Polka Time

Absolutely fantastic, Fred! My wife and I both LOVED it. The world would be a happier place if it included more polka music.


Lee Eschen

Hi Lee,
Glad you both liked it! It's a little out of my genre, but I thought about doing it after I did the Dixieland tune. I was working on one of my own, but it didn't turn out too well. Clarinet Polka was actually an early clarinet lesson, so I decided on that. It was fun. Your right, polka music does make you feel good! Thanks!
Fred

Hi Fred,

Hey, I'm getting too old to have a piece of music grab me from the chair and dance me around the room. Good thing I wear headphones. I'm going to have to make a Fred play list so I don't have to keep switching back to hit the start button.

I think Polkas must have been pretty popular when I was 7-10 years old, or so, because my folks had quite a few on 78RPM records. I also remember that there was frequently a Polka on L. Welk. Later on, I heard them fairly often during my years on the Navajo Reservation. There it's called Chicken Scratch. Although it comes from the reservations down in the southern part of the state, it was popular (but not so much as Country and Western) up north, too.

The instruments used in Chicken Scratch are of the same kind you use, though the clarinet is usually an alto sax, the tuba a bass, and the banjo a guitar. I really like your ensemble. I love the German band sound of the tuba.

BTW, I also like Bluegrass. The first movement's coda of my symphony comes from a piece I have on a tape I copied from a tape of a scratchy old BG record. I think I first heard the piece, many years ago, at a square dance here in Appalachia.

Yeah, I like the clarinet. It's one of those I rented long enough to go through a beginning instruction book. In the case of the clarinet, I got into the intermediate book, and I nearly applied the rental to the purchase price, and would have if I hadn't already owned a flute.

Will be looking forward to your next one.

all best,
mgj

Hi Fred,

That's too funny. I can see you walking out of Ted's, with a big smile, clutching your clarinet for the weekend and a box of used reeds in your pocket, never suspecting that the instrument would become part of a Victor Borge type routine in the middle of a number.

I imagine that must have been worth the cover charge ;)

best,
mgj