Carol,

I spent about five years in a band with two accordionists--no one dared to make fun, because we were loud and there were a lot of us--

Funnyily enough, accordion is much more cool than it used to be--I think the bad reputation came about simply because in the sixties in America, it got associated with the old fashioned, "square" kinds of music(which, in the sixties, included everything but what was popular right that minute)--from the mid 40's on, the accordion, especially the electrified version, became a standard accompaniment for popular singers because plugged in, and accompanied by a drummer, and with maybe a sax or guitar, it was possible for a good player to approximate the fullness of a recorded arrangements--and still travel light--

If you've every seen footage of say, The Andrews Sisters, in WWII USO shows, you'll know what I mean--

Anyway, the Fellini movie music was mostly written by Nino Rota--there are a number of soundtrack CD's available, and also several different CD's that I have seen which are collections of the most famous title songs from Fellini movies--You really should see a few of his films--"La Strada" about a circus strongman and his relationship with a young girl( a Chapliesque mime) who is traded to him-- is one of the greatest movies of all time--Also, you should see "The Clowns" which is a documentary about, well, clowns--

Another movie with the kind of music you want (though not a Fellini movie) is Marcel Carne's :Children of Paradise", coincidentally, it is also about a mime, this one a man, who goes from preforming in the streets of 1840's Paris to peforming in the theatre and has a tragic romance, also, coincidentally, this is another of the greatest films of all time. The soundtrack is also available--anyway, you can't lose here, great music and great movies about great characters who are misunderstood (just like us!) let them laugh at your music--you are the one who gets to experience great art!