Who we areChicagoland Accordion Academy

In the 1940s, 50s and 60s, the accordion was a very popular instrument in Chicago. There were schools in every section of the city with hundreds of students at each school taking lessons and participating in “accordion band.” When the students were very young and novices at the accordion, they played in the “beginner band.” As their skills developed, they would progress moving up to the intermediate band and ultimately to the senior level band! These bands traveled to competitions around the country sponsored by the American Accordionists Association (AAA) and the Accordionists and Teachers Guild (ATG). The accordion was a part of every day life and had its own “social life” as accordionists from all over the country (and the world) shared this common interest and came to know each other! I grew up in that life (albeit a little later in time), and the good times, good teachers and good friends have impacted and influenced my life in ways I could never have imagined. I am grateful for those experiences and am planning to recreate them for all through the Chicagoland Accordion Academy (CAA).