If you’ve ever had the fortune to meet Pietro Adragna or see him in concert, you would agree that two words to describe him would be, “Happy Energy.”

Born in Sicily, Italy in 1988, Pietro is an amazing accordionist whose passion started at a young age. To give you an idea of Pietro’s personality, one of the first things you read when you visit his website is this motto, “Never stop smiling, even when you are sad, because you never know who might fall in love with your smile.” We were honored to interview him for this issue of Accordion Life Today!

We’ve approached this interview in a different way than in previous issues, and our founder, Patricia Bartell, interviewed Pietro live! You can watch the interview below or read the shortened transcription below.

Keep scrolling to see a couple of Pietro's performances as well!

I am so happy to have Pietro as our featured guest for Accordion Life Today. So, Pietro, we met a long time ago! More than 10 years.

I think so. It was 2008, I think in Bosnia. You remember Bosnia?

Yes. This was the first time I was on the jury for Trophée Mondial.

Then we passed a little time together also. Fred (Deschamps) asked us to study and to enjoy time.

Tell me, when I met you there, you were competing. Was that new? Had you just started competing or were you competing a lot?

It was my first competition — I believe that was the first one, yes.

How old were you when you started the Accordion? What started this journey for you?

When I was a child, my parents, especially in summer, took my sister and me to a dance hall. My father, who is a great lover of music, especially of accordion, often took me to the barber, a friend of his. Sometimes when he (the barber) didn't have customers he played mandolin for his friends. He also played the accordion and guitar.

In that moment I said to papa, I want 'this' instrument.

Even now, I don't know if accordion chose me or I chose it. I don't know, but it started there.

It was also because my sister played clarinet and when she had lessons, I was there in another room playing (a toy keyboard) by ear and think what she played. The teacher said to my papa, "Okay, Mr. Adragna, your daughter is very, very good. She likes music. But this boy is amazing! So I suggest to you to start to play also, Pietro, what do you want to play?" Accordion. That sounds great!

That’s when you started, and you were telling me that when you were 18 years old, something happened that kind of made you choose an accordion career. Can you tell us about that?

Yes. When I was 17-18. My grandfather and my father always had boats, not very big boats, but six, seven, eight meters. So I like and I love the sea so much, the sea life. And when I was 18, something urged me, “Pietro, why don't you go to Marine school for the military?” I said maybe. Because I also love how the Marines dress--the white, and the cap. I said, well maybe, maybe, maybe.... I decided to think about it for a while, maybe a month.

Life as a marine or life as an accordionist?

I like the life of a marine so much, but I am free! I am a free musician! I can get up when I want, I can go around the world. I can't get up every morning at 6:00 and say goodbye? So of course, I chose for the rest of my life to be free! I want to live from my instrument, from my accordion.

So tell me the history of the accordion in Italy. Here in the States, accordion is not as popular, except with the older generation. But in Italy, when I was there, so many young people play accordion.

Yes! So many young people play accordion.

But, in general, I would say the (opinion of the) parents of these younger students is not very good towards the accordion. They think that the accordion is just a popular (music) instrument.

But, me and a lot of teachers in Italy are working so hard on this direction because, to say, accordion is not just for traditional or popular music. Yes, of course, it started from there, but with accordion, you can play what you want. Maybe it's the only instrument that you can play all styles. Step by step, we are working on this for something to change and I am happy about it.

Year by year in Italy, the conservatory opens their classroom for the accordion instrument and so it's very, very good. Before the conservatory, the high school where I actually taught music, opened a classroom for accordion and this is very good. Now starting for ages eight to nine years old, the students can study accordion in the class at school.

Wow! So tell me, is this like group accordion lessons or is it like private one-on-one?

No, it's like private but it isn't private. It's public, you know, from the state. But you go to regular school in the morning and part of the school has the music class. So in the afternoon you have a lesson, one by one. It is like private, you have you and the student. It's one hour a week. One hour is a lesson, a singular lesson, and then one hour of chamber music. So it's very crazy.

So now you've been teaching at the high-school level, how long have you been doing that?

Eight years. After I came back from my competition I started immediately.

Okay, so instead of being at that school what else do you do? You are in a trio with other musicians?

In a trio, yes. I have a different project, I have a trio with double bass and percussion and we play to write music. We play variaté music. Also I have a duo with a guitarist. We play more or less Choro, Chorino? You know, Chorino?

No, what is Chorino?

It’s like Brazilian music. We play a lot, and it's very interesting. It’s a very interesting duo, because of the way the sound of the guitar and the accordion make in relation to each other. It continues, because, you know, a guitar and accordion are a complete instrument. But in that instance they must speak and the sound they make sometimes sounds like a double bassoon to make the bass. Sometimes they do the bass, and then they do the rest. It's very interesting. A very interesting combination.

And you, Pietro, have such incredibly fast fingers, so whether you do it on the right hand or the left hand, I think your hands are the same.

