A Day in the Life...

The adventure continues to unfold now that Acclarion has relocated to the Northwest Territories.  Life in northern Canada is quite different from growing up in a mega-sized city like Toronto.  We are adjusting to a small town not unlike the Cheers bar..."where everybody knows your name" (and a lot of other things about you!)  There are of course, the unique challenges of adapting to the cultural and philosophical differences that exist between northerners and southerners, but at the end of the day, the people here are wonderfully warm and friendly, if not a little too laid back.  There's an expression that seems to be the mantra of everyone in the north:  "relax, it's the north...it will get done when it gets done!"

Maybe it's not that life moves slowly up here, but rather than life moves too quickly back home.  Of course, once winter sets in, with virtually no daylight, we'll probably feel more like the locals and enjoy relaxing indoors with a cup of hot chocolate sitting by the warm and cozy fireplace (which we don't have).  

Onto matters of music!  In an era when the CBC has all but given up on broadcasting classical music, it was a thrill for us to discover our recent featured performance on CBC Radio's North By Northwest.  They broadcast our rendition of Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata.  This wonderful piece of music was a challenge for us to record, due to the differences between the instruments for which it was originally scored and the accordion and clarinet.  In spite of this, we're glad to have gambled on this piece because art is constantly evolving and offering a different perspective on a musical gem like this sonata is most rewarding.

We're only one week away from our debut on the west coast.  Friday, October 23, we perform as part of the Valley Concert Society's twenty-seventh season.  As the season opener, we're thrilled to bring our brand of light-hearted classics to the stage at the beautiful Matsqui Centennial Auditorium.  The challenges of traveling with expensive (and heavy) musical instruments and equipment is not the highlight of our chosen profession.  Things will be even more difficult as the flight from the Northwest Territories to Edmonton is on board a very small commuter plane.  We leave for British Columbia on Friday morning, arriving in Edmonton with just enough time to hop on to our flight to Abbotsford, BC.  Because we're flying in to Edmonton on a small, privately owned airline that doesn't have it's own space at the airport, we are responsible for collecting our luggage and running halfway across the airport to re-tag it for the second half of the trip.  It is never a fun experience explaining to airline security and check in clerks the nature of our work.

Things will be far more challenging in November, when we embark on our week-long tour with four concerts in Minnesota and Iowa.  We're often told how exciting it must be to travel and tour with our music.  It's true, that being on stage is a rush like none other and sharing our passion together is one of life's greatest pleasures.  However, until they invent a way to magically beam people from one location to another, the hazards and stresses of air travel will always put a damper on the festivities.

We just bought an iPod Touch and had some fun using its voice commands.  By speaking into the headphone mic, you can instruct it to play a specific artist.  Naturally, we wanted to see if it would play our own CDs which are available on iTunes (buy yours today!).  We instructed it to "play albums by Acclarion" and sure enough it started playing our music!  Well, we took the test further and asked for specific pieces of music.  "Play song, "Kenortango."  The iPod responded with "Now playing song_____" (fill in the blank with any artist and song you can imagine...any song but the Kenortango).  Yes, it played Michael Jackson, German accordionist Hugo Noth, Andrew Lloyd Weber, but it would not play the Kenortango.  Oh well, I guess they'll just keep tweaking their voice recognition technology in future generations of the iPod.  In the meantime, we'll have to make do playing the Kenortango live, with our own instruments.  Sigh...

Check back for a full rundown of our Abbotsford concert in two weeks.  Until then, be well and enjoy the music!

David and Becky

July, 2009:

This past year has been quiet on the performance front as we took a year off to pursue some non-musical projects.  In fact, save for a handful of school concerts during the winter months, we haven't done any public performances.  Despite the inactivity on the stage, we've been adding new music to our repertoire and as always, trying to strike a balance between music that is fun to listen to and fun to play (no they don't always go hand in hand!)

Whatever rust performers get from not playing their instruments consistently will have to be removed because 2009 promises to see the return of Acclarion to the concert stage in a number of exciting performances.  First off, we're going to the west coast!  Becky has always felt left out when it comes to experiencing the beauty of British Columbia, as every member of her family has been there except her.  David also was privileged to see Vancouver a decade ago and is happy that he can return to B.C. with Becky as they play their first concert in Abbotsford, British Columbia.  Acclarion will take the stage at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium as part of the Valley Concert Society's 27th season.  Check our events listings for detailed information on how you can attend if you are in the Abbotsford area.

In November, Acclarion returns for their second tour of the United States mid-West.  Starting in Colorado (read our previous blog entry about our adventures at the National Performing Arts Conference in Denver last summer!) we play concerts in Delta and Craig, then travel to Iowa, then to Minnesota, then back to Iowa, and finally ending in Indiana.  Yes, seven concerts in fourteen days with thousands of miles logged on America's scenic roads.  This time, we are going to try our best to find some famous diners along the way, as depicted on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" hosted by Guy Fieri (a man that Becky would leave David for in a heartbeat!)  

On the recording front, Acclarion's 2008 release of what if...? (click the link to purchase your own copy today!) has received some favourable reviews, including a tongue and cheek accounting of our "unique" ensemble as presented on CBC Radio's In the Key of Charles.  If you'd like to hear the host's comments as well as our rendition of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro Overture, right-click HERE and save clip to your computer.

