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STEVE MEISNER
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STEVE MEISNER
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For those of you who don’t already know, it is with deep regret that I inform all Meisner fans, friends, and family that my mother, Judy Meisner, passed away November 21st. A musical memorial & celebration will be held this Saturday December 3rd in Whitewater beginning at 11:00 AM. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend as it was her wish that we celebrate her life through fellowship, music, and dancing. For details including her obituary and memoriam please visit this link and remember (“Live every day as if it’s your last.” – Judy Meisner)
Our heart felt thanks go out to you to all of you who have sent good wishes, kind words of encouragement, and have shared your memories spent with Judy. She was truly “one of a kind”.
Please note that I will still be performing in New Glarus, WI on Friday and my father’s annual birthday memorial celebration of his music on Sunday at the Hiawatha Bar in Sturtevant, WI. However, my performance at the Aurora Moose Lodge on Saturday has been cancelled for obvious reasons.
Steve Meisner was nominated for a WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) award in the category "Polka Artist of the Year" for 2011
Watch Steve Meisner's Recent Performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC
http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=M4367
The Wisconsin Arts Board is proud to announce that polka musician Steve Meisner of Whitewater, Wisconsin has been selected to represent the State of Wisconsin in the Library of Congress’ Homegrown Concert Series.
Since 2002, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress has hosted a regular series of concerts that run each year from April through November. "The Homegrown concerts began with the idea of documenting the very best of traditional music and dance from a variety of folk cultures thriving in the United States," explained Peggy Bulger, the AFC's director. "In order to do that effectively, we collaborate with state folklorists in each state, and take their recommendations on the best folk performers to represent the cultural heritage of that state. We make sure to document each concert thoroughly, so that it can be added to the permanent collections of the American Folklife Center. We are well on our way to having all 50 states represented in this multicultural musical collection. This collection will live on as a snapshot of the diversity of American folk music thriving at the turn of the twenty-first century."
Meisner was selected from a roster of nominees supplied to the AFC by the state folklorist on staff at the Wisconsin Arts Board, Anne Pryor. “We nominated Steve for several reasons: his outstanding musical skills on the accordion, creativity with the Slovenian style of polka, engaging showmanship, and also, for him, polka is not only a regional and ethnic tradition. It’s also a family tradition.”
Steve’s father, Verne Meisner (1938-2005) of Waukesha, Wisconsin, was a lifelong polka musician who gained international fame. Among other accomplishments, Verne was honored in 1989 with induction into the International Polka Hall of Fame. Both father and son represented Wisconsin in 1998 in Washington D.C. As a major event in the celebration of Wisconsin’s Sesquicentennial, the Wisconsin Arts Board partnered with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage to bring 120 traditional artists to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Steve and Verne played for two weeks on the National Mall in a grand celebration of Wisconsin’s 150th birthday.
“My Dad’s melding of the Yankovic Slovenian style, Cleveland Slovenian styles, Louis Bashell’s Milwaukee Slovenian style along with local bands from his childhood and other regional groups solidified his style within a style,” Steve reflected. “I, however, was literally only exposed to Verne Meisner (who was always my mentor) as a child and it wasn’t until my early adolescence and my teenage years that I expanded my own influences to include bands from the Cleveland and Milwaukee Slovenian styles along with other polka, pop, country and rock genre influences. The intricacy of what has brought me into my own style within a style is pretty deep.”
The AFC agreed, and selected Steve to represent the state with his own “Meisner Magic” style of Slovenian Wisconsin style polka. The performance will be on August 25, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Library's Coolidge Auditorium and again from 6 - 7 p.m. on the Kennedy’s Center Millennium Stage. The evening performance will be webcast live at 6 p.m. Eastern time and is viewable at http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium. Both concerts are free of charge.
Steve Meisner was the winner of the 2010 WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) award in the category "Polka Artist of the Year" and also was nominated as a Peoples' Choice Top Finalist in the Southwest WI category. www.wamimusic.com
Milwaukee Journal article about WAMI adding the Polka Artist Category
If these links do not open, try right-clicking and then choose 'open in new window'.
This should take care of the problem. Thanks.For band schedules, ordering music, booking information or
other information, please contact Steve Meisner directly at:
Steve Meisner
N7547 W Lakeshore Dr
Whitewater, WI 53190-4385
Phone: 262-473-7184.
You may also contact Steve via e-mail at Steve Meisner
"Meisner Magic"
Verne & Steve Meisner
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Last revised: January 23, 2012
