This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for July 29, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.
I learned to do the Herr Schmidt as soon as I learned to walk! The Herr Schmidt was to polka fans in the 1940’s what the Chicken Dance is to many polka dance fans today.
I’m not sure that either it or the Chicken Dance are polkas, but they are popular folk dances Texas polka bands often play and many Texans enjoy dancing to. The Herr Schmidt was called a “side-close step” (whatever that means) and first became popular in the 1800’s when German immigrants brought it to Texas along with their other dance customs. It has always been popular with German Texans.
Although the Chicken Dance first became popular at Oktober Fests in Germany, it was actually written by a Swiss accordionist, Werner Thomas, in Davos, Switzerland in the 1950’s. He later made up some easy movements to go with the music, the movements being part of the charm of the song. It was originally called the Duck Dance, and later the Bird Dance, but Chicken Dance seemed to stick, as it became tremendously popular in Europe and the United States.
Some of these ethnic folk dances transcend their ethnicity and become universally popular, while others remain popular just among special ethnic groups. What is amazing to me is how Texas has spawned a huge number of polka bands, especially Czech and German, as well as Mexican. Some polka music historians believe Mexican polka music was influenced by the influx of German immigrants into Mexico in the 1800’s (the same time-span other Germans came to Texas).
As a fan of polka bands, I have been blessed to live most of my life in Texas towns and counties where such music is very popular. While New Braunfels and Fredericksburg have fostered a lot of German polka bands, East Bernard and Wharton have produced a number of Czech bands over the years. Dime Box and Giddings have always engendered a mix of Czech and German/Wendish polka lovers and performers. Polish polka music is popular in some parts of Texas. I personally love all polka music whether German, Czech, Mexican, Wendish or Polish! I’ve never heard a polka I didn’t like.
Nor have I heard a polka band I didn’t like, and there are many such bands in Texas, including these I am familiar with: The Dujka Brothers, East Bernard; Shiner Polka Band, Shiner; Das Ist Lustig, Katy; Red Ravens, El Campo; The Czechaholics, Hallettsville; Czech and Then Some, Ennis; Lazy Farmers’ Band, Bellville; The Pivo and Polka Band, San Antonio/New Braunfels; Polka Dots, Fredericksburg; and The Sauerkrauts, San Antonio. These are the ones I know about, and I learn of new ones quite often.
Sadly, one of the problems with musicians of any stripe is that they really have to love what they do, because the pay is not that great. The following post on Facebook by Polka Beat and Cover Band Central is apropos: “Musician: someone who loads $5,000 worth of gear into a $500 car to drive 100 miles to a $50 gig.” Throughout much of history that has always been true for talented people in the performing arts (actors, stand up comics, polka band, etc.) and the visual/literary arts (sculptors, painters, poets, novelists, etc.). As a poetry and prose writer I am thankful for a retirement income.
Historically, the performing, visual, and literary arts have especially suffered during bad times, such as our recent ordeal with the COVID pandemic. When regular venues like festivals, county fairs, ethnic celebrations, Christmas dances, rodeos, etc., are cancelled because of the pandemic, musicians, including polka band players are out of work. Add to that the discontinuing of local dances and family reunions, and you have a serious unemployment situation. I noticed that many polka bands live-streamed performances during peak COVID times, announcing that donations were accepted.
My heart goes out to anyone without a job, but especially to those in the performing or literary arts. The past year would have been a hungry one if I had had to buy groceries with the money I earned from writing poetry.
Now that public meetings and performances are allowed to take place again, I notice that my favorite polka bands are performing everywhere, from dances to festivals, to weddings, to concerts, etc. If you want to learn about new or old polka bands in Texas, buy a copy of Texas Polka News. I keep discovering new ones, and still haven’t discovered a polka band I don’t like.
-o-
Ray Spitzenberger, is a retired WCJC teacher, a retired LCMS pastor, and author of two books, Open Prairies and It Must Be the Noodles.