We're always surprised at who's listening to our music around the world.  Through iTunes, we continue to sell our music to enthusiastic listeners around the world.  In particular, our music is quite popular in Europe, Japan, and Australia.  Some of the favourite tunes being downloaded?  From our first album, the Kenortango, Harmonious Blacksmith, Nessun Dorma, Tico Tico, That's Amore, and Klezmerized.  From our second album, the Spanish Dance, Arpeggione Sonata, Passages, and the Marriage of Figaro Overture are the top picks.  We encourage you to visit iTunes and download your favourite tracks, or better yet, purchase our complete albums!  (you won't get those wacky liner notes and photos any other way).

Well, that's the latest from us.  We're working on some new pieces so we'd better get back to practicing.  Check back soon for another update!

August 8, 2008:
It's that wonderful time of year when children mourn the end of summer and parents celebrate the peace and quiet (at least during the day) September will bring.  Of course, it's always amusing to see the "back to school" ads start earlier each year.  Eventually, they'll be advertising "back to school" before final exams let out.  

If you've been following our blog, you know that we've been working on our second CD.  It is almost four years to the day since we released our debut self-titled recording, "Acclarion."  If there's one thing we've learned from our own experiences, as well as those of our colleagues, it is that artists must be wildly passionate about their work in order to endure the uncertainty that is the entertainment business.  It is that passion that motivated us to produce a second CD.  Anyone with business acumen would suggest that self-producing an album in 2008 is akin to lighting a bonfire with hundred dollar bills (we recently went camping...and no, we used wood, not money to start a fire!)  Heck, even the manufacturing plants, whose businesses once thrived on independent artists' replication orders, have closed their warehouses in favour of home-based solutions.  The big record labels don't sign any new artists, preferring to depend on the select few commercially viable musicians (most of whom are teens catering to other teens).  As for the classical-music segment of the recording industry, well let's just say that it hardly has its pulse on current trends.

With the doom and gloom forecast, why did we not only self-produce a new album, but fill it with traditional classical pieces while other artists distance themselves from conventional repertoire in favour of trendier tangos, showtunes, and for some symphony orchestras, even video game music?  The short answer is we simply needed to follow our hearts and record music that is near and dear to us.  

The long answer is that we don't really fit in to the neat and tidy marketing conventions that labels, retailers, and armchair experts like to create.  Everybody has an opinion on the kind of music we should be playing in order to expand our audience and "get rich." (yes, there are actually people that think we do this to get rich!)  There's a famous quote that "the less you know about a particular business, the easier it is to offer advice on how to prosper in it."  We're only going to feel good about ourselves as artists if we continue to make music that is true to our hearts.  Every time someone listens to us on iTunes; every time someone sends us an email informing us that they loved our CD; every time a long lost acquaintance informs us that they heard us on CBC Radio; every time we play a concert and are approached backstage by an teary-eyed audience member, we know we're doing the right thing.   We also know it is important to not judge a book by its cover.  

It would be easier to play the kind of music typically associated with accordion and clarinet, but it is far more rewarding to take chances and expose audiences to music they never would have thought possible with our duo.  The rush we get when we push ourselves to defy the limitations of our instruments is similar to a dare devil defying the laws of gravity (without the risk of injury of course!)  It is for those reasons we will continue our journey of musical exploration and creation, in spite of an increasingly apathetic general public and an industry in turmoil.  

We know that those of you reading this are interested in more than that which appears in the mainstream.  You've inspired us along this exciting adventure to continue to push the boundaries and never settle for the easy path.  The bumps and turns along the way help us grow emotionally and artistically.  We appreciate each and every great opportunity we've had to share our music with you and with each other.  

On September 23rd, Acclarion releases its second CD, entitled "what if...?"  We hope our music will bring you great joy and offer a little insight into what fuels our passion.  Thanks for reading; thanks for listening!

June 1, 2008:
The past couple of weeks have been filled with highs and lows.   Completing our recording of Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata left us feeling jubilant and triumphant.  Another positive moment came earlier in the week when we received a scholarship to attend the Performing Arts Conference in Denver.  But all things considered, the summer tends to be a slow time in the lives of musicians.  The gigs are few and far between and the tedious chore of constant promotion and networking tends to weaken one's resolve.  

That's where the trouble began.  We were craving an adventure this summer; one that would take us away from our familiar surroundings and allow us to explore this great country of ours.  With Becky's parents now residing in the North West Territories, we thought it would be a great opportunity to see Canada while visiting them.  Our idea was to purchase a camping trailer.  So off to the RV dealership we went.  After spending a few hours walking through the various models and talking with an informative and not at all pushy salesman, we had our hearts set on buying one of these trailers.  We figured out the numbers and were convinced that we could acquire one without too much of a strain on our finances.  The only problem is that we don't own a towing vehicle.  While these trailers are lightweight (under 2000 pounds), it would be difficult to tow with even the more powerful of our two vehicles.  

Rather than giving up on the dream, we headed out to several car dealerships in hopes of trading in our Mazda for a Ford Escape.  Now, this is the inverse of what most people would be doing with today's grossly inflated fuel prices.  Heck, we just finished viewing the 2006 documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" and were well aware that trading our fuel-efficient vehicle for a gas guzzling SUV (although it is the smallest SUV you can get!) didn't make much sense.  Then again, when have we ever followed conventions?  We're the duo that plays the Marriage of Figaro on accordion and bass clarinet!

