CAA Blog

Merry Christmas to the CAA Family.  Until we make music again in person, enjoy this special gift from CAA members Joan Grauman and Bill Morse.

Due to Covid-19, we were unable to do a lot this year. But we do have our Christmas Concert from last December that you can view and enjoy during this holiday season. "Seasonal Melodies," featuring the CAA Orchestra conducted by Peter Peluso can be accessed by clicking on Videos here on the website. Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and safe holiday season!!!

The Connecticut Accordion Association recently lost a long time member and orchestra member.  Gerry Hertel passed away on October 11, 2020. He was 97 years old.  He graced the orchestra for most of the last 16 years of its existence. An avid accordionist since his youth, he often performed solo at CAA gatherings.

He will be missed.  His memory will forever live on in our hearts and in our music.

GERRY HERTEL

April 24, 1923 - October 11, 2020

The Connecticut Accordion Association and the American Accordion Association is proud to feature 17 year old Cody Mc Sherry in Concert!  Cody is a 17 year old accordionist from Lancaster, PA.  He is currently a student of Mary Tokarski.  He has been studying piano accordion for 11 years, styrische harmonika for 9 years and C system chromatic accordion for 2 years.  He has performed at many venues, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.  Cody loves European folk music.  In this concert, he performs a variety of classical and ethnic pieces.   To access the video of the concert, click NEXT EVENT.

As the CAA Orchestra has been on hold during the pandemic, CAA Orchestra Conductor Peter Peluso has been feverishly working the bellows of his Borsini. Sometimes alone, other times in collaboration with his wife, Mary Jane Peluso, Peter has been boosting the morale of the CAA orchestra by regularly sending out pieces he’s perfected using the Acapella App. This app allows for either solo or multiple musicians to record musical parts of a song separately and then join the parts and…..voila! You have a song! The process takes place safely with a wonderful final product that includes a video of him playing each of the parts.

Peter created what I realized was a full concert!!! This concert has been made available to CAA members. It will be available for general public viewing within the next week.

Unfortunately, there were issues with yesterday's Creosote live stream concert.  I just received this link from Gabe Rodrigues.  It contains the concert in its entirety.

Here's the link:

https://youtu.be/oDTU29vTxpo

We're making our way through this pandemic, folks! Join us for our first online event next Sunday, July 26 at 3:00!  I'm proud to present 2 fine young award winning accordionists, Gabe Rodrigues and Jamie Maschler as they introduce us to the music of Brazil along with original pieces.  Check out the details under Next Event here on the website.

As we move forward, the CAA will be featuring other artists, either in concert or in workshops.  We have fresh young accomplished accordionists as well as "seasoned" professionals.  Check this site for details as we move forward.

Come to the Plainville Public Library on March 5 at 7:00pm!

CAA Orchestra Conductor Peter Peluso will be delivering a lecture-recital tracing the accordion from the early 1900s and throughout the golden age to the present. Pieces from ethnic, jazz, classical repertory as well as compositions written for the instrument will be performed. This program has been endorsed by the CAA.

As all of you know, we are so lucky to have a fantastic conductor for our CAA Orchestra.  Our Peter Peluso was recently featured on Nutmeg TV.  He performed on a show called Christine's Corner. Watch Peter's performance in its entirety here....

Bravo, Maestro!!! You do us proud!

Our Holiday Concert was a huge success! Thanks to all of you who came to see the CAA Orchestra live in concert! For those of you who couldn't make it, watch the video, beautifully taped by Joe Klettner.  Many thanks to Joe for his efforts!

You can access the video by going to the Videos section on the website, or click here.

Stay tuned for our next CAA Event, which will take place in March!