We're combing two states -- Texas and Louisiana -- to find the best and coolest accordion players of any genre for our second annual Big Squeeze contest. If you're a squeezebox player up to age 25 -- or know someone who is -- you need to know about this competition.
Players will compete in two age categories (18 and under and 19 to 25) and four semi-finalists in each group will be chosen to perform in Austin. Two from each group will win $250 cash and an expenses-paid trip to Houston to perform on June 7 as finalists at our 19th annual Accordion Kings & Queens concert. Music industry judges and the audience will pick one grand-prize winner, who will get $500 cash; a day of recording time with Texas' finest engineers at the historic SugarHill Recording Studios in Houston, plus promotional support; and another expenses-paid trip to Houston to use it! The grand prize is valued at more than $2,000. Players also will get great media exposure, including possible appearances in a documentary by famed director Hector Galán.
And mark your calendars for June 7, when our finalists will perform at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston as openers for 2008 accordion kings Step Rideau & his Zydeco Outlaws, La Tropa F and the Knights of Dixie!
For more info or to sign up go to the website www.texasfolklife.org Deadline to join is March 31
l Last year the youngest accordion player I know from Houston didn't stand a chance against some of these guys who already have c.d.s on the market. Hopefully this year they'll stick to the catagories........his name is "Lil Leo" Nunez....now that's conjunto's future.
