|
Accordion class ends at the Orange County home
Dale Wise listens as Ronald VanGee takes his Dale Wise (foreground) teaches an accordion class in the basement of his Burr Hill home. His students include, from left: Kyle McGinnis, Reed Beverstock, Ronald VanGee and brothers Nikitas and Andreas Conrad. |
Thirteen-year-old Reed Beverstock was interested in bees last year, but it was his puppy that put him on the path to playing the accordion.
Old newspaper needed to be laid out to train his inexpert pooch and Reed read The Free Lance-Star as he spread it on the floor. In it, he saw a story about Dale Wise, an accordion player/teacher/restorer who was willing to train other repairers and to teach children for free.
Reed, the budding beekeeper, was fascinated that Wise used beeswax to repair instruments and wanted to learn how to do it. Now, a year later, Wise has not only taught him how to rejuvenate an old accordion but to play it as well.
Reed was the first student to study with Wise under his Accordions for Kids program. The latest is Ronald VanGee, 12, who was taking his first lesson Monday in the basement studio of Wise's Orange County home.
They were joined by brothers Devon, 10, and Kyle McGinnis, 12, who were taking their third lesson; and brothers Nikitas, 11, and Andreas Conrad, 14, who have been taking lessons for nearly three years.
The boys are close in age but far apart in musical experience. It didn't seem to matter. Wise introduced them to musical terms, clarified the notes on the bass and treble sides of their instruments and taught them the moves of a conductor.
He ended the lesson by having them accompany him playing "When the Saints Come Marching In."
Wise, an ardent musician who has taught music as well as performed on the accordion for most of the last 50 years, decided that he wanted to pass along his gifts by getting more young people playing the instrument he loves.
In the interview he gave to this paper a year ago, he said he hoped to get more kids to explore their musical talents with the accordion. To that end, he would lend them an instrument, provide all the teaching materials and give them free lessons for 10 weeks.
At the end of that time, the youngsters would have a recital and could then decide if they wanted to continue.
Wise now has eight students enrolled in his program. They meet for lessons in his Burr Hill home, sometimes individually, sometimes in groups.
They come from Fredericksburg and Orange and Stafford counties. They are all home-schooled and, with the exception of Reed, found out about the program through home-schooling e-mail networks.
Wise has engaged other accordion teachers in his effort, too. A dozen other teachers from five states have joined Accordions for Kids.
Rosemary McGinnis, mother of Devon and Kyle, likes the group setting for lessons.
"It's an opportunity for kids to see other kids playing," she said as she watched the lesson Monday. "This way they find out it's not an oddball thing."
Stavroula Conrad, mother of Nikitas and Andreas, says learning to play the accordion teaches her sons joy.
"It's wonderful," she said. "They take that joy home with them."
To reach ROBIN KNEPPER: rknepper@earthlink.net
