Accordion

Chris Brinn came to the U. S. from the small fishing port of Padstow on the North Cornish

coast in the UK. He now lives in Searsmont with his wife Carol and their son Declan. Chris has been playing piano accordion for over thirty five years, specializing in Irish music and songs, as well as the music of Cornwall. His connection with Ireland stems from his grandfather, born in Wicklow and raised in Dublin. Since coming to America, Chris has been able to immerse himself in traditional Irish and Irish-American music and is heavily influenced by the great Jimmy Keane of Chicago. He is a member of a number of locally based Irish bands, but plays most regularly with mates Matt Smith and Randy Billings, Maine’s best Irish Pub Band, The Napper Tandies. (more…)

Sunniva Brynnel is a Swedish piano accordionist, singer and composer. In 2017, she was awarded Albin Hagström Minnesfonds scholarship for accordionists through the Royal Academy in Stockholm.

Sunniva comes from a lineage of seven generations of female musicians, and her mother – Swedish folk singer and vocal coach Rosa Brynnel – is one of her major influences. Aged 19, Sunniva moved to Ireland to study Irish Gaelic singing and music at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin. (more…)

Nancy 3. Hoffman is a classically trained pianist and works nationally as a music theater director. Nancy 3. Is a founding member of The Casco Bay Tummlers Klezmer Band, (http://www.cascobaytummlers.com/) playing Eastern European Jewish folk music for over 30 years. She brings her love of this music to spice up the mix at Fiddle Camp.

She leads The Maine Squeeze accordion ensemble, playing international folk music. Her solo work includes international cabaret and her one-woman rendition of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta The Mikado. She is also director and curator of the world’s only Umbrella Cover Museum. Nancy 3. lives on Peaks Island and migrates to Key West, Florida for the winter. Her middle name is really 3.

Sabin Jacques began playing the accordion at age 14, deeply influenced by such musicians as Simard, Bruneau, Labbé Messervier and Montmarquette, he sought his originality in his unusual technique which gives him, as a left-handed player, a recognizable signature. Originally from the beautiful Gaspé peninsula, Sabin lived in Montreal between 1992-2009. This cosmopolite musical community allowed him to make significant acquaintances with musicians in the popular and commercial music domain. 

Sabin remains profoundly attached to his traditional roots and regularly takes part in pedagogical projects, teaching at camps such as the Leahy – Natalie MacMaster camp (ONT) and Ashokan (NY), to name a few. Since distance is not an obstacle for learning, Sabin teaches accordion at home through internet or weekly at the Maréemusique School of Traditional Music. His teaching is said to be uplifting and always inspiring. (more…)

Jim Joseph, from Phippsburg,ME, was actually on staff a couple years ago for the inaugural June week. That was before we had an actual accordion track, and now he is back as an accordion teacher. Jim plays button accordion in the Quebecois, New England, and Cajun styles and also plays 5 string banjo, mandolin, fiddle, percussion (foot and otherwise) and is a member of several Maine bands including, T-Acadie, Scrod Pudding, and JimmyJo and the Jumbol’ayuhs, with Fiddle Camp staffers Pam Weeks and Bill Olson. Jim plays single row Cajun accordions (built by Marc Savoy and Junior Martin) and a 2 row Saltarelle D/G box. Here are some videos of Jim in action: A Cajun song with the Jumbol’Ayuhs, and a set of Quebecois reels with T-Acadie.

A new Hampshire native, Sylvia has been playing her accordion since college where she began playing for square and contra dancing. Today she plays for contra dancing but also Scottish and English Country Dance. Sylvia was one of the founders of the Strathspey & Reel Society of New Hampshire, a group devoted to learning about and playing Scottish music, open to all ages and abilities and was their music director for 7 years. She says the one thing better than sitting on stage and playing for dancing is helping others learn how to play for dancing.

Doug likes to play the “old-time piano” for dances, melodramas, honky tonk saloons, and silent movies. He learned his style from Otto Soper, Geneva Walton, and Danny Patt among many others. He plays with Old Grey Goose and produced all three of their recordings, including the group’s first recording in 1978 for Folkways, “Old Time Country Dance Tunes and Songs from Maine”, now available again on CD. Doug also plays piano, accordion, and fiddle. He is the Camp Director again this year. 
116 Pleasant Cove Dr. Woolwich ME 04579 207-522-3800

Since first picking up the squeezebox in 1997, Junior has become a fixture in the Irish Traditional Music scene in America. Performing on Button Accordion and Anglo Concertina, he has honed his craft as an active promoter of traditional music, an inspiring teacher, and a natural performer. He combines a deep respect for the raw energy inherent in centuries old traditions, with a constantly evolving appreciation for modern music. He holds a BA in Music from UMass Lowell, and is currently on faculty at the Comhaltas Ceoltóir Éireann Boston Music School. He regularly performs with Maine based ensembles The Press Gang, The Milliners, and Sylvain’s Acadian Aces. Website:www.juniorstevens.com.

Emily Troll plays fiddle and accordion and currently hails from South Portland, ME. An avid lover of French-Canadian and Old-time traditions, she’s spent many years at Pinewoods and Maine Fiddle camp honing her skills as informally as possible. You’ll often see Emily playing with her all-girl band, Anadama. When she’s not playing, she’s probably dancing. When she’s not dancing, she’s probably pulling up bittersweet roots from her garden.

Julie Vallimont performs nationwide on piano and accordion with the bands Buddy System and Nor’easter and other collaborations.  She plays for contra, English, and French dancing.   A former classical pianist and organist, she fell in love with traditional music and dance, and since then has gone on to perform at numerous festivals and music camps.  Drawing on teaching skills developed over fifteen years as a natural science educator, Julie enjoys teaching and leading workshops. 

Nicholas Williams is a multi-instrumentalist (flutes, accordion, piano) and singer, who has been immersed in the traditional music of Québec, Scotland, Ireland, and Sweden for over 20 years.  He has toured and recorded extensively as a member of the bands Genticorum, Crowfoot, and the Kehler-Williams duo.   He has also, on more that one occasion, solicited the following compliment :  “Wow, I didn’t think that the accordion could sound that…. nice.’  Nicholas now lives in the Eastern Townships of Québec.