 | Faye Graves, a native Wichitan, attended school at Friends and Wichita State, concluding at Midwestern Theological Seminary. He has been active in media for many years with Channel 12, KIRL, KFDI, KOOO AM & FM (Omaha), KFRM & KICT 95, as an owner, manager, producer, director and announcer. He has served as President of the Haysville Board of Education. He has also served on several national boards of the Southern Baptist Convention. Faye currently serves as Executive Pastor and Director of Administration and Education at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1415 S. Topeka, Wichita. You may contact Faye by e-mail fmgraves@amenibc.org, or by phone at (316) 262-1452. |
Nostalgia
2009-05-01 11:45:00
Remember...
Question: What do you know about the accordion?
Answer: I wondered about this after watching the Lawrence Welk show one evening. And then, thinking about this month’s article, I was reminded of the name of a very famous music school here in Wichita that had many students who played the accordion. This school also was responsible for training others to play a variety of instruments. I am speaking of the June Frisby Academy.
I was a student there in the 40”s and 50’s. The June Frisby Academy actually started in the 300 block of North Broadway right next to the Carl Graham paint and wallpaper store. As I remember, the brick building was originally a mortuary, and the viewing rooms were turned into teaching studios for the accordion, electric guitars, piano, marimba, violin and other instruments. There were some amusing moments during the time they were in the old building . The kids knew it had been a “mortuary“ and they would all run out at closing time so they would not be last to get out of the building.
In the 40’s, June Frisby moved to another building. Strangely enough, it was located one block west of the old academy at 323 North Market Street. This is the building where she formed her famous accordion band. She also ordered and sold many instruments during her time in business. She was a very good mentor and friend of mine while I was a student there. She booked many programs featuring all of her varied kind of instruments. The accordion band alone numbered over 50. It was quite a task to carry the marimbas, steel guitars and accordions and set them up for programs. I remember carrying my accordion for three blocks from where the bus let me off at Douglas and Market. I was only 12 at the time and that was quite a task because your parents did not take you there in the car at that time. June or Miss Frisby, as we called her, let me emcee the shows to get experience announcing and later helped me get a job in radio.
Yes, the month of June cannot pass without me thinking back to June Frisby who is a “legend” in this city. She passed away many years ago, but so many of you have taken lessons at her school. I still have a Dallape accordion that doesn’t come out of the case much anymore. Famous accordionists of that time were Dick Contino, who was famous for the “bellow shake”, and was featured on the Horace Heidt Ameteur show on radio. Still seen on re-runs of the Lawrence Welk TV show is Myron Floren. These are monumental memories for me of a time gone by in Wichita. Have a great June!
