ACCORDION PLAYER SAYS HE'S TRANSITIONING TO A CONCERTINA PLAYER

A local accordion player has ended months of speculation by announcing that he identified with concertinas and was making the transition from accordionist to concertina player.

In an exclusive interview with The Drone, John Smith said he wished to be referred to as a 'concertinist', bringing to an end months of rumours and debate within local sessions as to how the man identified himself.

Welling with tears, Smith told The Drone that he has been living a lie all his life and that he finally feels that he is being true to himself: "My brain is much more concertina than accordion."

"Are you a concertina player?" The Drone asked.

"Yes".

"For all intents and purposed, I am a concertina player. People in the sessions look at me differently. They see this macho accordion player but this concertina side is part of me, it's who I am."

He says that he has been undergoing hornpipe therapy for over a year now and is slowly changing his repertoire of tunes to reflect his concertina side but has not made up his mind about ornamental reassignment surgery.

Smith said telling his family that he was a transinstrumentalist was the hardest part and it was only when he was caught playing one along with a Noel Hill CD that he had to reveal himself: "It was difficult for them at first but they've been very supportive. My whole life I've yeared to play concertina I had to play accordion to maintain the charade."

"Sometimes when there was no-one else home I'de play some concertina tune on the accordion just to satisfy myself."

Other transinstrumentalists have come out in support of John but other musicians have been less accommodating:

"What a bloody drama queen. Or king, we're not sure."