Philosophy

The accordion, more than any other instrument, brings with it a wealth of extra-musical associations. This is seen in its longstanding oscillation between the vernacular and the artistic since the 1840s. Hence, it seemed perfectly natural to me - even as the accordion was perceived as the "other", the peripheral - to approach this condition as an opportunity to liberate the accordion's artistic voice by respecting its dynamic ambiguity.

It follows then that an ironic rather than an iconic engagement with the art was fundamental. This focus on alternate values for the accordion was inclusive and respectful of memory, infused by my belief that the subversive and sensual potential of the accordion was so rich, so deeply ingrained in sociology, that it could not be ignored. Furthermore, these tensions and ambiguities provided a unique intensification of its semiotic and artistic potential.

Hence, I continue to reclaim, engage, and revisit the past, delighting in the plays of irony and new modes of expression it provides, and understanding that to work in equilibrium with observation, imagination and intuition affirms respect for the past, for an art, and for life itself.