Meet a man keeping accordion tradition alive through repair and performance

MONTPELIER, Vt. (Aging Untold) — Nathan Longo plays an Italian accordion from the early 1960s, an instrument he said he plays most often. Longo said performing in front of people gives him stage fright. Small workshop, growing demand Longo repairs accordions in a small workshop. He said he is better at fixing the instruments than playing them. He is one of a handful of people who repair accordions in New England. “I’m a lot busier than I ever thought I would be,” Longo said. What began as something to do in retirement has turned into a 30-hour-a-week job. “There really are more people that are interested in accordion than I ever thought,” Longo said. Growing up with dyslexia Longo grew up in Orange County and said he liked to tinker with things. “It bothers me when something doesn’t work right,” Longo said. He said he struggled in school as a child and teachers thought he was slow. “I mean, it took forever for them to teach me how to write my name,” Longo said. Longo said nobody knew a