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Montreuil, France

Laurent Jarry

La boîte d’accordéon
Instrument maker

The accordina creator

  • Laurent fixes and restores accordions
  • He also sells second hand pieces in his shop
  • He was the first to bring back accordinas in 1995

Laurent Jarry is adamant that you don’t need to be an accordionist to be passionate about the instrument. After playing it for some time in his youth, he knew that his love of accordions was not about playing, but rather the object itself. He opened his workshop to pursue his passion of the various aspects of the instrument: repairing, restoring, and selling second hand pieces to give them a new life. His signature creation is the accordina; a small accordion keyboard, the bellows of which have been replaced by the blow of the player. Invented by André Borel in the 1950s, Jarry was the first to bring them back in the 90s and has since designed three models that confirmed him as a specialist of the instrument.


Interview

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©Laurent Jarry
What brought you to the world of accordions?
Right from the start, what interested me was the instrument, to know where it comes from and where it will go. I've gone through all the imaginable patents, it’s my way of approaching the topic. You must know about the history of what you are restoring.
Was it the object itself you were drawn to?
I wonder how I fell into it, but today I still have the same curiosity even though I've seen thousands of instruments, it’s such a vast field. I have the same interest in restoring something I have seen dozens of times as I have in one I have never seen.
When did you start making accordinas?
They fascinate me because it borrows from accordions, but also from wind instruments. I made two prototypes that I gave to musician friends who asked me where they could buy them; I thought that if there were people interested, I had to make them.
What drives you in your profession?
It’s always the same, but also it never is. I’m not bored, because I am giving life to an instrument, and that’s what matters to me. It’s a different story for the accordina because I was the first to recreate one, it’s a little bit like my baby.
Laurent Jarry is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1987

Where


Laurent Jarry

Address: 8 Rue du Sergent Bobillot, 93100, Montreuil, France
Hours: Monday 14:00-18:00; Tuesday to Friday 09:30-12:30 / 14:00-18:00
Phone: +33 148586397
Languages: French, English
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