1 14th Annual Las Vegas International Accordion Convention Volume 14, Number 1 / Spring 2013 LVAC TIMES Seeking Joey Miskulin Gee Rabe Accordion Stars! Hall of fame accordionist & Grammy Ethnomusicologist Gigi "Gee" Rabe, Award-winning Producer. also known as “The Accordion Diva,” You could be the new Accordion Star! Joey is a true legend whose Gee is probably the world’s STOP THE PRESSES - $1000 foremost expert on accordion music of CASH TO BE AWARDED! Be the career has spanned more than four decades. Joey has collaborated and various cultures. She holds an M.A. accordion star that shines the brightest degree in Ethnomusicology and has in Las Vegas and win a cash prize! performed with Paul McCartney, Ricky Skaggs, Andy Williams, John Denver, completed coursework for her PhD Yes, new for 2013, cash awards Ricky Van Shelton, Emmylou Harris, and from UCLA. She has a Bachelor in contest for the best accordion star! many others. He is a performer, studio Music Performance from California Come join the FUN and be a part of our musician, producer and pedagogue. State University. Her graduate research very own Accordion STAR Search. has focused on accordion performance Entering is as simple as one, two, three: Joey’s legendary music history around the world. She has lectured, starts at age four when he picked up a written and published articles on the 1. Register as a full time attendee. 12-bass accordion and began playing 2. Fill out and submit the accordion in world music as well as her simple melodies. At five, he began other love, steel drums! Accordion Stars Entry Form*. formal music training, and at ten, Joey 3. You will be allotted a 5-minute was performing publicly. At eleven he As a youngster, she began performance slot at Club joined the Ronnie Lee Band, and at age playing the accordion in 1975 and went Concerto to perform before a twelve he made his first record album on to win many national performance panel of judges. with Chicago’s Roman Possedi. awards. Reading her list of teachers is The selected finalists will perform an amazing list of accordion world At thirteen, Joey met and genres, from classical, jazz, Argentinian at Thursday’s lunch concert involving began performing with “America's Polka the audience voting for the winner! tango, international music, Balkan, and King," Frank Yankovic, thus beginning Caribbean to highlight just a few. All participants will be awarded a an association lasting over (see page 7) (see page 6) personalized participation certificate. The top winners will perform and will be awarded trophies and cash prizes at Carnival of Venice in Vegas! the Thursday Gala Concert. Cash Four FUN filled nights with two Themed nights with prizes will be prizes will be third place $200, second featured at this year’s event! Wednesday evening, October 30, will be our Venetian place $300, and first place $500. Costume Party in the Italian Venetian tradition! Plan your attire. Prizes will be So register today – enter to win – awarded for the best costume! practice – and we will see YOU, the winner, in Las Vegas! Thursday, to continue our celebration, will be our fancy GALA dress night. We will announce the winners of the Accordion Star Search and hear from the top *Form online www.accordionstars.com winners. The evening will come to a crescendo with the performance of the or call 801-486-1695 and request a form. International Accordion Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Joan Sommers! See Page 6 for more info and eligibility. 12 Las Vegas International Accordion Convention Newsletter Volume 14, Number 1 / Spring 2013 Dear Friends, Compare – Why Las Vegas? Spring is Compare & see why Las Vegas, at $34 a in full bloom and the best costs the least! night for four nights, plus life is wonderful. I Compare the cost for four breakfasts at $6 am doing very true cost of attending each, and the answer is clear well and hope this any other accordion – LVAC is a BARGAIN no finds each of you hotel event in North matter how you add! enjoying health America! Add up All this plus the largest and happiness! the costs; event fee, lineup of entertainment and After a cold hotel & food costs, workshops to attend and winter, spring is travel plus event fee- you will see why the LVAC beautiful! If you yes, our event fee is is by far the least expensive are like me it puts a smile on your face to see about double theirs event with the most to offer! Mother Nature celebrating life once again! but remember we include 7 meals! Our promise, attend just Speaking of celebrating life, we have once, and you’ll discover lots to celebrate this year in Las Vegas - new But now add the why people come back year artists and a new contest, “Accordion Stars costs of rooms and meals in a after year saying, “Paul, I don’t know Search!” You will undoubtedly find