About Accordion Camp

Whether you’re an experienced accordion player or just starting out, you are invited to join the fun, camaraderie, and inspiration of a camp setting from the comfort of your own home. The day will feature an afternoon of workshops culminating in a meet-the-artist-style concert with camp staff. You will have the opportunity to learn new skills and expand existing ones in our multi-level Zoom classrooms, with topics ranging from repertoire-building to bellows control to techniques for the left hand. Your instructors, inspired by our mutual isolation and our desire to foster community with fellow accordion players, are excited to offer varied approaches that will appeal to a broad spectrum of learners.

Accordion Camp was founded in 2020 by Rachel Bell, Alex Cumming, Jeremiah McLane. Read more on the website, and get connected on Facebook.

The Virtual Set-Up

• Welcome & Orientation
  Greetings and information on how the day will work. Short intro to the days workshops. 

• Workshop Session 1
  Jeremiah: Right Hand Techniques
  Rachel: Breton Repertoire 
  More info here

• Workshop Session 2
  Rachel: Left Hand Techniques
  Alex: English Repertoire
  More info here

• Workshop Session 3
  Alex: Bellow Techniques
  Jeremiah: Bal Folk Repertoire 
  More info here

• Final Gathering
  We will gather together one final time to recap the day and have time for some Q&A's

• Concert - A Chance to Meet: Rachel, Alex & Jeremiah
  90mins of music and fun with the camp tutors in an informal 'chance to meet' style concert. ​Tickets available to for non workshop attendees.
  More info here

The Faculty

Rachel Bell, accordionist, performer, tunesmith, and music educator, is based in Brattleboro, VT but in demand throughout North American and overseas for concerts, contra dances, French bal folk dances, English country dances, music camps, and festivals. Rachel is a masterful composer of tunes, drawing inspiration from Celtic, French, English, Quebecois, and New England traditions, while still deeply respecting and loving the melodies that have been around for hundreds of years. 

Alex Cumming is a traditional Singer, Accordionist, Pianist and dance caller hailing from Somerset, England, now living in Greater Boston, MA, USA. He performs songs and tunes from across the United Kingdom and America with a great depth of knowledge of the tradition. 

Jeremiah McLane is a composer, accordionist, pianist, and educator with a diverse musical background including blues, jazz, Celtic, Québécois, French and other roots influenced music. 

Read more of their bios here.

The Cost

• Full Day (Workshops & Concert): $80.00

• Workshop Only: $65.00

• Concert Only: $25.00

To help support those with lost income during the Covid-19 crisis who still want to attend this event, we have created a pay less category. Please use these ticket prices if they would be of help to you. If you are in a position to pay a little more to help support this, we would also appreciate it. You will find an option at checkout to add a little more to your ticket price. Thank you.

More details available here.