Oklahoma Squeezins

“Our squeezin'...is pleasin'”

The Oklahoma Accordion Club Newsletter

Join us to listen and play at the

Hawaiian flavor

Celebrate musically with a Hawaii flavor on Sunday, January 11 at 3:30 PM. Snacks welcome — bring your accordion or come as you are.

Meetup Info for Sunday, Jan 11, 2026 - 3:30 PM

If you can't attend the 3:30 PM meetup in person, you can experience some of it via Zoom - using the same codes (see red type below) you may have used in previous years. Zoom's musical sound quality has recently improved! So feel free to tune us in!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5236709799Zoom

January 2026Page 1

Prez sez

Maggie Abel

Greetings to my favorite musical personalities! When a Facebook friend saw my connection to accordion, she told me the following story: "When my grandma Ethel Tiffany Olorenshaw was very young, about 10, someone came to her house, gathering people who might be interested in taking accordion lessons. And my grandma fell in love with the accordion! Her family was having a hard time, and asked if she'd work to pay for the lessons, and she agreed. This really young girl had to carry this heavy accordion several blocks to get it on the bus to downtown Salt Lake City, where she would then carry it a few more blocks to reach the studio. She kept a record of every payment until she had paid it off. My grandma became an accordion teacher and said some of her students pictured here appeared on the Lawrence Welk show!" So let's get to it, shall we? See you Sunday! Aloha! ~ Maggie

Board of Directors

President / Newsletter Editor
Maggie Abel
Vice President / Treasurer
Ron Shearon
Secretary
Lois Roth
Proofer/Snacks/Birthdays
Karen West
Webmaster/Photographer
Diana Richard
President
Maggie Abel
Treasurer
OAC Meetup Dec

Open positions: PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, TREASURER, LIVESTREAM TECH, HISTORIAN, LIBRARIAN, NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Past presidents: Barbara Duer, Dick Albreski

Website: okaccordion.club

Membership: $20 individual, +$10 family add-on. Visitors welcome.

Lifetime members

Maggie Abel
Jim & June Butricks †
William "Rusty" Dolton
Frank Gesinski †
Janet Haskin
Roland Lohmann
Frankie Martinez
Bob Mansfield
Tom Phillips
Phil Scibelli
Ophelia Woody
Put YOUR

January 2026Page 2

Mark those calendars! — Dick Albreski

Accordion music

Check out the following sites for new and free accordion music:

Don Quattrocchi — https://donquattrocchi.com/
8notes — accordion — https://www.8notes.com/accordion/

Try em! You'll like em!

The National Accordion Association Convention will be held March 17th through the 21st, 2026, in the Dallas/Forney, Texas area. Hotel rooms have kitchenettes this year. Two bands will perform at the Saturday night banquet. For registration and updates visit accordions.com/naa/.

https://www.accordions.com/naa/

January 2026Page 3

Meeting minutes

Annual Christmas party · Sunday, December 14, 2025

Nineteen people — sixteen members (one on Zoom) and three guests (one on Zoom). Christmas music started at 3:15.

The Oklahoma Accordion Club held its annual Christmas party on Sunday, December 14, starting at 3:30 pm. President Maggie Abel called the meeting to order at 3:35 pm. Ron Shearon (Treasurer and VP) led the Pledge of Allegiance. Maggie told us where to put our warm clothing gifts for charity. She said the raffle is set up and each ticket is one dollar. Shayla, a guest from Yukon, is just learning to play the accordion. She and Maggie played a duet — "Camptown Races." Shayla is also a tuba player! Guest Judi Denney brought her mother's accordion to sell. John Warren played several songs, including "White Christmas," "Too Fat Polka," and "Stardust." Dick Albreski gave a lovely rendition of "Silent Night" using sustained basses. Then he performed a 2026 Fun Band song — "Eviva Espana," and ended with "Let it Snow." Accordionists were invited to try the two accordions that were for sale. Music continued with Ron playing "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" with two-finger harmony. Karen West told us that she is in the process of moving to her new senior living apartment on North Penn. The music continued with Anne Lopez and Lois Roth performing three Christmas favorites: "Winter Wonderland," "White Christmas," and "Jingle Bell Rock." The traditional raffle was held with Ron calling the ticket numbers. Some happy people won some very nice gifts! The afternoon ended with a sing-along, with music by Anne Lopez and Lois Roth. Songs were "Silver Bells," "Jingle Bells" with member Cassi Radicelli playing bells, "Silent Night," and "O Christmas Tree." The meeting was adjourned, and as expected, there was jamming afterward. A big Thank You to the people who brought snacks, and to Karen for setting up the table. Our next meeting will be Sunday, January 11, 2026. Come and celebrate the New Year with music and fun!

Performers: Shayla Chavis-Smith, Maggie Abel, John Warren, Dick Albreski, Ron Shearon, Anne Lopez, Lois Roth, Cassi Radicelli

— Lois Roth, OAC Secretary

January 2026Page 4

Birthdays