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| Central Florida Accordion Club Featured Member for February, 2004 Vern Corbin |
| "I was twelve years old when my great uncle gave me a twelve bass accordion. Within a week I was playing Home Sweet Home and Suwannee River". |
| Vern's mother was evidently pleased and surprised because she immediately signed him up for accordion lessons. "I wondered why she reacted so quickly, but then I came to realize she wanted to encourage my interest in music since she had played piano in movie theatres during the silent films era. She was constantly asking me to play her a song which was her way of getting me to practice". |
| Last year, Vern attended the three major accordion events in the United States.... The International Accordionists Convention in Las Vegas; The Accordionists and Teachers Guild festival and competition in Chicago and the American Accordionists Association festival and competition in Philadelphia. He also attended several three day polka festivals in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania along with quite a number of one day polka events and dances in those states. |
| Lopez Accordion Studio in Baltimore is where I took lessons for 4-5 years from the owner and sole teacher, Joseph Lopez, who, of all things, did not play accordion! He was a guitarist! To this day I thank my lucky stars because he did not teach me how to play the accordion! Instead, he taught me music...and how to "apply" it to the accordion! His studio put on annual shows which introduced me to playing before others by performing with the band and in quartets or trios. We also performed at war bond rallies during World War II. My favorite gig was when we played on the deck of a submarine and the wind blew my music stand and all my music overboard! In high school the accordion was not recognized as a band instrument so rather than join the Glee Club in order to pursue my academic music major curriculum I started private lessons on the trombone. This lead to my playing the trombone in the high school band, the Marine Corps. Reserves, a Marine Corps. Band in California and the Baltimore Colts Marching Band of the NFL. |
While in California I took lessons for one year on
how to play jazz chords and jazz music on the
accordion. Again, my teacher was a guitarist!
Also played accordion in a Country Western quintet
made up of guys from our Marine Corps Band which
was usually featured when the band gave concerts
at fairs, festivals, and the like. Was a ball!
how to play jazz chords and jazz music on the
accordion. Again, my teacher was a guitarist!
Also played accordion in a Country Western quintet
made up of guys from our Marine Corps Band which
was usually featured when the band gave concerts
at fairs, festivals, and the like. Was a ball!
| Vern is a CFAC Governing Board member and performs often at CFAC meetings. He freely gives of his talent to help promote the accordion in the community and has performed at Orlando's "Senior Day" & "Arts of Avalon". |
| Entertaining the CFAC membership with Rose Marie Jisa on the button box at the January CFAC meeting |
| After the service I retired my trombone, got a real job, got married and went to Law School in the evenings. I did, however, play the accordion on weekends in bands throughout the Baltimore area. Three children and thirteen years later I hung up my accordion straps for good. For eight of those thirteen years I had "jobbed around" with different bands and for five years had my own group known as "Vern Corbin & The Cordials." During this same period I practiced law for five years in Baltimore which led to a management career with State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. Along with opportunity and upward mobility came the need for geographical mobility as well. Such were the factors that entered into the equation for hanging up my accordion and all the fun that went with it. |
| In September 2003, Vern spent 32 days in the Mediterranean which started out with 4 days in Castelfidardo, Italy where most of the world's accordions are manufactured. Along with having the opportunity of playing some extremely fine accordions his stay included a full afternoon tour of the Beltuna accordion factory which was both fascinating and educational. The rest of the time consisted of two weeks touring Slovenia from one end to the other and then a 12 day cruise out of Venice that took him to Croatia, Greece, France, Monaco, the major cities in Italy and ended in Spain.. |
| Performing at the "Arts of Avalon", February 2003 |
| Retirement thirty-five years later brought more time for golf and enjoying seven grandchildren. It has only been in the last 12-18 months that I purchased my used Italo-American box and started really getting back in tune. |
| The things that helped and encouraged me most over the past eighteen months were my memberships in the Central Florida Accordion Club (CFAC), the Florida Accordion Association (FAA) and the Lakeland Piano & Organ Club. A special note of thanks and appreciation is extended to the CFAC for everything they do for everybody who likes the accordion. Being in these organizations has driven me to practice, practice, practice, three different songs each month to play at the meetings. What a great way to get back into the musical swing of things! Most especially the CFAC has been a leading incentive and vehicle of encouragement to foster my continuing interest and enjoyment of the accordion as an instrument in and of itself. All of this while making a host of new and wonderful friends who share their warmth, knowledge, friendship and camaraderie with everyone in earshot of a musical note.....played on an accordion of course! Is it any wonder I "play with pride"! |
