Sponsors
Books (Text)
eSheet (pdf file)
eTracks sound files
Sponsors
Free Services
Books (Text)
Statistics
Sponsors
Share
Link to share - cut and paste:
http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=22-Apr-2016&lang=es&s=11663
http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=22-Apr-2016&lang=es&s=11663
22-Apr-2016
by Rob Howard
|
 |
 Picture above: Members of the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society, on Merv Conn Way, a pedestrian path in Silver Spring honoring famed D.C. accordionist Merv Conn, who died in 2011.‘Washington Post’ columnist John Kelly wrote the following article: Merv Conn died in 2011, but he’s unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon. On April 10th a pedestrian path in Silver Spring was dedicated in honor of Merv, probably the most famous accordionist our town has ever seen. I went to the little ceremony, held on a crisp Sunday afternoon. The path was originally going to be dedicated in October, but the threat of bad weather canceled the event. It was hoped that the delay might give the local squeezebox community time to organize to beat the Guinness World Record for the largest accordion ensemble ever assembled: 1,361, held by the China Accordion Association. Ten members of the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society performed, leaving things 1,352 accordions short. But a little accordion goes a long way. They played a couple of Merv’s favorite tunes - ‘You Made Me Love You’ and ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ - as his daughter, Maria Cohen, led the crowd in song. His son, Robert, was there, too. Picture right: A cake topped by an accordion is part of the celebration April 10, 2016. Merv was the undisputed accordion king of Washington, toting his instrument all over town and operating a busy accordion school on 14th Street NW. Rock-and-roll - the electric guitar, especially - nearly killed the accordion, but Merv soldiered on. It was my honor to meet him and to hire him to play ‘The Washington Post’ march in the newsroom. Merv Conn Way links Cameron Street with South Noyes Drive in the Woodside Park neighborhood where Merv used to live. The existing pathway, a 225-foot shortcut used by residents, was crumbling. United Therapeutics, the biotechnology company, owns the office building next door. Avi Halpert, United Therapeutics’ head of real estate, worked to get the path rebuilt, trading some land to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission to release an easement the water company had under the strip of pavement. Avi, it turned out, remembered Merv from the countless bar mitzvahs he attended in the late 1970s. Merv, of course, had played there. Picture below: Maria Cohen, daughter of Merv Conn, raises the ceremonial scissors after cutting the ribbon on Merv Conn Way. On the left is Avi Halpert of United Therapeutics, which owns the land and funded the work. |
 |