Naomi Harris, 12, right, plays her accordion while rehearsing with the group The Portatos earlier this week at Music City. Playing drums is Sam Tubbs, 12. The group will entertain at the upcoming accordion competition and Harris will compete.

At 7, Naomi Harris picked up the guitar. She put it down after three weeks. “I didn’t practice at all,” she said. “I quickly ended that.”

Two years later, 9-year-old Naomi’s father picked up the accordion, enrolling in lessons through the Parks and Recreation Department. Naomi thought his instrument was cool – it had so many keys to poke at. She wanted to play, too. Remembering the guitar, her dad said no, but Naomi persisted.

She made a PowerPoint presentation, mapping out practice times. She included a note at the bottom: Naomi would carry her own accordion. Her father relented, figuring she’d last a few lessons.

Next week, Naomi, a 12-year-old seventh-grader at Sacajawea Middle School, will be the youngest person ever to compete in Trophée Mondial, a prestigious international accordion competition that moves from country to country. Adrian Rogers, SR

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