Marc Savoy
Cajun accordion maker and musician whose Acadian instruments and music centre sustain a regional tradition.
- Years
- 1940–
- Place of work
- Eunice, United States
- Field
- Accordion making, tuning, performance
Marc Savoy is a Cajun accordion maker, tuner and player based in Eunice, Louisiana. He built his first instrument in 1960 and learned to repair and tune reeds while developing his craft. In 1966 he opened Savoy Music Center, which sells his Acadian accordions and gives local musicians a place to gather.
Savoy tunes the multiple reeds by ear, shaping the sound of instruments used in Cajun music. Weekend jam sessions at the centre help pass songs and playing styles between generations. The U.S. National Endowment for the Arts named him a National Heritage Fellow in 1992. His contribution joins instrument making to the living musical culture that gives those instruments their voice.
Selected work and documents
- Acadian accordions1960–
Hand-built Cajun instruments with reeds tuned by ear.
Type / dateInstrument making · from 1960
Document source - Savoy Music Center1966
A music store and meeting place for Cajun musicians in Eunice.
Type / dateMusic centre · 1966
Document source
Biography source Savoy Music Center biography Acadian accordion making