Hello from Yorkshire, England, UK

[Jan S]

Hi Everyone. My name is Jan Studzinski. I am 68 years old and live in a small village on the outskirts of the city of Bradford, in northern England. We are next to Ilkley Moor, which some of you may have heard of in the English folk song "On Ilkley Moor bar t'at".
I'm of Polish and Italian heritage and fell in love with the accordion as a young child when a family friend used to come over play at special occasions and get togethers. I took weekly lessons for about a year when I was about 10 years old and eventually my Dad bought me a second-hand 120 bass Frontalino piano accordion. I gave up the lessons and continued on my own as I found the pace of the lessons to be very slow and very boring ( the teacher used "The Sedlon Accordion Course" and insisted I practice just one tune a week!). fortunately, my Aunt in Poland sent over some Polish Accordion coursebooks and I was able to progress without a teacher.
I stopped playing in my late teens but would occasionally retrieve my accordion and play some of the tunes I remembered.
Then Covid happened and the UK went into lockdown. I was instructed to stay at home due to being deemed "extremely vulnerable" and to socially isolate, if possible. My wife and I did this. She suggested I retrieve my old, and now venerable, Frontalini accordion from its case and start practising again. I was reluctant at first but eventually did so and have not looked back since. Playing music and relearning old skills as well as new ones has been a spiritual and mental lifesaver. When studying how to play a piece I find myself forgetting the problems we all face and relaxing. All very Zen.
I decided to fill in the large gaps in my musical knowledge and so took to trawling through the internet for information about accordion playing and music theory. And that's when I descovered Ronen and Accordion Love!!
It is truly wonderful to discover the large community of accordion enthusisasts from around the world and to be able to see and hear the enthusiasm that others share for playing the accordion. I used to think that I was one of very, very few people with an interest in this instrument. It's great to know I was wrong an am not alone. I look forward to Sunday livestreams each week and the lively lessons given by Ronen. His enthusiasm is infectious.
'Bye for now.

[Tom F]

Welcome and so nice to meet you, Jan! I am curious, given your Polish and Italian heritage, do you play traditional tunes from these countries or ?????

[Chris N]

Czesc Jan!
Dziekuje za ta bardzo ciekawa historie - Sam jestem Anglikiem mowiacy po Polsku, i mieszkajacy w Londynie.
Moja zona pochodzi z Warszawy i sporo czasu spedzilem tam od kiedy jestesmy razem, czyli od 30 lat.
Chyba 20 lat temu, kupilem stary akordeon, firmy Galotta, od pewnego pana na Saskim Kepie, nie znajac zbyt wiele o tym co kupie.
Za jakis czas zostawilem w piwnicy i zapomnialem o tym kompletnie. Ale w tym roku, nie majac co robic, wyciagalem to z piwnicy i zaczalem na to grac. Troche podobnie do Pana.

..apologies for writing in Polish - here's a translation...

Hi Jan,
Thanks for sharing that very interesting story. I'm English but I speak Polish too - I live in London.
My Wife is from Warsaw and I've spent a lot of time there over the 30 years or so since we met.
About 20 years ago I bought an old Galotta piano accordion from a guy in Saska Kepa (suburb of Warsaw), not really knowing if it was any good.
I ended up leaving it in the cellar and forgetting about it, but this year, what with the lockdown, I pulled it out of there and started playing it. That's when I found my way here.

It's interesting how our stories have such similarities but differences.

Best wishes - pozdrowienie
Chris

[douglas felsenthal]

Hi to Yorkshire - you are just like me, stopped playing when about 20 and started again. I love England, I livedin Surrey for most of the 90's. I would love to come back. Let's stay in touch.





Douglas

[Ronen from Accordion Love]

Playing music and relearning old skills as well as new ones has been a spiritual and mental lifesaver. When studying how to play a piece I find myself forgetting the problems we all face and relaxing. All very Zen.

Jan, so well put. I am in the same boat, as I believe others are too. As soon as I put on my accordion, whatever issues I'm facing melt away for a while. Thanks for putting your introduction into words so beautifully. Happy you decided to pick up your instrument again

[Mike M]

Hi Jan,
I enjoyed reading your introduction. I am 68 and retired and have a very similar story.
I agree with you about the zen in music. Periodically my wife will comment that I seem to be unhappy or depressed, my usual reply is that I haven't played my accordion today. I am a scheduling fanatic and have a busy routine mapped out for my day, but I manage to find an hour in the morning and one after dinner for the accordion.
Ronen's enthusiasm is infectious.
Somethings we do just for ourselves.
Mike McCarthy Peoria, Illinois USA

[Coral_M]

Hi Jan
I'm just loving how many of us not-so-youngsters are picking up the accordion again after years off. I have to say I am so busy in retirement now doing things I really enjoy, I wonder how on earth I had time to work before.
What a great club to belong to.

[Adrian P]

Hello Jan, sorry I haven't written sooner, just catching up with the forum now. It's good to see you on the live streams, where would we be without Ronen and his enthusiasm ! I liked your intro, amazed that your accordion is still in tune after 50 years.
Here's to a new year of learning ! Regards
Adrian

[josh]

Hi Jan, It's so nice to meet you. Welcome to accordion love