Ivy's Music: The enthusiasm and smiles of a five-year-old accordionist.

The following article is featured in the Summer 2016 Issue of Accordion Life Today. To learn more about the magazine and to subscribe, click here.

I first met little Ivy Eyer in December of 2015, when she was just four-years-old. Her enthusiasm for everything, especially music, is absolutely endearing. I have rarely seen her without a huge smile. Last month she asked if I had heard her play Ode To Joy in her lesson with Yev Nosov that morning. I said no, but that I bet she did a good job. She tucked her head, smiled, and said, “Yes, I do.” It was the cutest thing. We asked her dad, Carey Eyer, to interview Ivy for this issue. Enjoy!

Click the play button below to listen to the interview!

Alright, Ivy, how old are you? Five.

Why did you start playing the accordion? Umm … because I thought it was a cool instrument.

What do you like about taking lessons with your dad? That it’s fun.

What’s the rule about music at our house? Don’t do it when people are sleeping. You can always play, but not when people are sleeping.

Can you tell me what songs you’re playing? Ode to Joy and Chester, and the Blues, and Istanbul and Bathtub Gin.

What’s your favorite? My favorite is Ode To Joy.

Does everybody in your family play an instrument? No.

Who plays what? I play accordion, Nelia plays violin, Daddy plays accordion, and Mommy plays … nothing. (Mommy may be taking up bass ukalele soon!)

Does Daddy play anything else? And Daddy plays ukelele.

Does Nelia play anything else? Nelia plays drums and ukelele, and Nelia plays piano.

Do you play with them? Do you play with Nelia and Daddy? Yes.

Do you like those songs? Yes.

Have you ever played in a competition or a festival? No. Not yet.

Are you going to do it this year? Yes.

Are you excited? YES!

Have you ever performed for anything? Maybe … yeah! I have.

When? Remember Fat Moose?

Yes. Remember when we played our Christmas songs for the senior center? And Street Music Week. (In Spokane, WA, USA)

Yeah, we played three years at Street Music Week. You sang there, didn’t you? Yeah.

What songs did you sing? Sidewalks of New York, Twinkle Twinkle, Pirate Girls and last one I can think was Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Yeah, those are some good songs. Who’s your accordion teacher? Yev. (Yev Nosov of Able To Play Music & AccordionLife.com)

And what does he teach you? Music.

Yeah, like what? Accordion.

Does he tell you how to do your bellows? Yes!

What does he tell you? Big bellows.

What’s Yev like? He’s funny and he’s awesome!

Is he a good accordion player? Yes.

How good? Really good!

Does he have a band? Yeah.

What do you think about his band? It’s infinity awesome!

Is he a good teacher? Yes.

What does he do for you? He teaches me cool stuff.