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The accordion has been one of Arleigh's favorite musical instruments since boyhood. When he was eight, a neighbor gave him a very old, diatonic button accordion, just made for polkas. A few years later, he borrowed a piano accordion and figured out how to get a few polkas out of it, as well.
The trumpet was his main instrument in the Claremont, MN High School Band. At the age of 15 he joined the Owatonna Musician's Union Band as a trumpet and accordion player. About the same time, he and his brother Greg organized a dance band known as "The SixTeens". The youthful band played for local social events. Arleigh also played for other area bands when asked to fill in as sideman. He played mostly with "The GraydonBurow Orchestra
" which was also known as "Brother Burr and the Burros".
From 1964 until 1998, Arleigh was an Electronics Engineer specializing in Radio and Radar design. He worked at E.F. Johnson Co. until 1974. Then he brought his family to Orlando and worked for Martin Marietta. For many years, music became only a background in his life. However, in recent years, retirement allowed him to rekindle this interest.
Recently, Arleigh restored a few vintage accordions. In the process of doing so, some of his long lost playing ability seemed to renew itself. While these new hobbies are rewarding, Arleigh is primarily interested in music production, composition and arrangement, specializing in MIDI. His main genre are Polka, Waltz, Pop and Christian Music.
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