ameraccord.com

The American Accordionists' Association (AAA) lists three competition-related programs on ameraccord.com: the Carmen Carrozza Memorial Competition, the Elsie M. Bennett Composition Competition, and Coupe Mondiale Qualification. All three appear under the site's "Events" menu, alongside the annual AAA Festival and virtual workshops. The site does not publish entry fees, deadlines, or eligibility rules on the pages captured here, so anyone planning to enter should treat the Events section as a starting point and contact the AAA directly for current details.

The three competitions listed on the site

The distinction matters if you are deciding where you fit: the Carrozza and Coupe Mondiale items are performance-oriented, while the Bennett competition is for composers rather than players.

How these fit into the AAA's wider event calendar

The competitions are not standalone — they sit inside the AAA's annual activity cycle, which centers on the AAA Festival. The site's current headline event is the 2026 AAA 88th Festival, August 13–16 in Pennsylvania, with a separate page reporting on it as a success. Other recurring items in the same Events area include:

• AAA Festival
• An April 26th Concert
• AAA Virtual Workshops
• AAA Open Meetings

If your goal is to compete, the practical move is to check whether a given competition is run in connection with the Festival weekend or separately, since the site groups them together without stating which is which.

What the site does not tell you

The captured pages give competition names and locations in the navigation, but not:

• Entry requirements or age/level categories
• Deadlines or how to register
• Fees or prizes
• Whether Coupe Mondiale Qualification is open entry or by selection

Because pricing signals are absent from the site data, do not assume any of these are free or open to all. Confirm directly with the AAA before planning travel or preparing a submission.

Background worth knowing before you enter

The AAA is a long-running U.S. accordion organization with a documented history section covering past presidents, champions, articles, and commissioned music. That history is useful context: the Coupe Mondiale connection in particular reflects the AAA's role in international accordion competition, and past U.S. representatives have competed at Coupe Mondiale events in Europe. If you are aiming at the international level, the qualification route through the AAA is the relevant entry point to investigate.

Practical next steps

1. Go to the Events section of ameraccord.com and open each competition page individually.
2. Note which ones are tied to the 2026 Festival dates (August 13–16, Pennsylvania).
3. Use the Contact the AAA page to ask for the current rules, deadlines, and fees for the specific competition you want.
4. If you are a composer rather than a performer, start with the Elsie M. Bennett Composition Competition instead of the performance tracks.

The site is best treated as a directory of what exists, not as a rulebook — the entry conditions live with the organizers.

Ameraccord.com is the official website of the American Accordionists' Association (AAA), a U.S.-based organization for accordion players, teachers, students, and enthusiasts. The site is the association's hub for festival announcements, competitions, news, member resources, and historical archives. If you play or follow the accordion and want to know what the AAA is currently running, this is the primary place to check.

What the site covers

The navigation reflects the organization's main activities:

• Events – The AAA Festival, concerts, virtual workshops, open meetings, and the Carmen Carrozza Memorial Competition
• Competitions – Including Coupe Mondiale qualification and the Elsie M. Bennett Composition Competition
• News – Announcements such as festival reports and organizational updates
• Resources – Calendar, newsletters, YouTube videos, and interviews
• Membership – Information plus online and printable application forms
• History – Past presidents, champions, articles, music commissions, and memorials
• Store – Merchandise and membership-related purchases

Who it is for

The content serves several audiences at once:

• Performers and students looking for competitions, festivals, and qualification paths such as Coupe Mondiale
• Teachers and organizers interested in workshops, composition competitions, and youth programs
• Members who need forms, newsletters, and meeting information
• Researchers and historians browsing the AAA History section, past champions, and commissioned music
• General enthusiasts who want news and video/interview content

What you can actually do there

Depending on your goal, the site supports concrete actions:

A note on current details

The homepage highlights the 2026 AAA 88th Festival, August 13–16 in Pennsylvania, along with a festival report and a presidential message. Because event dates, competition rules, and membership terms can change, treat the site itself as the authoritative source and confirm specifics on the relevant page before acting. The site does not display pricing on the pages captured here, so check the Membership or Store sections directly for any costs or requirements.

