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The Art Behind the Music Louisiana accordions are beautiful to the ear---and the eye Visitors
from outside of Louisiana may be surprised when they see the accordions used by local
bands. Cajun musicians, and about half of the zydeco musicians, use a distinct type of
accordion called a melodeon. Unlike heavy piano accordions, these smaller, lighter
versions are keyed like harmonicas, in one key. German immigrants introduced these
instruments to the Cajuns in the 1880s, about the same time that the piano accordion came
to other areas in the United States. When
the Cajuns arrived in Louisiana, they relied on triangles and fiddles to produce their
lively music. The melodeon appealed to them because its notes resounded across the dance
floor, unlike the fiddle which often was drowned out by the sounds of voices and feet. By
1920, melodeons had found a home in Cajun music. For several years, Cajun musicians
obtained their melodeons from German factories. Yet after World War II, all but one
accordion factory was blocked from the United States by the Berlin Wall. Unwilling
to give up an instrument that had become so important to their unique sound, Cajuns began
to copy the German models themselves. Today, accordion builders abound in South Louisiana.
Eunice native John Roger turned his skills as a cabinetmaker to building
accordions, and his craft has taken him all over the world. Like Roger, Clarence "Junior" Martin has spent plenty of time working with wood. When his contracting work slowed down about 13 years ago, Martin decided to put his skills to the test by making an accordion. He started by taking apart an instrument his wife had bought for him, and measuring each of the parts. After watching a friend make accordions for years, the process came naturally. Before he finished his first accordion, he took orders for 13 more. Martin worked as a professional musician for over 20 years, and his experiences comes in handy-both for knowing what's important to musicians, and knowing which materials produce the best sounds. "The harder the wood the better the sound," he says. Completely hand-made reeds last the longest and produce the best tones, he adds. As a musician and a craftsman, Martin finds joy in the fact that younger and younger Cajun musicians are picking up accordions and learning to play. "They are the easiest instruments to learn," he claims. Larry Miller may dispute that claim. Miller didn't start playing the accordion until age 42, but as soon as he picked one up he knew he wanted to start making the instruments. Miller commissioned a local accordion builder to make an accordion for him and visited him as he built it, looking over the man's shoulder while he worked. "It became almost an obsession with me," Miller says. Before the year was up, Miller was dedicated to learning the craft. Ten years later, his part-time hobby became a full-blown business. Now Miller makes up to 70 accordions each year under the trade name Bon Tee Cajun Accordions. He also makes triangles, Cajun spoons and scrubboards. The accordion maker's love for Cajun music and culture has developed over many years as well. Today, Miller, a retired school teacher and principal, plays melodeon and sings with the traditional band Moulin Rouge. He also considers himself an amateur folklorist. "I do a lot of reading on Cajun culture and it's origins," Miller says. As a charter member of the Cajun French Music Association, he's happy to share his knowledge with anyone willing to learn. - Angie Delcambre our menu - entertainment - functions - group tours - |
Most musicians junked
their melodeons in favor of the more versatile piano accordions, which can be played in
many keys. "But we knew what sound we wanted," accordion maker Larry Miller
says. "The melodeon produces a rich, natural sound. It's one of the things that makes
Cajun music attractive." Cajun musicians carry two to four melodeons with them
and switch instruments depending on the key of the song. The narrow versatility of the
melodeon is more than made up for by its maneuverability. Lighter than the accordion, the
melodeon allows the musician to move the left side very quickly-an essential movement to
create the spicy dance rhythm that characterizes Cajun music.
Over twenty years ago, Roger moved from his hometown in Acadiana to
Meraux, outside of New Orleans. On one trip into the city, he heard a band from home
playing Cajun music. The familiar sounds inspired him to learn to build and play an
accordion. Once he built his first instrument, Roger couldn't stop. The hobby became an
avocation. Since 1989, Roger has had a backlog of orders waiting to be filled. He builds
10-12 instruments a year under theCajun Accordions trademark, and wants to keep the number
low so he can enjoy his craft as a hobby, not a chore. For now, the accordions pay for
Roger and his wife to travel throughout the world. The Komenka Dance Ensemble took him to
a festival in France in 1995 as the group's official craftsman. For three weeks the Rogers
visited festivals and gatherings across the country, in big cities and tiny villages.
"Accordion making is my key to the world," he says. "It's also a
part of my culture. I like the music and I feel that I can contribute."