For the last 50 years, two words have been found on the side of accordions across Acadiana: Mouton Brand.
“I’m flattered because when people come to us they know they want a Mouton accordion,” says Greg Mouton of Mouton’s Music Store.
Carrying on a family tradition, Greg can be found putting together his accordions in a little shop outside of Crowley, which he runs with his wife.
“I started hanging out with my uncle shine and working with him,” says Greg.
Greg’s Uncle Shine had been building accordions since the 60s, eventually teaching Greg the trade.
“The first thing I did was make plates,” he says. “Not very complicated, and I think he marked them for me and said, ‘I’ll let you drill the holes.’ ”
Slowly learning to build the entire instrument, Greg took over the business after Uncle Shine’s passing.
“He had always asked me, ‘I’d like you to keep going on with the accordion label,’ ” says Greg. “And so I was honored that he asked me that.”
Honoring his uncle’s request, you can still order a Mouton Accordion and have it designed exactly the way you want it.
“We do all our own custom leather work,” says Mouton. “We build most of the parts here except for the reeds and bellows.”
If accordions aren’t your thing, there’s still plenty to like about Mouton’s Music Store. From repairs to guitars to even learning to play for yourself.
But the heart of the store remains the accordion. Each instrument a small legacy to Greg and, of course, his Uncle Shine
