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[playing "Lappland Polka"]
[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
[playing "Tick Tock Polka"]
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[playing "Smile Sweetheart Smile"]
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(woman) This program is funded by
the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund
with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota
on November 4th, 2008,
and by the members of Prairie Public.
[playing in bright polka rhythm with recorded bass and drums]
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[accordion solo; playing with recorded bass & drums]
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[saxophones take the lead]
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Hi, we are the Cathy Erickson Band
from Middle River, Minnesota,
my name is Cathy Erickson.
Other members of the group are Mary Jo Sturman,
my daughter from Grand Forks, North Dakota,
Frank Olson from Roseau, Minnesota,
and we specialize in old-time music, featuring polkas,
waltzes, schottisches, 2-steps, and swing music,
music that you grew up with and that you could enjoy forever.
Mary Jo has been playing with our band for over 20 years.
She started when she was in high school.
We have really appreciated her expertise on the saxophone
and the vocals, and of course, everybody loves to see Mary Jo
have a good time and she brings a lot of joy to the stage.
So we always say that we traded her bottle in the crib
and gave her a saxophone instead.
About four years ago, Frank sent me an email
wanting to know if he could play with the band,
and so he came to where we were playing one night
and we gave him some music and he was interested,
and we're lucky enough to have a young fellow
that plays very well on the saxophone, and we can send out
to dance with the little old ladies that come to our dances,
so they really appreciate that.
And the young girls too, can't forget them.
This is my 38th year with the band business.
We started out as The Alley Cats back in 1975 in Middle River.
Throughout the years changed the name to the Cathy Erickson Band.
We have 7 recordings out; one of them is the Polka Mass
and we have been doing the Polka Mass for just as long
as the band has been in existence.
And what is a Polka Mass?
Well, a Polka Mass is bringing
traditional old-time music melodies
with religious words into the church
and wherever music would be played during the service,
we play Polka Mass Music,
and it's just the instruments that are changed
and the tempo is usually a little up-tempo
and the people, you know, go away feeling pretty happy.
We've even this past year played a Polka Mass for 3 funerals.
And we get a request for that occasionally too.
[playing in bright 2-step rhythm]
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[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
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? Thank you for lovin' me ?
? From the bottom of my heart ?
? Thank you for lovin' me ?
? Thank you sweetheart ?
? Thank you for lovin' me ?
? And for being what you are ?
? Thank you for lovin' me ?
? Thank you sweetheart ?
? Of all the hearts you've known ?
? And could have chosen ?
? The blessing of your love surrounding me ?
? And for me the door of love had long been closing ?
? If not for you, I'd still be searchin' for my dreams ?
? Thank you for lovin' me ?
? From the bottom of my heart ?
? Thank you for lovin' me ?
? Thank you sweetheart ?
? Thank you for lovin' me ?
? And for being what you are ?
? Thank you for lovin' me ?
? Thank you sweetheart ?
? Thank you for lovin' me ?
? Thank you sweetheart ?
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[playing in bright 3/4 time waltz rhythm]
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[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
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? Where is my fairest one ?
? Where is my dearest one ?
? You are the moon and stars ?
? You are the only one ?
? Where will I see your face ?
? I've looked most every place ?
? When I go to sleep at night ?
? I see my Emily ?
[accordion solo]
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[saxophone solo]
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My husband Virgil and I live
on a farm outside of Middle River.
We've raised 6 children there;
we have 17 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
The grandkids call me Grandma Polka and occasionally
I have to bring out the accordion and play
"The Chicken Dance" for them
when they come home for holidays.
I got my first accordion when I was 13 years old.
My Uncle Louie from Algoma, Wisconsin decided
to trade in his piano accordion for a button accordion,
and so he brought the accordion to Minnesota
when he visited my parents one summer.
And because I played the piano before that,
it was easy to transfer the keyboard to the accordion
and then kind of figure out the bass a little bit.
And then when I took college classes
at Northland Community College in Thief River Falls,
there was a lady there I took accordion lessons for one year
and I even have 3 credits in accordion from her.
[playing in bright polka rhythm]
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[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
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? Seven days and seven nights without you ?
? Make one week of loneliness for me ?
? How I've tried to get along without you ?
? But it seems that you were meant for me ?
? I like the way you dance with me my darling ?
? I like the way you hold me in your arms ?
? I just can't forget your tender kisses, ?
? I just can't forget your tender charms ?
? Seven days and seven nights without you ?
? Make one week of loneliness for me ?
? How I've tried to get along without you ?
? But it seems that you were meant for me ?
[saxophone solo]
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? Seven days and seven nights without you ?
? Make one week of loneliness for me ?
? How I've tried to get along without you ?
? But it seems that you were meant for me ?
? I like the way you dance with me my darling ?
? I like the way you hold me in your arms ?
? I just can't forget your tender kisses ?
? I just can't forget your tender charms ?
? Seven days and seven nights without you ?
? Make one week of loneliness for me ?
? How I've tried to get along without you ?
? But it seems that you were meant for me ?
[saxophone solo]
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[playing an easy swing beat]
[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
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[accordion solo]
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[saxophone solo]
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[playing in spirited 3/4 waltz time]
[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
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[accordion solo]
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I've always enjoyed the music of Frankie Yankovic
and I would have to say Albert Mikesh from Lidgerwood,
North Dakota is a great inspiration.
I love Cleveland-style music and listen to a lot of CDs
and learn music all the time.
We have been fortunate enough
to take our music to Canada also.
We've entertained at the Corn and Apple Festival
in Morden, Manitoba for several years
and also at the Octoberfest in Steinbach, Manitoba
for several years, and we have great friends across the border.
We've played county fairs, and we even did
a Caribbean cruise back in the '90s.
We've played for a lot of crowds where there's
a lot of gray-haired people in the crowd,
but don't let that fool you because they like to swing
and do the jitterbug and the polka.
We like our music to be a little bit upbeat and a little peppier,
and we get good reactions from our crowds,
from our dancing crowds
that they like the type of music that we play.
And then we can, we can slow it down
and play a nice love song for them also.
[playing in moderate 3/4 waltz time]
[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
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[accordion solo]
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[saxophone solo]
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[accordion solo]
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I have written several different songs,
and one of the songs that I'm proud of
is one called "Cathy's Polka."
I wrote this when I was taking music classes
at Northland Community College in Thief River Falls,
and even, even won an award for it.
And so we've also put that on one of our recordings.
We have seven recordings and "Cathy's Polka,"
is featured on one of them, and I also have it on a 45,
but that kind of dates me a little bit.
[playing in bright polka rhythm]
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[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
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[accordion solo]
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[saxophones take the lead]
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[playing in spirited polka rhythm]
[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
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[accordion solo]
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[saxophone solo]
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[playing in spirited polka rhythm]
[playing along with recorded bass and drums]
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(woman) This program is funded by
the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund,
with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota
on Nov. 4, 2008,
and by the members of Prairie Public.