WEST ORANGE, NJ — “When you have a passion, it’s not really a job,” said West Orange resident Rita Barnea, who has had a lifelong passion for the accordion. Currently celebrating her 15th year as editor of Accordion USA, an online publication, Barnea has a passion for the accordion whose roots go back to her earliest days. Her parents saw her talent at a very early age when, as a little girl growing up in Irvington, Barnea turned glasses of water into a musical scale, creating little songs as she tapped the glasses with a spoon.
Given the family’s small apartment in Irvington, piano lessons were out of the question, because there was no room for a piano. By the time Barnea was 9 years old, her parents had bought her a small, red accordion and signed her up for lessons at a local music school. The rest, as they say, is history. Barnea’s love for the accordion and for everything related to it has only grown over the years. From majoring in music education at the University of Connecticut to being a West Orange elementary school music teacher, incorporating the accordion into her work every day, Barnea has managed to live her passion.
“I taught elementary music in West Orange for over 35 years!” said Barnea. “I used the accordion every day in my classroom, teaching and accompanying the students’ singing. During the years I did not have my own music classroom, I would visit the classes, and the accordion was not only portable but it also enhanced my teaching. Of course, I also used the piano, but the children were so much more responsive to the accordion. In the warm weather, I would take some classes outside. My chorus performed at the malls and my accordion made that experience more fun and practical.”
In fact, Barnea thinks that the accordion is so versatile and such an amazing teaching tool, she would love it if all music teachers played the accordion.
“The accordion really brings people together — it is lively, happy and children love it,” she said.
An avid reader of Accordion USA for many years, Barnea saw an announcement 15 years ago that said they were looking for a new editor for the publication. She applied and got the job. But as Barnea says, “When you have a passion, it’s not really a job,” and this is just as true in her position as editor of Accordion USA as it was when she was a music teacher.
In her position as editor, Barnea is able to share her love for the accordion with like-minded people through writing articles and putting each edition of Accordion USA together.
“I cover a whole gamut of people who love the accordion,” Barnea said, adding that she likes to keep the news “eclectic,” covering festivals, concerts, competitions, events and accordion players young and old. “I try to include something for everybody.”
Accordion USA, founded in 1999 and covering the entirety of North America, is a monthly publication and has 1 million page views a year. With such a large territory to cover, Barnea said being the editor can be quite time consuming — but for her, it is a labor of love.
“I consider it an honor and a privilege for me to bring to this world all kinds of interesting things happening in the accordion world from all cultures,” she said.
When asked if being the editor of Accordion USA is a difficult job, Barnea said that, although it takes a lot of time, she feels she has “a big responsibility to the instruments, the musicians and the people.” She is always looking at different sources — accordion clubs, associations, websites and newsletters — to find cutting-edge information from the accordion world.
Her philosophy of how to write an article is to give as much information as she can.
“I always include some biographical information, like where the event takes place, the people it involves, etc.,” Barnea said. “I never get tired of it, writing about and promoting events.”
On the first of each month, just after midnight, after all of Barnea’s hard work, the magic happens. She just clicks a button, and Accordion USA instantly goes worldwide.
“Each month, I find that moment really exciting,” she said.
Finally, when asked how long Barnea wants to continue to be editor, she said, “Forever. I don’t have any plans to retire from being editor. I’m not looking for anything else.”
For more information, visit accordionusa.com or contact Barnea at [email protected].
Photos Courtesy of Rita Barnea
West Orange accordionist, originally from Irvington, lives out her passion added by Faye Hochberg on
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