Music Day in Mission
Actually, every day is music day in Mission! If one wished, he could attend multiple jam sessions each day down here.
For Pat and me, our “music day” is Friday. That is the day that our park, Hidden Valley Ranch, host a jam at 7 PM. There are usually between 30 and 40 musicians who attend! Most play an instrument, some only sing, and of course some do both.
Some do it well. Others —well, not so much. But at least they try, and sometimes do much better a week or two later.
Polka Jam
I grew up listening to polkas broadcast on KNUJ in New Ulm. I love polkas! Or maybe it’s just the tuba in the band which I love.
Each Friday, a neighboring park hosts a polka jam at 1 PM. (We choose that one, rather than the one at the Peppermint Palace at 8:30 AM on Wednesdays!) It offers all the good old polkas and waltzes, played by 10 to 12 squeeze boxes, 3 or 4 trumpets, a drummer, a clarinet or sax, a valve trombone, and a tuba or two.
The main tubist is really good! I was hoping Gary Thomas would make it this far south to get his opinion. But he diverted and went to Arizona instead. I still remember Gary and his tuba grabbing the solo during “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad” during a summer band concert in Lime Springs!
Most of the musicians are from MN or WI. Laverne and his concertina are there from Owatonna. The MC is from Bemidji. I met a trumpet player who is from Clarksville, IA, and also graduated from ISU.
Many toes are a-tappin’ and many couples take advantage of the music and dance. Decades of dancing has made some of them pretty smooth dancers.
Yes, Pat and I have danced a dance or two! But not many more.
All have a good time. And so do we! We look forward to music day each Friday!