Happy March 11th!

Pop quiz: What do these famous squeezebox players have in common?

Master of “champagne music” Lawerence Welk:

Five-time Grammy winner and Tex-Mex music legend Flaco Jiménez:

Pioneering Tango composer/performer Astor Piazzolla:

It turns out that three of the biggest names in the accordion world all share a birthday: March 11th.

(Well, Piazzolla plays a bandoneon, which is technically not an accordion. Both instruments are considered “free reed aerophones” though, so close enough to still make it a weird coincidence.)

Oh, and March 11th is my birthday too! Not that I expect to live up to such a daunting legacy, but it certainly gives me a reason to keep practicing…