Despite our most valiant efforts to do a fair trade, the numbers just didn't add up.  And so ended our hope of a great summer adventure.  To make matters worse, just down the street, a neighbour has their shiny trailer (just like the model we wanted) parked on their driveway, with a towing vehicle conveniently parked beside it.  Oh, the day will come when we too will have our trailer!

Don't feel too sorry for us, because the week ended in the most wonderful way possible.  Just before Christmas, we were potting some indoor plants only to discover a day later that David had lost his wedding ring.  We searched valiantly through the bags of soil and dirt, but to no avail.  David was convinced it may have slipped off while shoveling the driveway that day.  The ring was loose and had yet to be resized, so this was a possibility.  Of course, with the knee high snow, it was next to impossible to find search the area for it.  Our neighbour mentioned that he could get his hands on a metal detector in the spring and check our lawn for it.  David was resigned to having lost the ring, but after six months without it, Becky, inspired by Indiana Jones, went on an archeological dig through the one remaining garbage bag of dirt still sitting in our garage.  With David convinced that it was a waste of time to search through the bag (he of course was not wasting time searching for trailers on line!), Becky got down on her hands and knees and sifted through the dirt piles.  Lo and behold, she found the ring!  It was truly one of the happiest moments of our lives.  Covered in dirt, David slipped the ring on, only to discover that it was even more loose than it was before he lost a lot of weight.  We went off to the jewelers to get it resized and will have it back next week.   

Thanks for reading!  Now go pop in your Acclarion CD, and sip some wine on your deck...that's what we're going to do!

May 28, 2008:
Great news!  We just received a scholarship from Chamber Music America to attend the largest international arts conference of its kind being held in Denver, Colorado, mid-June.  Much like our tour, we'll be leaving London for the Detroit airport in the wee hours of the morning (we always luck out with the best flight times!)  We're so excited to attend this fantastic event as it will provide tons of networking and educational opportunities from leaders in all areas of the arts.  It's equally exciting to have a chance to see the Mile-High City, as we were only an hour away in Fort Morgan, Colorado during our tour.  Timing and logistics precluded us from traveling to Denver but now...the sky's the limit!  

May 21, 2008:
It was our intention to provide regular blog updates in 2008.  In fact, it was one of our New Year's resolutions.  You all know how this one turned out!  Luckily, David's resolution to shed some weight has been successful.  Yes, playing the accordion does burn some calories, but not enough to balance out those sweet treats that we both enjoy so much.  Luckily, with a regular dose of exercise and healthy (or should we say healthier) eating, the accordion now weighs more than David!  Well, maybe not quite...

Since our last entry, we've been diligently assembling pieces for our second CD.  We are well on our way to completing the album, which we hope to make available for purchase by the end of the summer.  The majority of selections are classical masterpieces which most people would never imagine being played on accordion and clarinet.  What can we say?  We're enjoying the challenge of making these pieces work for our instruments.  Thus far, we've got our circus-inspired "Lacrimosa" (from Mozart's Requiem); our funky take on "Flight of the Bumblebee" in which Becky's endurance is pushed to the limits; Moskowski's energetic Spanish Dance No. 2; and a rich and luscious take on Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata.  This sonata has proven to be challenging as our instruments just weren't designed to play such a piece.  However, we are tremendously pleased with the end result and consider it to be the show-stopping selection on the CD.  

Recently, we had an opportunity to perform in our home-city of London on very short notice.  In fact, we were hired for a gig only hours before it began!  The old expression, "opportunity meets preparation" definitely applies.  We also had a chance to attend some performances and catch up with old friends.  We attended an Orchestra London concert with very adventurous programming (a great deal of avant-garde repertoire that was performed beautifully), as well as a concert featuring harpist, Erica Goodman's ensemble, Trio Lyrica.  Their performance was splendid, as was our time together with Erica following the show.

Speaking of shows, we were also fortunate to attend one of the final performances of Rent here in London.  It's one of our all-time favourite musicals, and in addition to viewing it for entertainment, we were taking notes as we continue to develop our musical, "Squeezy!"  We're excited by several prospects, and hope that it will one day be performed to a packed audience of young children.  We continue to be motivated by a desire to educate and inspire the next generation of artists.    

One common theme facing all performers and presenters in today's difficult market is finding the means to present high quality music without suffering financial collapse.  We are often asked by fans via email when we will be playing in their community.  All we can say is that we would love to play everywhere there's an audience!  In order for this to happen, we need to ensure that presenters have the support of the community.  If you want us in your town, contact your local concert association and let them know!  Also, make sure when a performance is in your area, you not only attend yourself, but you let any and everybody know about it.  Perhaps the recent CBC radio cutbacks are a sign of the times, but we must not let a rich tradition of classical music die in Canada (or the world for that matter).  

We look forward to hearing from you!  Drop us a note and thank you for taking the time to visit!  

Feb. 23, 2008:
Yes, we know it's almost the end of February and this is only our first blog entry of 2008.  Time flies by faster than the sixteenth notes in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro Overture!  Part of our blogging delinquency stems from our busier than ever start to the new year.  We have been working on several exciting projects over the past year.  One in particular is without a doubt the single most rewarding experience both of us have ever shared.  In 2007, we decided to write a feature-length screenplay for a children's animated film.  And today, we are proud to say that the screenplay is complete!  It has already gone through several revisions and we are now in the process of pitching it to various film companies.  Don't fear:  Acclarion isn't going Hollywood (yet!) but it's our goal to set the wheels in motion to develop this script into a film.  

