"An accordion is just a carrying case for a bunch of reeds." At least that’s how Marc Savoy describes it. One look at his creations and anyone will tell you there’s a lot more to it than that. He’s been building accordions at the Savoy Music Center in Eunice Louisiana for forty-five years, and in this episode Marc shares his secrets of building an accordion with a Cajun flare. The beating heart of the instrument is a collection of reeds, and host Jeff Wilson discovers how building reed-mounts sets the foundation for the many steps to come.
Cajun Accordion, Episode 2 of 5
Episode DHMM-309
When Marc Savoy built the Savoy Music Center, townspeople from Eunice, Louisiana thought he had "gone off the deep end". No one shared his vision of bringing the culture and music of his Cajun heritage to the world. But forty years later that's just what he's done. He's also become the world's finest maker of Cajun accordions, and he describes to host Jeff Wilson how he has perfected his techniques. This episode focuses on the many steps involved in building keyboards for the treble side of his accordions.
Cajun Accordion, Episode 3 of 5
Episode DHMM-310
The accordion is the centerpiece of Cajun music. Along with fiddles and guitars, it drives the rhythm that defines the sound of Cajun culture. According to Marc Savoy, if you're not dancing when you hear Cajun music then you should check into the morgue, because "you're dead and forgot to fall." That energy in music and lifestyle has kept Marc building accordions for forty-five years. He's refined his craft over the years and now he shares his knowledge with Handmade Music. The accordion makes music only when air passes through it, and this episode focuses on the many points of entry and escape on the bass side and the treble side of the accordion.
Cajun Accordion, Episode 4 of 5
Episode DHMM-311
If you want to insult Marc Savoy, put one of his creations on your shelf. The accordions he builds are works of art, but he wants his customers to play them. That's why he holds weekly jam sessions at the Savoy Music Center. Host Jeff Wilson samples Cajun music in a traditional "house party" atmosphere and learns a little more about the great accordions built by Marc Savoy. The accordion Marc builds on Handmade Music takes several steps toward completion in this episode when Marc applies finish, mounts the reeds, and adds a little hardware for decoration.
Cajun Accordion, Episode 5 of 5
Episode DHMM-312
Marc Savoy likes to compare his building technique for accordions to his cooking prowess. Both require many ingredients and, taken separately, the parts are meaningless. But when they're mixed together in just the right way, you get something really special. This episode of Handmade Music mixes all the parts previously built by Marc to end up with a finished "tasty" accordion. Marc connects the keyboard to the treble-side reeds, and adds the air-pumping bellows to both ends of the instrument to get a finished instrument. After extensive tuning he unveils the new creation in front of his guests at his weekly jam session in the Savoy Music Center.
The April 2011 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week
