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Showing posts with the label music and creativity

The Bellows Between the Notes

The Bellows Between the Notes Around this same period in my life at this beautiful modern home, I borrowed an accordion from my cousin Skate — something I had nearly forgotten until now.   He gave me a quick demonstration and left it with me.  © Laurie Pace        Graphics One Design 2026 Skate's Accordian Chew, Pat, Rub? An accordion asks you to do everything at once. It’s like chewing gum, patting your head, and rubbing your stomach — all while trying to make music. Its sound is thicker, heartier, carried by air and pressure through bellows that quite literally breathe life into the notes. I was surprised to learn the accordion wasn’t really developed until the 1920s — just over a hundred years ago. Inside, metal reeds create sound as air moves through them, controlled entirely by the musician’s coordination and touch. It takes a different kind of listening — not just to sound, but to breath and balance. I learned quickly how humb...