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Who am I?

I'm a 24-year-old engineer, musician, and astronomer, and Ultimate Frisbee player. For my day job, I sold my soul to Columbia graduate school for mechanical engineering. Classes, teaching assistantships, and research will surely consume me.

I recently returned from a 10-week stint working with mules, boats, and visitors at the C&O Canal National Historical Park. See my canal page for more information about playing accordion and riding mules in 19th-century clothing.

I am also something of a musician. In addition to the accordion, I play the piano, pipe organ, clarinet, baritone saxophone, and ocarina, and I am working on the harmonica, Theremin, and fire organ. I have played sax with the St Johnsbury Big Band, organ at St Steven's and St John's Churches, and piano/clarinet for several musicals at Union College.

My Accordion Spiel —

The fact that you're at this site means you have at least a little sympathy for one of the world's most under-appreciated instruments. The accordion is a forgotten instrument largely because of its association Bavarian lederhosen and Lawrence Welk variety shows. Some famous people have learned the accordion: both Richard Nixon and Ross Perot played, but this probably didn't help the instrument's cause. And when Jed Babbin, former deputy undersecretary of defense says that "going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion," it makes one wonder if the squeezebox has any hope. While I can play polkas and other music you might have listend to fifty years ago in the midwest, I mainly perform pieces like the theme from Tetris and songs about nuclear armegeddon to show the accordion in a new light.

Where you can find me...

You can find me some Tuesday nights at the open mic at Carlito's on 107th and Lexington, and some Sundays at the Vox Pop open mic at 7:00.

• 21-Sept, 9:00- a gig at the Vox Pop cafe and bar.

Repertoire and Recordings

...and numerous polkas, waltzes, and Irish gigues. Also, check out a slideshow for Io. You need to download the Io mp3 to the same directory for it to work.

My Other Websites

Trebuchets — siege engines ranging in size from LEGO grape throwers to giant wooden stone throwers with hundreds of pounds of counterweight. Learn about their history and how to terrorize your neighbors. Fire organ — a thermoacoustic instrument I designed and built that converts heat into sound. Propane burners and liquid nitrogen channels create a temperature gradient that generates the oscillations in the air we hear as sound. Electric City Plastic — Union College's Ultimate Frisbee team. See pictures from tournaments, learn about the players, and read strategizing tips. Pictures from my term abroad in Prague, my terms not abroad at Union College and the aerodynamics of a General Lee Charger. Cook-off — weekly cooking competitions with meals based on featured ingredients. See how pineapple, hazelnuts, and more have been made into delectable dishes.

Photos

At the River Street Beat Shop, 2006	At an Ultimate Frisbee tournament, 2004	Aboard whaling ship, 19th century

Contact

Drop me a line on my mobile at 518-641-2027 or send a message to nathanstodola.online@gmail.com. Also, check out myspace page or search for me on Facebook. Thanks to Amy for drawing me the picture below.