Ha, Mr Guy. "Smoke and Mirrors". I know about that somewhat, but this post has no smoke. It was not meant to obscure my thoughts or strain understanding. I distinctly remember one place that I played a few songs as a "stand in" accordion player for a local Cajun band. I played those songs on a 9 button wet tuned Martin "D" accordion, which was the "go to" accordion of that bands accordion player. That accordion player died tragically at a very young age. He was my friend. Had he lived, he and I could have done a lot with the Cajun music. The place was a bar and dance hall completely constructed of cypress and pine. No gat dam concrete or stucco! There was nothing soft in that place except for the clothes the people had on and maybe the voluptuous backsides of the few women that were there. There were corners and angles in the construction of that building that you just don't get in modern buildings. There was no low slung ceiling. We could look up and see the gabled rafters and the all wooden roof from the inside! The sound in that place was top notch for our instruments and the Cajun music. I can remember that it made me play so much better than I would normally play the accordion. I could really feel the music that day. Those 9 button accordions are known for their vibrant and light feel, especially the wet tuned ones. Combined with those old wooden dance hall floors, walls, and cathedral ceiling, it produced a sound that automatically made my then "novice" skills increase significantly and instantly. I could actually feel the sound and it made me play better and with much ease! And unfortunately, like so many other good things of the past, those old buildings have been torn down or destroyed in one way or another. Go ahead and try to go and purchase one cypress plank. You'll find that they want to charge you an arm and a leg for one freakin plank. Forget ever building a whole room, house, or barn out of the stuff. It's just not going to happen anymore unless lots of money is involved. And this echo vibration will not happen as often either as it naturally happened so often back in the day in those wooden homes and dance places of the old times. You could say that there's your "smoke" of all this. The things that used to be, but barely exist or not at all. Such as the existence of a puff of smoke.

Oh hey Meloderon, thanks to you brother for always being kind. I'm glad you enjoyed the topic. I hope all the things I've talked about help you to become a better musician. After all, they are the ponderings of a developing accordion player who was "self taught" for the most part. The masters I knew either didn't take the time to teach Cajun music in detail or they died before I could get most of the "guarded information" from them. They knew some good stuff, but I guarantee you this. Many or those Masters didn't know what we've come to learn and will learn on the Bravenet. Or did they?