THE CONCERTINA PLAYER:
A SURVEY FOR
A COMPOSITE PORTRAIT
In
August 2003, the CSFRI posted the questionnaire that appears
below, publicizing it on the lively concertina.net website
(
http://www.concertina.net ). We invited concertinists of
all stripes to respond, and set the deadline at 1 January
2004 (in fact, we accepted responses through about the
middle of February 2004).
In
all, we received seventy-seven responses, though some were
incomplete. Thus the numbers are not necessarily consistent
either from one question to another or within the parts of a
multi-part question.
What follows are the results of the survey. I have left the
actual questionnaire in its original format; the responses
are indicated in a slightly larger, bold typeface.
Finally, my thanks to all seventy-seven people who responded
(I do not know who you are, since the anonymity that was
promised was faithfully preserved). I will, however, thank
Mr. Lawrence Shuster (a candidate for the Ph.D. in Music at
the CUNY Graduate Center) by name; it was he who collected
the data and collated the responses.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
THE PURPOSE:
The questionnaire that follows grew out of discussions with
friends and colleagues, concertinists and non-concertinists
alike. The discussions focused on the following questions:
is there such a thing as the “typical” concertina player,
and can we draw an accurate portrait of this composite
concertinist’s musical background and tastes, playing
ability and other concertina-specific preferences, and even
socio-economic status?
Until now, any attempts to portray this typical concertinist
have had to rest upon a combination of personal—and thus
relatively limited—observation and largely impressionistic
perceptions, for there has been little if any hard data on
which to base a portrait. This questionnaire, then,
represents a first (?) attempt to remedy the situation. Its
questions and concluding “test” fall into three broad
categories:
(1) demographics, (2) general musical background, and (3)
concertina-related activities.
We
will keep the questionnaire posted until 1 January 2004, at
which time we will begin to tabulate the responses and
then make the data available for all to see on this
website. (We will post a notice on the customary
concertina-specific websites letting people know that the
data is ready.) Eventually, we hope to present a more
sophisticated analysis, one that not only tries to portray
the typical concertina player, but also looks at the data
from such vantage points as type of concertina played
(Anglo, Duet, English), nationality, and gender.
Clearly, there can be no meaningful analysis without
sufficient data, and we can obtain that only with
your help. So please feed the data bank by
taking the time to respond. You may do so in either of two
ways: (1) Print out the questionnaire, leaving it
UNSIGNED (we want anonymity), and mail it back—in an
envelope marked “concertina
survey”—to: Ph.D. Program in Music | The Graduate
Center/CUNY | 365 Fifth Avenue | New York, NY 10016. A
“third party” will destroy both the envelope and its return
address. (2) Save the questionnaire to your hard drive,
enter your responses right at the computer, and e-mail the
questionnaire (identified as “Concertina Survey”
in the subject line) to < music@gc.cuny.edu >; again, a
third party will remove all traces of the sender’s
identity.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!
Allan Atlas
Director,
Center for the Study of
Free-Reed Instruments
----------------------------------------------------------------------
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
0. Concertina ID Tag:
a.
Anglo =
49
i. 20-button diatonic =
9
ii. 30(+)-button chromatic =
35
b.
Duet =
7
i. Hayden =
3
ii. Maccann =
4
iii. Crane =
0
iv. Jeffries =
0
c. English = 21
(If
you play more than one type, please rank in order of
proficiency.)
I. Demographics
1. Age: 20s =
1;
30s =
5;
40s =
24;
50s =
33;
60s =
8;
70s =
1;
80s =
2
2. Gender
a.
male =
60
b. female =
12
3.