You can join the American Accordionists' Association through the Membership section of ameraccord.com, which offers two application routes: an Online Membership Application and a Printable Membership Form (PDF). The online route is the faster option if you can complete a web form; the PDF route is the practical choice if you prefer to mail in your details or need a paper record. Both are listed on the site's Membership page, and the online application also appears in the site's Store section.

What the AAA Membership Page Provides

Based on the site's navigation and page content, the Membership area covers:

• Membership Information – the page describing what membership involves
• Online Membership Application – a web-based form
• Printable Membership Form (PDF) – a downloadable form for offline submission
• Contact the AAA – a separate channel if you have questions before applying

The site does not publish membership pricing, tier levels, or eligibility restrictions in the material available, so treat those as things to confirm directly with the AAA rather than assume.

Steps to Apply Online

1. Go to ameraccord.com.
2. Open the Membership menu item.
3. Select Online Membership Application.
4. Complete the form fields with your contact and membership details.
5. Submit the form and watch for a confirmation or follow-up from the AAA.

Expected result: your application enters the AAA's review process, and you should receive some form of acknowledgment. If nothing arrives, use the Contact the AAA page to follow up.

Steps to Apply by Mail

1. Go to ameraccord.com and open Membership.
2. Download the Printable Membership Form (PDF).
3. Fill it out and mail it to the address given on the form or the Membership page.
4. Keep a copy for your records.

Expected result: the AAA receives a paper application. Because mail timelines vary, allow extra time before expecting a response.

Why Someone Would Join

The AAA is a national accordion organization whose site lists activities including:

• The AAA Festival (the 2026 edition is the 88th Festival, August 13–16 in Pennsylvania)
• The Carmen Carrozza Memorial Competition
• Coupe Mondiale Qualification
• The Elsie M. Bennett Composition Competition
• AAA Virtual Workshops and AAA Open Meetings
• Resources such as a Calendar, Newsletters, YouTube Videos, and Interviews
• Youth Programs and Affiliations

Membership is aimed at people who want to take part in these events and access these resources. If your interest is specifically competing, check the competition pages for entry requirements, since those may differ from general membership.

Common Snags

• No published price on the pages reviewed. Don't assume membership is free; confirm dues with the AAA before submitting.
• Two forms, one purpose. The online and PDF applications are alternative routes, not sequential steps — you don't need both.
• Event vs. membership. Registering interest in the Festival or a competition is not the same as joining the association; use the Membership page for the latter.
• Contact first if unsure. The Contact the AAA page is the right place for questions about eligibility, dues, or which form fits your situation.

The American Accordionists' Association (AAA) website, ameraccordionists.org, maintains a dedicated history section that gathers past presidents, competition champions, commissioned music, and memorial content in one place. It is most useful if you are researching the organization's development, looking up a specific past officer or champion, or tracing the AAA's role in accordion competitions and festivals. The material is archival rather than comprehensive: it reflects what the AAA has chosen to publish, so treat it as a starting point rather than a complete record.

Main history and archival sections

The site's navigation lists several distinct resources under its history and news areas:

• AAA History — narrative articles on the organization's past.
• Past Presidents — profiles of former AAA presidents.
• Champions — records of competition winners.
• AAA Music Commissions — works the association commissioned.
• Lifetime Achievement Award — recognition of long-serving figures.
• Memorials — tributes to members who have died.
• Articles — a broader collection of historical writing.
• Past Events — records of earlier festivals and activities.
• Newsletters — back issues that document activities over time.
• Youtube Videos and Interviews — recorded material featuring performers and officials.

These sit alongside current-event pages such as the festival listing and competition pages, so the same site serves both current members and historical researchers.

What you can actually look up

The history pages support a few concrete research tasks:

1. Tracing leadership. The Past Presidents section lets you follow the sequence of AAA presidents. The site's own news content illustrates the kind of detail available — for example, a message from the current president notes that Mary Tokarski served as AAA president from 2015 to 2018, that she represented the United States at the Coupe Mondiale in Belgium (1971) and France (1973), and that she came from a family of accordionists including siblings Julie Kasprzyk Cardona and Walter Kasprzyk, who performed as the "K" Trio.
2. Checking competition outcomes. The Champions section records winners, which is useful if you want to see who has placed in AAA competitions over time.
3. Finding commissioned repertoire. AAA Music Commissions documents works written at the association's request — relevant if you are programming or studying accordion repertoire.
4. Reading organizational history. The AAA History articles and Articles section provide longer-form background.
5. Reviewing past events. Past Events and Newsletters give a chronological view of festivals and activities.

