Trends, styles, music and thousands of other things that define our culture as Americans have a sort of come-and-go nature to them. Case in point – the Accordion. In the years after World War Two, it was the most popular instrument in the country.

In the late 1940’s and early 50’s they called Dick Contino the “Elvis” of the accordion. He was a real superstar. But then came electric guitars – and the Lawrence Welk Show. When rock and roll arrived, the old squeeze box, well, it just kind of fell on hard times. Suddenly the accordion became the butt of jokes, and seemed doomed.

But oh how things have changed – from Cajun, to country, Conjunto music of the border, and millennials just experimenting, they are all Saving Americana – saving a classic instrument full of many sounds. Yet, when you travel to Louisiana and Texas, you find people who never fell out of love with this musical tradition. Here, it’s especially alive and vibrant. As we continue to document the accordion, we share short segments of the Big Story program still in development. Here, we meet the people who make us dance, make us smile, and when needed, make us cry.  And in the process, they helped save whole cultures.