Now Here's A Truly Innovative Definition Of The Concertina !

[Richard in Los Angeles]

I swear this actually happened last month:

 

I told a friend at work (who plays drums in a band) that I was playing the concertina.

 

At first, he had trouble recalling what instrument a concertina is. So I described the bellows, small handheld nature of it (as compared to the accordion), and the usually eight-sized ends and bellows.

 

So then he says, "Oh. Yeah! That's the instrument THE MONKEY PLAYS !"

 

(By this he is referring to the archetypal organ-grinder with pet monkey, who is playing mini-concertina.)

 

Now, whenever I need to lighten-up a bit, I just remember that I play the instrument THE MONKEY PLAYS!

 

 

 

 

CONCERTINA... NOW YOU TOO CAN LEARN TO PLAY THE INSTRUMENT THE MONKEY PLAYS!

[JimLucas]

So then he says, "Oh. Yeah! That's the instrument THE MONKEY PLAYS !"

I don't think I've ever seen a monkey playing an Æola, not even in a picture. I think this is a case of parallel evolution. As monkeys evolved into men, concertinas also evolved, though in the case of concertinas the evolution produced a superior species.

[Theodore Kloba]

That's the instrument THE MONKEY PLAYS !"

Google only turned up this monkey:

and Brass Monkey:

I thought monkeys only played the cymbals:

[Stephen Chambers]

Google only turned up this monkey:

That Janet Kruskamp image of a concertina-playing monkey often turns up on eBay, though Richard in LosAngeles should tell his friend that monkeys are better known for playing drums, like in this companion to the concertina print:

 

 

But I have seen 19th century automata of monkeys playing concertinas ... so it must be true!