"The accordionist's very own examining-system": The British College of Accordionists

Farquharson, Lauren (2023) "The accordionist's very own examining-system": The British College of Accordionists. Doctoral thesis, Dundalk Institute of Technology.

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Abstract

The aim of this research is to chart the promotion of the classical accordion through academic enquiry into its development in Britain during the 20th century. This is primarily achieved by documenting the history of the British College of Accordionists (BCA), an examining board and educational institution dedicated specifically to institutionalizing, promoting, and standardizing the accordion on a national and international scale. Founded in 1935, the BCA leaders played a significant role in promoting and validating the accordion throughout the 20th century. This historiographical project incorporates archival research, interviews with key accordionists, analysis of primary and secondary data, descriptive analysis, thematic analysis, and source triangulation. This study contextualizes how the accordion was promoted through the three key themes of institutionalization, promotion, and standardization. Institutionalization as a theme is examined from the 18th to the 20th century with specific focus on Britain; this will provide a socio-political contextualization for understanding the BCA’s emergence and institutional formation from 1935 onwards. Through the theme of promotion, the various marketing attempts made by the BCA leaders during the 20th century are considered. Furthermore, the BCA’s standardization of accordion pedagogy and performance through examination, and the formation of additional syllabi and educational courses are reviewed. Overall, this research provides a template for considering the role of under-researched instruments in music standardization and institutionalization.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	Arts and Humanities > Music
Research Centres:	UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User:	Georgina Hughes
Date Deposited:	24 Oct 2023 14:59
Last Modified:	24 Oct 2023 14:59
License:	Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0
URI:	https://eprints.dkit.ie/id/eprint/849

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