JOURNALIST
RECOGNIZES SETH
DRZEWICKI AS A "POLKA PRINCE"
Writer Nancy Sajdak Manning wrote a
glowing biography and description of Seth Dzewicki for a
Michigan magazine and posted it on the internet.
Golden Bay City’s Seth Drzewicki,
27 and single, lives and breathes polka and strives to preserve
the area’s polka heritage and Polish culture.
For the past two years, Drzewicki
has been a volunteer co-host on the WSAM (1400 AM) "Polka Show,"
together with Mark Janson, Stan Solak, and Ron Nowaczyk. He
began disc jockeying radio polka music with his dad, Steve, at
WTRK in 1999, where they continued until mid-2004.
Manning wrote, "Drzewicki is the
youngest committee member of the Chesaning-based Michigan State
Polka Hall of Fame, a nonprofit organization that recognizes
musicians, DJs, and promoters who dedicate their lives to polka.
He is a writer for The Polka Times, Pennsylvania, which
recently bought out Chesaning’s The Polka News, where he
published for two years. Additionally, Drzewicki is a promoter
for the Steve Drzewicki Band, promotes polka dances bands coming
into the area, and often promotes new CDs for bands.
The author recognized that while
polka is Drzewicki’s passion, he is a part-time journalism
student at Delta College, and earns his livelihood as a
part-time office clerk for Attorney Laurie Krawczyk Berner.
The following is Manning’s
interview with Seth Dzewicki:
Q. Wow to polka!
How did
this love of polka happen, Seth?
A. Well, I guess you could simply
say I was born with polka music in my veins. Both of my parents
are Polish. My father Steve is the son of Sal, a past legendary
polka drummer here in Bay City. My mother Laurie tells me she
used to dance the polka all during her pregnancy. I can clearly
remember all through my childhood going to my dad’s gigs and
listening to polka music. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on
polkas.
Q. Do you like other types of
music?
A. In addition to polkas, I mainly
listen to old-time country such as Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, and
Dwight Yoakam. I also have been getting into what you call "Emo
Music," much like polkas, you know — the music is coming from
the heart.
Q. Tell me more about the polka
tradition/culture.
A. If you live in mid-Michigan,
you’re very lucky if you like polkas. We have northeastern
Michigan’s largest Polish Fest at St. Stan’s A.C. Polish Fest.
One of the Midwest’s largest Polka Fests is held at The Summer
Music Fest in Frankenmuth. Bay City’s Pulaski Hall continually
hosts the "who’s who" of Polish style polka bands such as
Grammy-winning Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones, Lenny Gomulka’s
Chicago Push and The DynaBrass. There are also six different
stations in mid-Michigan that host a polka show. Outside of
Buffalo and Chicago polka hot spots, I don’t know of any other
regions that have that many polka shows on the radio.
Musician-wise, Bay City has at least five members of The
Michigan State Polka Hall of Fame. Locally and nationally, polka
fans, musicians and DJs are one big family.
Q. What are some of your favorite
polkas?
A. I really like any song by
Gomulka, Blazonczyk, Happy Louie, and Polka Family. They are
notorious for writing original songs.
Q. Do you polka?
A. Not very good, but after a few
beers I think I do very good [laughs].
Q. Okay, Seth, my Polish dad would
be grinning by now and wanting me to ask, "So do many cute girls
come to the dances?" Also, in fairness to us gals, how about
good-looking fellas?
A. I could get in trouble here
[laughs]. I must say that us polka people are a good-looking
group of people. Come to a dance and see for yourself. You might
meet the Polish partner of your dreams!
Q. Hah! So how do people typically
learn to polka?
A. By watching The Lawrence Welk
Show, no joke. Or, just come to a dance, and anyone will be glad
to show you.
Q. Do your future career plans
include polka music?
A. I plan on doing the whole DJ
thing as long as the Good Lord lets me. I hope someday, once I
become more financially secure, to run more polka dances.
Nancy Sajdak Manning is a
journalist, historian, and developmental editor who lives in Bay
City, Michigan. Manning holds a BA degree in History, with a
minor in Creative Writing, from Saginaw Valley State University,
Michigan. Her history studies focus mainly on social and
cultural history in Michigan and parts of Europe. She has
published over a hundred articles, mostly in Michigan magazines
including Great Lakes Bay Regional Lifestyle, Huron Shore
Lakeside Lifestyle, At Home in the Great Lakes Bay, The Great
Lakes Bay Region (Tri-Chambers publication), Tri-City,
Interlude, and Michigan Out-of-Doors. Manning and her
husband have one son and daughter-in-law who live in West
Bloomfield, Michigan.