Trio, and was received with great enthusiasm by all in attendance. The number will be included on the group's next CD, and with an added art-form, will be performed again in New York and Connecticut some time in 2001. Micki Goodman, a world-renowned choreographer/dancer will be the featured dance impressionist.

The trio recently returned home from guest artist appearances in Washington, DC for the American Accordionists' Association Festival, and from Chicago for the Accordionists and Teachers Guild Festival, and will be appearing at the Paramount Theater in Peekskill, New York on October 15th.

The group will be making guest appearances for the 2000-2001 concert season in Australia, New Zealand, Texas, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. For more information on The "K" Trio's local appearances, CD releases, or booking information, check their website at www.ktrio.com , or contact Mary Tokarski at 203-239-2232.

Due to a series of mishaps, my Accordion Sonata, commissioned by the American Accordion Association, was published before I had a chance to hear it performed.

After hearing it in concert I decided to make some changes as I usually do after hearing a work for the first time. I will be happy to replace any the old version with the revised version free of charge for anyone who will send me the old version along with a SASE to:

Robert Baksa
P.O.Box 424
Kinderhook, NY 12106
USA

The University of Missouri - Kansas City Accordion Orchestra, under the direction of Joan Cochran Sommers will perform at an important fundraiser on October 7, raising money for the Scholarship funds at the University.

To be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, this is the second time the orchestra has been invited to perform at this event.

The orchestra will also be performing Annual American Family Christmas Concert (celebrating its 25th Anniversary) and of course the 40th Anniversary Concert to be held on April 29th, 2001.

Last week, the UMKC Accordion Orchestra performed the Commissioned Piece "Out of Crooked Timber..." for Accordion Orchestra and Solo by Paul Rudy at a composers showcase concert.

Milwaukee based accordionist Stas Venglevski will tour the western United States in November giving concerts in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle from November 5th - 14th, 2000.

His keyboard artistry, dazzling technical command, and sensitivity have brought 'Stas' Venglevski, a native of the Republic of Moldova, part of the former Soviet Union, increasing acclaim as a virtuoso of the bayan. A two-time first prize winner of bayan competition in the Republic of Moldova, Stas is a graduate of the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow where he received his masters Degree in Music under the tutelage of the famed Russian bayanist, Friedrich Lips. In 1992 he emigrated to the United States.

Stas' repertoire is an astonishing collection of virtuoso works by Bach, Weber, Liszt, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, as well as contemporary and ethnic music. He has toured extensively throughout the former soviet Union, Europe, and the United States. He also performs frequently in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his home in America, and is a regular participant in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Arts in Community education program (ACE) and in Milwaukee theater productions.

The brilliant artistry and musical virtuosity of Stas afford an expanded dimension in music and an innovative musical adventure to the audience.

For information his upcoming concerts, please refer to the November Calendar, or for information about scheduling performances or lessons you can contact Stas at:

Stas Venglevski
2955 South 93rd Street
West Allis, WI 53227 USA
Phone: (414) 961-9803 or (414) 543-7714
E-mail: stas.venglevski@gte.net or you can contact Joe Petosa at petacc@aol.com

This is the ''Kravtzov'' keyboard accordion.

This system intends to give the piano keyboard player, some similarities to the chromatic (button) accordion. The keyboard allows a larger octave stretch, some alternate fingering etc...

The shape of the keys allows you to play new types of glissando. You can have 10 sounds out of 12 instead of the usual 7 out of 12. Below is a diagram of the keyboard.