Residence
a. United States =
47
New
York = 7; Minnesota = 4; California, Illinois, Maryland, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, Washington = 3 each; Maine, Texas = 2
each; Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana,
Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin = 1 each (Question: was
there a state-wide boycott in Massachusetts???)
b. Canada =
4
British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan = 1 each
c. United Kingdom =
18
Essex, South Yorkshire = 2; Buckinghamshire, Berkshire,
Cheshire, Derbyshire, Isle of Whyte, London, Norfolk,
Scotland, Somerset, Surrey, West Midlands, Wiltshire,
Yorkshire = 1 each
d. Ireland =
3
Dublin = 2; Down = 1
e. Australia =
1
Victoria = 1
f. South Africa =
0
g. other =
1
(Israel)
h. large urban center (1
million +) or suburb thereof =
17
i. medium urban center (100,000 – 1 million) or
suburb thereof =
13
j. small urban center (50,000 – 100,000) or
suburb thereof =
5
k large town (25,000 – 50,000) =
6
l. small town (under 25,000) =
14
m. rural area =
12
4.
Occupation and Primary Source of Income
a.
concertina-related (if so, please rank the following in
order of income-producing activity; use “1” to indicate the
activity that provides the main source of income; do not
assign a number to a non-income-producing activity) =
2
i. performer ii.
_____teacher (private lessons or workshop tutor)
iii. _____manufacturer iv.
_____dealer v. _____repairs
both respondents listed “repairs” as the primary source of
income
b.
other music-related =
6,
with three occupations listed: academia, choirdirector,
pianist,
c. not
music-related =
59,
with four occupations receiving more than one tick:
software designer = 4, engineer and librarian = 3,
architect = 2
d. student =
4
e.
retired =
9,
but with ten former occupations = air-traffic controller,
business, finance, government service, human services,
medical doctor, military, teacher, software industry,
telecom engineer
5.
Education (please indicate highest level attained)
a. high-school diploma =
10
b. university/college B.A. (or equivalent) =
32,
with 24 different “majors”
c. advanced graduate level =
32,
with degrees in 22 different fields, the following getting
two ticks each: computer science, electrical engineering,
engineering (general), English, history, medicine
II. General Musical Background
1. Ability
to read music
a. not at all = 4 b. hesitatingly =
14
c. adequately =
25
d. fluently =
29
, and I can read
i. bass clef as well as treble =
26
ii. piano score =
16
iii. orchestral score =
13
e. can you play by ear?
iv. yes =
62
v. no =
9
2.
Do you play another instrument?
a.
yes =
63,
with the following getting five or more ticks: guitar = 16,
piano = 14, accordion = 10; whistle = 8, banjo, fiddle,
mandolin = 7; trumpet, voice = 5
Have you had formal training on that
instrument?
i. yes =
30
1-5 years = 11; 6-10 = 10; 11-20 = 4;
as
a child = 2; high school = 4; college = 1
ii. No =
23
I would describe my ability on that
instrument as
iii. advanced =
19
iv. Intermediate =
37
v. novice =
12
b.
no =
3
3.
Which of the following types of music do you most enjoy
(please rank from “1” as favorite
on down)
N.B.: it was difficult to tabulate these in a meaningful
way; each category is followed by two numbers: the first
shows how many people cast a vote for that category (without
considering rank); the second number gives the total of the
“rankings” into which the category was placed; thus the
higher the second number, especially in combination with a
relatively low first number, the lower that category was in
the ranking; note that some respondents ticked off
categories without ranking them
a.
folk
(specifically, Anglo, Celtic, American) =
64 / 95
b. traditional dance =
45 /114
c. jazz =
33 / 128
(thus 33 people ticked the category, but placed it rather
low in the ranking)
d. rock =
27 / 121
e. “pop” (e.g.: “standards,” Broadway show
tunes, Sinatra, etc.) =
25 / 92
f. classical =
44 / 126
g. “world music” (non-western) =
27 / 107
h. other =
42
(without giving specifics, as these were not asked for)
i. cannot rank =
8
4.
Do you attend “formal” concerts (with “formal” defined as
occasions on which the main purpose is to listen to music
without distractions)
a.
often =
17
b. occasionally (six or fewer per year) =
46
c. very rarely =
14
5.
