Henry Doktorski Accordionist Pianist Organist Composer Conductor Author Educator Autobiography

My introduction to the exciting world of music performance began in 1963, at the age of seven. If I remember correctly, I was reading at the desk in my bedroom when a sudden loud knocking on the front door interrupted my concentration: a traveling salesman. My mother stopped working in the kitchen and greeted the caller, who spoke briefly to her. I overheard my mother's reply, "Yes, perhaps my eldest son. . . ." She called for my father and then for me, but I hesitated, being extremely shy of strangers. After a few moments, my father -- in a very loud voice -- called out my name and I quickly ran into the den, where the three adults were sitting on the couch.

My mother explained, "This man is giving free musical aptitude tests for children and I want you to try it." The man played a simple scale passage on a small set of orchestra bells, handed me the mallets and asked me to repeat it. After my attempt, the man enthusiastically exclaimed, "Your son has definite talent! You should enroll him in my music school; and if you sign up today, the first lesson is free!"

My parents both enjoyed music. My mother played violin as a child, and she and my father enjoyed listening to 33 rpm records of Polish koledy (traditional carols) during the Christmas season. The man asked what instrument they wanted me to play. My parents asked him, "What instruments do you teach?"

"Piano," he said, and my parents shook their heads, "No."
"Guitar," he continued, and they replied, "No."
"Trumpet," -- "No."
"Saxophone," -- "No."
"Drums," -- "Definitely NO!"
But when he said, "Accordion," my parents looked at each other for a moment, smiled and nodded, "Yes!"

Then they looked at me; would I like to learn to play the accordion? I also smiled, "yes!"

I learned ethnic music and jazz standards, and became somewhat of a prodigy. I enjoyed performing at school functions and started a combo with my buddies in which I played accordion, piano and a farfisa electric organ. Although we sometimes played tunes from the 1920s like Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue and Baby Face (for members of my grandfather's generation), we specialized in the hit songs of the day like Get Back (Beatles), Evil Ways (Santana) and Iron Man (Black Sabbath).

Wayne Pulda, Richard Pawlowski and Henry Doktorski
at the VFW Club in Milltown, NJ (ca. 1970)

But when I discovered classical music in high school, I abandoned the accordion for serious piano studies. How could I continue to play polkas and waltzes (and even rock music) after having developed a taste for Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Bartok? In a few years, I was good enough to get a scholarship as a piano major in a small mid-western private college.

Senior Piano Recital (Park College, Parkville Missouri: 1978)

However, in 1987 (more than ten years after I had put my accordion in the closet) -- while serving as organist and choir director for the City of God (New Vrindaban) religious community in West Virginia -- I was forced to pick up the instrument again, against my will! The abbot (Swami Bhaktipada) had heard from one of the monks that I played the instrument and he requested that I bring it during the daily evening services, "just to liven things up a bit." At first I resisted, but then, after some persuasion, I agreed to try it, "just once." The accordion was a big hit and several of the monks asked me to teach them how to play.

The City of God Accordion Ensemble (Limestone, West Virginia: 1989)

For more information about music at the New Vrindaban City of God, Click Here.

A week or two later, I was sent to New York City to purchase instruments for our new accordion ensemble, and it was there that I discovered the classical accordion sub-culture. At one of the largest dealer's showrooms, I noticed a photocopied newspaper article tacked up on a bulletin board which included a picture of a dozen or so accordionists dressed in tuxedoes. The caption read, "The Westmont Philharmonia Accordion Orchestra, from Haddon Township New Jersey," and the article mentioned that the group performed pieces by Bach, Vivaldi, Rossini, Dvorak, and several Russian composers whose names I did not recognize.

The Westmont Philharmonia Accordion Orchestra (Haddon Township, New Jersey)

I was fascinated, for never before had I heard of an accordion orchestra, much less one that specialized in classical music! However, when I asked the proprietor about the classical accordion group, he refused to tell me anything about them, because, I believe, he was afraid that I might purchase my accordions from them instead of from him. Undaunted, I mentally made a note of the name of the orchestra and returned to West Virginia.

After arriving home, I tried to find their phone number, but the directory assistance operator could not find a listing for the Westmont Philharmonia Accordion Orchestra, nor could she find anything under the word 'accordion' in Haddon Township, New Jersey. I became discouraged. Finally, after a long pause, she exclaimed, "Wait a minute! Try this number for the Acme Accordion School." After dialing long-distance, I was introduced to Stanley Darrow, the director of the music school and the conductor of the orchestra. This was the roundabout way that I discovered the fascinating world of the classical accordion. The adventure has been a great revelation for me.

With soprano Claudia Benack and the McKeesport Symphony (1997)

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