Squeezins October 2016 Page 1 the Prez Sez Board of Directors Barbara Duer PRESIDENT Barbara Duer 100010 Hefner Village Terrace Hello Everyone

Volume 16, Issue 3 October 2016 SQUEEZINS "Our squeezin’...is pleasin’"

The Oklahoma Accordion Club Newsletter

Congratulations, Job

Job Elliott is a We are very proud of student of Dick this young man, and Albreski. He began trust he will continue his accordion to share his talent lessons at Dick’s with the accordion studio, Just world. Job is 17 Accordions, in years old, loves November of 2009. playing Frosini, and Job has faithfully just bought his first attended classes, midi-accordion. and always Congratulations, dedicated himself to Job, and we look playing his very forward to hearing best. He recently more from you in celebrated a the future. milestone by • Courtesy of the completing all 10 of Accordion Teachers the Palmer-Hughes Guild, accordion course International books.

October Meeting

The July meeting will be held on shy about playing alone, some of us will play Sunday, October 9, at 3:30 pm. with you. As usual, the meeting will be held at the Members are invited to bring snacks for Messiah Lutheran Church. The church is everyone. located on the southeast corner of Northwest After the individual and group Expressway and Portland in Oklahoma City. performances, we will have a jam session. Everyone is encouraged to come, and All are welcome to join in on the fun! everyone is encouraged to perform. If you are

The Oklahoma Squeezins October 2016 Page 1 The Prez Sez Board of Directors Barbara Duer PRESIDENT Barbara Duer 100010 Hefner Village Terrace Hello everyone. The Club has been busy for several months with Oklahoma City, OK 73162 the August Concert and Septemberfest, and both events were very 405/721-9657 successful. In October we will celebrate Oktoberfest with polkas and [email protected] ethnic music, or any other music you would like to play. Our next special event will be the annual Christmas Party. ACTING VICE-PRESIDENT Tom Phillips Holdenville, OK I’m covering Frankie Yankovic this month and next. He was an 405/712-1240 important figure in advancing interest in the accordion, especially [email protected] Slovenian style polkas. Frankie Yankovic was born July 28, 1915, in Davis, West TREASURER Virginia, and died October 14, 1998, in New Port Richey, Florida. Milo Shedeck He was a Grammy Award-winning polka musician. Known as 12805 Castlerock Court "America's Polka King," Yankovic was considered the premier artist Oklahoma City, OK 73142 to play in the Slovenian style during his long career. [email protected] Born to Slovenian immigrant parents, Yankovic was raised in SECRETARY South Euclid, Ohio. He released over 200 recordings in his career. Maggie Abel In 1986 he was awarded the first ever Grammy in the “Best Polka Oklahoma City, OK Recording” category. He rarely strayed from the Slovenian-style [email protected] polka, but did record with country guitarist Chet Atkins and pop singer Don Everly. He also recorded a version of the “Too Fat HISTORIAN/LIBRARIAN Polka” with comedian Drew Carey. Karen West Oklahoma City, OK Yankovic's father, a blacksmith, and his mother, a cook, met in a [email protected] lumber camp in West Virginia where they both worked. When Yankovic was young, his father moved to Cleveland to escape PAST PRESIDENT authorities who learned of his bootlegging, and the rest of the family Dick Albreski followed shortly thereafter. While living in Cleveland, he became Oklahoma City, OK enthralled by the brass bands that played at Slovenian social [email protected] functions. His mother took on boarders to help with the family NEWSLETTER EDITOR finances, including a man named Max Zelodec who performed Frank Gesinski Slovenian tunes on a button box. Yankovic acquired an accordion at 8035 South Irvington age 9, and received a few lessons from Zelodec. By the late 1920s, Tulsa, OK 74136-8404 in his early teenage years, he was a working musician, playing for 918/492-1715 community events. In the 1930s, he formed a business relationship [email protected] with Joe Trolli, and began making radio appearances on stations such as WJAY and WGAR. As his reputation spread, he sought WEBMASTER opportunities to make phonograph records, but the major labels Diana Richard [email protected] turned him down. His first records were made for the Yankee and Joliet labels, operated by Fred Wolf, and the expenses were paid for WEBSITE by Yankovic himself. http://www.okaccordions.com/

Videos of Frankie and his band https://youtu.be/__9xyJ1Oouo “Who Stole the Kishka” Lifetime Members https://youtu.be/uA6S1KNfW_o “Just Because” • Jim & June Butricks • Barbara • William “Rusty” Dolton • Janet Haskin Q. What's the difference between an accordion and a • Roland Lohmann trampoline? A. You should take your shoes off before jumping on a • Frankie Martinez trampoline. • Bob Mansﬁeld Q. What's the difference between an accordion and an • Tom Phillips onion? • Phil Scibelli A. People cry when you chop up an onion. • Ophelia Woody

Page 2 October 2016 The Oklahoma Squeezins Mark Your Calendars Dick Albreski

October Oklahoma Accordion Club CANDY EXCHANGE. Here’s your meeting will be held on October 9, 2016, chance to receive. All members are urged from 3:30 to 5:30 pm at the Messiah to bring sweets that can be exchanged and Lutheran Church. Without your enjoyed by members and guests. This has attendance, there can be no meeting. proven to be one of the best meetings of the year. No, I didn’t forget. There will November Oklahoma Accordion Club be lots and lots of accordion music. See meeting will be held on November13, you there. 2016, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm at the Messiah Lutheran Church. You could be For the Future: The National the main attraction, so be there. Accordion Association will hold its annual convention March 8 to 11, 2017, at December Oklahoma Accordion Club the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Richardson, meeting will hold its annual “The Gift of Texas. This is their 30th anniversary Giving” meeting. We not only give, but meeting. You must mark your calendars also receive. All members are urged to for this event. As accordionists, you bring hats, gloves, scarves, and socks that cannot afford to miss this one. More to can be donated to the homeless. In follow on this great event. addition, we will have an auction, and all funds received from the auction are given Look for more accordion events in future to the Youth Program in our Club. Last issues of Squeezins. and perhaps the best, A COOKIE AND

Happy Birthday Wishes to the following OAC members: Karen West, October 8

Jocelyn Pedersen, October 25

Your birthdate is collected from your OAC membership application, if you have chosen to include it. If your birthdate is not listed on our newsletter birthday page during the year, please contact Karen West at 405/949-0394, or at [email protected].

The Oklahoma Squeezins October 2016 Page 3 Septemberfest Meeting Maggie Abel

Septemberfest Meeting - “Karlstad Ball,” a schottische, a Rhinelander that was more like a polka Oklahoma Accordion Club - “Edelweiss” played as a song-along September 11, 2016 - “’S ist alles dunkel, 's ist alles trübe,” with German vocals. The aroma of tasty German dishes greeted 22 members and two guests at the OAC’s Oktoberfest • Chuck Vodicka and Dick Albreski played “Let’s meeting. Some of the treats were bratwurst, Polka.” Nathan’s hot dogs, German potato salad, red • Wayne Turgeon played “County Fair.” cabbage, sauerkraut, strudel, and apple pies with • Past President Dick Albreski played a patriotic beautiful latticework crusts. medley in remembrance of the 9/11 event whose • Club President Barbara Duer presented a anniversary is today. Included were “The Star membership badge to Toni Paulding and a Spangled Banner” and “Columbia the Gem of lifetime membership badge to Ophelia Woody. the Ocean.” • Barbara said the August concert was a great • Bob offered a practice and performance tip: success, and she initiated a discussion of tweaks Place the music stand with your sheet music over for future concerts. to the side where you can occasionally glance at • The concert went 45 minutes longer than the it, but you will not always be tempted to rely on expected time of two hours. Ideas included it while playing. efficient movement of microphones and stands as • The Flashmob (director Larry Gering, Tony players enter and leave the stage, each player Paulding, Karen West, Lois Roth, Barbara Duer, sticking to a five-minute limit, and refraining Maggie Abel, accompanied by Janet Haskin, from introducing Flashmob members first to Annette Zongker, Mary Hojem, and Ophelia maintain the element of surprise. Proposed was Woody) played “Hofbrauhaus,” “Schutzenliesel,” a comment folder that anyone can contribute to. and “Das Kufsteiner Lied Walzer,” along with • Historian Karen West had arranged poster board three songs made famous by Elvis Presley: displays of news and magazine articles published “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Are You Lonesome before and after the 2016 concert. Tonight?” and “Hound Dog.” • As people ate, members entertained: Members are reminded to be accumulating items for the Christmas meeting raffle and auction. • Bob Mansfield played: - “In muchen stet ein hofbrauhaus” and “Du • Maggie Du” (“You Can’t Be True”), both with German vocals

Q. What do you get when you toss an Q. When does a accordion player sound accordion off a tall building? the best? A. Applause. A. When the tune is over.

Q. Why do some people have an instant Q. What's the definition of a gentleman? aversion to accordion players? A. Someone who knows how to play the A. It saves time in the long run. accordion and doesn't.

Page 4 October 2016 The Oklahoma Squeezins Septemberfest Meeting Maggie Abel, Diana Richard

The Oklahoma Squeezins October 2016 Page 5 Septemberfest Meeting Maggie Abel, Diana Richard

Page 6 October 2016 The Oklahoma Squeezins The Oklahoma Squeezins October 2016 Page 7 Advertisements

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Page 8 October 2016 The Oklahoma Squeezins