Gene Anarde was classically trained starting at the age of five on the accordion. He told me the story of how his father bought his older brother a guitar at five, and when Gene turned five his father Louie stated "Someone in this family will learn the accordion, and it will be you!" Accordion players was a long standing History in their family.

Gene always played for his immigrant Grandmother, Melaina Benetto Ainardi who always cried when he played. It was as though she longed for her homeland where the music was heard often, and she was reminded of her loneliness of the things she knew.

Gene was trained by the Seattle area famous Alfred Fabre, who was trained by  Pete Delaurenti.

www.rentonhistory.org/pdfs/Newsletters/RHM_November2003.PDF Page 6

In Genes mid 30s he completely gave up playing accordion and sold the one he had, had since his childhood. In the past year, his mid-fifties, he was gifted a new accordion and has since then taken off with playing and will be bringing it to a family reunion in June to reclaim his title the gifted and classically trained accordionist Gene. No longer will it be a Dying Art..