L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY N ot long ago, it seemed as though every Italian- American family had a son or daugh- ter who played the accordion. It was part of the family tradition, a fixture in the home as common as a sofa or a chair. Although the accordion was based on a Chinese free reed instrument invented some 4,500 years ago, the modern version traces its roots to Italy in the sec- ond half of the 19th century. The birthplace of the fisarmonica is Castelfidardo in the Marche region of central-eastern Italy. Paolo Soprani, the son of a Castelfidardo farmer, is credited with jump-starting the industry when he opened an accordion shop in 1863. From the start, the accordion was enormously popular in Italy, so much so that composer Giuseppe Verdi proposed that the instrument be part of the curricu- lum in Italy's great music conser- vatories. The accordion increased in popularity through the early part of the 20th century until World War II devastated this industry and others. In 1938, 51,000 accor- dions were produced. By 1944, that figured had dropped to just over 500. After the war, there was a renewal of interest as Italians wel- comed the opportunity to dance, sing, socialize and enjoy life. At Castelfidardo, accordion produc- tion peaked in 1953 when some 200,000 accordions were made in dozens of factories, employing 10,000 workers. But more changes were afoot as musical tastes started to shift from melody-based to rhythm- based. Electric guitars became the rage. To this day, Castelfidardo locals half-jokingly blame Elvis Presley and the Beatles for the economic downturn. In the U.S., one of the top accordion manufacturers is based in Seattle. Petosa Accordions was started in 1922 by Carlo Petosa, who built a reputation for crafting his instruments by hand, one at a time. That commitment to quality continues today, carried out by three generations of the Petosa family: son Joe, grandson Joe Jr. and great grandson Joey III. As a child growing up in Italy, Carlo fell in love with the accor- dion. "I was determined to have one," he recalled later, "but my father said they cost too much money….Finally with the first money I earned, I bought one." When he was 16, accordion in hand, Carlo immigrated to the U.S., finding work as an accor- dionist on both coasts. In San Francisco, he pursued an appren- ticeship at the Guerrini Accordion Factory, learning to craft the RITA CIPALLA cian and Washington resident Krist Novoselic, former bassist with Nirvana, was the first accor- dionist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With moderate care, a Petosa accordion will outlive its owner and the craftsman who made it. That means entire new genera- tions of musicians will get to enjoy and experience "squeeze- box" culture for years to come. Petosa Accordions was started in Seattle in 1922, where it built a reputation for crafting accordions one at a time by hand. instrument he loved. After relocating to Seattle, Carlo started his own accordion business in his basement. Hunched over a work bench, he carefully measured, hand-cut, shaped and honed pieces of wood and metal, transforming raw materials into a beautiful, hand- crafted, one-of-a kind instrument. He ran a one-man shop with no outside help, ensuring that his instruments were impeccably crafted but keeping production run low. Today, many of the early accordions built by Carlo Petosa can be seen at the company museum in Seattle. (The compa- ny has been at the same location since 1955.) The museum also displays dozens of other accor- dions from the past 180 years, including an early Paolo Soprani accordion, circa 1865. Both the factory and the museum are open to the public weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In 1945, in a nod to the piv- otal role Castelfidardo played in the industry, Carlo created a part- nership with a company there, known as the Zero Sette Co. Today, the Seattle factory builds the professional artist models while the factory in Italy turns out the student models. The price of a new Petosa reflects its hand- crafted nature, ranging from $4,000 to more than $40,000 for professional grade models. Carlo eventually passed along the trade to his son Joe, who was also a gifted musician. Joe Jr. came into the business at the age of 12, working after school and on the weekends to learn the trade. Joey III, the fourth-generation Petosa, came on board full-time after graduat- ing from the University of Wash- ington in 2010. Making an accordion is a process that cannot be hurried. The instrument requires hand- assembly of some 4,000 pieces, if not more. A Petosa accordion begins its life as a seasoned mahogany or maple wood box. The interior parts are crafted by hand and are not interchangeable from one instrument to another. The keys are not plastic but a lucite top key and a frame made from walnut. "The time involved in produc- ing each accordion makes high- quantity production impossible," said Carlo's son, Joe. "The wood used must be aged years before it is ever cut. After the box is made, it must dry, age and season an additional six weeks….You can't just stamp one out, or make one on an assembly line with machines." Today the instrument once deemed "square" has become hip. Petosa's clientele are reflect- ing this change. About 60 percent of its customers are under the age of 30, compared to only 10 per- cent a dozen years ago. The instrument is taking cen- ter stage with more musical groups, too, showing up in imagi- native new ways. The Portland, Ore., band, The Decemberists, uses accordion-playing artists, as do Counting Crows, They Might Be Giants, Bruce Springsteen and others. In 2009, Carnegie Hall hosted its first solo accordion performance in 30 years. Musi- Petosa Accordions: four generations building beautiful one-of-a-kind instruments Petosa sells accordions for all ages and experience levels. A professional model can cost upwards of $40,000

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