You're probably wondering how this idea evolved.  Anyone that knows us (or any other classically trained musicians for that matter) understands how difficult it is to motivate and inspire children to take up a musical instrument.  In a pop culture society that praises athletes and rappers, there is a need to promote art and culture to a generation of kids that think Puccini is a type of mushroom (we stole that from an internet advertising banner that was also trying to promote music education).  Our recent tour of the United States brought to light the severe shortage of opportunities children have to experience concert music.  In order to maintain a sustainable classical music industry, we must find news ways of reaching out to the future concert-going public.

That's where our screenplay comes in.  We wrote it over the course of the last year, dedicating many weekends to it, revising it, and crafting a highly entertaining and marketable story that we're convinced is every bit as compelling as all the big Hollywood animated features like "Cars", "Finding Nemo", and "Ratatouille."  Both of us have writing backgrounds, which allowed us to work together on a project that has become our child.  The script is also complete with eleven original songs, in the Disney tradition (lush melodies, catchy tunes, hilarious lyrics!)  

We have set up a recording studio here in our home this past month and have gone to work recording demo versions of the songs.  The process is long and difficult, but greatly rewarding.  In addition to that, we are also recording Acclarion repertoire in anticipation of a follow-up album to our self-titled debut.  Over the weekend, we completed production of our original take on "Flight of the Bumblebee" and David's original composition, "Sempiternal."  Originally conceived for us with pianist Angela Park, we have gone ahead and merged human performance with computer synthesizers to create a new version of the piece.  We couldn't be happier with how it turned out!  More music in this style is being prepared.  2008 promises to be our most ambitious year ever as a duo.  In 2007, we coined the phrase "Classical Music Gets a Makeover!"  In 2008, we're going to prove it with some ground-breaking projects.  Keep checking back and let us know what you think!

Dec. 8, 2007
We're back home - getting used to normal life again after being on the road for a month (and detoxing after all that fast food!).  The last leg of the tour took us from Cheyenne, Wyoming through the Rocky Mountains to Anaconda, Montana. Cheyenne is the capital of the cowboy state: the wild west! We had a chance to check out the railroad museum before our concert and had a great time in the luggage loft trying on costumes where Cowboy Dave rustled up some new boots! The audience that night was one of our best - they couldn't stop smiling and laughing for the whole concert and then bought out so many CDs, we had none left for our last concert in Montana!

The 700+ mile drive to Anaconda, Montana took us through the most spectacular scenery we've seen so far on this tour. We went through warm fall weather, snow squalls, heavy winds, winding roads, and then we saw the mountains! Photos & video can't do their majesty justice! Anaconda is a small town nestled in the Rockies - we were performing at an altitude of over 7000 feet! Our final concert of the tour took place in the beautiful, historic Washoe theatre, with one of our largest audiences and the widest age group. Afterwards, the concert association treated us to a dinner at The Copper Bowl - a great way to end the tour!

Once again, our trip home started at 4am the next morning so we stayed up the night before trying to pack up. Fortunately, thanks to very accommodating flight attendants, our trip back was far less stressful: the accordion was riding in style buckled into a front row seat!

David spent the whole week after the tour editing and assembling our new promotional DVD with footage from the concert in Denison, Iowa. Clips from the DVD will be put up shortly on You Tube.

Nov. 11, 2007
Our performance in Coffeyville took place in one of the most beautiful auditoriums we’ve played to date with the audience filling the orchestra and balcony! Earlier in the day we discovered a small zoo in Independence, the town we were staying in due to the flood in Coffeyville. We had a great time visiting all the animals and got some hilarious photos & videos of a lazy black bear, Tasha the cougar, Jennie the donkey, monkeys and birds, but not before we were greeted first by four Kansas kitties! They’ll be making their Youtube debut shortly! Afterwards, we discovered an awesome Mexican restaurant before heading to the concert.

The drive the next day was the start of a two day drive to Fort Morgan in Colorado. Once again, we saw more plains and cows (getting larger and more numerous the further northwest we drove). We stopped for the night in Hays, Kansas, a place that had a true wild west reputation back in the late 1800s where “Wild Bill” Hickok was sheriff in one of the most violent towns in Kansas with saloons, gambling houses, and feuds leading to bloodshed. It’s not so lawless anymore, and we felt quite safe eating another great Mexican meal at the locals’ favourite restaurant!

After discovering another IHOP for breakfast (a welcome change from our daily Super 8 continental breakfasts), the next day we continued on to Fort Morgan, crossing into the Mountain time zone as we drove. The scenery driving north into Colorado was another roller coaster ride of hills, curves, narrow roads, and constant climbing in elevation. Our stop in Fort Morgan, finds us at about 4400 feet above sea level! Is the air clearer? Only when you’re not downwind from the cows! We’re getting closer to the mountains, but we still can’t see them yet. Thanks to the extra hour we got from the time zone change, we even had a chance to catch a movie in the local theatre - it’s almost surreal sitting in a movie theatre in Colorado, so far from home!

