Naomi Harris, 12, right, plays her accordion while rehearsing with the group The Portatos Monday at Music City. Playing drums is Sam Tubbs, 12. The group will entertain at the upcoming accordion competition and Harris will compete. You can read about Naomi & her accordion here. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)

Patricia Bartell, a native Bolivian who grew up in Charlo, Mont., is the driving force behind the international accordion championships that will take place in Spokane this week: Forty-eight musicians – each deemed among the best in their countries – will converge on the city to compete for a world title. They’ll be judged by an international jury. That path here, Bartell said, started with her relationship with another Spokane musician, a pianist who taught her a new way to make and hear music. “It’s an interesting thread, how it came to be,” Bartell said. “People influence things and sometimes don’t even know it.” More here.

Question: Do you enjoy accordion music?