Members of the Peoria Area Accordion Club playing at a local nursing home are (from left) Carol Huff, Dick Tappan, Bonnie Gudat, Tom Doriatti and Judy Ernst. The club plays about 80 shows a year and is open to new members. (Photo courtesy Judy Ernst)

The director of the Peoria Area Accordion Club is proof that it’s never too late to learn how to play.

“When I retired, I wanted something to do. So I went to the RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) office to find out what was out there, and the Accordion Club was on the list,” said Judy Ernst, who had worked as a pharmacy tech.

Although Ernst had never played the accordion before, she thought it looked exciting and decided to do it.

“I just jumped in with both feet and taught myself how to play,” she said with a chuckle.  “It sounds easier than it is, but I’ve been practicing three hours a day for 12 years. It’s a hard process, but if you want to do it you can. Now I’m the (club) director. I love it.”

The Peoria Area Accordion Club was founded in 1992 by Enrico Mastronardi, who had performed with championship bands at Chicago’s Soldier Field and taught accordion locally prior to his death in 1993. Several of the club’s current members learned from Mastonardi in their younger years.

“We have 10 active members now. That’s been a pretty constant number,” said Ernst, who also teaches accordion. “We lose people, and then a few new ones come in. It is hard to get younger people in there, I will say that. But we keep hanging on.”

Members come from all over central Illinois and range in age from 62 to 77, with an equal mix of both genders. Ernst said there’s evidence on YouTube that kids are still learning to play the accordion around the world, but her students have mostly been adults.

“The accordion is coming back,” she said. “It’s being played a lot as an accompaniment instrument. You’ll see it in your rock bands and your country bands. It’s used in tons of commercials if you listen to the music in commercials. It’s an instrument that sounds like no other instrument.”

The club plays at libraries, festivals, church gatherings, nursing homes and more. No fee is charged but donations are appreciated.

“When I joined the club about 12 years ago, I think they only did 20 jobs a year at the most. We do over 80 now,” Ernst said. “Early on, I was doing a lot of seeking out to find jobs, but now people are calling me to book us.”

Ernst also books gigs for the Peoria Area Senior Citizens Band, a group she used to play with but can’t fit into her busy schedule now.

She credits part of the reason for the Peoria Area Accordion Club’s popularity boost to an expansion of the type of music and songs they play.

“We kind of upped the music somewhat, trying to get out of just the ‘30s and ‘40s. We try to stay away from ‘Lady of Spain,’ ” she said with a laugh, referring to a popular accordion song written in 1931.

“We play songs from the ‘20s, ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s and country and gospel. You name it, we play it,” Ernst added. “Our newest song is ‘Ballad of the Green Berets,’ which is just a great song on the accordion.”

The club has more than 1,000 songs in its library, and Ernst creates a personalized program for each show.

“I try to make it perfect for each group,” she said. “Every show is different. Even if I have the same program for three different places, I gauge the audience to see what they’re liking. If I have to change songs in the middle of a program, I will.”

Ernst said some are surprised the group can play more than polkas. “Some people want the polkas, but others have said thank heavens you didn’t play all polkas,” she said.

Playing at nursing homes and retirement centers is rewarding because of the positive reaction they get from the elderly who remember the songs, particularly the dementia patients, Ernst said.

“My own mother can be hanging her head doing nothing, and when the music starts that head goes up and she starts directing. It’s so neat,” Ernst said.

The club generally only rehearses once a month, but a group of six has been rehearsing more to prepare for a performance for the Chicago Accordion Club, which has 250 members, both active and inactive. “We’ve been working pretty hard to get ready for that,” Ernst said.

The club is open to new members, and Ernst can’t overstate the enjoyment members derive from it.

“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said. “It’s a great time. It’s just a lot of fun.”

NEXT PERFORMANCE

The Peoria Area Accordion Club invites the public to a performance at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at the Pekin Public Library, 301 S. Fourth St.

The club will also perform at 5 p.m. Friday, April 22, during dinner at the German-American Club at 7601 N. Harker Drive in Peoria.

Visit the GAC website at www.peoriagermans.net to learn more about the Friday night dinners.

For more information about the Peoria Area Accordion Club or to book a performance, call Judy Ernst at (309) 369-2774.

— Versatile, entertaining Peoria Accordion Club rides wave of popularity —