Bohemian Princess Diary

Thu, 10/24/2019 - 4:00am
Theresa Cernoch Parker

I've been on a mission to develop a gratitude attitude. Not just in November for Thanksgiving, but all the time. I feel at peace when I thank God for my blessings. Along those lines, here's my list of Texas music blessings in no particular order.

Polka bands - we have so many great bands playing happy music, Texas-style.

Up-and-comers - young musicians are stepping up. Country artists like Nathan Colt Young and polka artists like Garrett Neubauer and Chris Trojacek are keeping the traditions alive. You can read about Nathan, Garrett, and Chris in this issue.

Church picnics - the perfect places for family and friends to gather, pray, dance, eat, laugh.

Dance clubs - like-minded people celebrating Texas music - polka, country, swing, Cajun. Congratulations to the Swiss Alp Dance Club on its 85th anniversary. (See the story, p. 24.) We did get some sad news that the Houston Cajun dance club will hold its last dance on Nov. 23. That's not a blessing, but what is a blessing is that the club celebrated Cajun music and culture for more than 30 years.

Preservation - polka museums in La Grange and Schulenburg working to tell the Texas polka story for generations to come; Texas Czech Heritage & Cultural Center honoring bands of the past (see story, p. 16); Texas Dance Hall Preservation working to save our historic dance halls; Texas Folk Life working to keep Texas music traditions going. Read more about the upcoming Festival of Texas Fiddling on p. X.

Live music venues - Moravia Store, Mullins Prairie Store, Cistern Country Store, Pavlas Tavern, Krause's Cafe - just to name a few.

Festivals - Texas rocks when it comes to putting on festivals that celebrate music and heritage. One of the biggest is coming up this month - Wurstfest. Read more on p. 8. The Tomball German Christmas Market has also become a fave. Read more on p. 18.

Radio stations - DJs and IJs (internet jockeys) keep happy music on the air. Check out the radio show ads on p. 13 and give a listen.

Fans - Our Texas bands will tell you their followers are the best. Out-of-state bands like Barefoot Becky, SqueezeBox, and Alex Meixner also attest to the loyal Texas fan base.

In the words of Willie Nelson, "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."

Until next month, Polka On! with a gratitude attitude.