I had the privilege of visiting with one of the bands at the Polka Fest this past weekend. The Mississippi Valley Dutchmen have been playing together for over 30 years. Brian Brueggen is from Cashton, WI, a small west central Wisconsin town about 30 miles east of the Mississippi River. Brian was born in 1965, and has carried on a family tradition that goes back to the 1800s. Brian was the youngest of five children. It was a common family tradition for all of the children to sit in the kitchen and play music. At the age of 3, Brian’s grandfather told everyone that Brian would be a great musician one day. Brian’s Grandpa Herman was so right. At the age of 6, Brian began playing the trumpet. After a couple of years, he joined his dad’s band playing the second trumpet. Brian wanted to learn more, so he would “sneak” into his dad’s closet and try out the concertina.