Our concert in Fort Morgan on November 11^th drew an audience of all ages! We’re always excited to introduce younger generations to classical music and it was great to see a whole group of children around 8 to 11 years old enjoying the concert.  It was also neat playing in the Glenn Miller Auditorium!  Tomorrow, we’ll be leaving for Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Nov. 8, 2007
On November 5th, we drove to Perryville, Missouri.  In what has been a stroke of luck once again, we were fortunate to pass through the capital city of Illinois, Springfield, which gave us a chance to see our third state capitol building (the other two being in Minnesota and Iowa).  Springfield is also rich in Abraham Lincoln history, with his presidential library, a national museum, and most important of all, his tomb!  We took a round about trip trying to find his tomb, and once we did it was quite a thrill to stand in the presence of perhaps America's greatest president.  We also stopped at a gift shop with an overly chatty owner that was determined to sell us politically-inspired souvenirs (if they hadn't run out of George W. Bush bobble heads, we would have bought one!)  

We approached St. Louis during rush hour, and were thrilled to see the St. Louis Arch from the highway.  The skyline in that city is truly beautiful, although we weren't able to soak it all in as much as we would have liked.  We ended up dining at "Jack in the Box" just outside of the city.  The staff there was hilarious!  The manager said someone once thought she was Canadian because of her accent.  She apparently was offended because she didn't think she had an accent!  Her Southern "drawl" was more apparent than the fat oozing out of our food (which was yummy by the way!)  Anyway, the girls working there were quite nice (even offering us free drinks!) and strongly advising us to stay out of that part of town if we value our lives.  It seems that Becky always navigates us to the slum regions of town.  She has done that in Minneapolis, Detroit (earlier this year), Des Moines, and now St. Louis.

Perryville, Missouri has more cops per capita than anywhere we've ever been.  We strolled through the town court house so we could get a bottle of water (similar to going to the hospital to use the bathroom in Minnesota).  The complex we played at is not even ten years old and the support staff was most helpful.  The crowd seemed a little "unusual".  It was the first time we had people eating popcorn in the front row and hacking up a lung in the middle of a performance.  Becky was distracted by one guy licking his fingers during the performance which led to a new interpretation of one of our pieces that David had to figure out on the fly!  In all seriousness though, the concert was another success.  One gentleman, who was part of the presenting organization mentioned he had tried for three years to get us to play at the venue and he was thrilled that it finally happened.

Yesterday, we drove through the whole state of Missouri to Coffeyville, Kansas (the home of Amazon.Com) with the most scenic view and roller coaster-like hills we've ever experienced.  It was like driving on the mountain-side roads in Europe!  Of course, as soon as we dined at a road side restaurant called "Hillbillies" with numerous deer heads on the wall, we were reminded that it wasn't Europe, but the good ol' United States of America...YEE HAWWW!  

Coffeyville was recently damaged by a flood that destroyed one third of the town and was declared a federal disaster area.  The recovery efforts are still underway and we're being forced to stay in a nearby town called Independence as the hotels in Coffeyville are all filled with local residents that are temporarily displaced from their homes.  After our show tonight, we'll be heading to Fort Morgan, Colorado (with a little detour to Oklahoma for some special slobberknocker barbeque at a good friend's restaurant!)  A stop in the Independence Super Walmart last night revealed that the locals have a great affinity for hunting (as they do in most of the Mid-West states we've played in).  We feel a little out of our element here, but we're making the best of the experience and trying to blend in.   

For those of you that would like to read a review of our concert in International Falls, Minnesota, click HERE.

Nov. 4, 2007
It's been a whirlwind ride the past few days, hence the lack of blog updates.  It's 10am on Sunday morning, and we're doing this entry just before we leave Ottawa, Illinois for La Porte, Indiana for our fourth concert in as many days.  Tomorrow is an off-day, but we'll be spending most of it in the car en route to Missouri.  It seems that touring is just another word for excessive travel.  We've passed through enough states and Super 8 motels that everything is starting to look the same.  That's why it's important that we record our thoughts here before we forget about the specifics of each location.  We'll take you through the past four days:

On November 1st, we had our concert in Denison, Iowa.  Halloween night, we were going through a crisis as our original camera person that was scheduled to tape our performance at the Donna Reed Theater, backed out with a lame excuse at 7pm.  We're stuck in a small town, two hours from the nearest major city of Des Moines, Iowa, or Omaha, Nebraska and had to find a new camera person...with two high end cameras, the knowledge of how to film a concert, the willingness to drive out to Denison, and fit our budget.  One company wanted enough money to pay our mortgage for a couple of months!  Sylvia, our hostess at Conner's Corner came to the rescue with a friend of a friend who knew someone that was living in Des Moines and might be able to do it.  We contacted Jeremy at 9:30pm on Halloween and lo and behold, he was interested and confident that he'd be able to do it!  Miracle of miracles!

To make a long story short, the concert went well, the footage is excellent, and we'll have a great promotional DVD made when we return home.  The crowd was large, enthusiastic, and seeing our name in lights on the marquee of a real theatre with real history, was a dream come true!  The tech guys in Denison, Jerry and Roy, were wonderful people that helped make our experience there a true pleasure.  We also had a chance to do some "normal" errands while there.  We got hair cuts, did banking, laundry, mailings, etc.  We also got to sample old fashioned sodas (with a turn of the century soda fountain and real soda jerks!) in the restaurant attached to the theatre.   We even got to experience the ultimate in teen incompetence when we tried to do a transaction at Walmart, and met with the most immature, attitude-laced teenage cashier.  We feel sorry for her co-workers and any customers that may have the displeasure of being served by "Stephanie" (although we can't imagine after our encounter that she is still working there).

