Camaraderie and a shared love of the sometimes misunderstood instrument are what bond members of the Chicago Accordion Club.
And they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Members of the Chicago Accordion Club are some of the finest people I’ve had occasion to come across. Unselfish, talented, intelligent group with one goal: promote the accordion,” said Rolf Agner, of Palos Hills, who’s been an official member of the club since January 1997.
He came to a club meeting after running into his favorite accordion teacher, Joe Warput, from 30 years earlier. “He told me about the club, but I told him I hadn’t played for many years. After he scolded me for not practicing, he explained one doesn’t have to be an accordionist to join. Many members come to the meetings just for the camaraderie.”
Agner went to a meeting a few weeks later and met many musicians he’d known or worked with previously. “Before I knew it, I was recruited to be secretary and have served ever since.”
He laughed when asked about his favorite accordion music. “There is no such thing as accordion music. The instrument is capable of performing any type of music,” he said. “It’s too bad there has been this misconception of accordionists only playing polkas! This probably started because Lawrence Welk often featured Myron Floren’s accordion when the orchestra (on his TV show) played a polka. Accordionists play every music type: classical, folk, country, rock, Tex Mex, popular.”
The August performer at the club, Roger Boll, president of an accordion club in Milwaukee, brought his electric accordion, which can produce more than 300 sounds. “On one tune he made it sound like a violin, then mandolin, then guitar, then marimba and bass,” Agner said. “During his performance, Roger played various types of music, from rock to waltzes to polkas to country.”
Diane Bryniarski, of Chicago, the club’s current president, has played accordion since she was 38 and has been a member for a few decades. She was reminded of her longevity with the group after finding an old newsletter. “I found my name and it says ‘We introduce new member Diane B.’ I thought ‘Holy sh–! I’ve been in the club for 20 years,’” she said.
Bryniarski believes the club’s greatest strength is its members. “It’s a community of people that really do have a strong interest in it, some of them making their lives on the accordion either as teachers or performers. And it’s building a sense of community where people look forward to coming to the meeting once a month and getting the newsletter,” she said.
The club meets the third Monday each month at American Legion T.H.B. Post 187, 301 W. Butterfield Road in Elmhurst. Upcoming performers and programs include Lenny Leto on Sept. 15; Hall of Fame inductions, Accordion Mike and Kay on Oct. 20; Stas Venglevski and Mike Alongi on Nov. 17; and the Christmas party and music by Eddie Korosa Jr. on Dec. 15.
Doors open at 6, with music before the meeting from 6:30 to 7:15, followed by a 15-minute business meeting and a performance from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Pizza is served afterward. Members pay $14 and guests pay $17. Details are at www.chicago-accordion-club.com.
“The mission of the club is to promote the accordion and have appreciation of it,” Bryniarski said. “To me, it’s a very simple mission. And the way we do it is to have performers for people to see. We give out scholarships to people who are taking lessons — usually kids but sometimes adults.”
The club has “a rich history,” she added. “A lot of the people were teachers that are in the Hall of Fame. They had their own schools like Andy Rizzo, Vince Geraci. …You almost feel like you’re walking amongst (the history) at the meetings because these people spent their life doing it. They went to Europe to play, other countries to play. They all knew these older guys that played. There are so many connections to the past with this club, so that’s kind of what I enjoy also.”
Joining one club wasn’t enough for Penny Fuggiasco, of Milwaukee, who is a member of the Chicago club as well as one in Green Bay. “Roger (Boll) was playing here. I came to hear him and I really liked the music,” she said. “You have to be with the people. I listen to music on the radio but don’t stream it. It’s the camaraderie. You get to meet a lot of new people.”
Two of the younger members are Jack Pals, a college student from Elmhurst, and Mike Iwema, of Chicago, who’s 32.
Pals played a few songs before the concert began at a recent meeting. “My parents brought me here when I was a little kid, looking for a teacher when I started school,” he said. He learned Italian waltzes and Italian polkas.
Iwema, a five-year member, enjoys the club because of the different types of music. “That’s the best thing about the accordion as well …. And the camaraderie. It’s the magic of live music. I think it’s so rare to see an accordion played live,” he said. “We used to have almost 400 members but there are so many accomplished accordionists here. Everyone is just phenomenal. We learn from each other.”
Several years ago, he found an accordion at a garage sale that was made by a company now known as Romagmoli. “I looked up the company and they were still in business. I went down there and had a great relationship. I worked for them about five years doing repairs and tuning,” he said.
Iwema first heard accordion music in Glendale Heights. “The polka bug bit me, and it’s long been a passion. Working for the accordion (company) has been a dream come true. You give people the gift of music and they’ll play every day.”
As one of the youngest members, he hopes the club continues its legacy. “I think we have an immense responsibility to keep this alive and to share,” he said. “It’s as simple as that – to carry the torch.”
Treasurer Kenlyn Geraldi and Sergeant at Arms Matt Geraldi, members for at least 19 years, are fixtures at meetings. “Don’t expect to hear a polka band!” Kenlyn joked. “Every month is different.”
She said the club has about 135 members now, and they once tried to get former politician Judy Barr-Topinka to join. “She was a closet accordionist,” Kenlyn said with a laugh.
Two-time president John Simkus, of Burlington, has been a member since 1989 and has played the accordion since he was 6. “It was always a part of my life – not as income but as a hobby,” he said. “I got to meet all my heroes in the accordion world and become friends.”
He enjoys light jazz music played by accordion, as well as “what they call the old standards, known as ‘evergreens,’ because they are nice to play on the accordion. They fit the instrument perfectly,” Simkus said.
Former Elmhurst resident Lenny Leto, who now lives in Dixon, will be performing for the club this month. “My teacher, Al Monte, was forming this club close to 40 years ago and got me involved. After a few years they asked me to be a vice president and then president. I was president for almost 10 years,” he said. “We’re all interested in the accordion. After a while, it’s like family.”
Mike Alongi, of Rockford, who’s been a member almost since the club began, called the accordion a versatile instrument. “It’s capable of being part of any music organization. I got calls to play with the Chicago Symphony (and others) when it calls for an accordion because it’s not normally included in a symphony or orchestra,” he said.
“The accordion has a bad name among musicians because it’s easy to play poorly unless it’s played from the proper music perspective. When they were first manufactured, they didn’t have the musical sounds the musicians were accustomed to, but since the improvements have been made, it can be in almost any musical ensemble.”
Bryniarski urged anyone interested in the accordion to attend a meeting; an ability to play the instrument is not required. “It’s so much fun, and we connect with the other accordion places because, believe it or not, there are others,” she said, such as the Milwaukee club and the Chicagoland Accordion Academy.
Melinda Moore is a freelance reporter.