How many hours per day do you spend listening to music—any
kind of music in a “serious” way (do not, for example,
include hours spent listening to music while driving the
car)?
a. more than one hour per day =
24
b. less than
one hour per day =
27
c. days can go
by without such listening
21
6. How large is your CD collection?
a. fewer than 50 =
12
b. 50-100 =
17
c. 100-250 =
25
d. more than
250 =
18
e. I do not have a CD player =
1
7. Do you read books, journals, magazines, and/or
electronic texts devoted to music?
a. often =
23
b. occasionally =
19
c. rarely =
20
Please list one or two items that you read on a
regular basis
Respondents cited thirty-seven different publications:
among the hardcopy publications: Singout, ICA
Newsletter, Mix Magazine, Mandolin Magazine, Living
Tradition, Dulcimer Player, Strad, Free-Reed Journal, BBC
Music Magazine, Canadian Folk Music, Irish Music, Musical
Traditions
among the websites: concertina.net; squeezebox.org;
maccann-duet.com; horniman.com
N.B.: and remember that PICA is on the way!
III. CONCERTINA-RELATED TOPICS
1. How long have you been playing the concertina?
a. less than one year =
10
b. 1-5 years =
18
c. 5-10 years =
12
d. 10-25 years =
15
e. more than 25 years =
15
At
what age did you begin?
teens = 5; 20s = 12; 30s = 14; 40s = 23
50s = 8; 60s = 4; 80s = 1
2.
How did you learn to play?
a. formal instruction with a teacher =
11
b. completely on my own =
25
c. on my own but with the aid of books, videos,
etc. =
42
3.
If you would describe yourself as being something less than
an advanced player, would you consider beginning/resuming
formal instruction with a teacher if it were convenient to
do so?
a.
yes =
42
b. no =
12
c. maybe
11
What would be the main criterion for doing so or not?
Most respondents said that they would begin/resume formal
instruction if the conditions were right: time and location
convenient, if the teacher passed muster, if the cost was
within reason.
4.
Why did you choose to play the concertina?
a.
I heard/saw and liked it and decided to try it =
36
b. I heard/saw a specific performer whose
playing impressed me
16
live =
9
recorded =
4
performer:
Alistair Anderson (3); John
Kirkpatrick (2); Bertram Levy (2);
John Williams, John
Nixon, Lou Killen, Dave Townsend (1
each)
c. concertinas run in the family =
0
d. other =
28
please specify:
among the “other” reasons: accordions in the family; saw
one and liked the appearance; for its portability; price;
inherited (2); impulse buying; accompany dancers; received
as a gift
5.
Why did you choose the specific type of concertina that you
did?
a.
by default (it was my introduction to the concertina, and I
did not know there were other types) =
26
b. I associate it with the music that I most want to play
=
15
c. I did research on the concertina and decided that it was
the type that best suited me in terms of its
features/capabilities =
36
6.
How well can you describe the precise layout of the
buttonboard of the types of concertina that you do not
play?
a.
quite accurately =
25
b. vaguely =
38
c. not at all =
12
7.
How many concertinas do you own?
a.
one =
19
b. 2-5 =
45
c. more than 5 =
9
If
more than one, how many of them do you play regularly?
d.
only one =
22
e. some of them =
21
f. all =
9
Would you describe yourself as a “collector”?
g.
yes =
9
h. no =
60
8.
How many hours per week do you practice/play?
a.
fewer than 10 =
50
b. more than 10 =
25
9.
Is most of your playing:
a. alone =
39
b. jamming informally with others =
2
c. with a band =
1
d. split between two or more of the above =
28
10. Do you play in public?
a. often =
22
b. occasionally =
26
c. rarely =
16
d. never =
13
11. If you do play in public, is the typical venue
a. for a listening audience =
43
b. to accompany dancing =
19
c. to accompany group singing =
6
d. teaching/demonstration (festivals, academic,
etc.) =
5
Do you typically play for money?
e.
yes =
15
f. no =
57
12. Do you attend such annual concertina get-togethers as
the Northeast Squeeze-In or Concertinas at Witney?
a.
regularly =
13
b. occasionally =
20
c. never =
30
Why
do you/don’t you attend these events?
