Photo Left: Here is a freeze frame from my Christmas video, Jolly Old St. Nick, where I am playing the big beast, Opa, my second
beautiful beloved accordion. Though I think there is probably no accordion I wouldn't love. Photo Right: Here is a freezeframe from
my video, Mad World. I did this video in a really fun black-and-white form.
Bernadette Joolen: Accordion Love...
An accordion lovestory. About a girl who is helplessly susceptible...
To music. Copyright 2003 by Bernadette Joolen.
All rights reserved.

I LIKE TO call this site, Bernadette Joolen, Accordion & Books. Though sometimes I worry
that could be somewhat misleading. As the accordion is only a recreational part of my
purpose here! (Not a career I am trying to grow or sell.) Though it has been
phenomenally delicious and important to me. I find that dabbling in art induces art. I
find that forays into any art, cause greater creativity in another. I find that living a life
immersed in art, is the most delicious way to live.

In 2003, when I won a writing award, for my story, Seven Sketches for Papa, I was so
crazy high that I wanted to do something deliciously self-indulgent and out of the
ordinary to reward myself. So, I took the $500 prize and bought myself an accordion! I
had long fallen in love with the beast, through entirely too many foreign films and
random streetcorner accordion players. There was in particular, those years, a
captivating young man who was a sort of vagabond gypsy, it seemed, who would get
himself into trouble sometimes, wailing his own songs on the streets. Well. The sound of
his accordion killed me, and I always stopped, and stood near, when I heard him play. I
knew one day I would need to play myself. It was like a visceral need. Like you need air,
sleep, water, vitamins.

So. I had that new accordion. Well, I was a girl gone mad!! I ached ached ached in every
muscle, that first week I taught myself to play. But at night, I began to dream accordion
dreams! Sweet lovely accordion dreams where I could play, quite beautifully. The chords
would course through my body all night long, and all night long, I was smiling! Even as
I learned to play, my dreams kept on. It was simply a matter of love at first sight, at first
draw of those achy new bellows, at first delicious aching plaintive refrain.

So. What could a girl do, but write a book called Cornelia Bloom and the Accordion
Museum, and start a Youtube account where she made I think nearly twenty small
videos!! (It was not vainglorious, it was out of love!) I hope you will enjoy my videos, and
also, the fun photos below. Yours. ~b.
.
Here is the Baby
Hohnica, my first
sweet small beautiful
accordion. She is
broken now, from an
airplane ride... But I
love her still. <3