Starting on a high note
Although it is still a rather minuscule group playing the accordion in Hong Kong, the instrument's fan base is growing slowly but steadily. Neil Li finds out more from the pros.
Spreading the word
Tabachyshyn came to live in Hong Kong in 2014. He says that while more people in his native Ukraine would be familiar with the accordion compared with the numbers in Hong Kong, there might be an advantage in knowing less.
"The accordion can easily attract people here as they think it is a 'new' instrument. In Europe, there are many people playing the accordion. So people there are less appreciative of it, since it is something common," he said.
On the flip side, "If people don't know what the accordion is, they might be less likely to go to an accordion recital and instead choose to listen to something that they already know, say, a piano or saxophone performance."
However, he feels excited about the instrument's future in Hong Kong. His students range from teenagers to adults with full-time jobs. Sometimes his neighbors who have heard him practice ask if they could come over to listen to him play.
Tabachyshyn, Tam and Wong are all optimistic about the instrument's potential to become more popular in Hong Kong than it currently is. It's just a matter of getting the instrument out there, they believe.
"Once you have had a chance to play the accordion, it's hard to stop," Wong said.
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