Celebrating cheese and our culture - it was a fantastic weekend, the result of untold hours of planning by the committee and a lot of capable volunteers putting in many hours behind the scenes. Even the weather, though iffy at times, cooperated. Thanks to the weather and the volunteers, it all came off smoothly.
The "100 accordions" shtick was no doubt a big draw. Our energetic tourism director, Noreen Rueckert, is too modest to claim origin of the idea, but she admits "having something to do with it." What is certain is that in addition to her normal heavy workload with Cheese Days, she was key to recruiting and coordinating the long list of accordionists. With the help of Randy Schneeberger who transcribed the music, she arranged the logistics of getting them in place. Louie Scherer, our local "moving specialist," proved that he could move people as well as sofas and refrigerators.
During spring and early summer, many people had asked, "How can you ever get 100 accordionists?" My reply to that question was "Hey, if we get 70 or 80, whose counting?"
Oh, ye of little faith, including myself, we forgot about the many people who had taken lessons as kids, and stored their old accordions in the attic. This was an invitation to get those squeezeboxes out. Some people who knew music, especially piano, courageously tried one out for the first time. In fact, I gave several people brief refresher lessons and coached piano students on the "mysteries" of the left hand.
Faster than anyone could have imagined, Noreen had 100 accordions, and more. But how would we ever get them together? City band director, Randy, had never directed accordions, but he did know how to direct music and people.
We had one rehearsal in the Green County Historic Courthouse. Both Martha Bernet and I anticipated that it would sound awful - those weren't our exact words.
Oh, ye of little faith, again - we were pleasantly surprised. Even the first time through, the Cheese Days theme sounded credible. Director Randy was shocked. Noreen was smiling, even ecstatic. The accordionists were like good students - they had done their homework.
Several more times through, and it was quite good.
The second rehearsal was in Madison. It also went well. And before the main event last week, Noreen had exceeded the goal, with some 137 accordions.
I guess we had forgotten about the many people who had studied accordions as a kid, many under Rudy Burkhalter, and welcomed the opportunity to pick it up again and entertain in the celebration.
That is akin to my own experience. My parents had started me on the accordion with Rudy Burkhalter at age 5. I took lessons for a few years. But as youth is wasted on the young, I made the terrible decision to quit. But I still liked good accordion music.
In the dairy barn, especially during milking time, we always had the radio on, listening to "old time" music on WEKZ, or wherever else we could get it. Frankie Yankovic, the Slovenian out of Cleveland, was my favorite. In the early 1950s Lawrence Duchow came out with a recording of "The Ski Waltz." I was fascinated with that number.
It was either during my sophomore or junior year at MHS, I don't recall which, at our annual FFA banquet. Henry Blumer and Rudy Rothenbuehler entertained with their accordions. They played "The Ski Waltz." I was enthralled - to me it sounded just like Duchow's recording, even better. Neither Henry nor Rudy claim to remember that incident. But I remember it - I credit it with inspiring me to pick up the accordion again and take lessons.
I studied with one of Burkhalter's protégés, Yvonne Metz, for a couple of years - until she got married. I doubted that any man was worthy of Yvonne, such a gorgeous and talented young lady. I was enthralled with her. But life moved on, for her, and for me.
The draft was on. I successfully evaded it by joining the Marines. Then it was college at University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduate school at University of California-Berkeley, followed by a faculty position at University of Minnesota-St. Pau l. I didn't play much accordion until my son started taking lessons - from Larry Malmberg, who had studied under the great accordionist Charles Magnante.
I had been away from Monroe and didn't get back very much. But about that time, I found out about Roger Bright. On one of my trips back here from The Cities, I hit the New Glarus Hotel on a Saturday night. One of America's premier accordionists, Joey Miskulin who is featured on Roger's recordings, was there in person, accompanying Roger. It was inspiring.
But again, life moves on. I abandoned the accordion again, except for one time. I was invited to accompany a singer of Swedish Christmas songs on a local early morning radio show, "The Prairie Home Companion." That was, of course, before Garrison Keilor went national and became a bright star. But I can claim to have once been on his show. That, and four bits, will get me a cup of senior coffee at one of Monroe's fast food eateries.
I moved to New Mexico to head New Mexico State University's Ag Econ Department. I didn't play much accordion there except for a couple of songs at the Cinco de Mayo Festival in Old Mesilla in 1994. From 2001 to 2005, it was the Ag Econ Department headship at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.
Unexpectedly, I retired back here to my roots in 2005. Enter Del Heins, frequent performer and leading ambassador of the accordion. He convinced me to attend "Squeezebox Night" at Turner Hall. I got back in practice, and a couple of things I never could have dreamed of happened.
