i own an accordion

Ignore the unmade bed in the background and feast your eyes on this Chinese-made beauty.


Sure, the best-made accordions are manufactured in villages nestled along the rolling hills of Italia, but a girl swimming in student debt can barely justify purchasing this little 48-bass accordion. At least the Chinese manufacturer gave it a little Italian flare by prominently displaying that the instrument is to be called Stella.

I purchased this beauty from a Hans Braun, upon learning his name I knew this was legit. He had an accordion school in his past life, before he relocated to the suburban subdivisions of Spanish Fork. He tried to teach me the basics, and spoke of music theory stuff like the "circle of fifths" and I nodded to pretend I wasn't a music idiot. (However, I have this little theory that the more you nod the less you know. It's an over-compensation thing. I wonder if Hans Braun subscribes to a similar theory and saw right through my charade.) I took it home and just pushed all the buttons and pretended I had skillz. I just liked making all the noises.

But I have had Stella since Labor Day. I was pretty devoted in my online research about how to handle her for about a week. I almost mastered "Mary had a Little Lamb" and was simultaneously learning "When the Saints Come Marching In." But the novelty wore off and practice fell by the wayside. But I broke out the old girl tonight, and she smells so good. I think instruments just have this smell (I think it is the scent of wood, to be honest...the accordion makes the noise because you push air through wooden reeds). I love that smell. I want to collect instruments or become a luthier so I can be surrounded by that scent. Seriously, I love it so much.

But, if I don't become a luthier, I want to play my accordion at subway stations with a the case at my feet where those entertained by my musical stylings can drop some change.

I joke not; I would love to be a street musician. At least for a week of so. Or in my freetime. I probably wouldn't quit my day job. Probably.