2008 Woodie Awards
Accordion makes revival in 'Awakening'
Molly Trucano
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Variety
It's not an instrument most college students would learn to play. Or most adults, for that matter. It's an accordion, and for the upcoming theater production of "Spring Awakening," Scotty Gunderson '10 will be learning the 19th-century German instrument for his role as Moritz.
It all started when Gunderson listed a special skill on his audition sheet: that he knew how to play the melodica, a handheld instrument which can be most accurately described as a cross between a piano and a flute. Originally, Gunderson says, director Jeanne Willcoxon wanted him to play the melodica.
"The melodica wasn't really period for this production. Since I've played the melodica, and I assume they [melodica and accordion] are similar to the piano-which I know how to play-it should be fairly easy [to learn]," he said.
The themes of "Spring Awakening" deal with concepts of children's play and coming of age, and the addition of such a unique instrument will bring historical context and humor to the play, written by Frank Wedekind in 1890s Germany.
"I hope I don't look too ridiculous. It's going to be an interesting challenge because it's a very large instrument to hold in my hands," Gunderson said.
"Especially since so much of the play focuses on movement and children's movement, it's going to be interesting to move while playing the instrument," he continued.
Gunderson will be learning through an instructional video. He also hopes to find someone on campus who is knowledgeable about the accordion to give him a more hands-on approach, though at press time such an individual had not been found. Gunderson was given the accordion as a loan from the director, who purchased it with an intent to learn.
Willcoxon says that the instrument wasn't vital to her vision for the play, but that its musical quality would work well. "So, when I talked to Mitch Ebert ['09], our composer, I used it as an example of the quality of the sound that I wanted for the music. I thought it would be great to have the accordion for the show, if possible, because it has a gritty folk/German cabaret kind of sound to it."
"When she gave me the accordion, she said that she wanted to learn but it had just sat in her garage for years. Now that I'm learning it for her production, it's getting some use instead of just collecting dust," she said.
"Spring Awakening" will open Nov. 14 in Kelsey Theater. Tickets are free of charge and become available Oct. 27 at www.fusion.stolaf.edu/tickets.
It all started when Gunderson listed a special skill on his audition sheet: that he knew how to play the melodica, a handheld instrument which can be most accurately described as a cross between a piano and a flute. Originally, Gunderson says, director Jeanne Willcoxon wanted him to play the melodica.
"The melodica wasn't really period for this production. Since I've played the melodica, and I assume they [melodica and accordion] are similar to the piano-which I know how to play-it should be fairly easy [to learn]," he said.
The themes of "Spring Awakening" deal with concepts of children's play and coming of age, and the addition of such a unique instrument will bring historical context and humor to the play, written by Frank Wedekind in 1890s Germany.
"I hope I don't look too ridiculous. It's going to be an interesting challenge because it's a very large instrument to hold in my hands," Gunderson said.
"Especially since so much of the play focuses on movement and children's movement, it's going to be interesting to move while playing the instrument," he continued.
Gunderson will be learning through an instructional video. He also hopes to find someone on campus who is knowledgeable about the accordion to give him a more hands-on approach, though at press time such an individual had not been found. Gunderson was given the accordion as a loan from the director, who purchased it with an intent to learn.
Willcoxon says that the instrument wasn't vital to her vision for the play, but that its musical quality would work well. "So, when I talked to Mitch Ebert ['09], our composer, I used it as an example of the quality of the sound that I wanted for the music. I thought it would be great to have the accordion for the show, if possible, because it has a gritty folk/German cabaret kind of sound to it."
"When she gave me the accordion, she said that she wanted to learn but it had just sat in her garage for years. Now that I'm learning it for her production, it's getting some use instead of just collecting dust," she said.
"Spring Awakening" will open Nov. 14 in Kelsey Theater. Tickets are free of charge and become available Oct. 27 at www.fusion.stolaf.edu/tickets.
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