Aaron Seeman is an American composer, pianist, and

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"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 (mou ...

player, who has distinguished himself by adapting

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

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 ( 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 listening; these wou ...

, Classical

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

, and

Polka Polka is a dance style and genre of dance music in originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though generally associated with Czech and Central European culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the ...

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 bands during its initial eight-year run. Initially consisting of lead guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Fl ...

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, the

Power Puff Girls ''The Powerpuff Girls'' is an American Superhero fiction, superhero animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera (later Cartoon Network Studios) for Cartoon Network. The show centers on Blossom ...

theme song, and a musical rendition of the

Periodic Table of the Elements The periodic table, also known as the periodic table of the elements, is an ordered arrangement of the chemical elements into rows (" periods") and columns (" groups"). It is an icon of chemistry and is widely used in physics and other sc ...

. ''

Maximum Rock 'n Roll ''Maximumrocknroll'', often written as ''Maximum Rocknroll'' and usually abbreviated as ''MRR'', is a not-for-profit monthly online zine of punk subculture and radio show of punk music. Based in San Francisco, ''MRR'' focuses on punk rock and ...

'', 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. I ...

''. He currently resides in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

Bands

Seeman was a founding member of the eclectic

Romanian Music Romania has 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. History Folk music is the ...

-inspired folk group

Fishtank Ensemble Fishtank Ensemble was a gypsy rock 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, Gr ...

. 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, 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 that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

'' (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 punk rock musicians 21st-century American accordionists American male pianists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male musicians {{US-musician-stub