THE DANISH ACCORDION BOY
Bent Giesmann Lindhardt

Bent Giesmann Lindhardt was only 8 years old when he received a little accordion with four Basses for his birthday.

It was just supposed to be a little toy for a little kid.

Nevertheless, his parents were astonished when their son started to play children songs on that little accordion; so, when he was 10 years old they gave him a bigger one with 12 basses and again when he was 12 years old he got an adult accordion with 80 Basses.

His parents then decided to send him to a well-known music teacher to “learn to play by notes”.

Nevertheless, Bent was not interested in learning the notes and did not want to practice, so Instead he asked the teacher if he could just play a song for him.  The teacher hesitated but gave in and played a couple of songs and Bent just had to listen to a song a couple of times, then he would play a song right back. To the teacher.

As you can imagine.  The teacher gave up.  The boy was TOO MUSICALLY TALENTED to teach.

(Later in life Bent regretted not learning about notes and timing etc.)

By the time Bent was 14 years old he started to compose music.

The first piece of music he composed was called “Springtime Blues”.

Bent performed with his buddies, because by now him and a couple of other guys had created a little group that was “jamming” on a regular basis.

At the age of 15 Bent became a “sailor” and of course the accordion followed him everywhere.

He sailed for 15 years and was the regular entertainer not only on the boat when they were sailing, but when they landed in f.ex. Greenland he played for dances, which in Greenland is called “Dansemik”.

He made a lot of people very happy  with his music for many years.

Later he also produced shows for his church socials.

Bent married Birthe Marie at a young age, and he kept writing songs and composed music and since he preferred playing the accordion over doing dishes, Birthe asked him to “just sit there and play the accordion, while she worked in the kitchen.

At times, Bent, Birthe performed together at church and social events and when as their 12 children grew up, they added them to their performances.

Bent got busy with life and ended up with hearing problem so he put away his accordion for several years, but when he married in 2011 Vibeke -  who encouraged him to not only take up his accordion playing again (in spite of his hearing problem), but to record some of his over 60 songs that he had composed and written the lyrics to over the years – he picked up his accordion again.

Vibeke, who had a musical background, having a mother who always was singing and who cut a record and was bringing music in to the home in all her childhood.

Vibeke later in her life learnied to  play the piano (by notes)  – sang in church choir for 20 years and several years in an “Acapella” choir.  She also  owned a music store in BC, Canada for 20 years.

So Bent and Vibeke started a musical journey together and inspired by Bent, Vibeke also started to write and compose songs and the first song Bent and Vibeke wrote together was “It Is Never Too Late”, reflecting their – “late-in life” marriage 24 June 2011.

It became the first of many songs recorded by Bent, his five children in Utah and Vibeke at John Houston’s music studio in Hurricane.

With the help of Bent’s five children in Utah the first CD produced in 2012  was “It is never too late”.

Bent added text and  changed the name of the first piece of music he composed at the age of 14 from  “Springtime Blues” to “Old Fashioned Blues. (Also on the green CD)

John Houston, Bent and Vibeke Lindhardt

Bent in John Houston’s studio in Hurricane, Utah 2012

 Second CD THOUGHTS was cut in 2013

Nevertheless, in 2013 Bent’s hearing problem got worse and he decided to put away his accordion again “for good”, but this year 2017 – with the help and encouragement of his hearing specialist Jeff Manwaring,  he got some new hearing aids that made it possible for Bent to play his beloved accordion again.

Bent is shocked and delighted and as he says”: “When you play-by ears, you are depending on your hearing, so it would have been good if I had learned to play by notes”.

Vibeke Lindhardt

29 May 2017

Toquerville, Utah.