It’s Polka Time!
You know what time it is: It’s Polka Time!
This is how a COVID-era hobby turned into a message of post-pandemic hope.
I’ve always loved records. My vinyl collection started in college. I had friends who were DJs – digital and analogue – but I never thought I would do this myself. It always seemed too technical, too expensive, and out of reach.
After volunteering for WORT-FM for many years as a co-host on Thursday’s Local News, I had a curiosity about how to engineer a radio program. I made it my 2020 New Year’s resolution to get trained to push the buttons and make radio happen, especially to prepare to be a substitute host for a reggae music show. I took a few lessons, but 2020 had other plans for all of us and the station closed to in-person volunteers.
The desire to share music with others remained. I bought a tiny digital mixer called a Numark DJ2Go2. I ripped all of my old rocksteady and ska CDs and learned how to use Serato software. It was fun, but something was missing. I missed a deeper, more organic engagement with the music. After some more research, I found some turntables for sale in Champaign-Urbana, took a day trip, and brought them home.
Playing records on turntables is a completely different experience than playing a record through on my Crosley. You have to be present with the music. You have to touch the records, work with the tone arms and needles to make the music play, and pay attention to timing and flow. I watched tutorials online, became a regular at Strictly Discs, and followed inspiring vinyl DJs on Twitch. Twitch, in particular, has been inspiring. Lots of people my age are going online and sharing music. You don’t need special skills. You just need a clear sense of musical taste and a desire to share music with others.
Soon I started devouring records. I loved playing everything. Especially polka. Sunday mornings were for polka. I love how polka is such a part of Wisconsin culture. I loved it when I’d go camping in the northwoods and would scour the radio dial early on a Saturday or Sunday morning to find polka shows. I’ve been to Polkafests, Oktoberfests, and even crashed a meeting of the Concertina Hall of Fame once. I wish there was a polka show on the radio in Dane County, but between my growing record collection and music on WXPR-FM and WRJQ online, I can get my polka fix.
When I saw a tweet by Shelley K. Mesch from the Wisconsin State Journal calling for examples of odd COVID hobbies, I slid into her DMs and said my hobby is learning how to be a polka DJ. She loved the idea and interviewed me. Read her story about quirky COVID-era hobbies online.
Madison Magazine took the COVID-era hobby topic and dedicated their April issue to how we are learning new skills and teaching others during the pandemic. The magazine editors invited me to write the opener to the issue and talk about what learning DJ skills meant to me. I also interviewed James Edward Mills about his book discussion series about the relationship people of color (primarily those who are Black) to the outdoors, leaders of Fourward who formed a new professional mentoring group for young (mostly) women of color, and Madison-based knitting guru Susan B. Anderson.
The magazine issue continues to spark new opportunities – including an interview on WPR’s Central Time – to talk about why polka is happy music that inspires us to dance and have good times. You can read the writeup from WPR online. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also included me in an article about COVID-era hobbies.
Until we gather together again, keep the hoooie in your heart and the oompah in your step!