Yes! Sometimes I am very happy to change. I read one new song, and I said, "now I start with the right!" I don't know how I do it, but I do. I was going to ask you, because you know, with competition, we have to show technical skills as well as artistry skills.

Were you always that fast of a player when you were young or did you develop with new technique?

I think it's natural. I think 80% it’s natural. Then of course I make a technique to continue to practice very fast, but I think it's not my fault. It's natural.

When you're teaching at the high school for your students, let's say the ones that have slower fingers, what kind of exercise do you give them to help them be more agile or more fast?

Of course, what I give them is what I have received from a lot of years of study. I am very proud to give them all I know because I like teaching and I like that students love this.

Some students tell me every year in high school, "Teacher, will you be here next year?" I say, "Yes! Why not?" They say, "Because if you go away, I go away." They say this to me every-every year, and maybe because I give them all I have learned.

I love to teach technique application on songs. I don't like to give scales or arpeggios or all technique because sometimes they get bored. I don't like this, so I say, "What do you want to play?" They say, "I want to play 'these.’" If the level is okay, I say, "Okay, we can try," and we start on this. We'll read it, if something is wrong with it, I assign them some more solfeggio, and then they play immediately. And then I explain what they are playing. This is actually the contrary that works, especially for children until ages 10, 11 and 9 sometimes. Then, of course, I give the technique like, you know, for the fingers (demonstrates technique with his fingers).

Yes, from Deschamps.

Because when you are at a table waiting for dinner or lunch you can do this exercise ... fingers are flat. We are waiting, waiting on the second set and … and a lot of things of course. But the important thing is for them not to get bored.

Right, because we're in such a generation, the young people want to play, to have that connection with music. I love your philosophy with this because we do the same at our Academy. The children need to connect with the music. To have that connection with music, learn to play and then you can explain to them what they are doing. What does it mean? And they take it to the next level, but first, to have that enjoyment and the connection first. I love that.

Yes. It's like a flipped classroom, you know. They suggest to me what they want to play and I say, "Okay, we can ... or we must wait some months and then go!

So Pietro, tell me, did you ever want to quit music or, have a challenging moment that you had to really work through? Or has music always just been very happy and easy?

No! For me it's very, very happy always! I think that the public saw this every time, because I think when I am on stage, I forget everything. I am me and my accordion. The rest goes away. I enjoy our time.

Someone once told me, "Pietro, how is it possible that you smile while playing the tango?" I say, "Why not, it's tango! It's not a funeral."

I always smile because I like it too much, but sometimes I understand there are some barriers ... sometimes I was very, very tired because of other things, not because of the accordion, because I have too much things to do and I am tired. But I go on stage anyway, then I smile!

Because in those moments, we give everything we are through our music for people and because it's just one of the patterns of life. The more you give, the more you fill up. So for you and I when we perform and we get to give our music, we get filled with so much happiness and joy.

You receive energy! I remember when I was preparing the accordion diploma in 2010, in classical accordion. And in the same time I go to the competitors today, to Fred’s (Deschamps), a lot of contests around the world, and in the meantime, I was also studying classical piano because I graduated in piano classical also. And conducting too. So I was working on accordion diploma, competition, other studies with a masterclass or with Fred, piano and all its programs, conducting and other programs, and people ask me how it's possible one man can do all of this! I say "I know! I don't know. Maybe it's the accordion! Try!”

Oh wow! That's great! So now what's the future plans? What are you planning? I know you're composing a lot; you're conducting and teaching; but do you have a future with your ideas? What are you doing, what are you going to do or planning?

I am continuing to compose as I have done in recent years.

I composed for accordion orchestra two very good, for me, compositions. One is "Notre Dame" that I composed for the cathedral in Paris, for the fire in 2019. I composed this for Notre Dame and you can see it on YouTube (see below). The first concert of 2020 where we played this for accordion and orchestra was at Teatro Massimo di Palermo. I like it, I suggest you to see it because I like this composition. It’s a musette bass. But the introduction is very lulling … you can think of the cathedral on fire and the ambulance, and then notes.

And also, "Kids Tango." I think this is a composition for kids, not high, but middle school. They can play, and it's a simple melody. But some parts are more complicated. But it's for them and a choir. My idea is to continue to compose in this direction, because the accordion must be everywhere! If they think on Piazzi, they must not think just piano and orchestra--no, accordion and orchestra.

So it must have been a powerful moment when you composed a piece and then you get to hear it live, like the one about the fire. It must be so powerful, very special.

Yes, special moments, yes!

Well, I've so enjoyed this time with you and thank you for sharing to our viewers your life there in Italy and your accordion career and your teaching. Thank you for continuing to give the baton, passing the baton, to the next generation of musicians. I know they love you and we look forward to our paths meeting again.

Thank you Patricia! Thank you, everyone, for listening and giving me this opportunity. ■