Conference

Conference Presentation

This multimedia presentation’s main goal is to provide the accordionist the necessary tools to help him better understand his instrument.  Thanks to the bigs animated slides projected on a giant screen, to the audio illustrations and films, the amateur will know better how to choose his first instrument according to his musical taste and the more advance accordionist will better understand the different tuning types and will have the necessary vocabulary to express his preference as to the sound he is searching for.  Even the more adventurous who dare trying to repair or tune their own accordion will benefit from this presentation.  On the other hand, accordion enthusiasts will be delighted by the vintage photos accompanied by audio excerpts and will benefit from added historical, general and anecdotal knowledge.

Pianist, composer, accordionist, MIDI and music technology specialist,  Sound technician,  Cabinet maker with formation (there is a technical institute in France called l’ITEMM for European Technology Institute for the Music Trades that provide a full training of the woodworking machines for their accordion technician-tuner students)  I have been working as a professional piano tuner-technician for over 30 years and  I tune my own accordion since 1991.

Thanks to my long term experience on stage, my conference is entertaining as well as instructive.  I like to share my passion for the accordion.

Introducing Mario Bruneau

I started music on the accordion at 8 years old.  At 14, started my apprenticeship on the piano.  Accordionist for Plume Latraverse (a well known rock and roll Quebec artist) since his debut in 1970, he is the one who introduced me to the musette accordion style.  For me, the Parisian musette represent the ultimate repertoire for the accordion.

For this presentation I often use the books of M. Pierre Monichon.  Pierre Monichon is a reference for the history of the accordion.  M. Monichon as acquire over the years a huge collection of old historic instruments and numerous instruments from his collection are present in museums like Le Pôle de l’Accordéon of Tulle in France, Montmagny’s Accordion Manor and Castelfidardo’s Museo della Fisarmonica in Italy (Castelfidardo is the world’s accordion capital).  I had twice the pleasure to meet M. Monichon;  at Montmagny’s Carrefour Mondial de l’Accordéon and at the European Accordion Festival in Chartres, France.  He invited me to his place where we had good discussions and I was delighted to be in contact with historic instruments from his collection and especially Demian’s second accordion.  Robert Santiago is another person who contributes much to the transmission of knowledge of the accordion thanks amongst other things to his collection of rare objects appending to accordion and his group “Le Denécheau Jâse Musette à Paris” that recreates the typical musette band of early twentieth century in Paris.  Like me, he also give workshops, conferences and special accordion animations.

Science exist to explain things.  In studying physic phenomenons, one realizes that reality is often simpler than we believe it is.  For every observed phenomenon there is a simple explanation.  For example, what are the two main reasons for which the professional painter’s uniform is white?  To get the answers, position your mouse over the question mark without clicking.

It’s also important to remember the first science’s rule: “Nothing is lost, nothing is created”  Everything is transformation of the energy or the material.  During this one hour and a half presentation, I will help you understand your accordion with simple and concrete examples and please don’t hesitate to ask questions on the current subject.  After this presentation you will know for instance where the accordion comes from and where it got its name from.  You will understand why your accordion has a different sound from the other models.  You will also have the tools and the necessary language to express your sound preferences to your accordion tuner.  Knowledge is power.

Here are the subjects I will be covering:

History:  A brief historic run true illustrating the most important stages of its construction is necessary for a complete understanding of the accordion.

Where did it take its name from?  Where does the musette (the style) comes from?  What is la musette (the instrument) ?

The different types of accordions, why do they sound different?  The most important discoveries that contributed to bring the accordion to today’s standard, etc.  Along the way, I will introduce now and then some musette history highlights since it is my specialty.  With vintage photos and audio examples, you will be transported into the world of Parisian’s Bals Musettes from the  last century.

Each slide is accompanied by an audio example to illustrate it.

For example, you can hear an excerpt from Brian Peters’ CD accompanying the slide for the concertina.

Physics:  With simple words, I will give a basic knowledge about the physics of sound useful to the accordionist.  How human ear perceive sound and what are its imperfections?  What is sound, the amplitude (intensity), the dynamic, the harmonics (overtones), the frequencies, the beats, etc. ?

Here are other graphic examples to explain the registers.

The fixed region, the variations region, etc.

Like I explain how one reed tuned to 440Hz associated with another one tuned to 442Hz will produce two beats a second.  An audio example of 2beats/sec accompany the slide.

10 minutes intermission

Morphology:  It is in this chapter that I will illustrate the details that most influences the sound of the accordion.

Examples:

The accordion’s different shapes that directly influences their sound.

Tuning:   The subtractive technique, the beats/sec, the equal temperament, the cents, the registers, the Excel formula.

Examples:

A short exposé on the science of tuning for the handymen.

Performance:  I will share the best of my tricks for a performance that uses the maximum possibilities of the accordion.

New Technologies:  If time permits, I will present the newest technology developments useful to the accordion and will explain the ins and outs.  Amplification, sound systems, the wireless technology, MIDI, softwares, sound modules, synthetisers, the “ReedLess” (without reeds), Cavagnolo’s  (all in one).

Questions Period

The more knowledgeable my public is, the longer the conference can be and I can adapt it on premise for a broader audience.

Target Audience:

Private teaching of accordion and piano tuning

Accordion Festival

Music Festival

Musical camp

General public

Music Faculty

Elementary and High school

Art Centers

Municipalities

etc.

Normally, two 40 minutes periods separated by an intermission plus an half an hour at the end for a question period is enough.

I can supply and take care of all the technical details or if not, I need a sound system adapted to the hall with a wireless head microphone as well as a 2000 Lumens projector that I will connect to my Laptop computer.

Contact : MARIO BRUNEAU (819) 769-1407