"Way back when" (about 1960) my
parents started me playing a piano accordion. After ten years of lessons I
got fairly good at it, but after entering the Navy and going into submarines I stopped playing and for several years I had no active interest in any
instrument. In 1999 I was in a Seattle area accordion shop and encountered an odd
looking bellows operated instrument I barely recognized from having seen one in
a movie, also in the "way back when" timeframe.
It was my first look at a concertina, and fascinated, I tried working the buttons. Hmm, each button made two different sounds based on bellows direction. Of course, it was an Anglo, but at the time I didn't know they came in flavors. The two-tone-per-button design reminded of the harmonicas I'd played for a short time in my late teens. It seemed like a fun novelty, and I ended up purchasing a 20 button Stagi. In just a few weeks I discovered how much I missed having a full set of sharps and flats so I went back to the shop to upgrade to a 30 button Stagi.
The next couple of years I kept the concertina around the house, typically in close proximity to my computer and would occasionally spend anything from a couple of minutes to an hour picking out theme songs from old TV shows and early American standards (Dixie, Red River Valley and the like). I'd get frustrated by the inclination of the buttons to jam, and sometimes weeks passed between times when I played it, but I always eventually sought it out again.
I finally grew tired of the issues with sticking buttons and decided to upgrade in 2003. After some research, I put an order in with Bob Tedrow for a 30 button Anglo and then decided I should look for some formal instruction on the instrument. Turns out concertina instruction isn't an easy thing to come by, but in the process of researching concertina makers I discovered Concertina.net and through it, that Noel Hill offered summer Irish concertina classes in Oregon.
I didn't know anything about Noel or 'Irish Concertina' but I figured any formal instruction would help, so I signed up for the 2003 class. My first evening at the class site was a little unsettling, it seemed everyone was playing Irish music, I didn't recognize any of it, and they were all far better players than I was. I called my wife and told her I might be home early the next day, depending on how the first class session went.
Although the first few days were a bit frustrating as I abandoned what little I thought I knew and started learning Noel's system, a few days into classes I had learned a whole new approach to playing and was also learning to appreciate Irish music. After finishing the week with Noel, I couldn't wait to learn more. Six months later I was a member of the group going to Ireland for a musical tour and additional lessons with Noel, and by then had about 50 Irish tunes memorized and couldn't imagine playing anything other than Irish music, it had become addictive.
Shortly after returning from Ireland, I attended the five-day 2004 Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp in Washington State and the associated daily concertina workshops with John Williams. I enjoyed the workshop, listened to John play several great tunes, gained additional perspective on the concertina and of course added to my repertoire of tunes.
As of the Summer I've attended a total of ten week-long classes series with Noel Hill, one week with John Williams, four with Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin at the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp and two with Florence Fahy at the same location. I've even had the benefit of some personal time with Bertram Levy and have been working though his new tutor, scheduled for formal publication and release in July of 2011. The weakness in my playing ability at this point are certainly not the result of any lack of effort by any of the talented people named.
Over the last ten years I've owned two two Stagi concertinas, two Lachenals, two Tedrows, three Edgleys, three Dippers and one very sweet sounding Wheatstone. Aside from the two Lachenals which were ill-advised eBay purchases that arrived in very poor condition, considering cost, responsiveness, action, tone and other aspects, each had their merits, and in my opinion none had anything to apologize for. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend good examples of any of those named, but qualify that statement by saying one needs to have a clear notion of what they want before making a selection. I've also tried Morse Concertinas, Carrolls, Jeffries, Suttners, Kensingtons, Herringtons and Wakkers plus a few others, and again, each has their merits. In recent years I've come to favor Edgley and Tedrow instruments as excellent values.
As to this website and the opinions expressed, they represent my personal perspective only. I call it a vanity website - there's no advertising, nothign is sold and it generates no money so it's an out-of-pocket expense that permits me to express my opinions to the public. My primary purpose is to offer to others the sort of personal "hands on" perspective I'd like to have when I consider attending concertina workshops or classes, especially ones that involve staying over the course of several nights. I can't say that other attendees will agree with my perspectives, but I'm offering them for whatever value the reader gains from it.
I should mention one thing regarding classes, if I enjoy a class series then I'm going to write about it in a positive manner. If I had a bad experience overall or didn't like some individual element of the class series I'm not going to comment on it. Maybe it was me (I'm told by people that claim to know me well [like my wife] that I'm very opinionated and not at all forgiving), maybe it was a misunderstanding, maybe I caught the other person at a bad moment, but regardless, I don't consider it appropriate to publicly air my thoughts in that situation. Such matters are better addressed by direct conversation with the organizers and management anyway.