Saturday, August 8, 2015

Accordion Jamboree at Seward County Fair

Franklin Hronik and his Accordion Jamboree group stood for their last number at the Seward County Fair this evening. We were treated to some new musicians but missed Eddie Svoboda as the Drummer. Elmer Nemec on the Tuba is an essential part of the group. They all contribute to making it one of our most important reasons for going to the fair. The size of their audience seems to be getting smaller each year but to those of us who have memories of accordion music in our homes, it’s a spiritual transition back to  happy days with our parents and the music we enjoyed.
Elmer Nemec has played the Tuba and sang with the group for as long as I can remember. While many of us enjoy listening to the music they play, probably no one enjoys it more than they themselves. We visited with Phyllis, Franklin’s wife, afterwards and she said that he plays his accordion nearly every day. This years program included a couple from Minnesota who each played  “solo” numbers. Most of the music is played “by ear”  by what is now the 4th or 5th generation from those that brought it with them when they immigrated to this Country as it was being settled after the Civil War. The folks from Minnesota play with a bit different style than what we Nebraska’s are familiar. It’s still good, just different. Our youngest son Jon who lives back in Northern Virginia plays my Dad’s accordion nearly every weekend. He would enjoy playing with this group.

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