I have been working with Rocco Anthony Jerry on some new music for accordion. I was not familiar with this instrument (in terms of effectively writing for it), but Rocco had heard my music, asked if I’d be interested in composing for him and we have been working together for a few months now both online and in person.
I send him the music and he edits it, making suggestions as to bellows changes (when to change directions), registrations and other technical elements. He is very meticulous, has been great in educating me and I’m getting better at understanding its resources. I expect to have a couple performances this summer.
I am also working on accordion duo music, and hadn’t realized the following that the medium has. In the USA we don’t think of the instrument as a classical one for the most part (not unlike my own instrument, the pipe organ, which is usually considered a tool for worship), but in Europe there are conservatories which offer majors in accordion!
I also want to take this opportunity to thank accordion masters Geir Draugsvoll, Robert Young McMahan and Peter Thomsen for their help in acquiring for me the accordion fonts necessary for a professional notation of my music.