In Newton, Iowa, we performed in a large church, with a big crowd.  Musically, we were on top of our game, and the crowd was perhaps the most energetic and responsive to date.  It's almost a shame that we couldn't tape that concert in addition to the Denison show.  No matter how many times we hear great compliments on our concerts, it never ceases to overwhelm us...it truly makes all the hard work worth while.  For years we've toiled in obscurity honing our craft and we're enjoying the chance to expose our music to so many Americans throughout the eleven states we're touring.  CD sales are also encouraging, as we're unloading more than we thought possible!

On our way to Ottawa (Illinois, not Ontario!) we stopped at the Cracker Barrel restaurant, just before crossing the Mississippi River.  Wow, talk about value and portion size!  Once, when we were in Buffalo, we saw a famous pro wrestler named the Big Show (he stands 7 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 500 pounds) go in there to eat.  We never got the chance to do it ourselves.  Now we know why he dines there! Massive portions and super low prices.  God bless Southern cookin'!  Our show in Ottawa was nice.  The crowd was a little quiet at first, but warmed up to the concert and by the end of the evening, we had sold a good amount of CDs and received another standing ovation (amazingly, it has happened at every show!)  Our encore was the best performance yet, and Becky whacking David on the head with her wooden spoons got a great ovation!  

We'll do our best to put some new photos and videos up, probably after our concert in La Porte this afternoon.  We've now played in five states, heading into the sixth.  From here on in, the drives get brutally long (some in excess of 700 miles!)  Time to get a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee on our way out of Illinois.  See you soon!

Oct. 31, 2007
The drive from South Dakota to Osage, Iowa was very, very long.  We went back through the south end of Minnesota to get into Iowa. We felt right at home when we found out Osage is called the City of Maples.  We performed that night after a 7 hour drive but we were energized by the best acoustics and a 300 plus audience.  We suggested that the audience find a word to describe our style of music since it doesn't fit neatly into one category.  One audience member came up with "Accomplishamento".  Another fun moment came when we were signing CD autographs following the show.  Two women came up to us with their CDs, the first named Cathy, the second named Kathy.  Let's hope they became friends through that chance encounter!

The next day after lunch at Hardee's (another delicious fast food chain not available in Canada) we traveled down the road where we spotted a neat train museum.  We pulled over to the side of the road and set the camera on the roof of the vehicle in hopes of snapping a couple of shots of both of us.  Each time we set the timer, we had to run across the busy highway to get in position for the shot.  We attempted this over and over again and after a dozen failed attempts, gave up on getting the perfect picture.  Becky finally got her chance to drive on the interstate while David worked away on the laptop.  Becky's laid back approach to the open road fits well with the giant oversize load cattle trucks that prevail on America's rural roads.  

Our day off took us to the largest city since arriving in Minneapolis ten days ago.  We arrived in Des Moines, Iowa and spent a wonderful day admiring the spectacular state capitol building, with 23 karat gold domed roof!  David took a picture with a Christopher Columbus statue, while we took many photos of the various war monuments on the grounds.  Later that evening, we sought out a gem of a restaurant in nearby Clive, Iowa.  A remarkably affordable, yet super delicious Thai restaurant, Cool Basil was our first taste of exotic cuisine we've had in months.  Before returning to our hotel, we strolled through the most picturesque lake/park, with an illuminated bridge that spans Gray Lake and offers a view of Des Moines' city scape.

This morning (Halloween) we set out on a quest for Ihop that saw us drive all over the city, including a stop in a large suburban mall twenty miles out of Des Moines proper.  After an hour plus of driving, we finally found that elusive Ihop in Urbandale, Iowa.  It was so worth the drive, because we were privileged to try their new line of gourmet pancakes...Becky had the carrot cake pancakes, while David had the New York strawberry cheesecake pancakes.  YUMMO!  We then headed to Denison, Iowa, which is close to Omaha, Nebraska.

We're staying at a fabulous Victorian mansion which was originally owned by a judge at the turn of the twentieth century.  The current owners, Sylvia and Doug, are great hosts that have made us feel most welcome in their beautiful home.  We're the only ones here tonight, so we've had a chance to look at the whole house, and it is quite amazing!  Tomorrow, we'll be performing at the Donna Reed Theatre, which is maintained in honour of the late, great, Oscar-winning actress and star of "It's a Wonderful Life."  The theatre should be filled tomorrow night and we will be filming the concert if all goes well.  

Oct. 28, 2007
We've just finished our Matinee performance in Redfield, South Dakota: the pheasant capital.  It's pheasant hunting season and we are the only one's in our hotel that aren't hunters.  Pheasant stuff is everywhere (including a feather under our hotel room desk)  but, being a Sunday, all the shops are closed so we couldn't obtain any pheasant paraphernalia.  The concert took place in a beautiful auditorium to another enthusiastic full house at the South Dakota Development Centre which is a state mental institution that was established back in the 1930s.  Afterwards we had enough time to look around town, notice an ad for our concert on Redfield's electronic billboard display, dine at the Pizza Hut (that's all that was open) and find the town's giant pheasant statue.  

The drive from North Dakota to South Dakota was more flat plains & farms - no badlands for us, we were too far east in both states.  The border came up very quick and we almost missed the sign for South Dakota so we turned around on the empty road to get another crack at crossing the border with a photo this time.

After yesterday's blog entry, we strolled around Lisbon and found a gem of a restaurant: Ho de nattes.  David finally got to have a genuine good cup of coffee (the gas station tar was starting to drive him crazy), and both of us had the best gourmet sandwiches we've ever had.  You've got to love a place that offers free hot apple cider when you first enter.  Definitely a diamond in the rough!  Even cooler:  they had a pre concert party there with appetizers and this was advertised on a place card with our photo on the back at each of the restaurant's tables. 

The evening concert in Lisbon drew audience members from as far as Valley City (many miles north of Lisbon & larger too!)  One man came up to us after the show and said that we blew him away and that David was even better than the great accordionist Charles Magnante!  It's been so great discovering how many people in these states love the accordion and we're so happy we can introduce all these audiences to our duo; a sound they've never heard before but are smiling about at the end of every concert.  We discovered too that North Dakota is the birthplace of Lawrence Welk!

Tomorrow we're off to Osage Iowa.  A loooonnng drive (7 hours) with a concert at the end of it!

Oct. 27, 2007
Yesterday, we drove the entire length of North Dakota, from the north end of Bottineau to the south end of Lisbon (not Portugal!)  Bottineau, North Dakota, is a small city just south of the Manitoba border.  Our first night there saw us eat the heaviest (in actual weight) Chinese food ever.  Our modest order weighed in at over 5 pounds of food and we ate it in our hotel room directly from the containers.  We definitely over-ate that night after a long day of driving over flat plains with no rest stops in sight.  At one point, near the University of North Dakota, we came close to our goal of finding food when we arrived at a Papa Murphy's pizza shop.  It turns out that their entire menu is "cook at home" pizza.  We were disgusted by this fact because their pizzas looked so good that we were hoping they would make an exception and bake one off for us...no luck!

Our concert in Bottineau was very well-received.  It was the smallest audience thus far, but still a generous turn-out.  The theatre is a very well-equipped, modern facility, and we enjoyed playing for the appreciative audience which included some young students (always nice to see the kids getting some exposure to the arts!)  Following the show, we dined at Denny's pizza (finally satisfying our craving) where we were actually approached by a couple of people who attended our concert.  It's the closest feeling to being a celebrity as we'll get!

The next morning, armed with donuts from the local (and very popular!) hangout, we began our drive to Lisbon, North Dakota for a 2pm school concert.  We tested the vehicle's all-terrain ability by driving over sidewalks and grass to access the elevator doors, which were not readily accessible by car.  The concert took place in the school's gymnasium and was attended by 5th-8th grade students, numbering over 200.  Our tango demonstration blew the roof off the school, as the kids could not contain their laughter when we tried to get two of the boys to dance the "dance of love" together!  When one of the boys rejected our kind offer, a teacher stepped in to dance with the other student, causing the entire school to come unglued.

Following the show, one student asked me if he could try my accordion.  I obliged his request, only to have him change his mind when the offer of playing basketball came up.  That's right...rejected for a rubber ball filled with stale air.  Sports, sports, sports...it seems that we'll never escape their allure.  Tonight, we'll be playing a concert at the auditorium in Lisbon before we leave for Redfield, South Dakota tomorrow morning for a matinee performance.  Life on the road is starting to take its toll, but we're enjoying the opportunity to meet the wonderful people that populate the heartland of America.  

Oct. 24, 2007
Last night was our final concert in the state of Minnesota.  It took place at the Backus Theater in International Falls, just minutes from the U.S.-Canadian border.  The concert is part of the Border series of concerts which includes Fort Francis, Ontario.  The theater was built during the 1930s as a part of the Great Depression relief efforts.  Today, its care is entrusted to the community and remains an impressive 1,000 seat venue in a town of only 7,000.  What has impressed us most thus far, is the phenomenal turn-out and support of the locals.  All of our concerts have been attended by at least 200-300 people, and each has garnered standing ovations.  Prior to last night's performance, there was a fund-raising dinner which we attended...the main item on the menu was a baked potato, with all the fixings.  Following our dinner and performance, we met some wonderful people and learned from one accordion enthusiast that we had just performed in the same hall as the legendary accordion pioneer, Anthony Gala-Rini.  

This morning, we had breakfast at a charming restaurant in nearby Rainier with the president of the concert series.  We had a great discussion about all things music and enjoyed a brief tour of the area, complete with picturesque waterfront and friendly dogs that followed us everywhere we went.  The rest of the day has seen us confined to our car as we continue our journey to Bottineau, North Dakota, some 400 miles from International Falls.  At one point, we were so desperate to find a rest point that we ended up using a hospital's washroom facilities!  Believe it or not, there was a spectacular, huge hospital, yet not a single coffee shop or other commercial establishment in sight.  Later, we arrived at the geographical centre of North America.  The landmark point shares real estate with a Dairy Queen and a Pizza Hut...

As I type this, we're only about 20 minutes away from our destination.  After being on the road for seven hours, it's nice to know that we'll be able to unwind tonight as our first concert is tomorrow evening.  We'll try to get some photos and videos up tonight, assuming our hotel's internet connection is reliable.  

Oct. 23, 2007:
We just finished our second concert in Ely, Minnesota.  The drive up to Ely was very picturesque with all the colourful fall leaves. Ely is near lake Superior and the landscape with the bare rocks and pine trees is just like that of the Canadian Shield on the other side of the lake.  We were welcomed by Byron from the concert series who took us on a brief tour of the town prior to heading up to the school for the concert.   He told us that Ely also has a large number of accordion enthusiasts!  Wow!  Two cities in a row! Unfortunately we arrived too late to visit many of the shops in town as most were already closed by 4:30 and the rest were closed for the winter season.  The concert was received with much enthusiasm - many people came from surrounding towns driving a few hours, and braving the deer on the road, to see us!  Of course we'll be adding what's becoming our signature "audience video" - we're capturing videos of our audience in every city we play! This morning we'll be heading down to Cranberries, a local restaurant, for breakfast and then heading off for International Falls, Minnesota - as close to Canada as we'll get on this tour before heading back home! 

Oct. 22, 2007:
We're currently sipping some delicious drinks at a Caribou Coffee shop just outside of Minneapolis.  We're not normally ones to frequent coffee shops, but this place has a great atmosphere and seems to be an improved version of Starbucks (with FREE wi-fi internet...hence how we're updating our blog).  Last night we performed in Glencoe, Minnesota to a large, enthusiastic crowd of hundreds.  The turnout was so good that they actually had to open the back balcony seating area.  When we checked into our hotel, we were surprised to learn that there are actually two accordion clubs in town.  Before arriving at the venue for a sound check, David was delayed at the hotel with a minor issue that could have been a major one.  For those of you who don't know, we've been losing weight for the past few months (in anticipation of the grueling lifestyle of this tour).  David has lost about 30 pounds, and has had to buy a whole new wardrobe.  Unfortunately, the belt that he brought along was now too loose, and minutes before leaving for the concert, we had to drill a new hole in the belt.  Luckily the hotel owner (who was planning on attending the concert) found us a corkscrew tool, that with a little effort, was able to drill a hole into the belt, thereby keeping David's pants on throughout the performance (much to the delight of the audience...and Becky!)

We have some pictures from the first show which hopefully will be put online after tonight's show in Ely, Minnesota (pronounced EE-LEE).  This morning, we stopped briefly at Target to pick up a steam iron...as you can probably guess, our clothes are in bad shape from being stuffed into our suitcases.  I'm always annoyed by how much better the product selection (and pricing on occasion) is in American big box stores.  We're endeavoring to dine at as many uniquely American restaurant chains as possible.  Yesterday's "White Castle" experience was surreal.  Once again, Becky managed to navigate us into the high-crime district of Minneapolis.  The clientele in the restaurant left an indelible impression on us, as did the boiled beef burgers and processed cheese sauce coating our lard-infused french fries.

With over 300 miles to drive before our concert this evening, we're going to check out for now.  Check back later for photos from last night (and maybe tonight as well).  

Oct. 20, 2007: 
Finally!  We're here in Bloomington, Minnesota, after perhaps the most stressful and frustrating 24 hours we've ever experienced.  As you can probably guess, transporting a boat-load of heavy (and valuable) musical instruments, as well as a stack of luggage makes for difficult airport encounters with the dreaded "Department of Homeland Security" as well as the transportation authority, airline staff, and bathtubs with wings that Delta Airlines calls airplanes.

Upon arriving in Minnesota, further issues with our rental car compounded an already exasperating experience that we would soon rather forget.  And forget it we did upon arriving at our hotel in Bloomington, just minutes from the famed (and massive) Mall of America.  There's an amusement park inside the mall that rivals some stand alone parks.  We took a ride on a thrilling roller coaster before dining at one of the Mall's fine eating establishments...Charlie's Grilled Subs.  We didn't meet Charlie, but his subs are certainly tasty, if not a warning for our waistlines.  Portions in America are huge, and exercising some judgment on matters of healthy eating will be imperative if we don't want to return home heavier than our luggage.

Tomorrow, we drive to Glencoe, where we'll present our first concert.  Hopefully our aching bodies will have recovered sufficiently before we dance around on stage to La Cumparsita tango.  If not, there's always a quick sugar fix from a stack of decadent stuffed French Toast at Ihop!  

Oct. 18, 2007: 
Our first tour of the United States is almost here!  We're excited to be traveling from our home base in London, Ontario, to Minnesota, which will be the starting point in a month-long tour that will include concerts in 17 cities in 11 states.  We fly out on Saturday morning, complete with 200 pounds of luggage/instruments.  Just planning how to get all of our stuff safely on the plane has been an ordeal in itself.  David's accordion is five inches too long to qualify as carry-on luggage, which means that we have to separate it into two halves (yes, it can be done!) and bring it on in two duffle bags.  There's no way we're putting it in with checked baggage.  Of course, the two halves of the accordion mean that both Becky and David have their one carry-on each, leaving everything else (the clothes, music stands, boxes of CDs, and all of Becky's clarinets) to go on as checked baggage. 

We're leaving for the airport at 4am and will be in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.  That evening we'll be heading to the Mall of America in Bloomington (always wanted to check it out!) before traveling to Glencoe, where we'll have our first concert on Sunday evening.  From there, the whirlwind tour of the American Mid-West begins as we drive from city to city and state to state.  Our final stop is in Anaconda Montana in mid-November.  By then, we'll have driven more miles in one month than we drove all last year!  Seeing America, while performing for new audiences is truly a thrill.  For us, it's also like the honeymoon we never had the chance to take last year after our wedding (although, our four day trip to Montmagny, Quebec where we performed at the Carrefour Mondiale de l'Accordeon certainly was a wonderful experience).