Aaron Seeman is an American composer, pianist, and

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

player, who has distinguished himself by adapting punk rock,

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

show tunes A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context. Th ...

, and cartoon theme songs for the accordion, as Duckmandu. Duckmandu's repertoire also includes adaptations of

Klezmer Klezmer ( yi, קלעזמער or ) is an instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. The essential elements of the tradition include dance tunes, ritual melodies, and virtuosic improvisations played for l ...

, Classical

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

, and

Polka Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas. History Etymology The term ...

pieces, as well as conventional accordion repertoire - polkas and tangos - at bar mitzvahs, weddings and Oktoberfest celebrations. Duckmandu performance sets include such diverse material as the

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

, the Power Puff Girls theme song, and a musical rendition of the

Periodic Table of the Elements The periodic table, also known as the periodic table of the (chemical) elements, is a rows and columns arrangement of the chemical elements. It is widely used in chemistry, physics, and other sciences, and is generally seen as an icon of c ...

. '' Maximum Rock 'n Roll'', the premier punk magazine, pronounced him "warble for warble spot-on Jello" for his note-for-note renditions of the entire first

album, ''

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'' is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. It was first released on September 2, 1980, through Cherry Red Records in the United Kingdom, and I.R.S. Records in the United States. ...

''. He currently resides in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

Bands

Seeman was a founding member of the eclectic

Romanian Music Romania is a European country with a multicultural music environment which includes active ethnic music scenes. Traditional Romanian folk music remains popular, and some folk musicians have come to national (and even international) fame. Histo ...

-inspired folk group

Fishtank Ensemble Fishtank Ensemble is a world music group from Los Angeles, California, known for their unique, high-energy and virtuosic stage show that blends a wide range of styles including Balkan, Romanian, gypsy, French hot jazz, flamenco, Turkish, Greek, an ...

. Seeman is a founding member, arranger, and vocalist with San Francisco's Punk Rock Orchestra, which performs full scale orchestral versions of classic punk songs. He also plays accordion in the bands Shamalamacord,

Polkacide Polkacide was a band based in the San Francisco Bay Area that played "punk polka". Band history Polkacide was founded in 1985 by Ward Abronski, originally organized to play a one-time show for the 50th anniversary of the Deaf Club in San Fran ...

, and Red Hot Chachkas.

Discography

*''Shut the Duck up and Play your Accordion'' (2007) *''Fishtank Ensemble, Live at the Freight & Salvage'' (2007, DVD of live performance of Fishtank Ensemble) *'' Samurai Over Serbia'' (2007, with Fishtank Ensemble) *''Fresh Duck for Rotting Accordianists'' (2005) * Super Raoul (2005, with Estradasphere) *''Fishtank at the Fishtank'' (2004, with Fishtank Ensemble) *'' It's Understood'' (2000, with Estradasphere) *

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

'' (1999, with Mr. Bungle)

References

External links

* Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Avant-garde accordionists Place of birth missing (living people) Musicians from Oakland, California American male composers 21st-century American composers American accordionists American punk rock musicians 21st-century accordionists American male pianists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male musicians {{US-musician-stub