For doing so: “like to play”; “jam and meet”; “to encourage
my son”; “for social reasons’; “for educational reasons.”
For not doing so: “not good
enough”; not remotely interested”; “new player;” “not
serious player”; “time and cost”; “distance” (note that
time, distance, and cost were cited frequently); “family
obligations”; “did not know about them.”
13.
To
what extent are you interested in the history of the
concertina?
a.
very much so =
25
b. casually =
42
c. not at all =
2
If
you can, please identify the type of instrument played by
each of the following and the venue with which they were
associated:
William Kimber:
(31 responses)—all but one correctly associated him with
both the “Anglo” and
Morris dancing
Gregory Matusewitch:
(31 responses)—all but one correctly associated him with the
“English,” while all but two thought of him as playing
classical music; two responses specifically located him in
New York
Alexander Prince:
(14 responses)—of which all correctly associated him with
the “Duet”; four responses went further and located him in
the British music halls
Lord Balfour:
(12 responses)—of which eleven correctly associated him with
the “English”; three respondents associated him with
classical music, while another three located him in the
parlour (both are on the mark); one respondent
called him a “poodle” (either that respondent is still
carrying a political grudge, or am I missing some “in” UK
political joke?)
Fayre Four Sisters:
(15 responses)—all respondents correctly associated them
with the “English”; seven specifically placed them in the
music halls; one respondent mentioned their use of the
piccolo concertina
14. Do you check the postings on < http://www.concertina.net
>?
a.
regularly =
55
b. occasionally =
18
c. never =
3
Have you ever posted a notice there?
a.
yes =
65
b. no =
10
15. Please rank (with “1” as most important) the criteria
that you would use in purchasing a new concertina:
N.B.: Again, there are two numbers for each category: the
first is the number of people who checked the item; the
second reflects the total number of “ranking” votes
a.
price =
62 / 227
b. reputation of manufacturer =
60
/ 127
(thus the reputation of the manufacturer is a more important
consideration than is price)
c. reputation of dealer =
59
/ 185
d. new instrument =
38
/ 192
e. vintage instrument =
39
/ 191
f. tone quality =
67
/ 127
g. speed and lightness of action =
65
/ 157
(thus tone quality is more important than the action)
What is the most you would be willing to spend for a
concertina?
h. under $1,000 (or equivalent in your own currency) =
9
i. $1,000 - $2,500 =
15
j. $2,500 - $5,000 =
39
k. more than $5,000 =
12
How, if at all, would you compare some of the new,
mid-price-range concertinas (manufactured within the last
few years) with, say, vintage Wheatstone and Lachenals at
their very best? The new instruments are
l. better =
3
m. not as good =
27
n. about the same =
3
o. no basis for comparison =
39
If
you purchased an old instrument, would you know where to get
it restored?
p.
yes =
61
q. no
14
17. Do you belong to the International Concertina
Association?
yes
=
23
no =
46
Why/why not?
Those who do belong: “to communicate with others”;
“loyalty to the instrument”; “research and library
resources”; “for advice”; “because the organization does
good things”; “social reasons”
Those who do not belong: “lack of time”;
“USA group is better” (what USA group???); “never heard of
it”; “not a joiner”; “no special reason”; “no benefits for
USA members”; “too little offered”; “too Eurocentric”;
“not enough Irish music”; “cost prohibitive”;
“they’re irrelevant”; “too UK-oriented”; “no advantages to
joining”; “just a beginner”
Optional
question:
Is your individual or family income
a. under $50,000 =
20
b. $50,000 - $100,000 =
17
c. above $100,000 =
19
Acknowledgments:
My
thanks to Robert Gaskins and Richard Morse for prompt
and particularly thoughtful suggestions; to Michelle Fine (a
colleague at the CUNY Graduate Center) for valuable tips on
both layout and questionnaire etiquette; and, once again, to
Lawrence Shuster for tabulating the results.
Thank
you again for taking the time to participate!!!
Prof. Allan W. Atlas
Ph.D. Program in Music
CUNY Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4309
E-mail:
