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IDEAS Co-Founders

GR8IDEAS.ORG is an "IDEA" whose time has come. This web site (as well as our sister Facebook page "GR8 IDEAS") are two places all digital accordionists can come to learn, share, and delight in their digital accordions and digital peripherals. There is no other place in the world where the focus is solely on your digital accordion and where everyone who is a member is like-minded and has similar ideals.  This is your home, a place where you can interact and feel comfortable to discuss anything about these instruments. Welcome!

Michael Soloway

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Joseph Natoli

Michael Soloway Bio

Michael was a renowned cosmetic dentist who practiced in Manhattan and taught his concepts all over the world. At the same time, he was enjoying the city, playing jazz and cabaret piano which was always his primary instrument. Not long ago, at the recommendation of a friend, he bought his first acoustic accordion. It was love at first breath. Having been a “keyboard” player he was drawn to the digital world and began exploring all those possibilities. Joe Natoli, originally, drew him deeply into programming the orchestrations that he was hearing, and now Michael works with the 4x, 7x and an 8x. Playing, performing and teaching in his own right, he opens the Queens World Film Festival annually, and through this has developed a passion for orchestrated film scores in his performances. 

Joseph Natoli Bio (IDEAS Director)

Playing the accordion since the age of 7, Joe eventually won the AAA National Virtuoso competition in 1972 at age 18 and later that year placed 1st runner up in the prestigious Coupe Mondiale world accordion competition in Caracas, Venezuela. More recently Joe won the first US Roland V-Accordion competition in 2008 and subsequently fell in love with digital instruments, embracing in his unique way the huge musical universe afforded the performer. Joe is also a prolific composer and arranger in all musical styles and genres and has an all-digital CD entitled  “Waltz for Ron” which include  a bevy of original compositions, orchestrations, and arrangements fully exploiting the possibilities of the digital accordion.  More recently Joe has release 2 new CDs entitled "Chameleon Vol 1 and Vol 2." Both CDs contain acoustic and digital compositions in all styles to accentuate the great diversity of Joe's compositional output.

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