listen to songs that use it and
develop a new appreciation for
this instrument.
Huddie William
Ledbetter
I’m sure you think mostly of
Polka music when you think of
accordions, but did you know
that it has been used in several
major pop songs? Recently,
it was featured in “Carry On”
by Fun. It has also been used
by The Beatles, Billy Joel,
and Bruce Springsteen. The
accordion was brought to the
United States in the 1800s by
European Immigrants, and it
was very popular until it faded
out around the sixties during
the birth of modern rock and
roll. Visually, it’s a very cool
instrument. I just saw two
accordions at my local music
resale shop for less than $100. I
don’t know if they worked, but
if you’re interested in learning
more about the accordion,
check your local store or even
Craigslist. I am definitely not
coordinated enough to play an
accordion (see the surfing story
above), but you just might
be, and you won’t know if you
don’t try. If you don’t want to
actually play the accordion,
you could look for a local
act that uses one, or simply
If you want to combine two
holidays into one, check out
Leadbelly, a documentary
about folk singer Huddie
William Ledbetter, who played
the accordion. The instrument
he used is slightly different
than the one we think of
today, with piano keys. It was
known as a “windjammer”
and used diatonic buttons.
The documentary is somewhat
old (1976), but it combines
important African-American
musicians with the accordion,
so you’ll be celebrating the
month efficiently.
Every month should be a
month to celebrate music.
We owe so much of our
culture, personalities, and
memories to music. However,
celebrating should be about
more than just enjoying
something. We should seek
to learn and experience
new things so that when we
celebrate, we do so with
greater knowledge and
understanding.
If you’re anything like me,
you probably get so caught
up in daily life that taking the
time to actively seek out new
music is pushed far into the
back of your mind. You might
want to do it, but just never
get around to it because
you never find the time. This
month, make the time to
choose at least one out of
the three and explore it, learn
about it, and celebrate it! Take
a few moments to research
whichever holiday you choose,
and remember to honor the
people who made music
worthy of celebration.
Mella is a session
singer, songwriter
and producer
living in Nashville
Tennessee. Also
an animal lover,
she has three dogs,
a rabbit, and any
number of foster animals in various
shapes and sizes. She is the author of Way
Less Cowbell, a book on communicating
with session musicians. If you would like
more information or to hire her onto your
project, please visit www.mellamusic.com
Sources: Columbia University Libraries Archival Collection, H. Lawrence Papers, Biographical Note, http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/archival/collections/ldpd_6381639/index.html
Snyder, J. 1994. Leadbelly and His Windjammer: Examining the African American Button Accordion Tradition
Golden, H. Jan 9, 2014. Accordions: So Hot Right Now. The Atlantic.
32 | Eydis Magazine