How to use it effectively

Start from the site's main navigation and open the history-related links rather than searching the whole site. Because the content is organized by category (people, competitions, music, events), the fastest route depends on your question:

One practical caution: the site mixes current announcements with archival material. Recent news items — such as the 2026 AAA 88th Festival scheduled for August 13–16 in Pennsylvania, or the note on Mary Tokarski's passing — appear alongside the history sections, so check dates when you are trying to establish a timeline.

Who this is for

These resources suit accordion historians, students researching competition lineages, members looking up past officers or honorees, and anyone writing about the AAA's institutional record. If you need primary documents, financial records, or a complete membership roster, the public history pages will not cover that; they are a curated overview rather than an archive of raw records.

The AAA Annual Festival is the flagship gathering of the American Accordionists' Association, and the next edition is the 2026 AAA 88th Festival, held August 13–16 in Pennsylvania. If you're a player, teacher, student, or fan looking for a multi-day event built around accordion performance and competition, this is the association's main annual occasion. The dates and state location come directly from the AAA website's festival listing; the specific host city and venue are not stated in the available page material, so confirm those on the site before booking travel.

What the festival is

The American Accordionists' Association (AAA) is a U.S. organization for accordion players and supporters. Its annual festival is the recurring centerpiece of its events calendar, combining concerts, competitions, and social gatherings over several days. The site's event section also lists related activities that run alongside or around the festival, including:

• AAA Festival — the main multi-day event
• April 26th Concert
• Carmen Carrozza Memorial Competition
• AAA Virtual Workshops
• Coupe Mondiale Qualification
• Elsie M. Bennett Composition Competition
• AAA Open Meetings

This tells you the festival is not a single concert but a cluster of activities, with competitive and educational components layered on top of performances.

2026 dates and location

The "88th" numbering reflects the association's long-running festival tradition, and the site also maintains a history section covering past presidents, champions, and articles for context on how the event has evolved.

What happens at the festival

Based on the event listings tied to the festival, attendees can expect:

• Performances — concerts featuring accordionists, including the April 26th Concert listed in the events menu
• Competitions — including the Carmen Carrozza Memorial Competition and Coupe Mondiale Qualification, the latter being a pathway to the international Coupe Mondiale competition
• Composition — the Elsie M. Bennett Composition Competition
• Workshops and meetings — virtual workshops and open meetings appear in the events structure
• Reports and recaps — the site publishes post-event write-ups, such as "Event Report: AAA 88th Festival 2026..What a Success!"

That last item is useful: if you want a sense of what the festival is actually like before attending, the published event reports describe the experience after the fact.

How to use the website to plan

1. Go to ameraccord.com and open the Events section.
2. Look for the AAA Festival entry to confirm the current dates and any venue updates.
3. Check the Calendar and Newsletters for scheduling details and registration timing.
4. Review Coupe Mondiale Qualification if you're a competitor aiming for the international level.
5. Check Membership Information — the site offers an online membership application and a printable PDF form, which is typically how you get access to member rates or participation details. Pricing is not stated in the available material, so don't assume membership or festival entry is free.

Common points to verify before committing

• Exact venue and city — the available material confirms Pennsylvania only, not the specific location.
• Registration deadlines and fees — not stated on the pages reviewed here.
• Competition eligibility — each competition (Carrozza Memorial, Coupe Mondiale Qualification, Bennett Composition) may have its own entry requirements; check the individual pages.
• Whether virtual options exist — AAA Virtual Workshops are listed separately, so don't assume the festival itself has a remote component.

Why it matters beyond the dates

The festival functions as the AAA's annual anchor: it's where competitions feed into international pathways like the Coupe Mondiale, where new compositions get recognized, and where the community gathers. The site pairs it with historical archives — past champions, past presidents, and history articles — so the festival sits within a documented lineage rather than standing alone. If your interest is competitive, compositional, or simply social, the August 13–16, 2026 window in Pennsylvania is the date to hold.