Next week: With an accordion, you can't predict the future.
- John Waelti's column appears every Friday in the Times. He can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
The "100 accordions" shtick was no doubt a big draw. Our energetic tourism director, Noreen Rueckert, is too modest to claim origin of the idea, but she admits "having something to do with it." What is certain is that in addition to her normal heavy workload with Cheese Days, she was key to recruiting and coordinating the long list of accordionists. With the help of Randy Schneeberger who transcribed the music, she arranged the logistics of getting them in place. Louie Scherer, our local "moving specialist," proved that he could move people as well as sofas and refrigerators.
During spring and early summer, many people had asked, "How can you ever get 100 accordionists?" My reply to that question was "Hey, if we get 70 or 80, whose counting?"
Oh, ye of little faith, including myself, we forgot about the many people who had taken lessons as kids, and stored their old accordions in the attic. This was an invitation to get those squeezeboxes out. Some people who knew music, especially piano, courageously tried one out for the first time. In fact, I gave several people brief refresher lessons and coached piano students on the "mysteries" of the left hand.
Faster than anyone could have imagined, Noreen had 100 accordions, and more. But how would we ever get them together? City band director, Randy, had never directed accordions, but he did know how to direct music and people.
We had one rehearsal in the Green County Historic Courthouse. Both Martha Bernet and I anticipated that it would sound awful - those weren't our exact words.
Oh, ye of little faith, again - we were pleasantly surprised. Even the first time through, the Cheese Days theme sounded credible. Director Randy was shocked. Noreen was smiling, even ecstatic. The accordionists were like good students - they had done their homework.
Several more times through, and it was quite good.
The second rehearsal was in Madison. It also went well. And before the main event last week, Noreen had exceeded the goal, with some 137 accordions.
I guess we had forgotten about the many people who had studied accordions as a kid, many under Rudy Burkhalter, and welcomed the opportunity to pick it up again and entertain in the celebration.
That is akin to my own experience. My parents had started me on the accordion with Rudy Burkhalter at age 5. I took lessons for a few years. But as youth is wasted on the young, I made the terrible decision to quit. But I still liked good accordion music.
In the dairy barn, especially during milking time, we always had the radio on, listening to "old time" music on WEKZ, or wherever else we could get it. Frankie Yankovic, the Slovenian out of Cleveland, was my favorite. In the early 1950s Lawrence Duchow came out with a recording of "The Ski Waltz." I was fascinated with that number.
It was either during my sophomore or junior year at MHS, I don't recall which, at our annual FFA banquet. Henry Blumer and Rudy Rothenbuehler entertained with their accordions. They played "The Ski Waltz." I was enthralled - to me it sounded just like Duchow's recording, even better. Neither Henry nor Rudy claim to remember that incident. But I remember it - I credit it with inspiring me to pick up the accordion again and take lessons.
I studied with one of Burkhalter's protégés, Yvonne Metz, for a couple of years - until she got married. I doubted that any man was worthy of Yvonne, such a gorgeous and talented young lady. I was enthralled with her. But life moved on, for her, and for me.
The draft was on. I successfully evaded it by joining the Marines. Then it was college at University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduate school at University of California-Berkeley, followed by a faculty position at University of Minnesota-St. Pau l. I didn't play much accordion until my son started taking lessons - from Larry Malmberg, who had studied under the great accordionist Charles Magnante.
I had been away from Monroe and didn't get back very much. But about that time, I found out about Roger Bright. On one of my trips back here from The Cities, I hit the New Glarus Hotel on a Saturday night. One of America's premier accordionists, Joey Miskulin who is featured on Roger's recordings, was there in person, accompanying Roger. It was inspiring.
But again, life moves on. I abandoned the accordion again, except for one time. I was invited to accompany a singer of Swedish Christmas songs on a local early morning radio show, "The Prairie Home Companion." That was, of course, before Garrison Keilor went national and became a bright star. But I can claim to have once been on his show. That, and four bits, will get me a cup of senior coffee at one of Monroe's fast food eateries.
I moved to New Mexico to head New Mexico State University's Ag Econ Department. I didn't play much accordion there except for a couple of songs at the Cinco de Mayo Festival in Old Mesilla in 1994. From 2001 to 2005, it was the Ag Econ Department headship at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.
Unexpectedly, I retired back here to my roots in 2005. Enter Del Heins, frequent performer and leading ambassador of the accordion. He convinced me to attend "Squeezebox Night" at Turner Hall. I got back in practice, and a couple of things I never could have dreamed of happened.
Next week: With an accordion, you can't predict the future.
- John Waelti's column appears every Friday in the Times. He can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
