I started lessons on accordion, my first instrument, at the age of 9. I was very fortunate to have Mr. Stanley Kalvaitis as my teacher, whose tutelage brought me numberous trophies at student festivals such as the Western States Accordion Festival. Mr. Kalvaitis, a refugee from Lithuania, was more famous for being Eddie Van Halen’s first teacher in classical piano.
I attended UCLA and received an M.A. in Music in 1976. With that, I worked as an instructor at some local junior colleges, directed church choirs, taught lessons, and performed as a professional musician, usually on instruments other than the accordion. With budget cuts and other maladies, that lifestyle was not sustainable. So, for the last forty years, I have worked full-time in various computer-orientated jobs.
My return to playing accordion came with becoming the replacement accordionist for the Ollin band and alternatively the South Coast Simcha band, both amateur groups.
I retire from my computer job at the end of the year. To regain lost time, I hope to fill my retirement years with music.
-Andy Pesich
