Duckmandu

Duckmandu is the stage name of accordionist, composer and accordion teacher Aaron Seeman, based in Oakland, California.
Biography
When Aaron Seeman started piano lessons as a child, he probably couldn't
have guessed all the strange directions to which it would eventually lead.
As a high school student in the early 1980s, Seeman played keyboards in a
number of short-lived bands, mostly in the punk rock genre. At the same time,
he continued his study of classical piano.
Seeman received a B.A. in Piano (1990) and a Masters in Composition from the
University of California, Santa Cruz.
While a graduate student, he composed the opera
Opium: Diary of a Cure, with libretto by UCSC faculty member
Tim Fitzmaurice, which premiered in 1998 at the UCSC Recital Hall
with Seeman conducting.
After receiving his BA in piano, he switched to accordion around 1999, using
the instrument for both traditional and non-traditional music. According
to a magazine interview, the mother of an old girlfriend gave him his first
accordion, "and until their breakup the instrument spent a great deal of
time in its case under the bed".
"Duckmandu" originated in 2001 as a trio: accordion (Seeman), banjo and
upright bass. In 2002 it evolved into an accordion and bass duo, first with
French bass player Alex de Soria then (in 2003) with Danny Simon on bass.
Two short demos were recorded.
Since 2003, as the solo act Duckmandu, Seeman has recorded three CDs using
accordion and voice to create renditions of punk rock. Also he has recorded
a solo CD of more traditional material, including klezmer and Balkan music.
.
In 2003, Seeman toured the West coast with Seattle accordionist Jason Webley and SF Bay Area accordionist Daniel Ari as Monsters of Accordion
In 2004, Seeman was a founding member of the Balkan/Gypsy-style music group
Fishtank Ensemble, and toured each Fall with them until 2008 when the
group relocated to the Los Angeles area.
In 2008 he co-founded the group Shamalamacord with shamisen player
Mike Penny, also formerly of Fishtank Ensemble.
Groups
<ul>
<li>Punk Rock Orchestra -- music conductor, arranger, vocalist and founding
member.
<li>Monsters of Accordion -- accordionist and founding member (2004-2008)
<li>Fishtank Ensemble -- accordionist and founding member (2004-2008)
<li>Shamalamacord -- accordionist and founding member (2008)
</ul>
Compositions
<ul>
<li>
Aaron Seeman (music) and Tim Fitzmaurice (libretto).
Opium: Diary of a Cure (opera, 1998). Historical fiction based on an
incident in the life of Jean Cocteau. Premiered February 28, 1998 at the
UCSC Music Recital Hall.
</ul>
Discography
<ul>
<li>
Fresh Duck for Rotting Accordionists (2005) is a solo accordion
version of the first Dead Kennedys album, Fresh Fruit for
Rotting Vegetables (1980).
<li>
Shut the Duck Up and Play Your Accordion! (2007)
<li>
Quack Rock: Five Duckades of Accordion Mega-Hits (scheduled for release
in late 2009)
</ul>
Collaborations
<ul>
<li>
Mr. Bungle piano on "Pink Cigarette" (California, 1999).
<li>
Estradasphere accordion on "The Dapper Bandits" (```Buck Fever, 2001).
<li>
Estradasphere accordion on "Smuggled Mutation" (```Palace of Mirrors, 2006).
</ul>

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