this Marriott, Hyatt, Ramada or other how you do it – the event is both first event hotel (average $179 plus tax) year’s event filled with excitement. I strongly class and truly a bargain!” plus average meal costs in these encourage you to register early. Because of hotels and for two people for four So come join the best kept secret the news in this issue, we are extending the nights you can be well over $1200 in the accordion world! Book early Early Bird savings until June 10. After that before event fees and travel costs. (rooms and airfare) and save on the date the savings go away! accordion event of a lifetime! Come join us as we celebrate Carnival of Venice in Vegas for FUN, Mario Pedone Entertainment and inspiration! Personally, I Mario is a perennial favorite of convention attendees. am totally excited about this year’s lineup In response to numerous requests, Mario has agreed to return! and the fact we have Joey Miskulin! I am Mario was Laude, and finally sure 2013 will be our most exciting year yet! born in a small town with a degree of Check out our new website at near Bari, in Southern Professor of www.AccordionStars.com where you may Italy. In an effort to Accordion. After even register online! improve the family's graduation Mario If you have not looked at airfares – financial situation, the founded his own do so today – they are lower to Las Vegas Pedones immigrated accordion school than I have seen them in several years – and to Valencia, where he had over the hotel rate is now at $34 ($42 premium Venezuela in 1959. 125 students. Many of room) a night. This really is the year to come Mario's older brother, his students now play to Las Vegas. Please accept my personal Ludovico, had begun professionally. Mario has won numerous invitation to join us in what surely will be our to study the accordion accordion and organ best year yet – come celebrate life at our and Mario was championships. Carnival or Venice in Vegas Party! always watching him, hoping one day he Back by Popular In 1981, in If you have any questions or also could play this Demand! search of a better concerns – or just need some help finding an wonderful future, Mario moved airfare to Las Vegas, give me a call toll free at instrument. He persistently begged to Sugar Land, Texas, with his wife 1-800-472-1695. I would love to hear from his father to let him start accordion and children. He continues to teach you. Oh and by the way, I am planning a lessons, too, and eventually and perform professionally and has surprise for you this year – so register, make succeeded. As a young man he his own recording studio in Sugar your reservations, mark your calendar, and devoted at least 4 to 5 hours per day Land. come celebrate! practicing until his father screamed Many of Mario's students feel GIVE US A BREAK but that didn't that Mario is too modest and that with stop Mario from playing his beloved more exposure he would quickly be instrument. recognized as a musical genius who Paul Pasquali While in Venezuela, Mario has devoted his life to the pursuit of Las Vegas International Accordion Convention graduated as a Concertista, Cum accordion musical perfection. Pag e 2 Website: www.AccordionStars.com REGISTRATION FORM Join Us! OCTOBER 28-31,2013 Registering is simple - fill out the form below and mail it with your check (payable to “LVAC”) to 1760 South 450 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84115. at the Gold Coast Hotel You will receive a confirmation. Your balance is due by Sept. 28, 2013. in Las Vegas! Name _____________________________________________________________ EARLY BIRD ENDS June 10 Address____________________________________________________________ City _______________________________ State _________________________ Zip ___________________ Phone______________________________________ Email______________________________________________________________ Check only one. Balance due by Sept. 28. Registrations after Sept. 28 must include full attendee fee. After Oct. 21 you must register at the convention. ATTENDEE DEPOSIT BALANCE Early Bird Pricing Ends April 30! FEE (Due Now) (Due by Sept. 30) Single Attendee Package: $510 $70 $440 all events, all 7 concerts with $490 $420 7 meals. EarlyBird Single Attendee & Evening $780 $85 $695 Partner – same as Single Attendee $750 $665 PLUS one guest admission to EarlyBird each of the four evening Call toll-free 1-800-472-1695 dinners/concerts. for additional evening partner options. Come join the FUN with your accordion family! Additional Attendee’s Name: The theme for our grand finale evening is Carnival of Venice! Double Attendee Package: $910 $95 $815 Register today and come enjoy four nights and three all events, all 7 concerts with $870 $775 EarlyBird full days of unforgettable entertainment, inspiring 7 meals for two people.