The NOT JUST OOM-PAH! ACCORDION WORKSHOP & CONCERT
series is the brainchild of two Texas based accordionists,
Laura Niland, from San Antonio, & Shirley Johnson from Austin.
The Accordion in many cultures is a treasured instrument. In the USA it is often ridiculed & scorned. Texans often only think of Oom-Pah accordion styles: Polka, Conjunto, Cajun, or Zydeco music. However the accordion is so much more! There is a World of accordion styles, each with its own sounds, rhythms, and techniques. Our mission is to bring exciting & interesting accordion music to audiences. Concerts performed by professional, dynamic musicians, who are experts in their genre of music, such as Classical, Jazz, World, etc., will show the public the creative and entertaining quality of this unique instrument. Workshops given by these experts educate accordionists of all ages and skill levels, who then can go out and show others that there is more to accordions than just Oom-Pah!
Our vision is to stimulate enthusiasm for accordion music of all genres. Our long term vision is to partner with other organizations and possibly produce accordion workshops, camps, festivals, and concert series here in Austin as well as in other parts of Texas. Also in the future we would like to develop programs that introduce this instrument into the music and band curriculum of local schools.
