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we are an accordion duo together our
journey took us all over the world but
wood has always remained constant is our
love our passion and our dedication to
music my story today is about music and
how sometimes negative experiences can
lead you to a better life and a bright
future I was a normal toddler who liked
to read and draw at the age of five when
I was playing outside I was stunned by a
swarm of wasps and lost my ability to
speak after a severe reaction due to the
shock of the hundreds of stings my
father took me to see many medical
experts and other practitioners to help
me regain my voice but for a whole year
we were being told your daughter will
never speak again
I remember the train taking my father
and me from Moscow back home to Minsk I
remember tears on his cheeks and
all the woman listening to our story
trying to help she advised that he
should buy a musical instrument
believing that music might help trigger
a deep emotional response and help me
restore my ability to speak a few days
later my father came home with a
suitcase thinking it was a time to go to
see a doctor again I started to cry then
he opened the case and I looked in and
saw a button accordion I grew up that
pressed the button and much to my
amazement and delight recorded in my the
sound I was able to repeat this sound
with my voice and shouted to my dad
thank you as I was growing up every time
I would stutter when I talked my mother
would say take your accordion and think
everything that you want to say so I did
I will never forget that they when we
usek came into my life and changed my
life forever back in those days nobody
could imagine that there would come a
day like today and I would get to speak
to such an audience
I took my very first accordion lesson
privately and soon after I was accepted
to school specializing in music
fast-forward 10 years in music college I
met Gregory who suggested that we play
as a duo we started performing together
eventually got married and built our
family in our lives thanks to the
accordion in 1991 we moved to Israel
where we lived for the next 12 years
once again thanks to the accordion we
were able to support our family through
various concerts and performances in
2003 we moved to Texas and have lived in
Plano ever since interestingly enough we
were quite surprised that not many
people around here have been introduced
to this unique instrument so we made it
our life’s mission to bring as much
awareness to the accordion as possible I
was able to start a private music studio
teaching student with various
backgrounds and abilities children and
adults in person and nowadays via Skype
Gregory and I use
every opportunity to share our passion
for music with everyone through concert
music is a universal language we can all
understand and appreciate it has the
power to heal bring joy and love and
inspire creativity within all of us the
power of music is truly endless and so
unique we are going to perform three of
our favorite pieces for you this evening
princess of accordion by Roger de Vos
sunrise sunset from musical fiddler on
the roof and we will end with a
Belarusian wedding polka so we hope you
all enjoy it
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